Hallow Scythe: A Comprehensive Guide to Crafting and Mastering This Powerful Terraria Weapon

The Hallow Scythe is a powerful magic weapon in Terraria, coveted by many for its high damage output and unique projectile mechanics. This guide will walk you through every step of obtaining, crafting, and effectively using the Hallow Scythe, ensuring you can unleash its full potential. Whether you’re a seasoned Terraria veteran or a newcomer looking to bolster your magic arsenal, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know.

What is the Hallow Scythe?

The Hallow Scythe is a Hardmode magic weapon that fires a slow-moving, piercing, crescent-shaped projectile that deals significant damage. Unlike many magic weapons, the Hallow Scythe has a distinct arc and a unique piercing effect, making it ideal for crowd control and taking down groups of enemies. Its projectile can pass through several enemies and walls, offering an advantage in tight corridors and against shielded foes. The weapon’s damage output scales well into later stages of the game, allowing players to use it against even the toughest Hardmode bosses.

Why Choose the Hallow Scythe?

Before diving into the crafting process, it’s important to understand why the Hallow Scythe is a worthwhile weapon to acquire:

• High Damage: The Hallow Scythe boasts respectable damage, making it effective against a wide range of enemies.
• Piercing Projectiles: Its piercing attack allows you to hit multiple targets with a single shot, maximizing damage output when dealing with swarms of enemies.
• Unique Arc: The crescent-shaped projectiles offer a unique attack trajectory, allowing you to hit enemies behind cover or around obstacles.
• Versatility: It’s effective in both open areas and cramped corridors, making it a versatile choice for various scenarios.
• Scaling Damage: Its damage output remains relevant as you progress through Hardmode and beyond.

Crafting the Hallow Scythe

The Hallow Scythe isn’t found as a loot drop. Instead, you’ll need to craft it using materials found in the Hardmode Hallow biome. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the crafting process:

Required Materials:

• Soul of Light (12): These are obtained by defeating enemies in the Underground Hallow. Soul of Lights are dropped by most enemies within this biome and are identifiable by their bright, floating, fairy-like appearance. Typically, it takes approximately 3-4 enemies to obtain a single soul of light.
• Crystal Shard (20): These are also found in the Underground Hallow and are usually gathered through mining. These are very common and can be found in patches throughout the biome, however, they do not grow naturally. These can only be found after the Wall of Flesh has been defeated and hardmode has begun.
• Any Magic Weapon (1): You need a pre-existing magic weapon to craft the Hallow Scythe. It can be any magic weapon available at that time in the game. Some of the easier to obtain options include the Gem Staves (Topaz, Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, Diamond, and Amethyst) or the Vilethorn.

Crafting Station

You’ll need a Mythril Anvil or Orichalcum Anvil to combine these materials. These are crafted after obtaining either Mythril bars or Orichalcum bars from their respective ores that are available once hardmode has begun. To do this, you’ll need 10 bars of your chosen metal. To do this, you need 40 ore to create 10 bars.

Step-by-Step Crafting Guide

1. Prepare for the Hallow: Before venturing into the Underground Hallow, ensure you are well-equipped with suitable armor and weapons. A decent set of hardmode armor and weapons are going to make this a much more manageable task. You should also make sure to take healing potions and buffs with you to ensure you don’t get killed.
2. Locate the Underground Hallow: Once the wall of flesh has been defeated, The Hallow will generate in a ‘V’ shape on your world map. Explore this biome underground, seeking caves and tunnels where both Soul of Light and Crystal Shards can be located.
3. Gather Souls of Light: Focus on defeating the various enemies found within the underground hallow. These will drop souls of light which you will need in order to proceed.
4. Mine Crystal Shards: Keep an eye out for patches of Crystal Shards along the walls and floors of the underground Hallow caves. Mine these with your pickaxe or drill, gathering at least 20 shards.
5. Acquire a Magic Weapon: Make sure you have a magic weapon available, such as a Gem Staff or the Vilethorn.
6. Craft at the Anvil: Once you have collected all the necessary items, head to either your Mythril Anvil or Orichalcum Anvil. Select the Hallow Scythe in the crafting menu. Combine the 12 Souls of Light, 20 Crystal Shards, and one magic weapon.
7. The Hallow Scythe is Yours: Congratulations! You have successfully crafted the Hallow Scythe.

Mastering the Hallow Scythe: Tips and Techniques

Crafting the Hallow Scythe is just the first step. To truly master this weapon, you’ll need to understand its projectile behavior and implement effective combat strategies.

Understanding the Projectile

• Arcing Trajectory: The Hallow Scythe fires a crescent-shaped projectile that travels in an arc, initially moving slightly upwards before curving downwards. This makes precise aiming essential for hitting moving targets.
• Piercing Effect: The projectile passes through multiple enemies and walls, making it incredibly effective against grouped targets and enemies hidden behind obstacles.
• Slow Speed: The projectile moves relatively slowly, so you’ll need to lead your shots when dealing with fast-moving enemies.
• Limited Range: The Hallow Scythe has a shorter range compared to some other magic weapons. This requires you to engage enemies at mid-range for effective combat.

Combat Strategies

• Crowd Control: Utilize the piercing ability of the Hallow Scythe to hit multiple enemies simultaneously. Aim for the densest part of the enemy formation to inflict maximum damage.
• Corridor Combat: The scythe’s projectiles can pass through walls and tight spaces. Use this to your advantage to clear out cramped areas quickly.
• Strategic Positioning: Due to the projectile’s arcing trajectory, position yourself to maximize its effectiveness. Experiment with different angles to find the sweet spot for hitting enemies.
• Leading Shots: Since the projectile is slow-moving, learn to predict enemy movements and lead your shots accordingly. This is especially critical when fighting mobile bosses.
• Pair with Mana Buffs: The Hallow Scythe can drain mana quickly. To maximize damage output, pair the weapon with accessories or armor that provide mana regeneration bonuses or reduce mana usage, such as Mana Flower, Magic Cuffs, or the Celestial Emblem.
• Pre-Boss Preparation: Practice your aim and use with the Hallow Scythe before engaging bosses. Familiarity with its arc and damage will increase your effectiveness in boss battles.
• Wall-Piercing Advantage: Use the wall-piercing capabilities to your advantage against bosses that summon minions or hide behind cover. This makes it possible to continue dealing damage even when the main boss is inaccessible.

Dealing with Different Enemies

Understanding how the Hallow Scythe works against different types of enemies will help you use it more effectively. Here’s a breakdown of strategies for various foes:

• Small, Fast Enemies: Lead your shots to make up for the slow projectile speed. Use its piercing to damage many enemies at once.
• Armored Enemies: The piercing effect will bypass much of the armor, making it very effective against heavily armored enemies.
• Flying Enemies: Its upward arc makes it easier to hit flying enemies than straight projectiles, but you still need to aim correctly, using the arc to your advantage.
• Bosses: Use its piercing to hit multiple parts of a boss and its minions. Position yourself to maximize damage output and lead your shots according to the boss’s movement patterns.
• Enemies Behind Walls: Use the Hallow Scythe to target enemies behind walls and pillars, allowing you to continue dealing damage even when you are not directly facing them.

Optimal Gear and Accessory Combinations

While the Hallow Scythe is a strong weapon on its own, certain armor sets and accessories can significantly enhance its performance. Here are some recommendations:

Armor

• Adamantite/Titanium Armor: Provides a great balance between defense and magic bonuses, making it a solid choice for early-Hardmode.
• Forbidden Armor: Offers a great amount of magic bonuses and provides a set bonus of creating a sandnado around the player.
• Spider Armor: Increases the damage of summons, making it a great choice if your playing a mage/summoner hybrid build.
• Hallowed Armor: Provides significant magic damage bonuses and a boost to critical hit chance, which is great for any magic user.
• Spectre Armor: An excellent choice for later Hardmode, this armor greatly increases damage and also provides healing, which greatly increases survivability.
• Tiki Armor: Increases your damage and provides an extra summon. This is also great for hybrid builds.

Accessories

• Mana Flower: Reduces mana usage and makes it possible to use your magic weapon more frequently.
• Magic Cuffs: Boosts mana regeneration and increases maximum mana capacity. When used with a Mana Flower, these two work wonders together.
• Celestial Emblem: Increases damage output and adds to your mana capacity.
• Sorcerer Emblem: Increases magic damage, further increasing damage output.
• Celestial Magnet: Increases the range to collect mana stars, ensuring you don’t run out of mana.
• Magic Quiver: Increases the speed of your magic projectiles.
• Avenger Emblem: Increases all damage, providing a substantial damage boost for all magic weapons.
• Destroyer Emblem: Increases damage and critical strike chance, ensuring higher damage output on every hit.
• Warding Prefix: Prioritize accessories with the “Warding” modifier to increase your defense.

Troubleshooting and Common Issues

While crafting and using the Hallow Scythe is usually straightforward, you might encounter some common issues. Here are some tips to troubleshoot these problems:

• Not Dropping Souls of Light: Double check that you are in the correct biome, the Underground Hallow. Make sure you have explored enough area. Souls of Light will not drop in the surface Hallow.
• Not Finding Crystal Shards: Ensure you’re exploring the underground Hallow deep enough and thoroughly. Mine all the walls and floors within the biome.
• Low Mana: Make sure you are equipped with mana regenerating accessories, and that you have Mana Potions available.
• Struggling with Aim: Practice aiming with the Hallow Scythe on weaker enemies first. Use the projectile’s arc to your advantage.
• Ineffective Damage: Make sure you’re using appropriate gear to enhance the Hallow Scythe’s damage output and that your weapons are reforged with appropriate prefixes.
• Low Damage Numbers: Make sure that your magic weapons are reforged with a beneficial prefix to increase their base stats, such as Mythical.

Conclusion

The Hallow Scythe is a fantastic magic weapon in Terraria, providing both high damage and a unique projectile mechanic. By following this guide, you’ll be able to efficiently craft, master, and make the most out of this powerful weapon. Remember to experiment with different combat strategies, gear combinations, and always keep practicing your aim. With time and dedication, you will be able to wield the Hallow Scythe to its fullest potential, conquering any challenges that the game throws your way. Embrace the power of the Hallow Scythe, and dominate the world of Terraria.