Hardmode exploration and resource gathering

Hardmode exploration & resource gathering

In Hardmode, you are given the Pwnhammer by defeating the Wall of Flesh. It is a good idea to use it as soon as possible to start hunting for the resources for better gear. If you haven't yet made a Molten Pickaxe out of Hellstone, you should do that as well since to mine the first of the new ores, at least a Molten Pickaxe is required.

When you are ready, go ahead and search for these altars. You will most likely have seen a handful of them while exploring and resource gathering in easymode. Try to remember where the ones you saw were to save time in searching for them.

A little thing to note when attempting to smash altars, upon smashing one, 1-3 wraith enemies will spawn. These enemies go through walls but even if they don't look like one, they seem to use the worm AI. Meaning they can pass through blocks to climb higher. If there are no blocks to climb through though, they will just hover a few blocks off the ground.

Aside from the wraiths, smashing altars will enable the three mechanical bosses to spawn each night. So you have to move pretty fast and be pretty lucky in obtaining the new ores to stand a chance. That is why it is good to have a good mining shaft built. The Hellevator as the main shaft downwards while random branching shafts from east to west. Doing this will easily help you spot the new ores.

When you find one, equip the Pwnhammer and smash it. After smashing the altar, the message " Your world has been blessed with (whatever ore was chosen)". You need a minimum of three altars smashed to have all the Hardmode ore spawn.

The first altar blesses your world with either Cobalt Ore or Palladium Ore.

The second altar creates either Mythril Ore or Orichalcum Ore.

The third altar destroyed gives your world either Adamantite Ore or Titanium Ore.

Smashing these altars will cause a random tiles all around the world to transform into one of the ores. Each altar smashed adds more although at diminishing returns so no need to go crazy smashing all altars.

Aside from adding ores, smashing altars also has a slight chance of turning a single tile into a new Hallow tile which will eventually grow into a Hallowed Biome, or a Corruption / Crimson tile that will grow into a Corruption / Crimson biome.