Best Summoner Loadout To Fight Pre-Mech Duke Fishron? (2024)

probably still sanguine staff. The nerf made it more in-line with other pre-mech weapons, but it's still a solid option. I'd use it alongside the firecracker (and snapthorn if whip stacking).

Blade staff could be usable if you are good at whip stacking (if going blades you'd stack with cool whip, spinal tap, and snapthorn) and it requires an ichor flask (which is good for any summoner loadout taking on fishron, but blades absolutely require it since fishron has 50 defence).

check out this for a pretty detailed build guide (only thing it doesn't go into are buffs, which are somewhat self explanatory)

chewythebigblackdog said:

probably still sanguine staff. The nerf made it more in-line with other pre-mech weapons, but it's still a solid option. I'd use it alongside the firecracker (and snapthorn if whip stacking).

Blade staff could be usable if you are good at whip stacking (if going blades you'd stack with cool whip, spinal tap, and snapthorn) and it requires an ichor flask (which is good for any summoner loadout taking on fishron, but blades absolutely require it since fishron has 50 defence).

check out this for a pretty detailed build guide (only thing it doesn't go into are buffs, which are somewhat self explanatory)

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Could also use cool whip

Terraria_is_goat🪓 said:

Could also use cool whip

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chewythebigblackdog said:

(if going blades you'd stack with cool whip,

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Hmm?

Bodark Hu Tao said:

Cool Whip also has armor penetration of 30 meaning that combined with an ichor flask you will get 45 armor penetration, but when these two are used with the blade staff’s 25 armor penetration, you get a grand total of 70 armor penetration which is actually more than enough to take on Duke Fishron.

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That's not how it works. The cool whip's armour penetration only applies to the snowflake it spawns, it's not a debuff that applies to targets you hit with it. In the case you mentioned, you'd actually have a snowflake with 45 armour penetration and a blade staff with 40, neither of which can fully penetrate duke's defence of 50. While this isn't that big of a deal for the snowflake, losing 5 damage to every hit of blade staff is a big hit to dps, and it's likely worth equipping both shark tooth necklace and stinger necklace to remedy it (which are 2 accessory slots that you can't use for defensive options, mobility, or other dps options).

chewythebigblackdog said:

That's not how it works. The cool whip's armour penetration only applies to the snowflake it spawns, it's not a debuff that applies to targets you hit with it. In the case you mentioned, you'd actually have a snowflake with 45 armour penetration and a blade staff with 40, neither of which can fully penetrate duke's defence. While this isn't that big of a deal for the snowflake, losing 5 damage to every hit of blade staff is a big hit to dps, and it's likely worth equipping both shark tooth necklace and stinger necklace to remedy it (which are 2 accessory slots that you can't use for defensive options, mobility, or other dps options).

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I forgot about the damn damage penalty per hit, like with other weapons from update version 1.4.1.

Bodark Hu Tao said:

I forgot about the damn damage penalty per hit, like with other weapons from update version 1.4.1.

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what exactly do you mean by this? if it's the "some weapons deal less damage the more enemies they pierce", that's not what's happening here. You are losing 5 damage per hit on blade staff because of duke fishron's defence. With blade staff and ichor, duke's 50 defence effectively becomes 10 defence. (enemy) defence reduces damage by half of its value, so 10 defence = 5 less damage. That's why I mention the shark tooth necklace, since with both it and the stinger necklace, you'll have a total of 50 armour penetration, enough to deal full damage to the duke.

chewythebigblackdog said:

what exactly do you mean by this? if it's the "some weapons deal less damage the more enemies they pierce", that's not what's happening here. You are losing 5 damage per hit on blade staff because of duke fishron's defence. With blade staff and ichor, duke's 50 defence effectively becomes 10 defence. (enemy) defence reduces damage by half of its value, so 10 defence = 5 less damage. That's why I mention the shark tooth necklace, since with both it and the stinger necklace, you'll have a total of 50 armour penetration, enough to deal full damage to the duke.

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Oh that. Damn I should’ve looked at it that way.

PulimV said:

Ik this thread is from months ago and about Pre Mech Duke, but does anyone have tips for Post Twins Duke? So like, before killing all 3 but with Durendal, Optic Staff and Hallowed Armor. Is the setup still the same?

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Idk I can try to see but I'm pretty dog crap at terraria

chewythebigblackdog said:

Since you have hallowed set, you should definitely use that. Optic staff gets hit pretty hard by duke's defence, and I'm not sure how good the twins are at chasing duke down, so you'd probably have to try them out. If they work well, optic + durendal (should also whip stack w/ cool whip if able, can also add snapthorn/spinal tap too) would do decently. If not, either blades + durendal + cool whip + spinal tap (probably want shark tooth + stinger necklaces too) or sanguine + firecracker + durendal would be your best bet. I'd probably lean towards sanguine staff if not whip stacking.

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Ah I see, so it doesn't differ much lol, my Whip Stacking isn't really that good so I think I'll just go with Sanguine and Firecracker (plus the occasional Durendal use) and see how it goes, Optic's dps did seem far worse than Sanguine (I got to the third phase once with Sanguine but Optic took a While to even get to the second, upon which I promptly died) so it does seem like a worse option. Thanks a lot for the help!

[10/03/2024 Edit]: Managed to beat him with a Hallowed Armor loadout! Here's a screenshot :]

For anyone who stumbles into this thread while looking for help for Duke, my set-up focused on damage and survivability accessories, with the Queen Slime mount and Buff Potions beng the only sources of mobility. Lifeforce Potions, Inferno Potions and Flasks of Ichor are VERY important for you to both not die and deal damage, but honestly grab every single buff that you can, I even made an artificial Corruption biome for Rage Potions because every buff counts (especially on Master Mode!) Now excuse me I'll savescum for both Wings and a Tempest Staff lmao