Guide:Calamitas strategies

This is a Guide page. This means the page will walk you through a specific task, strategy, or enemy/boss fight. This guide was last updated for version 1.5.0.004.

Calamitas is a Hardmode boss that is usually fought after defeating all Mechanical Bosses alongside Cryogen, the Brimstone Elemental, and the Aquatic Scourge. Additionally, Calamitas receives a buff after defeating Providence, the Profaned Goddess and begins to drop Bloodstone. Calamitas can be spawned by using an Eye of Desolation on the Surface at night.

This guide will mention items exclusive to Expert and Revengeance Mode with no special formatting and will follow the intended progression.

Terrain Preparation

Calamitas requires a lot of room. Two to three long sets of platforms should be spaced out roughly 20-35 blocks apart. Having platforms above the ground will help as it will prevent you from running into Catastrophe's bouncing fireballs later in the fight. In the case that you end up needing to go near the ground, the ground of the arena should be leveled to prevent crevices and holes obstructing your movement.

Strong vertical mobility is a great asset for this fight as well as good horizontal mobility. As such, it would not be a bad idea to invest in some Weightless Candles. Additionally, placing Campfires and Heart Lanterns can help with recovery from hits.

Gearing Up

Armor

• Titanium armor is an all-around decent option for Melee, Ranged, and Mages due to its high survivability from Shadow Dodge.
• Frost armor is a decent option for Melee and Ranged players.
• Forbidden armor is a decent option for Mage and Summoner players.
• Hallowed armor and Chlorophyte armor can be utilized for their good all-around stats.
• Spider armor is generally preferred for Summoners due to the high damage bonuses for minions.
• Titan Heart armor is considered the best option for Rogue, specially if using stealth.
  • Forbidden Circlet is also a decent option for rogue players that don't use stealth strikes much and prefer faster attacking.
• Daedalus armor is another well-rounded armor set for all classes.
• Mollusk armor can be used for its great amount of stats at the cost of movement speed.
• Squire armor, Monk armor, Huntress armor and Apprentice armor are also decent mixed class or summoner options as well.

Accessories

Movement

• Wings are generally preferred over the Bundle of Balloons or the MOAB in this fight, as the smoother movement and the higher amount of control will prove valuable when dodging Calamitas' general attacks or the bullet hells.
  • Bat Wings are the strongest wings for this fight, as it boosts damage and mobility stats during the nighttime.
  • Starlight Wings can also be used when paired with Daedalus armor.
  • Other alternatives include Harpy Wings. Fairy Wings, and Flame Wings.
• Note that the Bundle of Balloons or the MOAB can be used to great effect during the brothers phase of the fight, as the high speed of the jumps greatly helps in evading their dashes and Cataclysm's flamethrower, especially in higher difficulties.
• A Frog Leg, Aero Stone, or Grand Gelatin can be utilized with wings to give an extra boost to movement speed.
  • The MOAB is another alternative set of wings but is generally more difficult to use effectively.
• Angel Treads can help with keeping up with Calamitas’ speed.
  • Note that reforging some accessories to Quick allows the player to accelerate and sprint at the same speed as Angel Treads, saving an accessory slot.
• The Evasion Scarf and the Shield of Cthulhu can be used to make quick dashes to escape deadly situations.
  • The Ornate Shield can also be used when paired with Daedalus armor.

Defensive

• The Ambrosial Ampoule provides high life regeneration, increasing survivability.
• Permafrost's Concoction is a good option because of its added life regen and revival ability. Additionally, it provides offensive bonuses to mages.
• The Crown Jewel can be used to help reduce the effects of Brimstone Flames and Abyssal Flames.
  • Alternatively, the Abaddon reduces the damage over time of the Brimstone Flames debuff by 50% whereas the Margarita Alcohol halves the duration of both at the cost of some defense and life regeneration.
• The Charm of Myths can be used its decreased potion cooldown.

Offensive

• A class emblem can provide a good increase to DPS.
• Melee players should use the Mechanical Glove and the Bloody Worm Scarf for their strong melee boosts and the latter's increased damage reduction.
  • If the player is utilizing Yoyos, then the Yoyo Bag should be prioritized.
• Ranged players should use the Ranger Emblem and Magic Quiver to help boost damage output and arrow velocity.
• Magic players should use the Mana Flower and/or the Celestial Cuffs to quickly recover mana. A Celestial Emblem will help boost damage and increases mana star grab range as well.
  • Note that using the quick mana button or Mana Regeneration Potions can remove the need for a Mana Flower, saving an accessory slot.
• Summoners should use the Hallowed Rune for the stat boosts it provides alongside secondary damage with its stars, Nuclear Rod and Jelly-Charged Battery for its additional minion effects.
  • A Sentry accessory is also helpful if using sentries.
• Rogue users will find the Rogue Emblem, Old Die, Corrosive Spine and the Raider's Talisman useful to boost their damage output.
  • The Electrician's Glove, Mirage Mirror and Ruin Medallion should be used for stealth-focused builds.

Weapons

Melee

• The Pwnagehammer is a strong option that deals excellent damage, though it suffers against the Soul Seekers.
• The Ark of the Ancients is a good weapon to carpet-bomb the Soul Seekers but struggles otherwise.
• The Celestial Claymore is great at dealing damage to the brothers when they are dashing.
• The Sulphurous Grabber is a very good yoyo to use in the fight.
• The Brimlance is a strong yet short ranged option.
• The Bonebreaker is a decent option, but struggles with seekers.

Ranged

• The Sea's Searing is a powerful option that can deal massive damage.
  • Note that this is a Legendary Challenge item and can be very difficult to obtain.
• The Chlorophyte Shotbow with Ichor Arrows, Cursed Arrows or Napalm Arrows is an effective choice due to the Ichor debuff and the bow's high damage output.
• The Arbalest is also a good option.
  • Note that this is a Challenge item and can be very difficult to obtain.
• The Megashark with Crystal Bullets, Cursed Bullets, Verium Bullets or Ichor Bullets is an effective choice with high damage output.
  • Chlorophyte Bullets can be useful if having trouble to aim at the cost of DPS.
• The Corroded Caustibow can deal massive damage with Ichor Arrows.
• The Barinautical can deal a lot of damage with Cursed Arrows.
• The Darkecho Greatbow is a very nice option for dealing with seekers due to its crystal dart.
• The Brimstone Fury is a decent option to use on the fight.
• The Matter Modulator is an effective option, but can be tricky to land.

Mage

• The Brimrose Staff is a great all-around weapon that can deal with both Calamitas and her brothers.
• The SHPC proves excellent throughout the entire fight, the energy balls decimate seekers and the laser barrage deals very good damage.
  • Note that this is a Legendary Challenge item and can be very difficult to obtain.
• The Miasma has a wide area of damage that provides consistent DPS throughout the fight.
• The Ion Blaster is a very powerful choice throughout the whole fight due to its high fire rate and damage, but be aware its damage will decrease as your mana decreases.
• The Infernal Rift has good direct damage.
• The Relic of Ruin is a good weapon for dealing with the brothers, although it can be hard to use at long range.
• The Valkyrie Ray is an excellent option against the Soul Seekers and the second brothers phase.
• The Lazinator is a very powerful option, but its rapid firerate can consume your mana very quickly.
• The Arctic Bear Paw, Bittercold Staff and Slithering Eels are very nice homing options.

Summoner

• The Mounted Scanner is an extremely powerful summon, however it cannot deal with enemies from far away.
• The Dormant Brimseeker is a very nice option for Calamitas.
• The Black Hawk Remote can also do decent damage against Calamitas because of its targeting system, however it doesn't do well against the brothers.
• The Tundra Flame Blossoms Staff or the Sun God Staff can be good extra sources of damage when used alongside the aforementioned minions.
• The Cold Divinity is a powerful weapon for the fight.
  • Note that this is a Legendary Challenge item and can be very difficult to obtain.
• The Shellfish Staff is extremely useful when dealing with Calamitas' brothers due to its ability to latch on to enemies.
• The Cryogenic Staff summons a powerful sentry that provides good additional damage.
  • The Orthocera Shell is a decent alternative.
  • The Ballista Cane is another alternative that can be spammed through constant recasting.

Rogue

• The Brimblade is effective against Calamitas, especially when the blades stack together.
• The Terror Talons are a decent option, especially when the player is far enough away from Calamitas or her brothers that the projectiles consistently hit them.
• The Kelvin Catalyst is a very effective option, specially against seekers.
• The Spear of Destiny is an extremely powerful homing option that can deal massive damage throughout the entire fight.
  • Note that this is a Legendary Challenge item and can be very difficult to obtain.
• Cobalt Kunai are very powerful due to their homing stealth strike that deal good damage.
• The Skyfin Bombers are an extremely powerful option, especially when using its stealth strike.
• The Frequency Manipulator is an effective option for the whole fight and good for dealing with seekers.

Classless

• The Lunic Eye and/or the Golden Gun can make the fight easier due to their powerful debuffs.

Gearing Up Post-Providence

Armor

• Tarragon armor is the preferred choice for all classes.
• Prismatic armor is an alternative for Mage.
• However, Lunar armors will work just as well.
  • Solar Flare armor for Melee
    • Its dash can free an accessory slot.
  • Vortex armor for Ranged
    • Its stealth can massively increase its damage, although its very risky to use.
  • Nebula armor for Mage
  • Its nebula boosters can provide very useful stat buffs and regeneration which are very helpful.
  • Stardust armor for Summoner
  • Empyrean armor for Rogue

Accessories

• Tarragon Wings, Elysian Wings or Seraph Tracers are the preferred wings.
  • Lunar Wings do not perform as well as Tarragon Wings, but they are easier to obtain.
    • The Vortex Booster and Nebula Mantle's hover can provide a quick burst of speed that can be helpful for avoiding the brothers, although they cannot fly as much as the rest of the options.
• Asgard's Valor, Statis' Ninja Belt, or the Elysian Aegis all provide a dash and allow the player to make sharp turns and are very useful.
  • Asgard's Valor and the Elysian Aegis additionally give knockback immunity and many defensive boosts.
  • Statis' Ninja Belt additionally provides a guranteed dodge every 90 seconds along with increased jump acceleration.
• The Absorber is important for survivability by increasing damage reduction as well as giving increased jump acceleration.
• The Community is a great all-around accessory that boosts offensive and defensive stats as well as boosting flight time.
  • Note that this is a Legendary Challenge item and can be very difficult to obtain.
• Melee players should use the Fire Gauntlet and Celestial Shell for its strong melee boosts as well as increased damage reduction.
  • The Yoyo Bag should be used when using yoyos.
    • An exception is with the Terrarian due to its invincibility frames.
• Ranged players should use the Dynamo Stem Cells, Sniper Scope or Artemis Emblem, which all help in boosting damage output.
  • The Artemis Emblem additionally gives some life regen and ammo conservation.
  • The Sniper Scope's zoom can help seeing where the boss is when far away.
• Magic players should use the Sigil of Calamitas for its strong magic boosts.
• Summoners can boost their minion count and damage with the Star-Tainted Generator, Statis' Curse and the Profaned Soul Artifact.
• The Heart of the Elements can provide a good damage boost for summoners, along with some healing.
• Rogue users will find the Dark God's Sheath, Moonstone Crown, Ethereal Extorter and Vampiric Talisman useful to boost their damage output.
  • The Abyssal Mirror can help boost stealth regeneration, specially when paired with Dark God's Sheath.
  • The Glove of Recklessness can provide a massive damage boost at the cost of innacuracy.
  • The Glove of Precision can provide a massive damage boost at the cost of use speed.
    • Stealth builds can benefit from it with no penalty whatsoever.
• The Blunder Booster's dash can provide a quick burst of mobility for Stealth builds
• The Destroyer Emblem provides a decent damage boost for all classes.

Weapons

The weapons made from Uelibloom Bars and drops from Providence are typically the best options for the fight.

Melee

• The True Biome Blade is an excellent option with homing and high single target damage.
• The Solar Flare, Terrarian or Verdant provide good DPS against Calamitas at the cost of lesser range.
• The Lifehunt Scythe is a good option that leaves projectiles in the path of the brothers as well as some healing, should any minions get too close.
• The Galactus Blade is a good option for single target damage.
• The Luminous Striker, The Mutilator and Gilded Proboscis are good close-ranged options.

Ranged

• The Blissful Bombardier can deal solid area of effect damage and homes as well.
• The Claret Cannon is a decent homing option.
• The Nettlevine Greatbow with Luminite Arrows is a solid pick with its piercing and high damage output.
  • Elysian Arrows and Bloodfire Arrows are also excellent.
• The Elemental Blaster's homing can provide very good damage while not having to aim much.
• The Golden Eagle is a very good gun, especially when paired with Bloodfire Bullets.
  • Holy Fire Bullets remain excellent options.
  • The S.D.M.G., Shredder, Infinity and Onyx Chain Blaster are weaker alternatives.
  • The Storm Dragoon and Seadragon are stronger alternatives that require Storm Weaver to be defeated.
• The Aether's Whisper is a powerful option available after Signus, Envoy of the Devourer has been defeated.

Mage

• Although its DPS is lower, Nuclear Fury is a homing option allowing the player to focus on dodging.
• The Purge Guzzler will deal massive damage to both Calamitas and her minions.
• The Plasma Rifle's primary fire provides a powerful area of effect that can easily deal with Calamitas' brothers and the soul seekers.
• The Ultra Liquidator is an excellent secondary weapon for applying crippling debuffs for long periods of time.
• The Genisis can deal great damage to Calamitas, her brothers, and the soul seekers due to its piercing capability and high rate of fire.
• The Mad Alchemist's Cocktail Glove is a very powerful option, capable of inflicting lots of damage and debuffs.
• The Effervescence is a powerful short-ranged option, specially when paired with armor penetration.
• The Augur of the Elements is a decent short-ranged option.
• The Viscera can provide decent amounts of healing.
• The Plasma Caster is a very powerful option for this fight.
• The Last Prism can deal very heavy damage if you can control its beam accurately.

Summoner

• The Elemental Axe is a very good option for this fight.
• The Snake Eyes are also a solid choice.
• The Dragonblood Disgorger can support your other minions and provide healing.
• The Tactical Plague Engine can be used to great effect when paired with Holy Fire Bullets.
• The Energy Staff summons a sentry that provides additional DPS to aid your minions.

Rogue

• The Elemental Disk or the Molten Amputator provide good DPS at the cost of range.
• The Shattered Sun, Celestial Reaper and Lunar Kunai provide homing and more range at the cost of DPS.
• The Utensil Poker and Stellar Contempt can provide good damage at closer ranges.
  • Utensil Poker's stealth strike can be very powerful at short ranges.
• The Wave Pounder can deal massive damage and will make quick work of seekers, although it may be tricky to land.
• The Cosmic Kunai is a powerful short-ranged option available after Signus, Envoy of the Devourer's defeat.
• The Deific Thunderbolt is a decent weapon available after Storm Weaver has been defeated.

Classless

• The Lunic Eye, Yanmei's Knife and the Golden Gun can be used to inflict powerful debuffs.

The Fight

Calamitas alternates between hovering over the player and firing two accelerating Brimstone Hellfireballs, and leveling with the player and firing 4 acceleration Brimstone Hellblasts. Run horizontally to avoid the Hellfireballs, and fly up to avoid the Hellblasts.

At 70% health, Calamitas will become invulnerable and summon a bullet hell. Focus on the projectiles and do not be afraid to use the Rod of Discord if you are in a tight spot. Using Binoculars will also help with seeing the projectiles.

At 40% health, Calamitas will summon her brothers, Cataclysm and Catastrophe. Cataclysm rotates between breathing a brimstone flamethrower and charging at the player, and Catastrophe rotates between firing bouncing brimstone fireballs and charging at the player. Because of the brother's high speed and the long range of Cataclysm's flamethrower, it is important to stay far away from them. In Revengeance mode or above, using Adrenaline or Rage to quickly dispatch them is a good idea.

At 35% health, Calamitas will summon five Soul Seekers that rotate around her, periodically firing brimstone darts and summoning Life Seekers. Piercing weapons will make short work of the seekers.

At 10% health, Calamitas will summon a second bullet hell, this time with the addition of Brimstone Fireblasts fired from offscreen which home in on the player and explode into rings of Brimstone Darts. Moving around is especially important, as the darts from the Fireblasts are much harder to dodge if you are close to the explosion.

In Expert Mode

The brothers must be destroyed in order for Calamitas to take damage again. Calamitas and her brothers also attack more aggressively.

In Revengeance Mode

Calamitas and her brothers are generally more aggressive. Calamitas gains a new attack below 75% health, where she charges at the player twice following her fireball and hellblast attacks. This attack cannot be used if the brothers are alive. Calamitas will also charge at the player nonstop below 10% health. Because she positions herself above the player in the second bullet hell and immediately starts charging after it ends, the player might want to save the Rod of Discord to prevent cheap hits.

In Death Mode

Calamitas attacks even more aggressively and summons 10 Soul Seekers instead of 5 at 35% health.

In Malice Mode

Calamitas and her brothers charge much faster and further. Cataclysm's flamethrower range is increased, and Cataclysm shoots fireballs more rapidly. This makes prioritizing speed during the brothers phase even more important. The bullet hells also contain more projectiles, and Calamitas' charges gain predictiveness below 10% health. In addition, Calamitas and her brother's projectiles are all affected by Malice Mode's general 25% projectile velocity increase.

General Tips

• The Rod of Discord (or the Normality Relocator for the Post-Providence fight) is a very useful tool as it allows instantaneous teleporting to avoid the brothers.