Guide:The Plaguebringer Goliath 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 1.5.1.004.

The Plaguebringer Goliath

Map icon

Statistics

Type	Boss
Environment	Jungle
Damage	100 / 180 / 216 / 234 / 297 (Contact) 88 / 156 / 184 / 200 / 270 (Plague Stinger, Plague Missile) 120 / 192 / 220 / 240 / 330 (Plague Nuke Barrage)
Max Life	87,500 / 140,000 / 168,000 / 210,000 / 252,000
Defense	50
DR	30%
KB Resist	100%
Inflicts debuff	Plague 100% chance
Debuff duration	4 seconds (Contact) 2 seconds (Plague Missile) 1.5 seconds (Plague Stinger)
Debuff tooltip	Rotting from the inside
Immune to

Resistances

Cold	-
Water	-
Sickness	Resistant
Electricity	Vulnerable
Heat	-

Drops

Coins	75

• Item (Quantity)Rate
• Infected Armor Plating (25-30 / 30-35 )
  100%
• Plague Cell Canister (15-20 / 25-30 )
  100%
• Stinger (3-5 / 4-8 )
  100%
• At least one of the following 11 weapons will always drop:
• The Hive
  25% / 33.33%
• Blight Spewer
  25% / 33.33%
• Fuel Cell Bundle
  25% / 33.33%
• Malevolence
  25% / 33.33%
• Infected Remote
  25% / 33.33%
• Virulence
  25% / 33.33%
• Diseased Pike
  25% / 33.33%
• Plague Staff
  25% / 33.33%
• Pestilent Defiler
  25% / 33.33%
• Pandemic
  25% / 33.33%
• The Syringe
  25% / 33.33%
• Toxic Heart
  100%
• Malachite
  10%
• Greater Healing Potion (5-15)
  100%
• Plague Caller
  10%
• Plaguebringer Goliath Mask
  14.29%
• Plaguebringer Goliath Trophy
  10%
• Thank You
  1%
• Plaguebringer Goliath (Lore)(Always on first kill)
  100%
• Treasure Bag(The Plaguebringer Goliath)
  100%
• Plaguebringer Goliath Relic(In Master or Revengeance Mode only)
  100% / 100%

Sounds

Hurt

Killed

Spawn

Stinger / Missile Spray

Stinger / Missile Explosion

Bee Spawn

Charge

Missile Launch

Attack Switch

Phase Transition

The Plaguebringer Goliath is a boss that is fought after defeating Golem. The Plaguebringer Goliath can be summoned on the surface or in the underground jungle using an Abombination.

Terrain Preparation

When making an arena, a large box is preferred over a long track-like arena, as both horizontal and vertical mobility will be very helpful. Typically, you can reuse a Plantera arena for this effect. It is recommended to space out your platforms by at least 30 blocks, as vertical mobility is very important when dodging PBG's dashes, and too many horizontal platforms will easily lead to getting caught by her dashes on your way down. Note that while tedious to set up, platforms hammered into stairs will allow you to fall straight through them by holding the down key while falling, allowing for a faster fall which can be invaluable in this fight.

Gearing Up

Armor

• Hydrothermic armor is an all-around great option for all classes because of its various buffs to many things vanilla armors don't cover, such as max life and the set bonuses.
• For melee players, Beetle armor can be utilized for more damage reduction, although Calamity nerfs the reduction of the beetles from 45% to 30%.
  • See the vanilla changes for more details.
• For rangers, Plague Reaper armor is a good alternative due to the set bonus attack, which can easily shred the Plaguebringer Goliath when used well.
  • It also provides immunity to the Plague debuff.
  • Shroomite armor can also be used in tandem with the Hoverboard if the player prefers the slightly increased defense.
• For mage players, Spectre armor can be utilized in synchrony with Spectre Wings for high damage and lifesteal.
  • Mages may choose to instead use Brimflame armor because of its very powerful set bonus and damage boosts. However, it has decreased survivability compared to Spectre armor.
• For summoners Spooky armor is also a great option.
  • Valhalla Knight armor is another good option for summoners due to its huge defense and life regen boosts.
• For rogue players, the best armor obtainable at this stage is the Umbraphile armor.

Accessories

Movement

Because of the large amount of damage, The Plaguebringer Goliath does, it is important to prioritize good movement accessories in order to have an easier time dodging her attacks.

• Most wings should work for this fight, as you will only need flight to dodge PBG's charges by flying up, however extended flight is not necessary for this fight. One may utilize the Hadal Mantle's set bonus with Hydrothermic armor for the 5% increased damage.
  • Wings with high vertical speed should be prioritized for the aforementioned charges.
  • The MOAB can also be used for this fight because the quick jumping can be very helpful to dodge projectiles and PBG's charges, however it may not be easy to utilize properly.
  • If you have defeated the Empress of Light, the Empress Wings have incredible mobility while holding ▲ Up which can make it far easier to dodge Plaguebringer Goliath's attacks and to get over her. Binding ▲ Up and ↷ Jump to the same button can allow you to do this without having to use two different inputs.
• Items such as the Frog Leg, Grand Gelatin, and Aero Stone can also be used for much easier escape of PBG's horizontal dashes with their jump boost.
• Angel Treads are useful due to the horizontal speed and flight time they grant.
  • Note that having a high movement speed boost will allow the player to run at the same speed as Angel Treads, saving an accessory slot. However, the player will lose out on the Angel Treads' flight time boost.
• The Asgard's Valor will be very helpful for dodging PBG's charges. It can also be used to avoid contact damage by dashing into the boss, as doing so gives immunity frames.
  • The Tabi and its upgrades can be used for a much longer dash.

Defensive

• The Living Dew provides increased max HP, as well as increased life regen equivalent to that of the Honey buff.
  • It also halves the duration of sickness debuffs, which includes the Plague debuff.
• The Infected Jewel grants life regen and defense when under a damaging debuff, which allows extra survivability in this fight, as well as making the Plague debuff less noticeable.
• The Alchemical Flask grants immunity to Plague, additionally spawning Plague Seekers for extra damage.

Offensive

• The Void of Extinction is a great option for increasing DPS.
• The Community can also be utilized for good stat increases all around, as well as reducing the duration of the Plague debuff.
• The Celestial Shell, Fire Gauntlet, and Bloody Worm Scarf should be utilized by melee players.
• The Deadshot Brooch and Sniper Scope will provide more damage for rangers.
• The Sigil of Calamitas and Mana Flower with Super Mana Potions will be helpful for mages, both for damage and mana conservation.
  • Note that using the quick mana button or Mana Regeneration Potions can remove the need for a Mana Flower, saving an accessory slot.
• The Star-Tainted Generator and the Statis' Blessing are the primary accessories summoners should prioritize.
• The Vampiric Talisman and Abyssal Mirror can be used by rogues for lifesteal, a source of stealth for stealth strikes, and more damage all-around.

Weapons

Melee

• The Soul Harvester's lingering projectiles do great damage against the Goliath, as well as easily dispatch the minions it summons.
• The Terra Blade is a very powerful option, delivering high DPS, as well as continuous AoE damage to get rid of enemy rockets and mines.
• The Blighted Cleaver can be useful during the fight due to its projectiles.
• The Aegis Blade is an extremely strong weapon that can make quick work of the boss.
• The Vampire Knives do less damage than the other options but significantly improve survivability.

Ranged

• The Helstorm coupled with Hyperius Bullets or Bubonic Rounds can make short work of both the boss and her summons.
• The Continental Greatbow alongside Holy Arrows can deal consistently good damage throughout the fight.
• The Snowman Cannon's homing and splash damage can be very useful during the fight.
• The Sea's Searing can perform quite well despite being from a lower tier.
• The Blossom Flux deals high DPS, especially with armor penetration effects.

Magic

• The Forbidden Sun is the preferred choice for mages at this point in progression.
• The Everglade Spray can be used as a secondary weapon to spread the Ichor and Cursed Inferno debuffs.
• The Atlantis deals extremely high DPS but has limited range and requires the player to stay close to the boss.
• The Laser Machinegun uses a lot of mana but provides steady DPS throughout the fight.

Summon

• The Resurrection Butterfly is a very powerful summon weapon for PBG due to both its high damage and homing.
• The Xeno Staff can be very useful against the boss due to it never missing and its extremely agile movement.
• The Kaleidoscope or Morning Star are the best whips available.
• The Wither Blossoms Staff is very good for its homing capabilities as well as the plague seekers its projectiles spawn on death.
• The Hive Pod summons a sentry that can be utilized for some extra DPS.

Rogue

• Plaguenades are a very useful weapon against both The Plaguebringer Goliath and her servants due to the bees it spawns and its high DPS.
• Fantasy Talismans can be utilized because of their high DPS and homing projectiles, making them perfect for the boss as it makes many sudden turns.
• The Brackish Flask can be utilized against the servants due to its AoE.
• The Stellar Knife is very useful against the boss as it homes and can deal massive amounts of damage.
• The Epidemic Shredder is very useful due to its spawns and piercing capabilities.
• Due to the boss's large hitbox and the fight's focus on vertical mobility, the Heavenfallen Stardisk can be highly effective when the boss is fought in an underground arena, especially when paired with the Vampiric Talisman to aid survivability.

Miscellaneous

• The Golden Gun can be used by all classes to inflict the Ichor debuff.
• The Rod of Discord can be invaluable when the player is in danger or in a bad position due to its instant teleportation.
• The Slimy Saddle can be used to fall faster, aiding in dodging The Plaguebringer Goliath's dashes.
• Drunk Princess candles can be placed around the arena to improve survivability and damage.

The Fight

The Plaguebringer Goliath initially spawns off screen. She will always begin the fight in her Plague Charger spawn phase to prevent cheap hits.

Phase 1

In Phase 1, The Plaguebringer Goliath has 3 attacks that she can cycle through. After an attack is finished, another one will be randomly chosen. She cannot repeat the same attack twice in a row.

• Levels herself with the player and perform three charges in quick succession
• Flies above the player while firing a series of powerful plague stingers and plague rockets at the player
• Spawns Plague Chargers that vary in size.
  • Below 50% health, she will stop spawning Plague Chargers and instead spawn destructible homing plague missiles.

Either falling or flying upwards combined with dashing can be a very effective way of dealing with her charges. Using the Rod of Discord can help when the player is cornered. When she summons enemies, it is recommended to destroy them as quickly as possible as they can become a nuisance when there are too many of them.

In Expert Mode

The Plaguebringer Goliath's damage and defense will increase as the fight progresses. Along with spawning Plague Chargers, The Plaguebringer Goliath will also spawn Plague Mines which will chase the player and begin to slow down after a period of time. Some of her stingers will now home in on the player.

Phase 2

At 50% The Plaguebringer Goliath will transform into her 2nd phase, signified by a sound effect and the status message "PLAGUE NUKE BARRAGE ARMED, PREPARING FOR LAUNCH!!!". She will retain all attacks from Phase 1. She also gains a new attack, where she dashes across the screen 3 times above the player and launch an arc of green missiles in the general direction of the player that will explode upon contact with tiles. Move out of the way of the volley or travel through the gaps between each missile; these gaps will become larger the further the projectiles travel. If you are in a tight spot, use the Rod of Discord to teleport past the missiles.

In Revengeance Mode

At 80% The Plaguebringer Goliath will begin to perform diagonal charges in the place of horizontal ones. These can catch unprepared players by surprise, so make sure to watch where she is positioning herself before dashing and react accordingly. In addition, the missiles she fires travel faster along with being more numerous.

In Death Mode

The Plaguebringer Goliath's charges are performed faster, and her missiles will now travel at faster speeds.