Hard Mode
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- Not to be confused with Hardcore Mode, the character-specific difficulty setting in which a character has only one life and cannot respawn after death.
Hard Mode is an aptly named world-specific mode that is unlocked by defeating the Wall of Flesh. The Corruption spreads more rapidly in Hard Mode, and a new biome known as The Hallow is created. New monsters, bosses, and items are available in Hard Mode as well. This mode cannot be turned off - defeating the Wall of Flesh will permanently set that world to Hard Mode, unless one uses cheats. The only way to convert a world back to Easy Mode is through third party editing.
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Activating Hard Mode
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Defeating the Wall of Flesh (WoF) in the Underworld will permanently unlock Hard Mode in that world only.
World Changes
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Immediately after Hard Mode is active, a new biome will be created, called The Hallow. It will reach from the surface to the Underworld. The newly formed path will be diagonal, centering below the spawn point, forming a V or an X of Corruption and Hallow.
Also note that destroying Demon Altars will spawn random blocks of Corruption or Hallow somewhere underground. However, they will also spawn random pockets of the new Hard Mode ores (Cobalt Ore, Mythril Ore, and Adamantite Ore depending on how many Demon Altars you have already destroyed). Every time a Demon Altar is destroyed, 1-3 Wraiths will spawn.
Floating Islands can also become hallowed or corrupted.
The Corruption
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- Main article: The Corruption
Once in Hard Mode, The Corruption will become much harder to maintain and will spread faster and more 'thoroughly' (more blocks becoming vulnerable to the corruption including stone blocks and sand blocks) and even underground beyond the initial chasms. New enemies will begin to spawn (with much higher HP and damage than previous foes). Remember that NPCs will move out when Corruption is closer than 50 Blocks.
Monsters
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As of 1.1.2, Hard Mode adds 8 new Corrupted monsters:
- Clinger
- Corrupt Slime
- Corruptor
- Cursed Hammer
- Dark Mummy (Corrupted Desert only)
- Slimer
- World Feeder
- Wraith
The Console Version additional adds stronger Versions of already existing ones. Among them, the new Corrupted Monsters are:
- Shadow Hammer
- Shadow Mummy (Corrupted Desert only)
- Shadow Slime
The Hallow
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- Main article: The Hallow
The Hallow acts very similar to the Corruption as it spreads across the world, taking over a handful of other biomes. The difference is it's not in your world to begin with (the Corruption(s) is randomly generated upon world creation). Unlocking Hard Mode will also unlock the Hallow (randomly created, taking over a considerable chunk of a pre-existing slot of land). The Hallow cannot pass through Corruption, however. Spreading the Hallow over the world with hallowed seeds is often preferred over Corruption.
Monsters
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As of 1.1.2, there exist 8 hallowed monsters: Surface:
- Gastropod
- Pixie
- Unicorn
- Light Mummy (Hallowed Desert only)
Underground Hallow:
Among the stronger Console-Variants, the new Hallowed Monsters are:
- Spectral Elemental
- Spectral Gastropod
- Spectral Mummy (Hallowed Desert only)
Standard Biomes
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Once Hard Mode is activated, additional monsters will also appear in the pre-existing biomes.
Monsters
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Surface:
- Clown (Only on Blood Moons.)
- Mummy (Desert only)
- Wandering Eye (Night only)
- Werewolf (Only on Full Moons)
Underground:
Any:
- Angler Fish
- Green Jellyfish
- Possessed Armor
- Mimic (Can spawn pre-Hardmode by activating Chest Statues with wire, but will not drop anything)
Bosses & Event
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There are three bosses and one event that come with Hard Mode:
- The Twins (boss)
- The Destroyer (boss)
- Skeletron Prime (boss)
- Frost Legion (during Christmas)
They are all revised and beefed up versions of old bosses and events. None of these bosses should be taken lightly, and generally would require more than one player to defeat within their night time limits.
Wyvern
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Wyvern is a mini-boss. It may spawn when you are at an adequate height (Floating Islands for instance). Also, it only spawns after Hard Mode is activated.
During Blood Moons
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The Clown, an enemy which throws Bombs, can potentially destroy player buildings as well as the environment. This is typically prevented by creating a barrier of indestructible blocks such as Dungeon Bricks.
Additionally, ghost-like monsters called Wraiths will spawn in greater numbers during a Blood Moon. They are a great threat as they pass through walls and are difficult or impractical to kill with traps. However, Wraiths can be dealt with by building a floating house, or otherwise creating a large gap between the player's house and its surroundings. This prevents Wraiths from entering the house by taking advantage of the fact that they cannot float higher than ~3 blocks off the ground in open spaces.
Recommended Preparations
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- It is recommended to have Molten Armor and a full molten set before killing the Wall of Flesh.
Molten Armor:Female and Male Sets - You should always make a Molten Pickaxe before entering Hard Mode so you can gather cobalt as fast as possible.
- Ranged weaponry is very important before entering Hard Mode.
- Have a Nurse, a Merchant, a Goblin Tinkerer, and an Arms Dealer before entering Hard Mode.
- Having a high damage weapon is a must, as most of the pre-Hardmode weapons will deal very low damage. Night's Edge is a good choice for a melee character; a mage may want the Demon Scythe which deals decent damage too.

Night's Edge - Try to make some fortifications to your house using wire and indestructible blocks.
- Note on the Upcoming Update: Redigit has said that he revamped Hard Mode and also added an item (could be also a tool/weapon) called Clentaminator that deals with Hallow/Corruption. (Reference: [1])
Bugs
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- Rarely, when you spawn in a Hard Mode world, you will immediately get hit for 5,000 damage (Defense not included). (Not confirmed)
- You might still have the Hallow underground if you changed your world to easy mode and every once in a while a Chaos Elemental will spawn.
