Terraria: Golem - Jungle Temple

Boss Strategies, Fight Tips, and Unlocks

Golem is the boss of the Underground Jungle Temple, and he blocks progress just like Plantera - kill him!

Golem is a boss accessible only after the defeat of Plantera. Found in the Underground Jungle's Lihzahrd Temple, this boss can drop a number of powerful weapons that may aid your future exploits. Defeating Golem also unlocks Cultist spawns outside the entrance of the Dungeon, allowing you to progress and initiate the Lunar Events. Simply getting to Golem is a challenge for some players, so I'll provide some advice for navigating the Jungle Temple in this guide, after finding it in the first place. Be sure to bring the Temple Key that Plantera dropped!

The Jungle Temple's entrance. The Lihzahrd blocks cannot be mined by any but the game's best pickaxes. Expect the Temple to be located deep underground. Thankfully, there are plenty of helpful drops in the Jungle to keep you exploring, and you can find Life Fruit to raise your maximum health.

The Jungle Temple is located in the Underground Jungle, where you also fight Plantera. It is typically located deep underground. If you've got a pickaxe capable of mining chlorophyte, you can notice one tell-tale sign you've found the temple - Lihzahrd blocks. These are not able to be removed except by the best pickaxes. Note the look in the screenshots above, while also noting how far underground the temple is located.

The traps in the temple can be very painful. Disable them with a pickaxe by digging up the pressure plates. You'll also find dart/fire traps to mine.

Navigating the Temple
The Jungle temple is filled with traps, so use torches heavily while moving so that you can see. PC players just hold shift to do this. I also placed them along the way, should I desire to farm Golem. The main thing you'll want to watch for are pressure plates on the ground - these can be mined with a pickaxe in order to avoid stepping on them and causing nasty effects. Since you may want to come back here to farm Golem for his great drops, it's worth disarming them. It will also give you an easier time should you have to return due to a death. Look for the aforementioned pressure plates, but also dart traps that are fixed to the walls, fire traps that are also mineable blocks. Lastly, there are spiked ball traps that hang from the ceiling and must be removed in order to stop them dropping. All of these traps can be used later for farming monsters, so collect them!

Spiky Ball Traps are the most common in the Temple. Mine them from the ceiling to stop them dropping.

The Temple that houses Golem is one of the most linear areas in Terraria, and the only path leads to him. The enemies inside are not very hard if you're well-geared, but pacing yourself may be necessary due to the sheer number of them. In 1.3, they drop Solar Tablet Fragments, which can be used to create a Solar Tablet and initiate a Solar Eclipse event at any time. Pace yourself as you go, and occasionally use a health potion or drop a campfire in a safe location once traps have been disarmed. You will eventually make your way to the room with the altar. You'll know, as it's a dead end and sized just right for a boss fight.

Fire Traps are rare, so you're actually 'lucky' if you get one. Hold onto it if you like setting up monster farms.

Look for numerous treasure chests throughout the Temple. These will contain better items than normal, but the primary thing to get is the Lihzahrd power cell that is used to summon Golem.

Right

Initiating the Fight with Golem
You may want to setup a lone platform across the room to help you avoid Golem's leaps, but it's not necessary. After clearing the room of all traps in the Temple's boss room and perhaps setting up a heart lamp/campfire or two, you can do this so long as a Lihzahrd Power Cell is in your inventory. Now right-click the altar found within the Temple's main room and the cell will be consumed. Golem will fall from the ceiling, ready to take you on - his drop is your first chance to dodge an attack, as it will hurt.

Golem drops from the ceiling, ready to fight. The head and arms are targets.

Boss Mechanics: Golem Phase 1
In the first phase, Golem has two arms which can be targeted to eliminate some of his damage. They have 7k life each, and ranged will work exceptionally well, even with a megashark as I was still using. My shadow beam spell also worked wonders at this point, because it is piercing. I am certain I could have used melee, at least for the first phase. My life never fell below 200.

Get out of the way when the 20-ton stone monstrosity jumps in order to avoid big damage.

Golem shoots fireballs that bounce, and may extend his arms to punch - neither of these is particularly dangerous, but do back off, fly over or run under him whenever he jumps as the contact damage is quite high. I recommend you take out the arms before the head, as they persist even into the second phase and you can eliminate more damage from his end by doing so.

When Golem's head detaches, the body becomes the main target while it supports. The body will jump about. Dodge its leaps and dish the damage.

Boss Mechanics: Golem Phase 2
When you have defeated the head, it will detach and begin flying through the air, firing lasers at you in addition to the bouncing fireballs. The main threat at this point is the body, given the damage it can inflict if you get hit too many times in a row. Again, run under or fly over it and attempt to avoid the fireballs/lasers. If you have to pick, get hit by the projectiles.

9,000 life later, you will have defeated Golem. If you fail, hopefully you followed my advice to disable traps and light the place along the way. Golem may drop the Sun Stone if you're lucky, which can be made into a great item in combination with a Moon Stone. He'll also drop Beetle Husks, which can be used to make Beetle Armor and wings, a powerful end-game set with unique bonuses.

I've defeated Golem, and he dropped a Sun Stone, which is a powerful accessory. There are many weapons he can drop, so it's worth repeating the process.

Defeating Golem allows you to progress in Terraria. Cultists will now spawn outside the Dungeon, allowing you to begin the process of Lunar Events and find some truly powerful materials for crafting. You must, however, defeat another boss.. but that's one of the best parts of Terraria! Thankfully, you can do this part at your own pace as you may confront the cultists outside the Dungeon when ready. Additionally, the Martian Madness event may now happen at random. This is the ultimate invasion, with its own boss and even more exciting loot!