Goblin Army
When dawn breaks, the short, colorful horde marches to reclaim your world
Goblins are so cute! They are short, and have those little pointy ears, and they come in different colors! — The Princess The Goblin Army (also known as the Goblin Invasion ) is an invasion event that causes unique goblin enemies to spawn in place of regular enemies. A Goblin Army can occur randomly at any dawn after certain conditions are met. It can also be summoned manually by the Goblin Battle Standard . After the event is intitiated, the Goblin Army starts from a random side of the world (informed by one of these two status messages : " A goblin army is approaching from the west! " / " A goblin army is approaching from the east! " ) and moves to the world spawn point . When the Goblin Army reaches the world spawn point, the status message " A goblin army has arrived! " will be displayed. Event enemies can only be spawned near the location of the Goblin Army, or near town NPCs . See Notes for details. The Goblin Army is completed after killing enough enemies from it. A progress bar will be displayed to show the progression of the event. Defeating the Goblin Army at least once fulfills the condition for the Goblin Tinkerer NPC to spawn in the cavern layer (as the Bound Goblin ). - 1 Summoning - 2 Completing - 3 Contents - 4 Notes - 5 Achievements - 6 Tips - 7 See also - 8 History - 9 References
Lore & Background
To the innocent eye, they are merely curious creatures: diminutive figures with pointed ears and skins of vibrant hue, as The Princess might whimsically observe. Yet beneath this quaint facade lies a relentless tide of conquest known as the Goblin Army. These invaders do not respect borders or seasons; they awaken at the crack of dawn when the world's defenses are thin, drawn by the destruction of Shadow Orbs or Crimson Hearts that signals a ripe harvest for their warbands. They emerge from the edge of existence, marching with terrifying purpose toward the heart of your settlement, their arrival heralded by the chilling cry that an army approaches from east or west.
The invasion is more than a mere skirmish; it is a test of survival and a catalyst for destiny. Once the horde breaches your defenses, they override all other life, filling the air with the screech of Goblin Archers and the dark incantations of Sorcerers. They seek only to dismantle what you have built, their Peons smashing through wooden barriers as if they were mere kindling. However, this chaos births opportunity. By standing firm against the tide and driving them back into the void, you unlock the path to the Goblin Tinkerer, a reclusive artisan hidden within the caverns who holds the secrets of reforging your very soul into sharper steel.
In Their Own Story
The first light of dawn had not yet touched the horizon when the message flashed across the sky: 'A goblin army is approaching from the west.' You stepped onto your porch, heart hammering against your ribs, watching the distant silhouette of the world's edge shudder. Then came the sound—a rhythmic thud of small feet and the clatter of crude armor that grew louder by the second.
They poured over the crest like a spill of living paint, a chaotic mosaic of red, green, and grey. Goblin Warriors charged with jagged spears while Archers nocked arrows that hissed through the morning mist. A shadowflame warlock raised a hand, and violet fire erupted at your feet, forcing you to roll aside just as a spiky ball embedded itself in the wood where you had stood. The Peons were already at your doors, their tiny hands wrenching hinges from the frame with terrifying ease, shattering the sanctuary of your home.
You drew your weapon, the metal singing in the cold air. 'A goblin army has arrived!' the world seemed to scream as the horde reached your spawn point. It was a blur of motion and color, a desperate dance of survival against the short, ear-pointed tide. As the last enemy fell, the sky cleared, leaving behind only the smell of burnt magic and the promise that something new awaited in the deep dark below.
Reader's Guide
The Goblin Army is an invasion event triggered randomly at dawn or manually via a Goblin Battle Standard, provided at least one player has 200 maximum health. In pre-Hardmode, if the army hasn't been defeated yet, there is a 33% chance of random occurrence; once cleared, this drops to 3.3%. The event begins when goblins spawn from either world border and march toward your spawn point at 60 tiles per second.
The horde consists of Goblin Peons (who break doors), Warriors, Archers, Thieves, Sorcerers, and Warlocks in Hardmode. They override normal enemy spawns within 187.5 horizontal tiles of the invasion or any town NPC once the army reaches spawn. To survive, construct an arena with flat ground or layered platforms to manage vertical movement, ensuring you stay above 67.5 tiles deep to keep enemies spawning. Open all doors near your base to prevent Peons from destroying them and resetting your spawn point.
Equip piercing weapons like spears or flails to hit multiple targets, and utilize Spiky Balls dropped during the fight as stationary traps since most goblins walk directly into them. Town NPCs will not respawn while the event is active, so secure them beforehand. Defeating the army grants the crucial achievement of unlocking the Goblin Tinkerer NPC, who provides essential services like reforging gear and access to the Tinkerer's Workshop.
Did You Know?
- The Goblin Peon will break closed doors instead of opening them, potentially destroying your house or resetting your spawn point.
- A random Goblin Army occurs roughly every 12 real-world hours in pre-Hardmode if never defeated, but drops to once every 24 hours after the first victory.
- The required kill count scales with players: a single player needs 120 kills, while eight players require 400.
- Dying or quitting during the invasion does not stop the event; progress and enemy counts are saved until completion.