Material Farming – Terraria

Basic and advanced farm setups. Materials, herbs, fish and bait farming.

Intro

Farming is an essential part of the gameplay. Most of the resources in the game are generated naturally in certain conditions. But sometimes it’s necessary to have a place where you can farm them in the required amounts.

Auto liquid generator

Type: pre-hadmode, auto.

Difficulty: medium.

Output: unlimited water, honey, lava, Obsidian, Honey&Crispy Honey blocks.

Required:

1. Decent starting amount of liquids.
2. Inlet/Outlet Pumps.
3. Timer or any type of engine.

Optional:

1. Background walls to prevent mobs from spawning and for additional lighting.

A Bucket is used to carry liquids (water, lava, or honey). Recipe: 1 Bucket = 3 any Iron Bars at any Anvil.

Inlet/Outlet Pump – used to transport Liquids, without having to construct pathways through Blocks, or rely on gravity.

Recipe: 1 Pump = 10 any Iron Bars + 2 Wire at any Anvil.

A Timer is a triggering mechanism that continually activates other mechanisms at regular intervals. One Second Timer

Recipe: 1 Timer = any Gold Watch + 1 Wire at any Anvil.

Wiring

How does this work?

The Liquid Generator exploits a minor glitch that causes the outlet Pumps to create more liquid than the matching inlet Pump removes, therefore increasing the amount of liquid.

Protocol:

1. Turn timer on to refill tanks.
2. Collect the liquid and/or materials (Obsidian, Honey x Crispy Honey blocks).

Advantages:

1. Efficient.
2. Compact.

Disadvantages:

1. High material costs. Use Spelunker potion (and Metal Detector) to find Iron Ore. Another good way to obtain Ores and Bars is opening Crates.

Bait Farm

Type: pre-hardmode, semi-auto/auto.

Difficulty: medium.

Required:

1. 1 block of jungle grass (jungle grass seeds+mud block).
2. Flower Boots.
3. Bug Net.
4. Flare Gun+ammo.

Optional:

• Sickle for farming Hay.

Jungle Grass Seeds can be found by cutting down plants growing on Jungle grass in Jungles using any tool or weapon. You can use existing jungle grass block.

Flower Boots can occasionally be found in Jungle Shrine chests or Living Mahogany Tree chests.

The Bug Net is purchased from the Merchant for 25 Silver Coin each.

The Flare Gun is found randomly in Gold Chests underground. Flares are used as ammunition for the Flare Gun. They can be purchased from the Merchant for 7 Copper Coin each, while a Flare Gun is in the player’s inventory.

The Sickle is purchased from the Merchant for 60 Silver Coin each.

The only difficulty of making this farm is to find Flower Boots. Use Metal Detector and Spelunker potion.

Basic setup is a rectangle room 2 tiles wide and 3 tiles tall with at least one tile of jungle grass underneath.

Farming basics

Flower Boots cause flowers to grow when the player walks on Grass. Flowers can be broken to spawn Seeds and Bait creatures, as well as harvested with a Sickle to produce Hay. Flares stick to the blocks they hit and constantly deal minimal damage destroying the flowers.

Protocol:

1. Fire a flare at the jungle grass blocks.
2. Stand on the jungle grass blocks wearing Flower Boots.
3. Swing the Bug Net to collect bait.

Advantages:

1. The farm can be runned full-auto using default windows ClickLock feature or any external analog.
2. Easy to build
3. High efficiency

Disadvantages

• Specific rare gear needed

Wood Farm

Type: pre-hadmode/hardmode(hallow), manual.

Difficulty: easy.

Required:

1. Corresponding growing surface (seeds+dirt; sand, snow).
2. Acorns.
3. Surface Level.

Optional:

• Background walls to prevent mobs from spawning.

Grass Seeds are purchased from the Dryad for 20 Copper Coin each.

Jungle Grass Seeds can be found by cutting down plants growing on Jungle grass in Jungles using any tool or weapon.

Crimson/Corrupt Seeds can only be obtained in a Crimson/Corruption world, either as a drop from the Eye of Cthulhu or purchased from the Dryad for 5 Silver Coin each, during a Blood Moon.

Hallowed Seeds are purchased from the Dryad for 20 Silver Coin each, during hardmode.

Acorns are randomly dropped when cutting down trees, and can also be purchased from the Dryad for 10 Copper Coin.

Basic layout is a growing surface 3 tiles wide and 16 tiles of vertical clearance for most of the trees (24 and 30 tiles of vertical clearance for Jungle trees and Palm trees respectively). At least one tile of empty space straight behind the sapling if using background walls.

WARNING Ensure that hallow, corruption, and crimson cannot spread. In this example sand>jungle grass (immune to hallow) > hallow (blocked by corruption/crimson) > corruption/crimson (blocked by hallow) > snow (immune to everything) > grass.

Protocol:

1. Plant acorns.
2. Wait for saplings to grow into trees.
3. Collect wood and replant acorns.

Advantages:

• Built farm can be easily expanded by adding more levels.
• Fairly easy to build

Disadvantages:

• Requires lots of space.

Herbs Farm

Type: pre-hadmode/hardmode(fireblossom planer box), manual.

Difficulty: easy.

Required:

• Planter Boxes.
• Correspondent Herb Seeds.

Optional:

1. Background walls to prevent mobs from spawning and for additional lighting.
2. Staff of Regrowth (strongly recommended).
3. A row of grass for growing Pumpkin.

Planter Boxes are purchased from the Dryad for 1 Silver Coin each. Any planter box can be used to grow any herbs. The Dryad starts selling planter boxes after defeating any prehardmode boss.

Herb Seeds – can be obtained from harvesting blooming herbs (Daybloom-grass, day; Blinkroot-mud, dirt, anytime;

Deathweed-corrupt/crimson grass, ebonstone/crimstone, blood moon/full moon; Fireblossom-ash, 3:45 pm to 7:30 pm, if not raining; Moonglow-jungle grass, night; Waterleaf-sand, rain; Shiverthorn-snow, anytime).

Pumpkin Seeds are purchased from the Dryad for 2 Silver Coin 50 Copper Coin each.

The Staff of Regrowth is a unique planting tool that can be found in Jungle Shrines, and Jungle Crates from fishing. It increases the yield of herbs and seeds when harvested. When used on Dirt blocks, grass will be planted without the need for seeds.

Basic setup is a row of planter boxes with at least one tile of vertical clearance. Pumpkins require 2×2 tiles of empty space.

Protocol:

1. Plant herb seeds.
2. Wait for sprout to grow into mature herbs. Wait until bloom to acquire seeds.
3. Collect and replant.

Advantages:

• The farm can be easily expanded.
• Easy to build.
• Max efficiency when using Staff of Regrowth.
• The most compact layout.

Disadvantages:

• It will take some time to find needed seeds and sow all growing areas.

Cacti Farm

Type: pre-hardmode(manual), hardmode(auto).

Difficulty: easy.

Required: sand, sand laying surface.

Optional: automation tools.

Basic layout is a long row of sand with 7 tiles of vertical clearance.

Cacti Auto Farm

Actuator is a mechanism item purchased from the Mechanic for 10 Silver Coin each. When activated, the tile it sits on toggles between active and inactive state.

Wire is available for purchase from the Mechanic for 5 Silver Coin each, but can also be obtained from naturally-occurring mechanisms.

Conveyor Belt (Clockwise & Counter Clockwise) is a Hardmode block that is purchased from the Steampunker for 5 Silver Coin. It can move NPCs, items, and players.

(Or any other activation mechanism) Lever is purchased from the Mechanic for 30 Silver Coin.

Wiring

Protocol:

1. Wait for cacti to grow.
2. Collect manually or using auto setup.

Advantages:

• Easy to build.
• Cacti self-spawn.
• Can be easily expanded

Disadvantages:

• Slow growth of cacti.

Mushroom Farm

Type: pre-hardmode, auto.

Difficulty: hard.

Required: corresponding growing surface (seeds+dirt/mud), Wire, Actuators, Dart Traps

Optional: surface markers.

Grass Seeds are purchased from the Dryad for 20 Copper Coin each.

Mushroom Grass Seeds are a type of Seed that has a chance to drop from harvesting Glowing Mushrooms. The seeds can also be purchased from the Dryad for 1 Silver Coin 50 Copper Coin each, while the Dryad is living in a mushroom biome.

Crimson/Corrupt Seeds can only be obtained in a Crimson/Corruption world, either as a drop from the Eye of Cthulhu or purchased from the Dryad for 5 Silver Coin each, during a Blood Moon.

Actuator is a mechanism item purchased from the Mechanic for 10 Silver Coin each. When activated, the tile it sits on toggles between active and inactive state.

Wire is available for purchase from the Mechanic for 5 Silver Coin each, but can also be obtained from naturally-occurring mechanisms.

Dart Traps are found naturally placed in random areas on the Cavern layer, and more frequently in the Dungeon.

The Switch is an activation mechanism purchased from the Mechanic for 20 Silver Coin. It can also be found in the Dungeon.

Basic layout is a row of growing surface with at least 1 tile of empty space. Mushrooms will not grow if there is a player-placed wall behind them (except Glowing Mushrooms). Mushrooms will not replace grass.

Wiring

Corresponding surface switches (top 3), multisurface switch (bottom).

Protocol:

1. Wait for mushrooms to grow.
2. Use correspondent switch.
3. Let mushrooms fall on the hook track.
4. Use switch again.
5. Collect mushrooms.

Advantages:

• Auto.
• Multipurpose.

Disadvantages:

• Mushrooms and Vile/Vicious mushrooms should be collected regularly to reach max efficiency.
• Expensive.
• Difficult to build and expand.

Coral Farm

Type: pre-hardmode.

Difficulty: medium.

Required: water, sand, sand laying surface, Ocean biome.

Optional: partial automation tools, background walls to prevent mobs from spawning.

Basic layout is a long row of sand with at least 5 tiles of water above. Growing surface must be positioned within Ocean biome (250 tiles from the edge of the map for small worlds).

Use Pumps or Bottomless Water Bucket to fill farming area with water.

Inlet/Outlet Pump – used to transport Liquids, without having to construct pathways through Blocks, or rely on gravity.

Recipe: 1 Pump = 10 any Iron Bars + 2 Wire at any Anvil.

Bottomless Water Bucket is one of the possible rewards from the Angler upon completing one of his fishing quests in Hardmode, with about a 1/70 chance of obtaining it.

Partial automation

Minecart Track with a bumper end. Recipe: 50 Minecart Tracks = 1 any Iron Bar + 1 any Wood at any Anvil.

Teleporter setup (hardmode)

Teleporter is a travel mechanism purchased from the Steampunker for 2 Gold Coin 50 Silver Coin.

Any type of player triggered Pressure plates can be used. Pressure Plates can be purchased from a Mechanic for 50 Silver Coins each.

Wiring

Protocol:

1. Wait for coral to grow.
2. Collect.

Advantages:

• Can be easily expanded.
• Safe to collect corals.

Disadvantages:

• Moving big amounts of water required.

Fallen Stars Autofarm

Type: pre-hardmode, auto.

Difficulty: hard.

Required: any blocks, any Hammer.

Optional: additional down hooks.

Basic layout is a long row of blocks with 2 symmetrical hoik tracks on the top. To reach max efficiency this layout should be as long as possible (up to the ends of the map). Recommended level – Space, over the floating islands.

Building tips

Create a row of blocks 2 tiles high. Use any Hammer to make hoik tracks. Make an exit hole near the spawn point or your house. Start moving from this position to the sides (this will allow you to start collecting some percentage of fallen stars immediately).

How does this work?

Fallen stars are the only drops in the game able(due to their speed) to enter hoik tracks by themselves.

Protocol:

1. Wait until night.
2. Collect.

Advantages:

• Auto.
• Max efficiency.
• Can be easily expanded.

Disadvantages:

• Very difficult to build.

Chlorophyte Farm

Type: hardmode, pre-Planterra pickaxe needed.

Difficulty: medium

Required: chlorophyte ore, mud, Underground level or below.

Optional: background walls to prevent mobs from spawning and for additional lighting, any mount.

Chlorophyte Ore is a Hardmode ore found in the Underground Jungle that is used to craft Chlorophyte Bars. When Hardmode starts, Mud and Jungle Grass located in the Underground Jungle will begin to convert into Chlorophyte Ore. A Pickaxe or Drill with at least 200% pickaxe power is required to mine it. Chlorophyte Ore will spread itself by converting nearby Mud and Jungle Grass blocks into more Chlorophyte Ore.

Basic layout is a 40 blocks of mud and at least 1 chlorophyte ore inside. At least 38 tiles of horizontal and vertical space(no chlorophyte ore) required. This example created 4 tiles tall to collect grown ore riding mount.

Protocol:

1. Place chlorophyte ore “seed” in the center(recommended) of mud rectangle.
2. Wait for chlorophyte to grow.
3. Collect.
4. Go to step 1.

Advantages:

• Efficient.
• Can be easily expanded.

Disadvantages:

• Restoring growing areas takes time.

Crystal Shards Farm

Type: hardmode, auto.

Difficulty: medium.

Required: pearlstone blocks, Caverns level or below, Actuators, Wire, Switch.

Optional: background walls to prevent mobs from spawning and for additional lighting.

Actuator is a mechanism item purchased from the Mechanic for 10 Silver Coin each. When activated, the tile it sits on toggles between active and inactive state.

Wire is available for purchase from the Mechanic for 5 Silver Coin each, but can also be obtained from naturally-occurring mechanisms.

The Switch is an activation mechanism purchased from the Mechanic for 20 Silver Coin. It can also be found in the Dungeon.

Wiring

Protocol:

1. Wait for crystal shards to grow.
2. Use switch.
3. Let crystal shards fall on the hoik track.
4. Use switch again.
5. Collect.

Advantages:

• Efficient.
• Can be expanded.

Disadvantages:

• Quite expensive.

Artificial fishing ponds

Type: pre-hardmode, hardmode.

Difficulty: hard.

Required: correspondent biome blocks, water, lava, honey.

Optional: background walls to prevent mobs from spawning and for additional lighting.

The Gif is a general example. Special conditions listed below.

Required Volume(no penalty) – 300 tiles for Water and Lava, 200 for Honey.

List of fishing ponds (min required):

1. Forest(the Purity)(Surface and Caverns level) – when none of the other conditions for a biome are currently fulfilled on the surface, then it is a forest biome.
2. Ocean(Surface level) – 1000 tiles of water.
3. Hallow(Surface and Underground level) – at least 100 Hallowed Grass, Pink Ice Block, Pearlstone, and Pearlsand defines the Hallow. Hallow biome fish can be caught pre-hardmode.
4. Sky Lakes (Space level).
5. Corruption/Crimson (Surface and Underground level) – At least 200 Corrupt/Crimson Grass, Purple/Red Ice Block, Ebonstone/Crimstone, and Ebonsand/Crimsand defines the Corruption/Crimson.
6. Snow Biome (Surface and Underground level) – a Snow biome is defined by the presence of 300 or more Snow Blocks, Ice Blocks (including pink, purple, and red variants) or Snow Bricks.
7. Jungle (Surface and Underground level) – at least 80 blocks of Jungle Grass defines Jungle.
8. Mushroom Biome (Any level) – at least 100 tiles of mushrooms or mushroom grass defines Mushroom Biome.
9. Honey (Any level).
10. Lava (Any level).
11. (17 total)

Do not place fishing ponds too close to each other to avoid biome overlapping.

In adition you can connect fishing ponds using teleporters.

Advantages:

• Can be built almost anywhere.
• Convenient.

Disadvantages:

• Difficult to build.
• Special gear required.

Original Link – Continuation of discussion