What is the recipe for crafting a stardust fragment in Terraria?

In Terraria, Stardust Fragments are a key material used in crafting powerful endgame gear, particularly for the summoner class. These fragments are obtained by defeating the Stardust Pillar, one of the four Celestial Pillars that appear during the Lunar Events. The Stardust Pillar is the final pillar you will face, and it is associated with the summoner class. Once you defeat the pillar, it will drop Stardust Fragments, which can then be used to craft a variety of high-tier summoner items, including weapons, armor, and accessories.

To begin, you need to trigger the Lunar Events. This is done by defeating the Lunatic Cultist, a boss found at the Dungeon entrance after you have defeated the Golem. Once the Lunatic Cultist is defeated, the Lunar Events will begin, and four Celestial Pillars will spawn in different locations across the world. Each pillar is associated with a different class: Solar (melee), Vortex (ranged), Nebula (magic), and Stardust (summoner). The Stardust Pillar is the one you need to focus on to obtain Stardust Fragments.

When you approach the Stardust Pillar, you will notice that it is surrounded by a shield. To break the shield, you need to defeat a certain number of enemies that spawn around the pillar. These enemies are unique to the Stardust Pillar and include creatures like Star Cells, Milkyway Weavers, and Twinkle Poppers. Each enemy you defeat will reduce the shield's strength, and once enough enemies are defeated, the shield will break, allowing you to attack the pillar directly.

Once the shield is down, you can focus your attacks on the Stardust Pillar itself. The pillar has a significant amount of health, so you will need to use your strongest weapons and abilities to bring it down. It is recommended to use weapons that deal high damage and have good area-of-effect capabilities, as the pillar will continue to spawn enemies while you are attacking it. Summoner weapons can be particularly effective here, as they allow you to focus on dodging attacks while your minions deal damage to the pillar.

After you defeat the Stardust Pillar, it will drop a significant number of Stardust Fragments. The exact number can vary, but you can expect to receive around 60 to 100 fragments per pillar. These fragments are essential for crafting some of the best summoner gear in the game, including the Stardust Armor set, the Stardust Dragon Staff, and the Stardust Cell Staff. Each of these items requires a different number of fragments, so you may need to defeat the Stardust Pillar multiple times to gather enough materials for all the items you want to craft.

One important tip is to prepare thoroughly before engaging with the Stardust Pillar. Make sure you have the best possible gear for your class, as well as plenty of healing potions and buffs. The enemies around the Stardust Pillar can be quite challenging, so having a strong defense and good mobility is crucial. Additionally, consider setting up a small arena near the pillar with platforms and healing stations to make the fight easier.

A common mistake is underestimating the difficulty of the Lunar Events. The enemies around the Celestial Pillars are some of the toughest in the game, and the pillars themselves have a lot of health. It is easy to get overwhelmed if you are not prepared, so take your time and make sure you are ready before engaging. Another mistake is not focusing on the pillar once the shield is down. The pillar will continue to spawn enemies, so it is important to deal as much damage as possible to the pillar itself to end the fight quickly.

For advanced players, there are a few optimizations you can make to speed up the process of farming Stardust Fragments. One strategy is to use a combination of high-damage weapons and summoner minions to deal with the enemies and the pillar simultaneously. Another strategy is to set up traps and lava pits around the pillar to help deal with the enemies more efficiently. Additionally, using buffs like the Summoning Potion and the Bewitching Table can increase the number of minions you can summon, giving you an edge in the fight.

In terms of resource requirements, you will need a variety of materials to craft the items made from Stardust Fragments. For example, the Stardust Armor set requires a total of 36 Luminite Bars and 45 Stardust Fragments. Luminite Bars are crafted from Luminite Ore, which is dropped by the Moon Lord, the final boss of the game. This means you will need to defeat the Moon Lord at least once to gather enough Luminite Ore for the armor set. Other items, like the Stardust Dragon Staff, require additional materials like Souls of Light and Solar Fragments, so be sure to gather these as well.

Class and equipment considerations are also important when farming Stardust Fragments. While the Stardust Pillar is associated with the summoner class, players of other classes can still participate in the fight. However, summoner gear will be the most effective here, as it allows you to focus on dodging attacks while your minions deal damage. If you are playing as a summoner, make sure you have the best possible summoner weapons and accessories, such as the Tiki Armor and the Papyrus Scarab.

In summary, obtaining Stardust Fragments in Terraria involves defeating the Stardust Pillar during the Lunar Events. This requires careful preparation, strong gear, and effective strategies to deal with the challenging enemies and the pillar itself. By following the steps outlined above and avoiding common mistakes, you can efficiently farm Stardust Fragments and craft some of the most powerful summoner gear in the game.