Dreadnautilus

Hooking the shelled nightmare from crimson waters

Fishing during a Hardmode Blood Moon carries extreme hazards, and none compare to hooking Dreadnautilus. By casting a line into any body of water after 7:30 PM, especially when using a Chum Caster and scattering Chum Buckets to maximize bite rates, you risk pulling this predatory cephalopod from the depths. It enters the fray with 7,000 life in Classic, which expands to 14,000 in Expert and 21,000 in Master mode, armored with 24 defense.

Colliding directly with its spiked carapace inflicts 55 contact damage in Classic, climbing to 110 in Expert and 165 in Master. Because it immediately retreats into the sea and vanishes at 4:30 AM when dawn breaks, hooking it early in the evening gives you the time necessary to overcome its high endurance before daylight interrupts the battle.

Repelling the blood squid brood and shell spins

Dreadnautilus alternates between long-range bombardment and aggressive melee rushes. While hovering near the player, it spits high-velocity crimson bile projectiles and casts expanding rings of bloody tears. Periodically, it summons up to three Blood Squids, flying minions that crowd your space and absorb incoming projectiles intended for the main body.

Its most dangerous offensive move occurs when it retreats, curls into its spiked shell, and charges across the arena with blinding speed. Solid blocks cannot impede this spin dash, making open aerial movement superior to staying trapped inside a small fishing shelter. Keep listening for its audio cue, then execute a well-timed vertical dash using wings or the Shield of Cthulhu to evade the charge. Weapons with multi-hit capabilities or piercing whips like Durendal allow you to wipe out the Blood Squids while maintaining continuous pressure on the mollusk.

Spoils of the midnight cephalopod

Defeating Dreadnautilus delivers outstanding upgrades, particularly for summoner playthroughs. It drops the coveted Sanguine Staff (50% drop rate), which summons crimson Sanguine Bats. These minions possess impeccable target tracking, flying directly through obstacles with near-instantaneous flight speed to deliver continuous DPS against fast bosses.

Victorious fishermen also secure 7–10 Chum Buckets (50% chance) to boost future fishing power, alongside a Bloody Tear (50%) that lets you trigger future Blood Moons at will. Builders and collectors can also claim the Blood Moon Monolith (10%), an interactive furniture piece that bathes surrounding biomes in ominous crimson lighting.

Trivia

• Dreadnautilus combines the naval dreadnought battleship designation with the chambered nautilus marine mollusk.
• Despite lacking an event progress bar, its stats and complex phase routines rival those of mainline mechanical bosses.