How to Get Orichalcum in Terraria — Mining Guide
How to Get Orichalcum in Terraria — Mining Guide
⚡ QUICK ANSWER
Orichalcum Ore is the Tier 2 Hardmode ore counterpart to Mythril — approximately 50% of worlds generate Orichalcum instead of Mythril. It appears underground after smashing the 2nd Demon/Crimson Altar with the Pwnhammer. Mine with a Cobalt or Palladium Pickaxe. The Orichalcum Anvil (12 bars) is the essential crafting station for all Tier 2+ Hardmode recipes.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Counterpart | Mythril Ore — ~50% of worlds get Orichalcum instead |
| Appearance | Pink/purple metallic ore — distinctive color in cave walls |
| Unlock Method | Smash 2nd Demon/Crimson Altar with Pwnhammer (Wall of Flesh drop) |
| Min Pickaxe | Cobalt or Palladium Pickaxe/Drill minimum to mine |
| Smelting | Orichalcum Ore → Bars at any Furnace |
| Most Important Craft | Orichalcum Anvil (12 bars) — required for all Tier 2+ Hardmode crafting |
How to Get Orichalcum in Terraria — Step by Step
Defeat Wall of Flesh and get the Pwnhammer
Orichalcum only spawns in Hardmode. After defeating the Wall of Flesh, the Pwnhammer drops — the tool required to smash Demon or Crimson Altars and generate Hardmode ore veins throughout your world.
🔥 Wall of Flesh → Pwnhammer drop → required for Altar smashingSmash the 2nd Demon or Crimson Altar
The 1st Altar smash generates Cobalt or Palladium. The 2nd Altar smash generates Orichalcum or Mythril. Hit an Altar with the Pwnhammer — whether you get Orichalcum or Mythril is determined by your world seed (~50/50). If you got Mythril from the 2nd smash, your world does not have Orichalcum.
🔨 2nd Altar smash = Orichalcum or Mythril; world type determines whichGet a Cobalt or Palladium Pickaxe to mine Orichalcum
Orichalcum Ore requires Tier 1 Hardmode pickaxe power to mine. Craft a Cobalt Pickaxe (12 Cobalt Bars) or Palladium Pickaxe (12 Palladium Bars) at an Iron Anvil if you haven’t already. Pre-Hardmode Gold/Platinum Pickaxes cannot mine Orichalcum.
⛏️ Cobalt or Palladium Pickaxe minimum — upgrade from Iron Anvil using Tier 1 oreExplore underground with a Spelunker Potion
Orichalcum Ore has a distinctive pink/purple appearance in cave walls. Brew a Spelunker Potion (Bottled Water + Blinkroot + Gold Ore + Moonglow) and explore the Cavern layer — all nearby ore glows golden, making Orichalcum very easy to spot. It appears throughout the Underground and Cavern layers.
✨ Spelunker Potion highlights Orichalcum gold — explore Cavern layer for best densitySmelt Orichalcum Bars at any Furnace
Orichalcum Ore smelts into Orichalcum Bars at any Furnace (Iron Furnace, Hellforge, or Adamantite Forge). The exact ore-to-bar ratio is shown at the Furnace in-game. Your first priority is collecting enough bars for the Orichalcum Anvil.
⚗️ Smelt at any Furnace — check in-game ratio; priority is 12 bars for the Anvil firstCraft the Orichalcum Anvil — top priority
With 12 Orichalcum Bars, craft the Orichalcum Anvil at an Iron Anvil. This is functionally identical to the Mythril Anvil and enables all Tier 2+ Hardmode crafting recipes. Place it in your main crafting area — it is used for everything from Orichalcum Armor to the True Night’s Edge and beyond.
🔨 Orichalcum Anvil (12 bars at Iron Anvil) = unlocks all Tier 2+ Hardmode recipesPro Tips
Orichalcum Armor has a unique set bonus: the Orichalcum Armor set bonus spawns flower petals around you that deal additional damage to enemies hit — different from the Mythril Armor set bonus which grants a brief speed boost.
Whether your world generates Orichalcum or Mythril is fixed at world creation. You cannot change this without creating a new world.
The Orichalcum Anvil and Mythril Anvil are completely interchangeable — they enable identical recipes. Build whichever your world provides.
After building the Orichalcum Anvil, smash the 3rd Altar to generate Adamantite or Titanium (Tier 3 ores) and continue the Hardmode progression chain.
Extra Orichalcum Bars beyond the anvil are used for Orichalcum Armor, Orichalcum tools, and various Orichalcum weapons. The armor set is solid but many players skip to Hallowed Armor after mechanical bosses.
Orichalcum is the Tier 2 Hardmode ore in worlds that generate it instead of Mythril. Its primary value is the Orichalcum Anvil — the essential crafting station for all Hardmode Tier 2+ content. Mine 12 bars for the Anvil first, then continue farming for armor and tools. The pink/purple ore color makes it easy to identify during Spelunker Potion mining runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my world has Orichalcum or Mythril?
Smash the 2nd Demon/Crimson Altar with the Pwnhammer and check what ore spawns underground. If you see pink/purple ore, it is Orichalcum. If you see blue/grey ore, it is Mythril. The world type is fixed at creation.
What pickaxe mines Orichalcum in Terraria?
You need at minimum a Cobalt or Palladium Pickaxe/Drill — the Tier 1 Hardmode pickaxes. Pre-Hardmode Gold and Platinum Pickaxes cannot mine Orichalcum Ore.
What is Orichalcum used for in Terraria?
Most important: Orichalcum Anvil (12 bars) — the essential crafting station for all Tier 2+ Hardmode recipes. Also used for Orichalcum Armor (petal set bonus), Orichalcum tools, and various weapons.
Is Orichalcum or Mythril better?
Orichalcum and Mythril are functionally equivalent Tier 2 ores. The Orichalcum Armor petal set bonus differs from the Mythril speed boost, but both are stepping stones to Hallowed Armor. Neither is strictly better overall.