Stardew Valley is a game designed to make you forget the pain and suffering of reality. Most of its elements are designed with relaxation in mind, including combat. Well, for the most part anyway. The game contains some monsters that can make even the calmest of players rage at the screen, especially since the Ginger Island patch came out. 

But luckily, every problem has a solution. Even overpowered, obnoxious monsters in a supposedly relaxing video game. With the right tool (and attitude), you can power through whatever the game throws at you. 

In this article, I’m going to introduce you to the top 10 Stardew Valley Toughest monsters to fight.

 

10. Stick Bug

A stick bug startles the farmer.

Although Stuck Bugs are extremely rare, they’re some of the toughest monsters to fight. They have the highest HP in the game. They also deal more damage than most other monsters. You can fight them on levels 51 – 69 of the Danger Mines. 

Stick Bugs disguise themselves as fallen pieces of wood, jump-scaring you as you explore the level. As if the jungle levels in the  Mines weren’t traumatizing enough, right? Spiders, Putrid Ghosts, and now even fake sticks. 

Although they take a while to kill, they will always drop a Qi Gem. They also drop Ginger, which removes the Nauseated debuff inflicted by the Putrid Ghosts. This is something to keep in mind as you navigate the depressing jungle floors. 

Stick Bug details:

• Appears as a fallen piece of wood until you move too close to it
• Has tons of HP
• Always drops at least one Qi Gem on death

How To Defeat Stick Bug:

• Be careful when approaching pieces of wood on floors 51 – 69
• Although they have a lot of damage, you can hack them to death relatively quickly
• Don’t let Spiders and Putrid Ghosts distract you from this monster

Difficulty: 50/100

 

9. Iridium Bat

Many Iridium Bats fly at the farmer.

The Iridium Bat is the strongest type of bat in the game. It’s mostly annoying because it can fly across obstacles. Iridium Bats are most dangerous when they spawn in large numbers, such as during a Swarm. The Iridium Bat appears only in the Skull Cavern on levels 51+, or prehistoric levels. 

It will simply fly at you and deal damage on hit, just like a regular bat. However, it has much better stats. Don’t even try to fight them without the Lava Katana. Swords are the best type of weapon against bats, as they cover a large area with their arc-based attack. 

Iridium Bat details:

• The Iridium Bat simply flies at you, dealing damage on hit
• It drops a lot of useful items such as Iridium Ore, Iridium Bar, Life Elixir, Battery Pack, and more. Consider trying to kill these Bats if you can. 
• When an Iridium Bat spawns, you can hear a screech in the distance

How To Defeat Iridium Bat:

• Sometimes, it’s better to let sleeping bats lie. If you find an inactive bat on a level, it won’t attack you unless you come too close
• Lining them up is the most efficient way to kill them
• If you find yourself overwhelmed, use a Staircase to escape from the level

Difficulty: 55/100

 

8. Mummy

Mummies move towards the farmer, slowly but surely.

Mummies are tough monsters to fight but not because they’re strong. You can kill a single mummy in just a few hits. However, they often spawn in bulks in the catacomb levels of the Skull Cavern. And while they may be slow, they can quickly overwhelm you if you aren’t careful.

Mummies are unique because they don’t die once you slay them. Instead, they crumble into a pile of bandages. After a short time, they resurrect back to full HP. The only way to kill them for sure is by using bombs or any explosives.

This can be tricky because of timing. If you’re surrounded by 5 mummies, you’ll rarely kill them all at once. This means some will rise and you’re preparing your bombs, making them some of the most obnoxious monsters to face.

Apart from bombs and explosive ammo, you have a few other options. The first one is the Napalm ring, which you get from the Adventurer’s Guild after you slay 250 Serpents. The ring makes monsters explode on death. While the radius is rather small, it can help you kill a few mummies here and there. However, it can be tricky to time it properly.

The best way to deal with Mummies is to enchant your Weapon with Crusader. Not only will you deal more damage to unholy monsters, but you’ll also kill Mummies permanently. Just keep in mind that Enchantments are a late-game mechanic. Until you get there, you’ll be wiping your tears with Mummy bandages.

A stronger version of the Mummy appears while the Skull Cavern is in Dangerous mode. However, only its stats are increased, the behavior is the same. 

Mummy details:

• Walks to you slowly
• On death, crumbles into a pile of bandages before resurrecting
• Dangerous because Mummies often spawn in bulk

How To Defeat Iridium Bat:

• Use at least a Lava Katana to fight them
• Always have bombs/explosive ammo on you
• Consider wearing the Napalm Ring
• Get the Crusader Enchantment as soon as you can

Difficulty: 60/100

 

7. Skeleton Mage

Skeletal Mages prepare their spells to attack the farmer.

You’ll encounter the Skeleton Mage in the Danger Mines, on floors 71 – 79. While it’s not the strongest monster out there, it might give you a headache if you don’t understand what it does. 

The Skeleton Mage comes with not one but two projectile spells. The first one is a white projectile that travels in a straight line, dealing damage on hit. Since it is a straight projectile you can dodge it by side-stepping it.

Skeleton Mage also has a blue spell that zig-zags toward you, applying the Frozen debuff when it hits you. This makes you unable to move for two seconds, which is dangerous if there are other enemies near you. 

Skeleton Mage details:

• Has a white projectile that moves in a straight line, damaging you on hit
• Has a blue projectile that moves in a zig-zag line, freezing you for two seconds on hit
• Doesn’t have that much HP

How To Defeat Skeleton Mage:

• Focus it first on each floor as it is the only enemy that can hurt you from a distance
• The Crusader Enchantment makes quick work of all types of skeletons
• Use movement speed buffs to your advantage

Difficulty: 65/100

 

6. Shadow  Sniper

A hoard of Shadow Snipers targets the farmer.

Shadow Snipers on their own aren’t that strong. However, they can make your life a living hell if multiple spawn one on a single floor. They appear in Danger Mines on levels 81 – 119. 

Shadow Sniper follows a simple behavior pattern. It will try to escape as far away from you before launching a ranged projectile at your location. The projectile can only move in a straight line, making it easy to dodge.

 If you do end up hit by the projectile, you will receive the Darkness debuff. As the name suggests, this will darker your screen so you can barely see what’s around you. The lava levels of the Mines are already dark enough, which makes this one of the most obnoxious debuffs to deal with.

What makes Shadow Snipers so dangerous is precisely this debuff. Once you get hit, you’ll have a hard time navigating the level until it expires. And while you can dodge a single projectile easily, dealing with multiple at once can be tricky, even with movement speed buffs. 

You can also destroy the projectile with your weapon while it is in flight. 

Shadow Sniper details:

• Runs away from you, then shoots a projectile
• If you get hit, your screen will darken for a short time
• The projectile doesn’t pass solid objects

How To Defeat Shadow Sniper:

• The projectile is easy to dodge on its own, especially if you have movement speed buffs
• If you’re fighting multiple Shadow Snipers, consider building a solid wall of objects around you as the projectiles won’t pass it
• Chase Shadow Snipers down while they run from you as that’s when they are most vulnerable

Difficulty: 65/100

 

5. Serpent

Several Serpents attack the farmer.

If you haven’t unlocked the Skull Cavern yet, let me tell you that the Serpent will be your most hated enemy there. I’ve hated it with a passion ever since I unlocked the dungeon and it seems I’m not alone. But what makes the Serpent such a loathsome opponent?

While it is called the Serpent, this monster looks like some sort of a Chinese dragon. And just like a dragon, it flies at you from distance. It is arguably the fastest-flying enemy in the game, which is what makes it even more annoying than the villagers’ schedules. 

While you can probably handle one without much difficulty, Serpents tend to spawn in bulk. Now try responding to rapidly approaching monstrosities from all directions. You simply can’t avoid taking a hit. But the real pain begins when a Swarm starts. At that point, I’d suggest sacrificing a Staircase to escape from the level. 

When the Skull Cavern is in Danger mode, a special variation called the Royal Serpent will spawn. As if the regular one wasn’t tough enough. 

• Serpent details:
• One of the fastest monsters in the game
• Produces a hissing sound when it spawns, alerting you to its presence
• Dangerous mostly because of their number

How To Defeat Serpent

• If you can, try to line up all Serpents on one side
• If you see an idling Serpent, avoid wandering too close. This will prevent it from attacking you
• If all else fails, Staircase out of the level

Difficulty: 70/100

 

4. Magma Sparker

The farmer is attacked by Magma Sparkers.

Magma Sparker aka the strongest enemy in the Volcano Dungeon. Although they are just Magma Sprites on steroids, they can be a handful, especially in large numbers. They appear in levels 6 – 10 of the Volcano Dungeon.

Magma Sparkers will fly at you from across the map. But unlike their regular counterparts, they come with a unique Burnt debuff which they apply on hit. The Burnt Debuff scorches more than just your pride, reducing your attack, defense, and movement speed. 

Magma Sparkers make your life even more complicated because of their short-dash attack. You can notice it when they stand still for a while before dashing in your direction. I still struggle with dodging these attacks, though movement speed buffs certainly help. 

On the bright side, Magma Sparkers give a decent amount of Cindershards when you slay them. At least one type of monster rewards your hard work. 

Magma Sparker details:

• Behaves a lot like the Magma Sprite, but is stronger
• Applies a Burnt debuff on hit
• Has a special dash attack

How To Defeat Magma Sparker:

• Like with all flying monsters, line them up on one side and swing your Sword at them to hit them all at once
• Avoid getting hit as the Burnt debuff can be quite annoying
• Movement speed buffs can help you avoid the dash

Difficulty: 75/100

 

3. Putrid Ghost

Several Putrid Ghosts dash at the farmer.

The Putrid Ghost is easily the strongest type of ghost in Stardew Valley. You can recognize it by its lime-green color. It appears only in the Danger Mines, on levels 51 – 69.

The Putrid Ghost has a unique behavior. Unlike other types of ghosts, it will charge at you periodically until you kill it. Sometimes, it will also try to hit you with a projectile. 

But all this you could handle with the right timing. What makes Putrid Ghosts so formidable is their broken debuff called Nauseous. This makes you unable to recover HP with food, which is a huge deal given how dangerous the Danger Mines are (it’s in the name, duh). 

To make your life even more difficult, the developer decided to add this ghost type on Spider levels. Now, you have to deal with both jumping critters and zooming ghosts. What fun. Before you get a decent end-game weapon, I suggest Staircasing through these levels. Trust me, it’s not worth risking your blood pressure for. 

Putrid Ghost details:

• Dashes at you periodically until it dies
• Has a debuff that prevents you from eating food
• Has a special projectile attack

How To Defeat Putrid Ghost:

• The Crusader Enchantment makes it take more damage
• Wait for it to charge, then swing at the last minute
• Focus it first on each floor, as the debuff practically forces you out of the Mines

Difficulty: 80/100

 

2. Blue Squid

Multiple Blue Squids attack the farmer.

When I first unlocked the Danger Mines, little did I know that I would find a worse flying enemy than the Serpent. It’s hard to believe, I know. However, the Blue Squid has earned the title of the Worst Flying Monster with flying colors. You’ll run into them only in Danger Mines, on levels 11 – 29.

What makes Blue Squid so formidable is its erratic behavior. It moves towards you in a very unpredictable pattern, in multiple short dashes. Sometimes, it even throws a special projectile your way. 

The erratic behavior wouldn’t be an issue if it was just one Blue Squid. After all, you can get used to a pattern in a while. But like with most flying monsters, the Blue Squid spawns in packs. Sometimes, a Swarm may appear as well. Now imagine 4 Blue Squid flying to your face, each with a different tempo. You’ll end up taking damage from at least some of them, no matter how well you time your attacks.

It is this unpredictable behavior and large spawn number that makes Blue Squid such a pain to deal with. 

Blue Squid details:

• ‘Swims’ to the player, ignoring all obstacles
• Has a special projectile move
• Moves in a very random pattern
• May appear in bulk during a Swarm

How To Defeat Iridium Bat:

• Eat and drink movement speed consumables to better position yourself. Movement speed is one of the most underrated combat stats in Stardew Valley.
• Don’t even try to fight them without the Galaxy Sword. 
• Although it takes a while to learn, predict where it will land and move out of its way. 

Difficulty: 85/100

 

1. Spider

The farmer is swarmed by spiders.

If you’re an arachnophobe, I’ve got bad news for you. Stardew Valley does indeed have Spiders. You can find them in levels 51 – 69 while Danger Mines are active.

While I don’t find them particularly scary, they’re certainly annoying. I’d even say they are the hardest monster to fight in Stardew Valley simply because of their behavior.

Spiders jump around the map randomly, dealing damage to you on hit. They can jump over rocks and other debris in the mines, making them even more dangerous. And the worst part? They’re invulnerable to all types of damage while they jump. For some reason, they’re more often in the air than on the ground.

But what makes them so nightmarish is how ridiculously many of them spawn on each level. Starting from level 50, expect at least 10 of these eight-legged monstrosities in every level. And if you have the misfortune of triggering an Infested Level, I suggest skipping it altogether – they usually have 20+ spiders. 

Seeing the terror that they strike in my fellow Stardew Valley players, I set off on a journey to find the best method of dealing with them. And I’ve succeeded. Currently, an Infinity Gavel forged with 3 Rubies and enchanted with Bug Killer is the best weapon against them. The Infinity Gavel is simply the Galaxy Hammer combined with 3 Galaxy Souls. You can buy it from the Adventurer’s Guild.

While it is a late-game investment, it will make your life much easier. The Bug Killer Enchantment works wonders on Spiders, but it is too weak on Swords – you need a Hammer. The Bug Killer Infinity Gavel squashes Spiders in just one hit, which makes them easy to deal with.  And yes, I’m aware that Spiders are not bugs in the slightest and this enchantment shouldn’t work on them. Perhaps a design oversight?

Spider details:

• Relatively high HP
• Jumps around the level, ignoring obstacles
• Takes no damage while mid-jump
• Spawns in ridiculously large numbers

How To Defeat Spider:

• Get a Bug Killer Infinity Gavel ASAP
• Use Staircases to escape the horrific levels. Sometimes, escape is the best form of defense. (I used Staircases a lot, just because I didn’t want to deal with them.)
• Only attack them when they’re on the ground. 
• Bring a lot of food to out-sustain the damage they deal

Difficulty: 90/100

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