The Throwing Brick, a weapon that almost all Calamity players have owned at one point or another, is something they almost all use. They get it from the starter bag and then only use 20-30 of them until they get something stronger and give up.
I wondered how Calamity runs would look if I could only use Throwing Bricks.
This is how it turned out…
[Prior Notes]
The Throwing Brick weapon is intended for early-game. It is good at knockback and crit chance, but it does not have a lot of damage or range. This allows the player to better defend themselves from common early-game enemies, such as slimes and zombies. It is not. But it was not meant to be carried any further than that. So I decided to do just that.
The Throwing Brick can be used to deal a small amount of damage. It has low damage, good knockback and a stealth strike effect. This causes the bricks to shatter and releases fragments.
Stealth Strikes is also the best way to approach most of the challenge to both trigger stealth strikes accessory effects and to offset its pitiful base injury. This will also mean that my attack speed will be quite lacking.
[Rules]
(!) This is the primary rule. Throwing Bricks are the only weapons allowed throughout the run. I cannot use any other weapons nor Brick's upgrade to the Apoctolith. Throwing bricks and only throwing bricks are allowed.
(+) In order to compensate for the run's difficult learning curve and overall challenge I allowed the additional accessory slot' rule to be in place. I added 1 more Pre–Hardmode, 2 more in Hardmode, 3 Post-Moon Lord. This is due to accessories having a major role in this run not being exploited, especially regarding certain bosses.
Even though you have 1/2/3 more accessory slot, it doesn't make it easier. Your weapon still has a poor range and must use stealth strikes to deal any damage. This is why I recommend this rule to keep, even if your goal is to increase the challenge.
(-) Also, I only allowed myself 9999 bricks in order to complete the run. This is not a crucial rule, but I wanted a way to see if a stack could be sufficient to complete the run.
You have the option to give yourself infinite bricks to save time or to make them all yourself.
[Boss Rankings]
I thought I'd give the bosses brick-themed rankings, considering the run. Below is a list of what these mean and the order in which they are presented.
Easily Malleable ()
The easiest boss tier, usually being the ones you don’t have to worry too much about. Although it is possible for them to lose, it is almost always possible to win with careful play.
This tier's bosses are, as you would expect, Pre-Hardmode bosses who have limited mobility and/or large hitsboxes that allow me the Throwing Brick to my fullest potential.
Standard Toughness (Easy-Ish)
Bosses who are noticeably more tough than those at the bottom tier are, for the most part, comparable to how they would be encountered on a Calamity run.
Pre-Hardmode is the only exception. However, if the circumstances allow, a few Post-Moon Lord bosses may be found here.
Rock Solid (Standard)
Bosses that are more difficult than standard Calamity runs are usually noticeably harder. This could be due to the Brick’s lack of damage, which can drag out intense parts of a fight, or the Brick’s arc, which forces you to be creative on how to hit the boss.
These bosses are only tier 3 but have a good chance to kill the player at least once or twice during the run.
Infernally Forged A (Hard F17Y
Bosses that reach the top of the most problematic tiers are often due to their own abilities and the inability to counterplay at the moment.
Bosses in this Tier will likely require a lot pre-preparation and they are more likely to kill the player a fair amount of times before a successful attempt.
Cosmilite Composed (Very hard)
Bosses that seem to be too unfair for most Calamity player may become a significant, seemingly unwinnable roadblock in some runs. They are often just as difficult as the previous level, but they are more difficult and may prove to be very frustrating to deal with.
Expect a fair number of deaths and reasonable frustration from bosses who fall under this category.
AuBrick Tesla (Absolutely Horrible)
Bosses that slowly begin to delve into a tier of difficulty that is borderline-impossible for the majority of players, often caused due to a combination of some form of time limits or general DPS checks combined with a general lack of options.
Only 3 bosses of the entire run are in this level. I wouldn't recommend skipping bosses such as these until later. However, some bosses can be tied to progression so have some fun with that.
Pre-Boss
My initial plan was to increase my stealth damage and regeneration rate, but also to learn how bricks move.
I should also mention that this run began prior to the 2.0.1 update. The Wulfrum Rogue Armour existed at this time, so I decided to go for it so that I could use stealth strikes. This was a key element throughout the run.
I also gained an Aglet from my explorations of this map, and 240 health. But my preparation would be cut short when…
Eye of Cthulhu
Brick-fficulty is Standard Toughness
The Eye of Cthulhu showed up almost immediately. I didn't have any preparation for it, but I decided to give it a shot to see how they would perform against a boss.
The Servants were a problem. They could block my throws and force me to move to avoid them. The Eye was a problem itself because I had limited mobility and damage.
Once Phase 2 began, I deliberately got the Servants from Cthulhu to gather together and focus them instead of the Eye. I could remove them before it started its more frantic chain dies. After the Servants were dealt I could concentrate on the Eye itself.
Overall, the chain dashes were not too bad. The Eye could sprint into stealth strikes, and get hit both by the brick and the pieces it produced. This could severely impact its health.
Post-Boss
Time: 8:00
After defeating Eye, I can get the Shield of Cthulhu. It is a nice tool to make amends for my poor mobility and some cash for later.
I have the opportunity to finish my gear upgrades. A hook for mobility, an Abyssal Emulet for more chip damage against bosses, and Frostspark Boots and a Yellow Horseshoe Balloon provide far better mobility overall.
After a very worn-out Goblin Army, I managed to get the Tinkerer. I reorganized all my accessories to Silent so that I could receive stealth regeneration bonuses.
…I also managed a random Slime Staff Drop. While not very useful for the run it was still cool.
Desert Scourge
Brick-fficulty Easily Malleable
Scourge was originally planned to be the first boss of the run. It seems trivial considering that I have a weapon which splits into many fragments upon hit, and that Crush Depth used previously to annihilate it
But, things didn’t go as planned. However, things didn't go according to plan.
Scourge was however one of the most easy bosses to manage in the run.
Post-Boss
Time: 2:33
I was able to defeat Scourge and made Victide Armour. Originally, I had planned to continue with this for a while. But, Sulphurous Armours bonus effects seemed more appealing, so Victide was used to help me farm Acid Rain.
I did make the Shield of the Ocean as well, but it's not important yet.
I had to add the Sulphurous sea myself at the time (Calamity made the world. The event was fairly uneventful, but I was eventually able get my hands on the Sulphurous Armour.
King Slime
Brick-fficulty Easily Malleable
This is the easiest boss in the game. Both because it's easy and because my gear, which includes Post-EoC armour and enhanced mobility, is far too strong to handle this boss.
King Slime would've been my first boss, but Scourge summoned me earlier and the Eye summoned me. I think King Slime was very unfortunate this run.
Post-Boss
Time: 1:30
King Slime's defeat gives Slimy Saddle (and the Slime Hook) as the two main direct drop from the boss. Contrary to other runs I didn’t go and get Bundle Balloons using Solidifier. It was moved to Post-Perforators but I already had the Yellow Horseshoe Balloon.
Instead, I went hunting after King Slime for both the Trinket of Chi (because building stealth means standing still often () and the Luxor’s Gift (because I could get away early on) so that I could use its effects), and the latter because additional projectiles could help me with my lack of damage later in this run).
2.0.1 was also released at this point, which brought a few weapon tweaks. I didn't notice any changes to the stuff I had done before, except for the loss in Wulfrum Armour. But I thought it was such a minor change that it wasn’t worth restarting the run.
Brain of Cthulhu
Brick-fficulty is Standard Toughness
The Brain was not a fight that I was concerned about. I was using it mainly as a test to see if my new accessories would hold up against an actual boss… with some very unfortunate results
It seemed that the Trinket of Chi wouldn’t activate, no matter how long I stood still. This made it completely useless. The Luxor projectiles' arc was very different to mine bricks. It was much more flashy, making it harder to aim. This was not worth the potential bonus damage.
Other than that, the Brain went fairly smoothly. However, dealing with the Creepers proved difficult since the bricks struggled against the sheer number of them. The Brain's 2nd phase was a little more complicated because I didn’t attack enough often to keep the Brain away sometimes. I had to move.
Post-Boss
Time: 2:31
I was able, with the Brain defeated to craft the Deathbringer Pickaxe. However, other than that few modifications could be made.
For subtractions, however, both Luxor's and the Trinket of Chi were removed to the accessory chest and not used again.
Crabulon
Brick-fficulty Easily Malleable
I wish I could talk more about Crabulon but I found that certain areas of my arena did not count as the mushroom biome so it would sometimes enrage itself during the fight.
It was a minor point, but I was slowly understanding how Rogue works. And, more specifically, how to best utilize the bricks. My bosses were slow and grounded.
Post-Boss
Time: 2:30
Crabulon being defeated, it was time to prepare for one of the most terrifying Pre-Hardmode boss fights of this run.
Crabulon does not provide any run-time assistance since the Fungal Clump was banned and all its drops are weapon drops.
Perforators
Brick-fficulty is Rock Solid
The beginning of what I consider Pre-Hardmode's latter half. The first boss to be higher that one of the lower 2 Tiers. Perforators can be a challenging fight. You need to be careful how your approach it.
First, the Hive itself hovers just above the thrower, just out of the Throwing Bricks range. This is despite the fact that some throws may seem like they should hit the Hive. You can bait it by moving down before jumping back up, to temporarily bring it closer to you. To temporarily increase its hitbox, you can move down and then jump back up. You should be aware, however, that the projectiles could hit you if your actions are not taken seriously.
The first and second worms were pretty standard. They acted much like Desert Scourge, where you could damage it by hitting the head. The brick fragments that would shatter against the body would often miss the head.
The second worm was also interesting. Two stealth strikes against the head would often kill the head cleanly, allowing it to stop from splitting.
A long fight and one that requires some strategy. However, it is a worthwhile practice.
Post-Boss
Time: 9:15
Once Perforators has been defeated, I can obtain the Bloodstained Glove as well as Aerialite to get the Aerospec Armour or the Feather Crown.
These are also a lot more helpful than the previous accessories I tried.
Queen Bee
Brick-fficulty is Rock Solid
Queen Bee is an awkward fight on challenge run because of her scaling defence stat from Expert Mode. However this run manages make it even more difficult.
Queen Bee's speed is, as you probably guessed, a problem. This makes it very difficult to aim shots with my slow and clunky gravity-affected projectiles consistently. The surprising thing was that the Queen Bee's defense boosts didn’t really impact the fight at all due to the damage buffs from charging theft.
But there was another thing missing from this fight, Queen Bee's minions. Due to their low health, the bees that Queen Bee spawns are usually easy to deal with. They can also provide mana stars and hearts to players. If I had to charge stealth to deal maximum damage, a swarm would usually force me to give up my stealth charging in order to deal with them before they start to swarm the arena.
Post-Boss
Time: 8:01
Queen Bee doesn’t really help with this run in general, as she does not provide any items I would find particularly helpful, and because she doesn’t gatekeep any kind of new ore from other enemies like some Calamity bosses.
But she is a boss and I decided to fight against her regardless.
Skeletron
Brick-fficulty is Rock Solid
Skeletron is a bit confusing for this challenge, but I'll address it as I go.
Skeletron's hands were a bit of a problem. Their movements proved to be slightly more unpredictable than I expected, due to their ever-changing acceleration and my own incompetence.
Skeletron's head was good enough. The main issue was how to attack it. Although stealth strikes are great while it attacks with skulls, it was debated whether brick spam was better than stealth strikes during the headspin.
But, the problem was not solved. Skeletron still had 800 HP at 4:30 AM. Skeletron could've killed it with better management or my stealth charges, throws, and perhaps a fallen star. What should I do? It would be best to start again the next day, right?
I chose not to, whatever the reason.
I was able make a steady figure-eight movement around the skeletron and brick spammed it for the next ten minutes. Was it difficult? No. Was it practical? It wasn't.
But did it really work? Yes.
Post-Boss
Time: 17:06
Skeletron's defeat gives access to the Dungeon. Both bones and chest items are now available. Skyline Wings are made from bones, while the Dungeon chests contain the Cobalt Shield. I upgraded it immediately.
Deerclops
Brick-fficulty is Standard Toughness
Wow, this is my first real challenge run since Deerclops' inclusion.
Deerclops was a long and difficult fight, but not necessarily a hard one. While my build was not particularly defensive, it gave Deerclops enough survival. However, due to its small hitbox and large pool of health, killing it would take quite a while.
There isn't much to discuss as the boss was a walking simulator. When it was safe, he would fly over its head in order to let me walk back in the same direction.
Post-Boss
Time: 10:27
Another boss who doesn’t really give me anything useful for the run. However, like Queen Bee, I believe it should still be recorded for record’s sake.
Slime God
Brick-fficulty is Rock Solid
I actually did die at the first boss, while trying to get a feel of the new fight and how the bricks would respond to it.
Slime God is now less vulnerable to the old strategy, where they lure big slimes to a platform a few meters above you. They now teleport and will actively attempt to cut off players escapes. But, in-turn, the Core is much less dangerous.
I found that focusing on one specific slime was the best strategy. This is because slimes become more aggressive as they lose their health. Once it splits focus on one of the smaller slimes at a time until you're done with. Next, focus your attention on the larger slime.
The minions can be a minor problem in the fight. They can sometimes get in your way and either absorb stealth hits or hit you. However, it is worth spending a few seconds and a stealth strike to deal with the more annoying ones like the spiked and winged minions.
Post-Boss
Time: 12:09
The main benefit of this fight is accessing Statigel Armour. This is the final set of armour for Pre-Hardmode.
I also realized that the Silencing Sheath might have been made after Brain of Cthulhu, so now I can craft it.
Wall of Flesh
Brick-fficulty – AuBrick Tesla
The Wall of Flesh, a boss that appears to be mildly challenging but not too serious, is actually a major problem for this run. All three of its problems make it the worst boss of the run.
First, Wall is aware that it has a hard time limit. This is only realized when it reaches an edge of the world. Wall will despawn upon reaching the border. This is unlike other bosses, who may get angry if they exceed their time limit.
The Wall's ever-increasing speed also presents a problem. Although you may only be able to deal with a hyperspeed Wall for a short time, dealing with it with poor damage or waiting for stealth strikes will mean you'll have to deal this phase for quite some time.
Hungries, which is the worst, are last but not least. Hungries are usually a minor inconvenience. They spawn at approximately the same speed you can kill them. Because they are so numerous and have the ability to infinitely reproduce, they quickly absorb stealth strikes. This is something they easily have enough health for to tank a few of each.
These factors combine to make the Wall nearly impossible to kill, likely impossible under the rules of small worlds, and probably impossible in-general for this run, if you don't do some… rather cheesy preparation.
First, the entire Underworld was removed and replaced by a few rows platform. This gave me 12,000 blocks to kill Wall and no terrain to block throws. But the most impressive was a statue-utilising suppressor that allowed only the Wall to spawn; no Hungries.
Was it easy? However, it was not an easy task. Its large speed and health, combined with its constant movement, made stealth charging a lot more difficult.
I was less than 1,000 yards from the edge of my world by the end of battle. I was in really bad shape. But, with some faith, hope and stealth strikes I was able bring down the Wall (or ironically) brick by brick.
Post-Boss
Time: 7:55
The Wall of Flesh is defeated and the world enters Hardmode. The second part of the challenge appears. I get some new tools, however, to help me out.
I receive 2 accessory slots total. 1 is from the Heart, the wall itself, and 1 from challenge rules. You will probably need them.
Rogue Emblems can be used later in the run. Unfortunately, this means that you have to farm the Wall. But, I don’t have the time or desire to do that at this moment, so I’ll do it later. I did get 1, which is a nice result.
[Final Notes]
So that's Part 1 of 3 for the Brick-OnlyCalamity run
Although I know it's been awhile since I last wrote one of these, I have been playing Calamity in my background and looking at possible things for the future.
Some projects were almost pages-length, but were scrapped. Most of these projects are listed under the "Misc Calamity:1.3 Runs" Guide.
Anyways, I hope the brickenning was enjoyable and I look forward to seeing you again when Part 2 is complete.
We will see you there 🙂
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