Hey, so i'm not good with skull cavern runs (spoiler warning, do not read unless you are far into stardew valley)
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FilthyGorilla
Local Legend
The simplest and most applicable tips are to bring food, eat whenever you can, and spend more time ignoring stuff than trying to fight.
To get into some more specifics:
1. As mentioned before, more food always helps, ideally you have a buff food/drink that gives a luck and/or speed buff (coffee, triple shot expresso, magic rock candy, lucky lunch, spicy eel, crab cakes, etc.), and a general food that heals a lot, is cheap to get, and doesn't have any buffs (as not to override the useful buffs you have)
2. Luck, daily luck matters a lot with descending, and so does buff luck from food/rings/drinks/other sources. It'll also increase your chances to encounter treasure rooms, which is the main reason a lot of people go to skull cavern.
3. Weapon choice matters a lot - If you're struggling, something fast and weak is better than something you have to think about and time, a bone sword or steel falchion (bought from the adventurers guild) before you get a galaxy sword
4. Bombs and staircases to skip floors and descend fast, especially if you feel like you're not getting deep enough to get anything good. It's better to splurge on one good run than a bunch of little ones that aren't fruitful (and probably just serve to make you feel worse)
There's also a lot of strategy when it comes to mining/fighting, when to do each, when to cut losses on a floor, and so on. I could talk for hours about semantics, but most things are little skills or knacks that you pick up as you play, rather than something you learn from someone mentioning it. That being said, there are a few general things you can pick up that'll help you out:
1. You can almost always eat faster than you're taking damage. So long as you have a food that heals more than roughly 10-20 health per item, you can eat faster than you take damage, due to the game giving immunity frames and pausing when you eat. Even if you're under a pile of 20 monsters, just eat eat eat, run a little, eat eat eat, and repeat, it's not a waste of food if it keeps you alive (that's all food is there for).
2. Craftables like staircases and explosives are invaluable as they allow you to multitask (bomb rocks while you fight off an enemy), but they can be expensive. It's often smart to instead bring raw resources and craft as you go. You'll inevitably pick up the ore and stone to craft the items as you mine, but it's good to bring a small buffer (in case you run into trouble really early on or need 2 staircases when you only mined 150 stone).
3. Run away - As simple as it is on the surface, you're mining more often than not for the loot you get mining, not to fight or pick away at a couple enemies with a toothpick of a weapon. Most enemies are slower than you (all with some speed buffs that I mentioned before), and they all have simple pathfinding that you can duck and weave around, just try to keep calm and not box yourself in.
4. Building off of what I mentioned before, round up enemies then spam attack. It's find if you can't time attacks or move around while attacking, so long as everything is in front of you, then you're fine. Enemies like slimes can pounce and serpents/bats circle around you, so try to keep them right in front of you, and ideally boxed against the wall if they're a ground monster, to make sure they don't quickly come after you when you're trying to catch up to where you knocked them back.
Those are a couple simple things you can do to prepare yourself and play a little better when in Skull Cavern, there's a million more little things, but you often learn better knowing the basics and figuring out the rest on your own, so good luck!
To get into some more specifics:
1. As mentioned before, more food always helps, ideally you have a buff food/drink that gives a luck and/or speed buff (coffee, triple shot expresso, magic rock candy, lucky lunch, spicy eel, crab cakes, etc.), and a general food that heals a lot, is cheap to get, and doesn't have any buffs (as not to override the useful buffs you have)
2. Luck, daily luck matters a lot with descending, and so does buff luck from food/rings/drinks/other sources. It'll also increase your chances to encounter treasure rooms, which is the main reason a lot of people go to skull cavern.
3. Weapon choice matters a lot - If you're struggling, something fast and weak is better than something you have to think about and time, a bone sword or steel falchion (bought from the adventurers guild) before you get a galaxy sword
4. Bombs and staircases to skip floors and descend fast, especially if you feel like you're not getting deep enough to get anything good. It's better to splurge on one good run than a bunch of little ones that aren't fruitful (and probably just serve to make you feel worse)
There's also a lot of strategy when it comes to mining/fighting, when to do each, when to cut losses on a floor, and so on. I could talk for hours about semantics, but most things are little skills or knacks that you pick up as you play, rather than something you learn from someone mentioning it. That being said, there are a few general things you can pick up that'll help you out:
1. You can almost always eat faster than you're taking damage. So long as you have a food that heals more than roughly 10-20 health per item, you can eat faster than you take damage, due to the game giving immunity frames and pausing when you eat. Even if you're under a pile of 20 monsters, just eat eat eat, run a little, eat eat eat, and repeat, it's not a waste of food if it keeps you alive (that's all food is there for).
2. Craftables like staircases and explosives are invaluable as they allow you to multitask (bomb rocks while you fight off an enemy), but they can be expensive. It's often smart to instead bring raw resources and craft as you go. You'll inevitably pick up the ore and stone to craft the items as you mine, but it's good to bring a small buffer (in case you run into trouble really early on or need 2 staircases when you only mined 150 stone).
3. Run away - As simple as it is on the surface, you're mining more often than not for the loot you get mining, not to fight or pick away at a couple enemies with a toothpick of a weapon. Most enemies are slower than you (all with some speed buffs that I mentioned before), and they all have simple pathfinding that you can duck and weave around, just try to keep calm and not box yourself in.
4. Building off of what I mentioned before, round up enemies then spam attack. It's find if you can't time attacks or move around while attacking, so long as everything is in front of you, then you're fine. Enemies like slimes can pounce and serpents/bats circle around you, so try to keep them right in front of you, and ideally boxed against the wall if they're a ground monster, to make sure they don't quickly come after you when you're trying to catch up to where you knocked them back.
Those are a couple simple things you can do to prepare yourself and play a little better when in Skull Cavern, there's a million more little things, but you often learn better knowing the basics and figuring out the rest on your own, so good luck!
sweetpea83
Planter
Whoa!!!
MogBeoulve
Local Legend
I just staircase down until I find what I want (dinosaur floor, treasure room, floor 100, enemies to whack). And I don't venture in much until I'm armed to the teeth with goodies from the Volcano Dungeon.
WorstDecorator
Greenhorn
in fact, isn't there a crazy-like-a-fox strategy around using the Dwarven Dagger as your weapon because it boosts your defense ?
Jayamos
Farmer
I would not have thought of a steel falchion in SC, but I like mine elsewhere, so that’s a great tip for future farms. I also appreciate the eating tip. I’ve gotten through or away from fights by eating but never thought of eating several times in a fight.
I agree with everything @FilthyGorilla said. Also, I owe a lot of my success (enough for me to enjoy SC runs) to several jade-producing crystallaria and trading for staircases, plus buying bombs. But if you’re not at that point, I’d emphasize running away, maximizing luck, and accumulating enough bombs, staircases, and food between runs to get as far down as possible.
I also don’t do SC runs if I don’t feel like it. Some days I’m just not as nimble mentally or physically, and I don’t want to set myself up for failure.
I agree with everything @FilthyGorilla said. Also, I owe a lot of my success (enough for me to enjoy SC runs) to several jade-producing crystallaria and trading for staircases, plus buying bombs. But if you’re not at that point, I’d emphasize running away, maximizing luck, and accumulating enough bombs, staircases, and food between runs to get as far down as possible.
I also don’t do SC runs if I don’t feel like it. Some days I’m just not as nimble mentally or physically, and I don’t want to set myself up for failure.
MogBeoulve
Local Legend
I'm not sure, but I routinely run the dangerous mines with the crabshell ring, the dragon boots, and a dwarf sword enchanted with topaz. Most of the time, I'm only taking 1 hp of damage even without any additional defense buffs. You could definitely stack more defense, I just haven't felt the need.
Lew Zealand
Helper
I used to suck at Skull Cavern runs like we all probably did at first. I was terrible at it for years, but here's what helped me have fun in Skull Cavern.
__________
Loadout
• Staircases are #1 because you can instantly toss one down and escape (duplicate Jade in Crystalariums and trade for Stairs at Desert Trader on Sunday), take 200!
•
Cheese is #2 as it heals half your health in one go and is very easy to make (happy Cow + Cheese maker makes one per day), take 40+!
• High damage Sword is #3: Galaxy (first Prizzy Shard), Lava Katana ($25k @Guild), Obsidian Edge (Mines Floor 90) in order of best&rare to good&guaranteed
• Gold or Iridium Pickaxe is #4 as you need pickaxe speed here
If I had these 4 things alone, could I do a fun Skull Cavern run? I think so and I will test this on my next High Luck day. I recommend High Luck days for increased Treasure Rooms, Gem nodes, and Ladder spawns. All these things are fun!
But there are other items that really make the little things in Skull Cavern easier (for me!):
• Bombs: this is all about speed, ignore your Pickaxe and just clear a collection of tasty gem and Iridium nodes in one go, take 100! (Duplicate Quartz in Crystalariums and Desert Trader 5 for 1 Bomb)
• Slime Charmer Ring: completely ignore Slimes, this makes your run soooo much more relaxed
• Iridium Ring for Light + Magnet + 10% damage
• Luck Buff (Lucky Lunch, Spicy Eel, Ginger Ale), take ~3 as they wear off
• Speed Buff (Spicy Eel, Coffee, TS Espresso), take ~3 as they wear off (or 10 Coffee)
** Spicy Eel is also available from the Desert Trader, duplicate Rubies in Crystalariums and trade!
I use the 2 Buffs in these combos:
Mid game: Spicy Eel + Ginger Ale for +2 Luck and +1 Speed, but you can just go with Spicy Eel
Late game: Lucky Lunch + Coffee/Espresso for +3 Luck and +1 Speed
So my typical Skull Cavern loadout from L to R in my inventory is:
Sword, Pick, 200+ Stairs, 100 Bombs, [spaces], 3 Lucky Lunch, 3 Espresso, 40Cheese
___________________
Strategy is simple:
1. Skip levels down to 100 with Stairs but I sometimes stop past Level 60 if the floor is colorful with Gem nodes and I Bomb them
2. Skip ANY level with more than 1 Serpent. If you hate Serpents, skip every one of these. Anything else you see on that floor is irrelevant
3. Pause for a second and evaluate levels past 100. Is there a Gem or Ore Node concentration pretty close and not too many Monsters? No? Then immediate Stairs Down. Yes? Then Bomb, grab, flail your Sword a bit if needed, and Stairs Down. Eat a Cheese, never forget to eat too much cheese. Cheese is cheap, your time and SC run is not.
4. Enjoy the Treasure Rooms. This is really why I'm here, it's all about the treasure, muuaaaahhhahahahahhaahahaaaaa!
You're looking for chill floors with easy looting and the Treasure Rooms, so you'll be ignoring and bypassing 80-90% of all floors, even past 100. You're looking to make this easy and getting into the floor-skipping mindset will make this happen.
__________
Loadout
• Staircases are #1 because you can instantly toss one down and escape (duplicate Jade in Crystalariums and trade for Stairs at Desert Trader on Sunday), take 200!
•
Cheese is #2 as it heals half your health in one go and is very easy to make (happy Cow + Cheese maker makes one per day), take 40+!• High damage Sword is #3: Galaxy (first Prizzy Shard), Lava Katana ($25k @Guild), Obsidian Edge (Mines Floor 90) in order of best&rare to good&guaranteed
• Gold or Iridium Pickaxe is #4 as you need pickaxe speed here
If I had these 4 things alone, could I do a fun Skull Cavern run? I think so and I will test this on my next High Luck day. I recommend High Luck days for increased Treasure Rooms, Gem nodes, and Ladder spawns. All these things are fun!
But there are other items that really make the little things in Skull Cavern easier (for me!):
• Bombs: this is all about speed, ignore your Pickaxe and just clear a collection of tasty gem and Iridium nodes in one go, take 100! (Duplicate Quartz in Crystalariums and Desert Trader 5 for 1 Bomb)
• Slime Charmer Ring: completely ignore Slimes, this makes your run soooo much more relaxed
• Iridium Ring for Light + Magnet + 10% damage
• Luck Buff (Lucky Lunch, Spicy Eel, Ginger Ale), take ~3 as they wear off
• Speed Buff (Spicy Eel, Coffee, TS Espresso), take ~3 as they wear off (or 10 Coffee)
** Spicy Eel is also available from the Desert Trader, duplicate Rubies in Crystalariums and trade!
I use the 2 Buffs in these combos:
Mid game: Spicy Eel + Ginger Ale for +2 Luck and +1 Speed, but you can just go with Spicy Eel
Late game: Lucky Lunch + Coffee/Espresso for +3 Luck and +1 Speed
So my typical Skull Cavern loadout from L to R in my inventory is:
Sword, Pick, 200+ Stairs, 100 Bombs, [spaces], 3 Lucky Lunch, 3 Espresso, 40
Cheese___________________
Strategy is simple:
1. Skip levels down to 100 with Stairs but I sometimes stop past Level 60 if the floor is colorful with Gem nodes and I Bomb them
2. Skip ANY level with more than 1 Serpent. If you hate Serpents, skip every one of these. Anything else you see on that floor is irrelevant
3. Pause for a second and evaluate levels past 100. Is there a Gem or Ore Node concentration pretty close and not too many Monsters? No? Then immediate Stairs Down. Yes? Then Bomb, grab, flail your Sword a bit if needed, and Stairs Down. Eat a Cheese, never forget to eat too much cheese. Cheese is cheap, your time and SC run is not.
4. Enjoy the Treasure Rooms. This is really why I'm here, it's all about the treasure, muuaaaahhhahahahahhaahahaaaaa!
You're looking for chill floors with easy looting and the Treasure Rooms, so you'll be ignoring and bypassing 80-90% of all floors, even past 100. You're looking to make this easy and getting into the floor-skipping mindset will make this happen.
Last edited:
Nonak
Planter
I actually stopped doing that recently. Almost all of my crystalariums are duplicating quartz rather than jade because bombing everything is way more fun than staircasing down. Maybe I'm not getting the most loot out of my SC trips, but it's usually enough to satisfy me. I can see that collecting quartz every time it's done (twice a day) can be a huge chore if you have a lot of crystalariums, but I use automate to take care of that
ThatOneTposingDude
Planter
Trade jade for staircases st the Desert Trader, get to lvl 250, and you have nothing but iridium awaiting you. Or do it the normal way so Qi won't chastise you for spamming staircases. But there really isn't anything of use until level 50, use explosive ammo and find holes if you're not using stairs. Go on lucky days, eat food that buffs mining and luck, and bring coffee.
Lew Zealand
Helper
I don't use mods yet and I have wayyy too many other projects so I usually end up with enough Bombs to cover my needs with all of 2 Crystalariums duplicating Quartz, lol. I think I hit Skull Cavern maybe twice a season? I'll just buy from the Dwarf if needed as I'm past end game and just vibing now. Earlier in game with less g, more Quartz Crystalariums really come in handy though!