Guides/Exploring the Ruins in Hamlet

The Ancient Pig Ruins are found in Hamlet worlds and can be located in any biome except the Pig City. The Ruins often contain valuable loot, such as gems, gold, and relics. However, they can also be full of traps. This guide will teach you how to successfully explore the ruins.

Gather Necessary Resources
Before you even begin to explore the ruins, you will need adequate tools to do so. Firstly, source some iron from the Painted biome by finding it on the ground, looting Thunderbird nests, and destroying Gnat Mounds. Then, gather a few reeds from the swamp. Gather some cork from Claw Palm Trees, flint from boulders and stalagmites, and twigs and grass from saplings and tall grass. Collect some oincs and kill some guard pigs if you want some better items (explained in the next section).

Make the Tools
With your resources in hand, proceed to make the following items: A machete, for hacking through vines, a spear or halberd, to defend yourself, a ball pein hammer, for looting relics and gold, a few disarming tools, for disarming traps, some armour, if you wish for protection from scorpions, snakes, and batilisks, and a cork candle hat, to provide light while keeping your hands free. If you have enough oincs, you could replace the cork candle hat with a miner hat, which can be bought from Pig and Piglet's General Store for 20 oincs. Bring some relatively cheap items with you as well, such as twigs or rocks, for weighting down pressure plates.

Speedrun the Ruins
If you do not wish for loot from the ruins and simply wish to quickly travel to another island, you way want to ignore the loot and simply get through as fast as you can. If this is what you wish to accomplish, simply explore as many rooms as you can until you find the other exit. Remember to look out though, as dart traps, scorpions, and spikes can easily put an end to you. Killing enemy mobs is not necessary, although you may want to if they are bothering you. Look out for pressure plates, and only use disarming tools unless absolutely necessary.

Scorerun the Ruins
If you wish to journey to the ruins for valuable relics and rare gems, this method is for you. Make plenty of disarming tools, and disarm all the dart traps in every room before you start to chisel or take items. Kill all of the hostile mobs in each room, as you will be spending quite some time there and journeying back through, unless this room is a dead end. Think of each room as a puzzle, with its pressure plates, spikes, and darts, and think every solution through before you take action. Place a few chests at the entrance to the ruins, in case your inventory gets full and you need to unload.

There are many other tools that can be used for exploring the ruins, such as guard contracts, stalking sticks, and shears. Although unnecessary, these tools can make exploring the ruins much easier. However, the methods listed above will certainly be enough if you prepare everything and keep your wits about you.