Deerclops

"He looks mightier than me..."

- Wolfgang

Deerclops is a boss monster that is only active in Winter. It has high health and damage, and it can also destroy Structures (the same way a Hammer does). Deerclops is very aggressive towards anything it encounters and can kill most other creatures. Its monstrous appearance drains Sanity when the character gets too close.

Deerclops takes four blasts from the Ice Staff to be frozen. When killed, it will drop 8 pieces of Meat and a Deerclops Eyeball, which restores a high amount of Health and Hunger but drains Sanity. It takes 3-6 days for a Deerclops to respawn after being killed, and it will despawn as soon as Summer comes.

Hunting
Deerclops wanders the landscape during Winter, typically finding the player eventually. Its approach is signaled by a deep moaning and growling sound (similar to the way Hounds are signaled) which the character will eventually comment on. After that, the ground will begin to shake due to Deerclops' heavy tread. It is possible to stay out of the Deerclops' way and have it pass by. However, Deerclops can easily ravage the structures in the player's camp, with Pig Houses and Rabbit Hutches being especially costly. If Deerclops collapses (dies) close enough to structures, it will damage or destroy them.

Deerclops can be kited, a process by which the character dodges its attack, strikes back once, and then dodges out of range again multiple times. Its high health means this will take time, however, and the character's Sanity will drop quickly. Armor should be worn when attempting this as Deerclops can kill most characters in three strikes and has a wide range. Three Log Suits and Football Helmets should be enough to deal with it.

Deerclops doesn't sleep during the night but can be put to sleep by a Pan Flute or Sleep Darts. Fire Darts or the Fire Staff are also effective, although it will take several hits to kill it, and this may result in the loot it drops turning to Ash. Deerclops can also be frozen and then attacked from behind.

Deerclops can be easily killed by using the Snurtle Shell Armor, should the player have one. Before it strikes, hide in the shell, then unhide and strike between its attacks. It takes 40 hits with a Tentacle Spike to kill Deerclops. For Wolfgang on a full belly (300 hunger, dealing 2x damage), it takes 20 hits.

A quick method, if the player happens to have a lot of Tooth Traps, is to lead Deerclops to an open area covered in the traps. As with other aggressive creatures, it will walk towards the player without avoiding the traps. It'll take 34 sprung traps to kill Deerclops, but the player can kite it to speed up the process.

Alternatively, Deerclops can be compelled to fight other creatures. It does a wide-area cleave-style attack that can damage several surrounding targets at the same time. As an example, if the Deerclops were lured to a group of Beefalo, it will hit several at the same time and cause them to attack. Treeguards will also fight Deerclops this way and are very effective. Walrus Camp can also be used: MacTusk can dodge Deerclops nicely and eventually kill it, and it's an easy way to get Walrus-related items if any of the walruses die.

However, the quickest method of killing Deerclops requires Gunpowder and a Torch. Rotten eggs can be produced manually by leaving Eggs on the ground, while it's possible to find a bunch of them lying around from Pengulls, and Charcoal is easily produced by burning trees. Only the Nitre may need some scavenging around. Gunpowder deals about 200 damage, so 10 of these would instantly kill Deerclops. Place the gunpowder, 9 in a stack, as close as possible to Deerclops (it's recommended to freeze or put it to sleep to hold it still). Then light the gunpowder with a torch and run. For Deerclops' remaining health, hit it with non-fire weapons. Only 9 stacks of gunpowder should be used, since the player presumably wants fresh loot.

Alternatively, Deerclops can easily be lost by moving a good distance away, after which it will find something else to smash. A Bush Hat will keep the character hidden if necessary.

Trivia

 * The name "Deerclops" is a  portmanteau of "Deer" and "Cyclops."
 * Pictures of the Deerclops appeared in the update teaser video for the "Long Live the Queen" update, at around 30 and 45 seconds into the video (see pictures).


 * At the end of "A Winter's Tale" teaser video, the screen goes black for a brief amount of time. During this time, the growl of the Deerclops is heard.


 * While attacking downwards, the Deerclops Eyeball (as well as other things on his head) will fly off his face for a brief moment.


 * According to Maxwell, the Deerclops is myopic.
 * Spider Queen Deals more damage than deerclops,but deerclops is more dangerous,because you cant wear armor in winter.