Hoplite

Marble caves are the only place they turn up, and nothing summons them. The mini biome generates with the world and the Hoplites come with it. Because marble pockets can sit at almost any depth, it is easy to break into one on an ordinary mining trip long before you own gear that can argue with what lives there. If you punch through into polished white stone this early, back out and come back deliberately.

The throw is the reason this enemy has a reputation. It pierces, so it does not stop at the first thing it touches, and the aim behind it is better than almost any other enemy projectile in the game. Most enemy shots miss a moving target by default. These lead you properly. On Expert and Master the same throw hits far harder again, which is how a pre-Hardmode cave enemy takes most of a health bar off you in one go.

Walking straight at it feels wrong and is correct. Contact damage is a fraction of the throw, and once you are on top of it you can keep it in hit stun so the javelin never comes out. Getting there is the risk, because knockback does very little to it and it keeps advancing while you swing. Line the approach up behind cover, cross the last few tiles fast, and do not stop hitting once you arrive.

A javelin thrown straight up passes through you on the way, keeps climbing, and can catch you a second time coming back down. Piercing works in both directions. Fight from beside it or from a shallow angle instead.

• The game calls it a Greek skeleton internally, matching the ancient soldiers it is named for. Those fought with a spear and a heavy shield, and not one of its drops is a shield.
• Its banner and the Medusa banner are the odd pair that show an object rather than the enemy. She gets a snake, this one gets a helm, both over gold Greek patterning.