Stardew Valley: Monster Eradication Goals (Updated 2023)

Do you need help with finishing the Monster Eradication Goals? Do you want to get their corresponding rewards seamlessly? This Stardew Valley guide will teach you just that, so read on!

Upon arriving at Stardew Valley, you’ll soon meet Marlon – one of the founders of the Adventurer’s Guild. You can find this place in the Mountains near the Mines where they aim for a peaceful Pelican Town. Beyond that are Monster Eradication Goals they present for you to finish.

Mining often leads to an encounter with several monsters in Stardew Valley. They’re on every floor, trying to hinder your progress by attacking you. While you’re at it, it’s best to finish Monster Eradication Goals for several benefits:

• Exciting rewards
• A key requirement to achieving Perfection
• Faster scaling to Combat

In this guide, you’ll learn about every monster you need to deal with and give tips alongside. We’ll also introduce the Adventurer’s Guild, how to get in, and how to start Monster Eradication Goals.

How to Start Monster Eradication Goals?

The kill counter for every Stardew Valley monster will begin even if you don’t have access to the Adventurer’s Guild. However, we recommend gaining entry as soon as possible.

Once the fallen debris near the Mines’ entrance is removed on Spring 5, go inside. Marlon will hand you over a Rusty Sword, and a new quest will appear. A series of tasks should follow up on your Journal until you gain access to the Adventurer’s Guild.

You’ll see a board left of the Fireplace – the Monster Eradication Goals. You can check your progress there and claim rewards from Gil upon completion.

The following are every enemy you need to defeat. Note that any variant will count towards a larger family of monsters (i.e., Lava Crabs are considered Rock Crabs.)

Bats

There are six different bat variants:

• Regular Bat
• Dangerous Bat
• Frost Bat
• Dangerous Frost Bat
• Lava Bat
• Iridium Bat

You can find them inside the Mines, Skull Cavern, Dangerous Mines, and Dangerous Skull Cavern.

Their movement comprises flying above walls, attempting to deal collision damage. When a mist appears, Bats will charge at you from all directions. To deal with them, wait until they get closer to your weapon’s range and swing. Reposition from time to time so as not to get hit.

Kill Count required: 200

Reward: Vampire Ring – restores +2 Health upon killing a monster. Purchasable from Marlon for 15,000g. It’s noteworthy that the effects per ring stacks, and you can combine up to two.

Cave Insects

The Cave Insect family consists of the following monsters:

• Armored Bug
• Bug
• Cave Fly
• Grub
• Mutant Fly
• Mutant Grub

Bug and Armored Bug

Bugs are dominant in the Mines, while Armored Bugs are in the Skull Cavern. The former is squishy, while the latter requires the Bug Killer enchant to eliminate. Otherwise, an Armored Bug won’t take damage from any weapon you wield.

Movement-wise, they go a straight line (either horizontally or vertically). They won’t actively pursue and damage you unless you get in contact with them.

Grub and Mutant Grub

You’ll encounter Grubs in the Mines while Mutant Grubs inside the Mutant Bug Lair. Both are capable of mutating into their stronger counterpart, Flies.

Movement-wise, Grubs and Mutant Grubs attempt to deal contact damage. However, they’ll flee upon sustaining heavy damage. Because of their little mobility, we recommend taking them down as fast as possible, with all rage!

Cave Fly and Mutant Fly

Like Grubs and Mutant Grubs, these two are found in the exact location as their weak counterparts. 

Cave Flies and Mutant Flies both charges at a considerable speed, attempting to deal contact damage. To deal with them, wait until they’re in your range to swing your weapon.

Kill Count required: 125

Reward: Insect Head – a Sword that deals 10 to 20 ATK. It has the following attributes:

• +2 Speed
• +2 Crit. Chance
• +.04 Crit Strike Chance

Marlon sells the Insect Head for 10,000g.

Duggies

The Mines and the Volcano Dungeon are home to Duggies in Stardew Valley. They come out from dirt patches, attempting to deal damage by impaling you. Their wake isn’t viable to dig with a Hoe, and restoration is impossible.

Since all Duggies share the same attack pattern, it’ll be easy to dispatch them. Upon spotting them, swing your weapon many times and reposition to avoid taking damage!

There are three Duggy variants:

• Regular Duggy
• Dangerous Duggy
• Magma Duggy

The first two are present in the Mines and Dangerous Mines, while the last variant resides at the Volcano Dungeon.

Kill Count required: 30

Reward: Hard Hat – no protection value, only for aesthetics.

Dust Sprites

Two variants comprise the Dust Sprite family:

• Regular Dust Sprite
• Dangerous Dust Sprite

You can find both Dust Sprites in Regular and Dangerous Mines, respectively.

Regardless of the variant, Dust Sprites share the same behavior. They appear in packs, attempting to deal damage and destroying obstacles if trapped.

Kill Count required: 500

Reward: Burglar’s Ring – a valuable ring that guarantees your odds of getting twice the loot. Marlon sells the item 20,000g.

Magma Sparker & Magma Sprite

The Magma Sparker and the Magma Sprite exclusively spawn inside the Volcano Dungeon. However, completing this Monster Eradication goal requires you first to rebuild Willy’s Boat to travel to Ginger Island.

Behavior-wise, both are almost similar as they move at high speed, attempting to deal contact damage. However, Magma Sparkers inflict the Burnt debuff, significantly decreasing your ATK, DEF, and SPD.

You’ll be safer when dealing with Magma Sprites as they behave like Cave Flies and Bats, albeit moving faster. However, Magma Sparkers are trickier, as you need to time their attacks, especially when applying the debuff. We recommend using Swords or Hammers for the job.

Kill Count required: 150

Reward: Marlon’s Phone Number – essential for Item Recovery Service in the comfort of your home. To unlock, you need the Telephone first from Robin’s Shop, costing 2,000g.

Mummy

Mummies are one of the toughest enemies in Stardew Valley, unable to perish unless bombed or killed with Crusader-enchanted weapons.

Their movement consists of aimlessly wandering until you enter their attacking zone, where they’ll try cornering and dealing contact damage.

Kill Count required: 100

Reward: Arcane Hat – no protection value, for aesthetics only.

Pepper Rex

The Pepper Rex is one of the rarest enemies you’ll encounter in an entire Stardew Valley gameplay. This monster type exclusively spawns on Prehistoric Floors in the Skull Cavern.

Although rarely encountered, a Pepper Rex can be a formidable foe. It attacks with its fiery breath but is unable to do contact damage. Moreover, they change positions last-minute, although outsmarting them by quickly moving is possible.

Kill Count required: 50

Reward: Knight’s Helmet – no protection value, for aesthetics only.

Rock Crabs

While there are five different variants of Rock Crabs in Stardew Valley, they behave the same. They’ll blend in on the floor they’ve spawned as a Stone or Ore Node. Once hit, they’ll reveal themselves. However, any Rock Crab variant is susceptible to explosives and Pickaxe (no damage to the latter). 

Kill Count required: 60

Reward: Crabshell Ring – gives +5 Defense to make you last in combat. Marlon sells the item for 15,000g.

Royal Serpent and Serpent

Found in Skull Cavern, Serpents and Royal Serpents have a reputation as the biggest threat in Stardew Valley. Both monsters charge at a fast speed, attempting to overwhelm and damage you.

The Serpent resides at the Normal Skull Cavern, while the Royal Serpent inhabits the place’s Dangerous version. While the two have apparent similarities, the latter is stronger and deadlier because of their segmented bodies.

To deal with them, use Swords and Hammers. You’ll also need powerful ring combinations or the best boots to survive better.

Kill Count required: 250

Reward: Napalm Ring – turns your enemies into living bombs, damaging other monsters and debris except you. It’s noteworthy that using the item while in the Farmhouse with monsters spawning will destroy crops and other equipment. Marlon sells the item for 30,000g.

Skeletons

There are three types of Skeletons in Stardew Valley:

• Regular Skeleton
• Dangerous Skeleton
• Skeleton Mage

Regular and Dangerous Skeletons throw bone projectiles and attempt to deal contact damage while trying to overwhelm you. Countering them involves closing the distance to hit them while dodging or destroying bone projectiles.

Meanwhile, Skeleton Mages cast the Frozen debuff, restraining you from movement, save for swinging your weapon. They also deal a significant amount of damage upon contact. If you take them out first while constantly repositioning, you’ll be near-untouchable.

Kill Count required: 50

Reward: Skeleton Mask – no protection value, for aesthetics only.

Slimes

While there are different Slime types in Stardew Valley, there are barely any differences among them, save for the following:

• Frost Jellies can glow, increasing their movement speed.
• Big Slimes may split into several smaller slimes.
• Dark Green Slimes are rare.

By default, Slimes wander around until they spot you. They’ll try dealing contact damage or sometimes charge and occasionally apply the Slimed debuff.

Kill Count required: 1000

Reward: Slime Charmer Ring – protects you from damage and debuff from Slimes. The accessory is excellent for raising Slime at the Slime Hutch. Moreover, Marlon sells the item for 25,000g.

Void Spirits

Void Spirits exclusively appear on the last two layers in the Mines. There are five total variants of the monster family:

• Shadow Brute
• Dangerous Shadow Brute
• Shadow Shaman
• Dangerous Shadow Shaman
• Shadow Sniper

Normal and Dangerous Shadow Brute

This monster is the tankiest among all Void Spirits in Stardew Valley. They deal contact damage and try cornering you with their knockback-resistant bodies. You should be fine upon encountering them by constantly repositioning while kiting damage.

Normal and Dangerous Shadow Shaman

Shadow Shamans heal other monsters and cast Jinxed – a debuff that decreases your Defense by eight. As with different enemies, a Shadow Shaman can also deal contact damage.

Despite their behavior, a Shadow Shaman is pretty defenseless. Take them out first.

Shadow Sniper

This unique monster fires an arrow that inflicts the Darkness debuff, making your screen almost dark. Note that a Shadow Sniper will only fire at you once at their line of sight (vertically or horizontally). Use that to your advantage.

Kill Count required: 150

Reward: Savage Ring – extra movement speed upon killing an enemy. Marlon sells the item at the Adventurer’s Guild Shop for 25,000g.