The Old Bell in Don't Starve isn’t just a quirky item—it’s a tactical nuke disguised as a gardening tool. This unassuming trinket lets you summon a colossal foot (lovingly dubbed "Bigfoot" by players) to stomp enemies, flatten forests, or obliterate bosses. But like all powerful tools, it’s easy to waste or misuse. Let’s break down how to wield this chaos machine like a pro.

The Old Bell, a powerful tool for summoning Bigfoot.

What the Old Bell Does (And Why You Need It)

The Old Bell summons Bigfoot, a massive shadow creature that crushes everything in a 15-tile radius. The stomp deals 1,000 damage—enough to one-shot most enemies, including seasonal bosses like Deerclops or Bearger. But its real power lies in resource farming:
- Instantly chops 20-30 trees.
- Mines boulders and kills mobs in one hit.
- Clears large areas for base-building.

How to Craft the Old Bell

1. Find Glommer’s Statue in the Deciduous Forest biome during a full moon.
2. Mine the statue with a pickaxe to obtain the Old Bell blueprint.
3. Craft it at a Shadow Manipulator using:
   
   • 1 Glommer’s Wings (obtained by befriending Glommer)
   • 4 Nightmare Fuel
   • 2 Living Logs

-- Example code for tracking full moon phases: if GetWorld().components.clock:GetMoonPhase() == "full" then print("Time to raid the Deciduous Forest!") end

When to Ring the Bell: Timing Is Everything

Early-Game Uses (Days 1-10)

• Forest Clearance: Use the first bell to flatten a dense forest for instant logs and pinecones. Saves 2-3 days of manual chopping.
• Emergency Boss Killer: Lure a Treeguard or Hound Wave into the stomp zone for a free kill.

Mid-Game Strategies (Days 11-30)

• Ruins Raiding: Summon Bigfoot in the Ancient Guardian’s arena to bypass its 2,500 HP.
• Mass Mining: Pair with a Weather Pain to clear entire rock fields in seconds.

Late-Game Dominance (Day 30+)

• Boss Farming: Stomp multiple seasonal bosses back-to-back by pre-placing bells at spawn points.
• Troll Builds: Annihilate another player’s base in multiplayer (not recommended for keeping friends).

Advanced Tactics: Breaking the Game with Bigfoot

The "Logging Company" Strategy

1. Plant 40+ pinecones in tight clusters using a Werepig’s deforestation ability.
2. Ring the Old Bell over the saplings once they’ve grown.
3. Collect 80-100 logs in 3 seconds—no axes required.

Boss Cheese Combos

• Deerclops: Place a Bell near your base, aggro Deerclops, and ring it as he charges.
• Dragonfly: Lure her to a Bell trap during enrage phase for an instant kill.

Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

1. Wasting Bells on Small Threats

   • Bad: Using it on a single Spider Queen.
   • Good: Saving it for clustered Hound Mounds or a Varg Wave.

2. Poor Positioning

   • The stomp radius is wider than you think. Test it in a safe zone first.

3. Ignoring Sanity Drain

   • Each use costs 33 sanity. Pair with Tam o’ Shanter or Green Caps.

Understanding the sanity cost of using the Old Bell.

Real-World Analogy: The Old Bell as a Demolition Permit

Think of the Old Bell like a city demolition permit. You wouldn’t use it to tear down a single shed—you’d wait until there’s a whole block of condemned buildings. Similarly, save the bell for max-impact moments: clearing mega forests, clustered bosses, or griefers’ bases.

Final Tips

• Farm Glommer every full moon for infinite bells (he respawns).
• Combine with Ice Staff to freeze enemies in the stomp zone.
• Use in caves to insta-kill Depth Worms.

Need More Chaos? Check these resources:
- The Bigfoot Challenge Mod for custom stomp scenarios.
- Reddit’s r/dontstarve for pro strats.

Now go forth and stomp responsibly—unless you’re in a public server. Then stomp irresponsibly.