Terraria would possibly begin with a sharp stick and a dream, but it surely doesn’t keep that means for lengthy. Whether or not you’re chipping away at slimes in a copper helmet or laying waste to intergalactic horrors with a rainbow laser cannon, weapons are the beating coronary heart of your Terraria journey.
However with a whole lot of choices on provide, from melee blades to magic bolts, ranged boomsticks, summoned minions, and regardless of the heck the Zenith is, it’s simple to really feel overwhelmed. So let’s break it down. This information covers each weapon sort in Terraria, from the fundamentals to the weird, with class-specific insights, examples, and the form of hard-won knowledge that comes from dying repeatedly to King Slime.
Melee Weapons
Melee weapons are your bread and butter, particularly early sport. They’re usually the only to make use of. Simply stroll up and whack one thing. However do not let that idiot you into considering they’re uninteresting. Terraria’s melee arsenal ranges from humble quick swords to screen-filling yoyos and whirling projectiles of doom.
The very best melee weapon varieties:
- Swords: Simple slashers just like the Evening’s Edge or Terra Blade. Some even hearth projectiles at vary within the late sport
- Spears: Nice for crowd management and poking enemies via partitions. The Darkish Lance and Ghastly Glaive are high picks
- Flails: Swingy, physics-based chaos machines. Basic examples embrace the Sunfury and Dao of Pow
- Yoyos: Technically melee, however operate like ranged tethered weapons. Significantly lethal with the appropriate equipment (see: Yoyo Bag)
- Boomerangs: Throw and pray. Some come again. Some explode. The Possessed Hatchet by no means misses
Execs:
- No ammo or mana required
- Normally highest defence synergy
- Nice for tight areas or area preventing
Cons:
- Requires you to be within the hazard zone.
- Falls off barely in late sport until paired with the most effective equipment or projectiles.
Melee is very lethal when you hit Hardmode and choose up swords just like the Inflow Waver or the post-Moon Lord Meowmere. Simply don’t underestimate the common-or-garden yoyo – they’re devastating within the arms of a seasoned participant.
Ranged Weapons
Ranged fight in Terraria is all about staying at a secure distance whereas unloading absurd portions of projectiles. Whether or not you’re pinging arrows from a picket bow or spraying bullets from a sequence gun, this class is all about precision, useful resource administration, and elegance.
The very best ranged weapon varieties:
- Bows and repeaters: From the early Iron Bow to the insane Illusion, these are your bread-and-butter ranged weapons
- Weapons: Pistols, rifles, shotguns, and rapid-fire monstrosities just like the Vortex Beater. Makes use of bullets or specialised ammo
- Launchers: Rocket-based mayhem. Glorious for crowd management, however harmful in tight areas
- Throwing weapons (Pre-Hardmode solely): Shurikens, throwing knives, and grenades, that are quickly outclassed however good enjoyable whereas they final
Execs:
- Nice for boss fights and cellular enemies
- Large injury with the appropriate ammo
- Can exploit elemental or debuff-based ammo varieties
Cons:
- Depends closely on ammo (convey a stack or 5)
- Equipment and armour are essential to succeed in full potential
When you hit Hardmode, Chlorophyte Bullets and the Uzi turn out to be family names. Endgame gamers will discover unmatched pleasure within the Vortex Beater, Sniper Rifle, and even the gunblade hybrid that’s the S.D.M.G. – sure, that stands for Area Dolphin Machine Gun.
Magic weapons
Magic weapons allow you to rain hearth, summon ice storms, teleport knives, and even bend time. They’re flashy, versatile, and outrageously highly effective in the appropriate arms; however be warned, they’re additionally mana-hungry and punishing with out correct setup.
The very best magic weapon varieties:
- Tomes and staves: Fireballs, lasers, storms of crystal, you title it. The Razorblade Hurricane and Nebula Blaze high the charts
- Space of impact (AoE) spells: Just like the Nimbus Rod or Inferno Fork. Nice for crowd management or passive DPS
- Piercing beams and chains: Magnet Sphere, Life Drain, and Laser Machinegun. Trendy and surprisingly environment friendly
- Assist spells: Heal allies, grant buffs, or manipulate enemies. Area of interest however helpful in multiplayer
Execs:
- Glorious space injury and distinctive results
- Unimaginable endgame potential with the appropriate loadout
- May be solid from security
Cons:
- Fixed mana maintenance
- Fragile armour; don’t count on to tank hits
- Many spells require exact purpose or timing
To take advantage of magic, you may must stack Mana Regeneration Band, Celestial Cuffs, and all the celebs you will get your arms on. With post-Moon Lord gear, the sky isn’t the restrict – it’s a short layover on the way in which to turning into a cosmic warlock.
Summoner Weapons
Summoners get a little bit of a tough begin in Terraria. The early sport choices are restricted, and your first minion (a barely confused flying slime) isn’t precisely the head of destruction. However don’t let that idiot you. By endgame, Summoners turn out to be battlefield generals commanding legions of carnage.
The very best summoner weapon varieties:
- Minions: Persistent followers that assault enemies independently. From Imps and Twins to UFOs and dragons
- Sentries: Stationary turrets you’ll be able to plop down to protect a location. Assume Ballistas and Flame Traps
- Whips: Directs your minions to focus on particular enemies, whereas dealing respectable injury themselves
Execs:
- DPS continues when you dodge or run away
- Nice synergy with different lessons
- Can overwhelm enemies with sheer quantity
Cons:
- Fragile armour units
- Early sport choices are underwhelming
- Buffs require fixed maintenance (hi there, Summoning Potion)
Summoners really shine in Hardmode, particularly when you unlock equipment just like the Papyrus Scarab and armours like Stardust or Spooky. Use whips just like the Morning Star or Kaleidoscope to mark targets and let your military do the remaining.
Rogue Class
A fast sidebar for the modders on the market: in case you’re enjoying with the Calamity mod put in, you’ll encounter a fifth class: the Rogue. Consider it as a stealth-based throwback to the long-defunct throwing class, solely with extra utility and mechanical depth.
Rogue weapons deal with burst injury, stealth mechanics, and quirky results. They aren’t in vanilla Terraria, however in case you’re diving into mods, they’re properly value exploring.
Hybrid and Miscellaneous Weapons
Some weapons don’t fairly slot in anybody class. Terraria is filled with hybrids and oddballs that blur the strains between lessons:
- The Star Wrath and Zenith: Technically melee, however their projectiles dominate the display.
- Rainbow Gun: Fires a lingering beam of rainbow power, which is clearly magic however capabilities extra like a entice.
- Slime Gun: Does no injury. Exists purely for griefing your mates.
After which there’s the Classless class: instruments just like the Rod of Discord (teleports you), or the Magic Conch (teleports you… once more), that aren’t weapons per se, however are completely very important in motion and fight.
Weapon Development
Terraria’s weapon system isn’t simply broad; it’s deep. You’ll continually commerce up as you progress:
- Early sport: Swords, bows, wands, and grenades. Decide what feels proper.
- Mid sport (Pre-Hardmode bosses): Begin leaning into class id, resembling Molten Fury for rangers, Water Bolt for mages, Hornet Employees for summoners.
- Hardmode: The actual class builds start right here. Farms, reforging, and loadouts turn out to be important.
- Endgame: Nebula, Vortex, Photo voltaic, and Stardust weapons lead the cost, relying in your class. Mixing is inspired, particularly in multiplayer.
The trick is to experiment. Terraria isn’t strict about class dedication. You may carry a sword and a gun, swap to magic when it will get furry, and summon a minion only for the laughs.
Select Your Weapon
Terraria’s weapons are instruments, however they’re additionally character statements. Do you favor standing your floor with a flaming blade? Kiting bosses from afar with arrows dipped in ichor? Filling the display with celestial starstorms whereas your Stardust Dragon devours enemies from offscreen? There’s no incorrect strategy to play, solely higher methods to die attempting.
So craft that Evening’s Edge. Farm for that Daedalus Stormbow. Summon that military of bees. No matter path you select, make it loud, shiny, and utterly overkill. The Terraria bosses gained’t know what hit them.