Summary
- Terraria offers a wide range of possible builds, weapons, and armor, allowing players to customize their play style and strategies.
- The Vampire Knives are powerful weapons that not only deal massive damage to enemies but also restore the player's health with each hit.
- The Laser Machinegun is a rapid-fire ranged weapon that is highly effective against fast-moving or aerial enemies, making it a great choice for boss fights and events.
Terraria features a great number of possible builds, weapons, and armor. The game allows for many different play styles, from fighting up close and personal via melee — to raining bullets from afar and even summoning powerful entities to fight for the player.
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The game has multiple stages, each unlocked after the defeat of a certain boss. Most of the weapons on the list are Hard Mode, Pre-Moonlord weapons that can be used to defeat one of the last bosses in the game. Still, players should experiment with various play styles and specific equipment to find the ones that fit them best.
Updated January 26, 2025, by Stephen LaGioia: While there are a lot of memes and speculation going on about a possible sequel, Terraria still holds an impressive player base, hosting around 30,000 players daily. Newbies and veterans alike come back to this beloved crafting gem and start the challenging journey all over again. The vast amount of content, and a trickling of new updates to this day, have kept adventurers returning to their pixelated avatars. With the long-awaited 1.4.5 update, there will be (and already are) more options than ever when it comes to the endgame. Base-building has reached a new level, and there are countless new ways to entertain oneself even after beating the final boss. But to get there, players need to get the very best gear they can get their hands on.
18 Vampire Knives
Damage – 29 Melee
The Vampire Knives in Terraria are often overlooked, but they can be a game-changer even in the later stages. They are deadly and efficient, dealing massive amounts of damage to enemies while restoring the player's health with each hit. Their unique ability to heal the player makes them indispensable in tough battles, allowing players to stay in the fight for longer.
These knives are lethal in the hands of a skilled player, keeping players alive and thriving in even the most dangerous situations. While their damage may somewhat fall off in the later stages, they are still a valuable tool to help sustain the player against hordes of enemies and some bosses alike.
How To Unlock The Vampire Knives
The Knives can be found in Hardmode after defeating Plantera. Players will first need to acquire a Crimson Key and delve deep into the Dungeons. There, they will need to look for the Crimson Chest. The Vampire Knives are a guaranteed (and only) drop from the chest.
17 Laser Machinegun
Damage – 60 Magic
The Laser Machinegun is an excellent late-game option due to its powerful and rapid-fire capabilities. This ranged weapon fires multiple laser beams that deal significant damage to enemies, making it a very viable gun for boss fights and events such as the invasion of the Pirate Army or Martian Madness.
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The machine gun does take a bit to fully wind up, so the player should be cautious, as they are more vulnerable during that time. The weapon's high rate of fire and accuracy also make it a great weapon for taking down fast-moving or aerial enemies.
How To Unlock The Laser Machinegun
The Machinegun can only be unlocked in Hardmode after defeating Golem. The player will first need to encounter the Martian Probe, and after attacking it (not killing it), let it go. After that, the Martian Madness event will start. Upon reaching 30% completion of the event, the Martian Saucer, the mini-boss of the event, can spawn. The Machinegun has a 16.66% chance of dropping from the boss.
16 Megashark
Damage – 25 Ranged
This shark-themed gun is a bit more amusing in concept than in actual function. Still, it excels quite a bit over the Minishark and is among the strongest pre-Plantera guns in Terraria. While its raw power is rather average, its super fast firing speed makes up for this relative weak point.
It's also highly resourceful, as it yields a 50% chance of not consuming ammo. Utilize the Unreal modifier to boost this weapon even further.
How To Unlock The Megashark
To obtain the Megashark, using the Mythril or Orichalcum crafting stations and assemble using a Minishark, Illegal Gun Parts, Shark Fins (x5), and Soul of Might (x20). The Soul of Might is dropped by The Destroyer and, in rare cases, Lepus. Illegal Gun Parts, fittingly, are sold by the Arms Dealer in the cover of the dark evening hours.
15 Rainbow Gun
Damage – 45 Magic
This is a unique and coveted weapon fans will want to play around with in Hardmore, post-Plantera. This magic weapon launches a rainbow that glides in a relatively straight path, then curves down in an arch. This colorful trail lasts for about 40 seconds or until another is shot.
Foes in its line of fire will continue to take damage at a fairly rapid pace until clearing it. While it's a bit erratic and not terribly precise, it's a great option for crowd-control, as it can wipe out waves of weaker targets in its range all at once.
How To Unlock The Rainbow Gun
The Rainbow Gun can be unearthed within the Dungeon's Hallowed Chest, which is unlocked with a Hallowed Key.
14 S.D.M.G.
Damage – 85 Ranged
Megashark wielders will want to invest in this even more useful, potent upgrade. It boasts an even faster firing rate and a higher chance of not consuming ammo. Of course, its raw damage output is quite a bit higher as well.
It looks particularly flashy in the dark, as it emits some light in its path when fired.
How To Unlock The S.D.M.G.
Unlike the Minishark used as a core material to craft the Megashark, players can't do the same when obtaining this powerful weapon. Instead, players will need to farm the Moon Lord for a roughly 11% chance to find one among its dropped loot.
13 Staff Of The Frost Hydra
Damage – 100 Summon
This dynamic Hardmode staff turns this sandbox action game into a thrilling quasi-survival or tower defense romp for a bit — loosely speaking, anyway. Waving this magic wand summons a Frost Hydra sentry, which hangs on for a whopping 10 minutes.
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While it remains in place, it's useful in its icy damage output, and the fact that it doesn't count against one's minion capacity. Thus, one can essentially unleash a small party of fighters at their side. Plus, even though it doesn't actually move, this Hydra does angle its shots and will turn left and right to hit its target. It also shoots enemies within 60 tiles.
How To Unlock Staff Of The Frost Hydra
This fun weapon is exclusively found in the Ice Chest deep in the Dungeon, which is unlocked via Frozen Key.
12 Terraprisma
Damage – 90 Summon
This Hardmore sword works as a quasi-familiar or sentry, as it spawns a copy of itself that swiftly hacks away at nearby baddies. With its speed, power, and area range it covers, this is one of the best summons in Terraria, though securing one is not easy.
Use the Ruthless modifier, which grants a wide array of stat bonuses, to get the most out of this weapon.
How To Unlock The Terraprisma
The sword is a guaranteed drop from the Empress of Light, a flying angel of death who lurks in The Hallow. While it's helpful that one is certain to get a Terraprisma unless they swiftly die after her defeat, this will likely be an extremely tough battle. The Empress of Light is tougher even than most other Hardmode bosses, so come prepared!
11 Eye Of Cthulhu
Damage – 115 Melee
This is the second most powerful yo-yo in the game, beaten only by the Terrarian in terms of raw power. Despite the name, it actually is a possible drop from Mothron during the Solar Eclipse event. For those who enjoy the unique play style that the yo-yo offers, this is one of the best available options, as it does a whopping 115 damage per tick and can stay in the air indefinitely.
It is a great choice for farming dangerous areas, as one can use it at a relatively safe distance, as well as at unique angles, while continuously damaging the mobs.
How To Unlock The Eye Of Cthulhu
The Eye can be found in Hardmode after defeating Plantera. After the defeat of at least one Mechanical Boss, there is a 5% chance of the Solar Eclipse event happening. During the event, players will need to defeat Mothron, who has a 33% chance of dropping the Eye.
10 Vortex Beater
Damage – 50 Bullets / 70 Rockets
The Vortex Beater is a wonderful machine that unleashes an uncontrollable rain of bullets. It fires a stream of projectiles that can deal massive damage to multiple enemies at once, making it a great option for quickly clearing out large groups of enemies. Additionally, it has a high rate of fire and can be combined with different types of ammunition, including the homing Chlorophyte rounds, which completely mitigates its horrendous accuracy.
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It can also be modified with various accessories to further increase its efficiency. Its versatility and damage output make it a favorite for many players, especially in endgame content like fighting for the Moon Lord.
How To Unlock The Vortex Beater
The weapon can only be unlocked in Hardmode after defeating the Lunatic-Cultist. Players will need 18 Vortex Fragments, which are dropped from the Vortex Pillar during the Lunar Events. To craft it, players will need to use the Ancient Manipulator, which is a guaranteed drop from the Lunar Cultist.
9 Stardust Dragon Staff
Damage – 40 Summon
Summoning a massive glowing magic dragon is always a great option. With each activation of the staff, the dragon becomes longer and longer, with each of its parts dealing more damage as it passes through enemies. While it may not be the fastest summon out there, its high damage output still makes it one of the best summons in the game.
One of the best aspects about it is that it can go through walls, damaging enemies behind cover and through buildings. With a proper summoner build, this dragon can take out most bosses in the game, while the player can take it easy behind cover, chugging potions, and honey.
How To Unlock The Stardust Dragon Staff
The Staff can only be unlocked in Hardmode after defeating the Lunatic-Cultist. Players will need 18 Stardust Fragments, which are dropped from the Stardust Pillar during the Lunar Events. To craft it, players will need to use the Ancient Manipulator, which is a guaranteed drop from the Lunar Cultist.