Picking a weapon in Terraria is a tough choice, as there are tons of different options available across all of the game's builds that will drastically effect how you play. Perhaps you want to become the ultimate short-ranged Melee character? Or you can also wield powerful magic, or even summon minions to fight by your side. No matter how you want to play the game, there's a weapon to match. And we're here to rank the best weapons in Terraria across all content and builds in this weapon tier list to help you make your choice.

Terraria Weapon Tier List

The following section comprises different weapons that we ranked based on different categories. We chose these pieces of equipment for their practicality both in and out of combat situations.

S-Tier Weapons

In our tier list, S-tier weapons are the crème de la crème of Terraria. These armaments can help you decimate enemies, and even some bosses, in the blink of an eye. You might ask, what makes a Terraria weapon be in this Tier? We chose weapons that not only have large base damage outputs but also flexibility and versatility when used in different combat scenarios.

Firecracker

A weapon that deals zero damage but enhances minion damage threefold, the Firecracker is a perfect pick for those going the Summoner build in Terraria.

Stats

• Base damage: 37
• Knockback: 2
• Special effect: Affects enemies with a blazing energy that explodes when hit by your Summoned Creatures.

Cool Whip

The Cool Whip is a perfect weapon for a Summoner who doesn’t want to rely heavily on their minions when attacking enemies.

Stats

• Base damage: 45
• Knockback: 1.5
• Special effect: Hit enemies to summon a friendly snowflake. Enemies struck will take 6 more damage from summoned minions.

Coin Gun

The Coin Gun is a high-risk, high-reward weapon that uses coins as ammunition to deal massive damage to enemies.

Stats

• Base damage: 25 to 200 (damage depends on the coin used)
• Knockback: 2
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Uses coins as ammo.

Dart Rifle

The Dart Rifle is one of the best weapons for a Ranged class, thanks to its Cursed Darts that incinerate the nearby field and destroy enemies fast.

Stats

• Base damage: 52
• Knockback: 5.5
• Critical hit chance: 4%

Phantom Phoenix

The Phantom Phoenix is another weapon to add to your inventory if you’re a Ranged character in Terraria because of its devastating crowd-control capabilities.

Stats

• Base damage: 32
• Knockback: 2
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Converts Wooden Arrows to Flaming Arrows. Fires a Large Phoenix projectile for every third shot.

Vampire Knives

Arguably one of the best Melee weapons for a Crimson world, the Vampire Knives' lifesteal ability turns your character into a vampiric tank.

Stats

• Base damage: 29
• Knockback: 2.75
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Daggers heal the player upon hitting an enemy.

Zenith

If you’re looking for a weapon that can reach any enemy on your screen, the Zenith is the best endgame weapon to get with a ton of projectiles to fire and guide.

Stats

• Base damage: 190
• Knockback: 6.5
• Critical hit chance: 14%
• Special effect: Fires various controllable swords at enemies.

A-Tier Weapons

Most S-tier weapons are in that category because they generally have insane damage outputs and are optimal to use. However, their usefulness is only rivaled by the difficulty of their acquisition procedures. For instance, if you want to craft the Zenith, you must go through an extensive list of crafting multiple Melee weapons before you can enjoy it. Some S-tier weapons also only drop from bosses or appear in chests at significantly low chances. So, if you can’t get your hands on an S-tier weapon yet, you may settle with an A-tier armament in Terraria.

Clockwork Assault Rifle

The Clockwork Assault Rifle is an ammo-efficient ranged weapon that can slow down approaching enemies.

Stats

• Base damage: 17
• Knockback: 0
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Fires three shots but only consumes one ammo per shot.

Nimbus Rod

This magic weapon may not deal massive damage, but the Nimbus Rod summons rain clouds that can harm enemies quickly.

Stats

• Base damage: 30
• Knockback: 0
• Mana used: 30
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Summons clouds to damage foes.

Magic Dagger

The Magic Dagger is one of the highest DPS single-target weapons that can delete enemy HP bars with relative ease.

Stats

• Base damage: 35
• Knockback: 3.75
• Mana used: 6
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Throws magical daggers that pierce enemies.

Ice Sickle

Find the Ice Sickle from enemies in the Ice biome, and you can enjoy shredding groups with ease, especially those that give chase.

Stats

• Base damage: 50
• Knockback: 5.5
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Shoots an ice sickle with each use.

Format C

If you can access the Skeleton NPC, you can buy the Format C yoyo from the merchant. You don’t even have to be in Hardmode to acquire this A-tier weapon!

Stats

• Base damage: 39
• Knockback: 3.25
• Critical hit chance: 4%

Sergeant United Shield

The Sergeant United Shield is for Melee characters that want to add a mid-ranged weapon to their stock of armaments (or feel like Captain America).

Stats

• Base damage: 80
• Knockback: 2
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Wielder can use this weapon as a shield to block incoming attacks. It can also be thrown, which bounces to up to four nearby enemies.

Golden Shower

The Golden Shower is a viable choice if you need a quick way to reduce the defenses of your enemies.

Stats

• Base damage: 30
• Knockback: 4
• Mana used: 7
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Fires a piercing golden stream.

Queen Spider Staff

The Queen Spider Staff is a must-have for the Summoner class in the mid to late-game, thanks to the Queen Spider minion and its ability to spawn spiders that reach enemies from afar.

Stats

• Base damage: 26
• Knockback: 7.5
• Mana used: 10
• Special effect: Summons the spider queen sentry that spits eggs with baby spiders at enemies.

B-Tier Weapons

Perhaps you’re already in the late parts of pre-Hardmode. However, you’re still finding that ideal weapon to fight the Wall of Flesh or some of the other bosses. If so, consider the following armaments to use.

Laser Rifle

The Laser Rifle is a decent early to mid-game magic weapon that can stun-lock enemies. However, its narrow projectiles make it a challenging weapon to master.

Stats

• Base damage: 29
• Knockback: 2.5
• Mana used: 8
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Doesn’t use ammunition since it’s a magic weapon.

Frost Staff

Considered to be an upgrade to the Laser Rifle, the Frost Staff is a weapon that produces fast projectiles that can also juggle enemies.

Stats

• Base damage: 46
• Knockback: 5
• Mana used: 12
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Fires a frost bolt at enemies, causing the Frostbite debuff.

Poison Staff

Although it has a middling damage output, the Poison Staff includes a debuff placed on enemies that can provide extra DPS.

Stats

• Base damage: 43
• Knockback: 5.6
• Mana used: 22
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Shoots a piercing poison fang.

Ice Bow

The Ice Bow is an auto-firing and stun-locking bow that can get you through many sticky encounters, especially in the underground. Stats

• Base damage: 39
• Knockback: 4.5
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Shoots frost arrows, but they don’t inflict the Frostburn debuff.

Shotgun

The Shotgun is a decent ranged weapon if you don’t have other higher-tiered guns to use, and it can be bought at the Arms Dealer in Hardmode difficulty Stats

• Base damage: 24
• Knockback: 6.5
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Fires three to five bullets but only consumes one piece of ammunition.

Sky Fracture

The Sky Fracture is a magic weapon that's good to use if you’re dealing with slow-moving, high-damage enemies. Stats

• Base damage: 38
• Knockback: 6
• Mana used: 17
• Critical hit chance: 24%
• Special effect: Fires three magical swords at the direction of enemies.

Bladetongue

Bladetongue is a broadsword with a bit of a learning curve to use but packs some fairly good crowd-control capabilities. Stats

• Base damage: 55
• Knockback: 5.75
• Critical hit chance: 24%
• Special effect: An ichor stream appears from the hit enemy, which can damage other enemies in the nearby area.

Unholy Trident

Although the Unholy Trident's ability has a high mana cost, it’s a good item to use when dealing with enemy invasions. Stats

• Base damage: 88
• Knockback: 6.5
• Mana used: 19
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Fires piercing magic bullets.

C-Tier Weapons

Think about C-tier weapons in Terraria to be direct upgrades from starter weapons. Although these pieces of equipment may not deal a lot of damage, they can still get you through many areas during early- to mid-game.

Beam Sword

The Beam Sword can be retrieved from defeating Armored Skeletons, and it provides some extra damage with a projectile it shoots while you swing it. Stats

• Base damage: 52
• Knockback: 6.5
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Fires a magical beam sword with each swing.

Medusa Head

The Medusa Head is a good starting weapon if you’re going against invasions, thanks to its ability to auto-target multiple enemies. Stats

• Base damage: 40
• Knockback: 2
• Mana used: 15
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Continuously attacks nearby enemies when held.

Obsidian Swordfish

The Obsidian Swordfish is a spear with an extremely short range that deals above-average damage during the game’s early stages.

Stats

• Base damage: 70
• Knockback: 6.5
• Critical hit chance: 24%

Pirate Staff

The Pirate Staff is a good weapon for starting Summoners that want to take advantage of immunity frames, though the AI on the summoned pirates leaves much to be desired.

Stats

• Base damage: 40
• Knockback: 6
• Mana used: 10
• Special effect: Summons up to three pirate minions to help in combat.

Brand of the Inferno

The Brand of the Inferno is a practical weapon for tanky Melee builds thanks to its ability to increase the wielder’s defense at any time (as long as you have the mana for it).

Stats

• Base damage: 95
• Knockback: 6.5
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Can be used to block or parry enemy attacks.

D-Tier Weapons

D-tier weapons in Terraria aren’t the worst. However, these armaments are often forgettable when you pick up better equipment.

Excalibur

Although it’s a Hardmode melee weapon, Excalibur falls short of other short-ranged armaments because of its lower damage output and fairly slow swing speed

Stats

• Base damage: 72
• Knockback: 4.5
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Fires a damaging projectile with each swing.

Gungnir

Another Hardmode weapon that's also a skippable one, the Gungnir has an average damage output with no special abilities.

Stats

• Base damage: 61
• Knockback: 6.4
• Critical hit chance: 4%

Amber Staff

The Amber Staff is an auto-firing pre-Hardmode magic weapon with projectiles that pierce the first enemy they hit.

Stats

• Base damage: 21
• Knockback: 4.75
• Mana used: 7
• Critical hit chance: 4%
• Special effect: Fires a light particle with each use.

KO Cannon

Although it has “Cannon” in its name, the KO Cannon melee weapon can be a good choice for dealing with rapid-fire blows, though its base damage is weaker than other Hardmode weapons.

Stats

• Base damage: 40
• Knockback: 6.5
• Critical hit chance: 4%

Explosive Trap Rod

The Explosive Trap Rod is an upgradable Summoner weapon that can place land mines that disappear when they explode.

Stats

• Base damage: 24
• Knockback: 0.5
• Mana used: 5
• Special effect: Sets an explosive trap that disappears when it explodes.

Try out the items mentioned in this Terraria weapon tier list with a dedicated server that you can try here.