Terraria is a game with no formal player classes or leveling systems. Players can pick any weapon in the game and choose any equipment they want. The weapons in Terraria can be classified into four to five distinct categories. Thus, limiting yourself to a single generic class while playing this game is possible.
The best class for playing Terraria solo is Ranger. This is because of the reliably high DPS they can output, along with their ridiculously wide range.
You are able to customize your classes the way you want. With tons of dyes and equipment choices in Terraria, you’ll have a hard time getting bored. With that said, each class has its own set of strengths and bonuses. If used correctly, every class has the potential to solo clear the game.
Classes in Terraria
The classes in Terraria can be classified based on the types of weapons available in-game. These classes can be grouped into four distinct categories i.e melee, ranged, magic, and summoning. Let’s take a brief look into each class to see how they fundamentally work.
Melee Class
The melee class in Terraria is extremely powerful, sporting high defense and damage. Add that to the already decent crowd control, and you have a complete package. A melee player utilizes weapons such as swords, spears, and yoyos. The Terrarian is a decent Yo-Yo and can output enough DPS to last until the endgame.
However, this weapon is dropped after the Moon Lord therefore, you might have a better chance with The Eye of Cthulhu dropped from Mothron. Usual melee weapons tend to do lower damage at a range, with the sole exception of a Yo-Yo.
Ranged Class
As the name suggests, rangers can attack their enemies from a distance. This enables them to kite attacks otherwise impossible to dodge by other classes. They can also perform single-target, piercing, or splash damage. Their only caveat is that their ammo is expendable in most cases. Otherwise, this class boasts one of the highest DPS values in the game.
Ranged users must constantly acquire ammunition for their guns. However, there are exceptions to this rule, like the Endless Quiver or Endless Musket Pouch. These weapons can be purchased from the Arms Dealer under specific conditions. You can also craft them in the worst case.
Mage Class
Like the Rangers, the Mage class also boasts high attack power, but they are often quite squishy and, therefore, vulnerable to lethal damage. Their highly varied attack styles, and they use mana as their main ammunition. While mana can regenerate almost instantly after a few seconds of rest, it can be refilled by consuming a variety of mana potions.
You can also top them off with the mana regeneration buff present in-game. Magic users usually craft or purchase their mana potions since the passively dropped ones are insufficient for the class to function. Playing these mages can be highly fun and rewarding as long as you can cater to their mana requirements.
Summoner Class
The summoner stands right after the melee class regarding low resource requirements. Like the mages, the summoner class relies on Mana to summon creatures. Once summoned. However, you don’t need much mana to function. Therefore, summoners usually don’t need mana buffs or potions and are good farmers for killing enemies.
The main disadvantage of this class is the lack of attack priority and low defense. The player itself is not in control of the class since the summons are controlled by AI. Therefore, the choices they make can seem erratic on many occasions. Summoners usually use whips to inflict damage. While not comparable to an actual melee class, they still pack a decent punch.
Why is Ranger the Best Class in Terraria?
The Rangers are usually crowned as the best class in Terraria due to their safe but effective gameplay. They boast decent defense while being able to maintain their range. The only requirement for operating them is the ammunition costs. However, this cost becomes lower the more the player progresses in-game.
While many might argue that the melee class is just as good, it is worth noting that short range in Terraria means you will have to tank a decent amount of damage to get your damage in. The ranger can effectively negate that while also dealing damage. The weapons available to this class usually have the highest attack speeds in-game and can take a boss down extremely rapidly.
It is also worth noting that the rangers need to focus on their agility more than anything since it is their main escape tool. Many bosses in Terraria have a set pattern of attacks that can be deadly for other classes due to their wide area of effect. As a ranger, you can simply fly away using your shiny wings in order to dodge their oncoming onslaught.
In general, we recommend sticking with the ranger as a beginner. But, if you have chosen another class to beat Terraria, make sure to focus on its strong points till the very end while also remaining vary of its weakness.
Many armors, accessories, and buffs only benefit a specific class, especially as we head into the game’s later stages. Therefore using a hybrid set can do you more harm than good. Furthermore, each class can use one minion slot. So, make sure to use it no matter what you are playing.