Terraria has never established an official class system. You are welcome to choose your desired weapons and equipment without any class-specific requirements. However, mixing and matching gears isn’t always favorable.
It is recommended to build for specific classes to have your character shine even in the toughest of moments. However, many of such classes have seen their moments of low with the sole exception of the melee class. But is it the best class in Terraria?
As it turns out, the award for the best class goes neither to melee nor mages. Instead, the Rangers have cemented themselves on the top of the hierarchy. Their constant DPS and reliable range make them the best against most Terrarian bosses.
Still not convinced? Let us take a deeper look into how the Ranger class works to see what makes it so good in comparison with the Melee, Magic, and Summoning classes.
What is a Ranged Class in Terraria?
The Rangers, as the name suggests, have the innate ability to attack enemies from a distance while dealing high single-target damage. This makes them extremely useful against melting down bosses and high-health targets.
However, being single target focused does not sap away everything from them. Instead, the Rangers are given the option to inflict piercing or splash damage by using different arrows and weaponry.
Pre-Bosses: Ranged Weapons & Equipment
The main weapons of a Ranger include bows, crossbows, and guns. However, Rangers need ammo to function. While certain weapons can provide unlimited ammo, their range and capabilities are rather limited.
Weapons
Getting started with this class can feel expensive. However, it is all worth it in the grand scheme due to their tendency of dealing high damage. With that said, here are the pre-boss weapons to get started with the Ranger class:
Gold Bow- Platinum Bow
Demon Bow
Tendon Bow
Blood Rain Bow
Snowball Cannon
Sandgun
The Undertaker
Musket
Minishark
Revolver
Boomstick
Blowpipe
Poisoned Knife 
Grenade
Ammunition, Armor, and Potions
The game gives you a lot of choices for your build path throughout every stage of the game. However, the choices for potions and armor are rather lackluster in the pre-boss stage. The given choice is by no means a bad one.
Rather, it is so good that you won’t have to think twice before choosing it. As for the potions, there’s not much to say except they get the job done.
| Ammunition | Armor | Buffs / Potions |
 Frostburn Arrow | ||
 Unholy Arrow | ||
 Jester’s Arrow |  Fossil Armor |  Archery Potion |
 Musket Ball | ||
 Silver Bullet | ||
 Tungsten Bullet |
The Fossil Armor Set grants a decent chance of not consuming ammo and throwables in the mix, hence reducing the overall ammunition costs.
Ultimately, having lots of range with high DPS is never a disadvantage. While the constant ammo requirements put a dent in the unlimited possibilities, they can be reduced by using Endless Quiver or Endless Musket Pouch.
Other than that, a Ranger’s damage numbers can reach pretty unrealistic levels by using guns like S.D.M.G and Vortex Beater. Therefore, have a go at it so see if it suits your playstyle or not.