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  • Ranged builds excel during boss fights in Terraria, making it one of the most satisfying ways to play the game.
  • The best ranged weapons depend on the stage of the game, with the Star Cannon being the top choice in pre-Hardmode and the S.D.M.G being the best in the entire game.
  • As you progress in the game, upgrading your weapons, armor, and accessories is crucial for a successful Ranged build, with different loadouts recommended for each stage.

Often overlooked, sometimes underappreciated, the Ranged build in Terraria 1.4 is an unsung hero of late-game glory. Shredding through a boss with a stacked Minigun, Chlorophyte Bullets, and a hoard of Ranged buffs is one of the most satisfying ways to play Terraria.

Related: Terraria: The Most Fun Classes

It isn't until Hardmode that a Ranged build really gets off the ground. Bows are replaced with powerful guns, and the range of diverse accessories and armor sets lets you customize their loadout. There's also the added benefit of staying well away from the big bads out to get you. Here's our list of the best Ranged builds throughout your Terraria 1.4 playthrough.

Updated December 24, 2023 by Rosa Baumgartl: Re-Logic told us 1.4 was the end. Here we are with even more added to the game, however, including a cross-over with Don't Starve Together. There are more Ranged weapons and more accessories to add to our loadouts. There are even new bosses to try them out on, so here's an updated tier list of everything a Ranged fighter needs to know.

Fundamentals Of A Ranged Build

Terraria Player Sitting In A Surface Wooden And Stone Walls House

As a Ranged character in Terraria, you will inevitably be less tanky than a Melee build and sometimes not as useful at taking down large groups of enemies as a Mage or a Yoyo wielder. Ranged really excels during the many boss fights in Terraria.

The Wall of Flesh? No problem with a bow and arrow. The Destroyer? The Moonlord? Kit yourself out with a powerful gun, and you'll be able to evade most of the boss's attacks while also dealing serious damage. Reaching that point is a bit of a journey, though. Here's how you get there.

What Is The Best Ranged Weapon In Terraria 1.4?

Terraria Player Wearing Rune Wizard Outfit Holding A Torch In Underground Tundra Among Spiderwebs

The best weapon for a Ranged build in Terraria changes depending on what part of the game you're currently playing. You can check out our full Boss progression guide for a better idea of the different areas of the game.

The best ranged weapon in pre-Hardmode for a Ranged build is the Star Cannon. This monstrous weapon pumps out Fallen Stars with massive damage, although the rarity of its ammunition means it's quite a hard weapon to sustain. It'll make short work of the Wall of Flesh, however.

  • The Star Cannon is crafted with a Minishark, 20 Meteorite Bars, and five Fallen Stars.
  • It can later be upgraded to the Super Star Shooter as of 1.4, although there are arguably better ranged weapons in Hardmode.

Moving into Hardmode Terraria, the best Ranged weapon is probably the Daedalus Stormbow, at least during the very early stages. You can collect it by defeating Hallowed Mimics with a 25 percent chance to drop. It's such a good weapon because it's perfect at defeating the Mechanical Bosses, especially The Destroyer.

Much later in the game, i.e., after defeating Moon Lord, you can get your hands on the S.D.M.G, arguably the best Ranged weapon in the entire game. Seeing as you've already beaten the final boss, it's more useful for PVP if that's your kind of thing.

Honorable Mention: Don't Starve Together's Crossover Ranged Weapon

terraria deerclops boss attacking a player in the snowy forest

Since the 1.4.3 update, where Terraria and Don't Starve Together crossed over with one another, Terrarians have bumped into the Deerclops during blizzards on a cold, dark night. This pre-hardmode mini-boss can spawn once you have at least 200 health in a Snow biome. Its attacks are similar to that of the original game, with debris being flung and ice shards piercing the ground.

Deerclops will always drop one of four weapons, each from a different category. The Ranged weapon is the Pew-Matic Horn, which is more of a fun gadget to play with, as it transforms bullets into random items that will fly at enemies. The items are affected by gravity, and each causes a different amount of damage (though the average is 20.8).

Early Game Ranged Build

Terraria Player Double Jumping Through Underground Desert Away From Scarab Bombs

In the early game, you have to roll with what the RNG overlord of Terraria offers you. Don't bother with a Wooden Bow, but if you happen to find an Enchanted Boomerang early on, you're pretty set up to handle the monsters in the Caverns and beyond.

RELATED: Terraria: Best Bullets In The Game

Get yourself set up with a mixed build of sword and bow, maybe upgrading to a Tendon or Demon bow once you've defeated some of the first bosses, and work towards better armor. The Undertaker or Musket, dropped by destroying Orbs or Hearts, are okay weapons to choose from. They are not fantastic, but they get the job done.

  • Tendon or Demon bow, Undertaker or Musket
  • Jungle or Platinum Armor
  • Cloud in a Bottle, Hermes Boots

Pre-Hardmode And The Wall Of Flesh

Terraria Player Holding Adamantite Crossbow Fighting A Dreadnautilus During Blood Moon On A Floating Arena

By the time you're ready to take down the Wall of Flesh and enter Hardmode, your build should have reached its maximum potential for the early stages of the game. There is no doubt that the Beenade or The Bee's Knees bow (both dropped by the Queen Bee in the Jungle) are the best weapons to take down the Wall of Flesh with ease.

The ideal Pre-Hardmode Ranged build will also include either Necro or Fossil Armor. Necro Armor offers two big buffs when worn as a complete set: a 15 percent ranged critical damage chance and a 20 percent chance to not consume ammo. Fossil Armor doesn't have the critical damage modifier but does offer a boosted twenty percent chance not to consume ammo.

The ideal Pre-Hardmode ranged build looks like this:

  • Star Cannon, Mini Shark, Hellwing Bow
  • Necro Armor, Fossil Armor

There are no Pre-Hardmode ranged accessories, so try and opt for items that give you more defense, like the Obsidian Shield. You should also have Spectre or Lightning Boots, a Cloud in a Balloon, or other useful accessories.

Hardmode Pre-Mechanical Boss Ranged Build

Terraria Player Fighting The Moon Lord With A Vortex Beater Gun

The transition to Hardmode is a tricky one. Before you even consider taking down the mechanical bosses with your current Ranged loadout, you're going to need an upgrade. The best early Hardmode ranged weapon is the Repeater, either Adamantite or Titanium, depending on which Ore spawns in your world.

Related: Terraria: Tips For Surviving Hardmode

You could also opt for a powerful weapon like the Daedalus Stormbow, dropped by a Hallowed Mimic. This is obviously a bit harder to get. Those mimic chests are no joke. However, an easier enemy to farm at this stage is Skeleton Archers, who have a chance to drop both the Magic Quiver and Marrow bow, which coverts regular arrows into bones that do 50 damage minimum.

The ideal starter Hardmode Ranged build might be something like this:

  • Repeater, Marrow Bow or Daedalus Stormbow, Endless Quiver
  • Orichalcum, Palladium, Adamantite, or Titanium Armor
  • Ranger Emblem, Magic Quiver

Plantera Hardmode Ranged Build

Terraria Player Fighting A Flying Saucer During Martian Madness Beside A Martian Base

You've defeated the mechanical bosses and are now ready to take on the next progression boss in Terraria: Plantera. This is also the period of the game where playing with mixed items and accessories becomes much weaker. From this point onwards, you have to choose a class, and Ranged isn't a bad choice.

A Ranged build is all about taking down bosses. You have the choice of some top-tier weapons, such as the Super Star Shooter and the Phantom Phoenix Bow. At this point, you have access to Hallowed Bars, and, therefore, Chlorophyte. Make good use of it by crafting its armor and Shotbow, which fires up to four arrows at a time, perfect for hitting large bosses such as Plantera.

The ideal Plantera Hardmode Ranged build features these key items:

  • Super Star Shooter, Chlorophyte Shotbow Phantom Phoenix Bow
  • Chlorophyte Armor with the Helmet, Hallowed Armor with the Helmet
  • Ranger Emblem, Magic Quiver

It's at this stage that you should also consider which Wings you're using. Wings are essential to staying alive as a Ranged build. We recommend Flame or Bat Wings or a Mount like the Unicorn. Terraspark Boots can also be crafted at this point.

Golem Hardmode Ranged Build

Terraria Player Fighting Eater Of Worlds In The Corruption Surface Biome Beside A Dungeon Style Building

You dealt with that angry plant with ease, and now it's time to take on the Jungle Temple. At its heart resides the Golem, a difficult boss that you have to fight in quite an enclosed area. Thankfully, with the maneuverability and damage of a Ranged build, you should be in decent shape to give it a go.

Related: Terraria: Best Quality-Of-Life Mods

This stage of the build is quite similar to the Plantera build, but now you have the option of upgrading your arsenal using the Venus Magnum the previous boss dropped. You might have challenged the Pumpking to a showdown and picked up Mourning Wood's Stake Launcher. This repeater-like weapon pierces up to nine enemies. It's also time to upgrade to Shroomite Armor, the Ranged-class specific armor set with a bunch of different modifiers available.

The perfect Ranged build to take down the Golem includes:

  • Venus Magnum, Sniper Rifle, Stake Launcher
  • Shroomite Armor, with a modifier of choice (could be ranged damage, crit chance, or rocket damage)
  • Ranger Emblem, Magic Quiver, Terraspark Boots

Lunar Events And The Moon Lord Ranged Build

Terraria Players Fighting The Solar Pillar Wearing Solar Armor With A Star Cannon

The endgame of Terraria 1.4 is where the Ranged class really begins to excel. The days of the Wooden Bow are far behind you, and you can now upgrade to top-tier Ranged weapons like the Martian-dropped Xenopopper or the Chain Gun.

Shroomite Armor holds up until you want to make the transition to the endgame Vortex Armor, and then you're basically invincible. You'll also want to pick up the Sniper Scope accessory to improve your range.

Moon Lord Ranged Build in Terraria:

  • Stake Launcher, Vortex Beater, Electrosphere Launcher
  • Shroomite Armor, Vortex Armor
  • Ranger Emblem, Molten Quiver, Sniper Scope

Post Moon Lord Ranged Build

Terraria Player Holding Eventide Bow Standing Beneath The Empress of Light During The Day In The Hallow

Once the Moon Lord has been defeated and farmed for all his amazing drops, it's time to look at taking down the Empress of Light and Duke Fishron if you haven't attempted him yet. At this power level defeating the Old One's Army should be a breeze, and the Aerial Bane bow is your new best friend. The Stake Launcher is still a fantastic weapon, especially in big crowds, and the Vortex Armor Holds up really well.

For launchers, the Moon Lord has a 22.2 percent chance of leaving behind the Celebration Mk2, one of the most visually enthralling weapons in the game, or the powerful Space Dolphin Machine Gun. Yes, you read that right. Accessories don't really change from this point on, but have fun experimenting with your loadout.

  • Celebration Mk2, Aerial Bane, Stake Launcher
  • Vortex Armor
  • Ranger Emblem, Molten Quiver, Sniper Scope

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