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What’s the Best Melee in Terraria? A Deep Dive into Blades, Flails, and Fury

The undisputed best melee weapon in Terraria is the Zenith. Crafted from a combination of various endgame swords, it unleashes a whirlwind of blades, dealing massive damage per second and obliterating almost any enemy with ease. It is the pinnacle of melee weaponry in Terraria.

Understanding Melee in Terraria

Melee, one of the core damage types in Terraria, offers a unique blend of survivability and raw power. From early-game copper shortswords to the ultimate Zenith, melee weapons cater to a variety of playstyles. This article will explore the best options throughout your Terrarian journey, answer frequently asked questions, and help you understand how to maximize your melee potential.

Pre-Hardmode Powerhouses

Before the Wall of Flesh, several melee weapons stand out. These are not necessarily “the best” overall, but they are the best for their respective stages of progression.

Night’s Edge: Crafted from the Blade of Grass, Muramasa, Fiery Greatsword, and Blood Butcherer/Light’s Bane, the Night’s Edge is a significant step up from earlier swords. It deals decent damage and has a good swing speed, making it a reliable choice against many pre-Hardmode bosses.
Sunfury: A powerful flail found in Shadow Chests in the Underworld, the Sunfury excels at crowd control and dealing continuous damage to multiple enemies.
Dark Lance: Found in Shadow Chests in the Underworld, this spear offers a strong damage output and good range, making it effective against bosses like Skeletron.
Thorn Chakram: A boomerang crafted from jungle materials, the Thorn Chakram provides decent range and pierces multiple enemies, making it useful for crowd control.

Hardmode Heroes

As you enter Hardmode, the arsenal of melee weapons expands dramatically.

Terra Blade: Crafted from the True Night’s Edge and True Excalibur (which are crafted from the Broken Hero Sword, Night’s Edge, and Excalibur), the Terra Blade is a solid choice for the early part of Hardmode, firing a projectile sword beam alongside the normal swing.
Seedler: Dropped by Plantera, the Seedler fires bouncing seeds that deal significant damage. It’s excellent for tight spaces and can quickly dispatch groups of enemies.
The Eye of Cthulhu (Yoyo): Dropped by Moon Lord, this yoyo has a long reach and applies a debuff that greatly increases your chance to land a critical hit.

Endgame Excellence

The endgame of Terraria offers the most powerful and visually stunning melee weapons.

Zenith: As previously mentioned, the Zenith is the ultimate melee weapon. Its crafting recipe includes: Meowmere, Star Wrath, Terra Blade, Influx Waver, Seedler, Starfury, Bee Keeper, Copper Shortsword, Enchanted Sword, and Night’s Edge. It combines the power of all these weapons into a single, devastating attack.
Meowmere: Another Moon Lord drop, the Meowmere fires rainbow cat projectiles that explode on impact, dealing massive damage.
Star Wrath: Also dropped by the Moon Lord, the Star Wrath rains down stars from the sky that target enemies, dealing high damage from a safe distance.
Solar Eruption: While technically a flail, the Solar Eruption deserves mention. Acquired after defeating the Moon Lord, it creates a continuous stream of fiery energy that extends across the screen, decimating enemies in its path.

Best Melee Armor

The Solar Flare Armor is the best endgame armor set for melee players. This set provides the highest defense in the game, along with significant melee damage, critical strike chance, and movement speed bonuses. The full set bonus grants the ability to dash, dealing high damage to enemies in your path.

Alternative armor sets include:

Beetle Armor (with Scale Mail): Provides a mix of offense and defense, with a set bonus that increases melee damage when dealing damage and melee speed when taking damage.
Turtle Armor: A strong pre-Plantera armor set that provides high defense and reflects damage back to enemies.

Accessories for the Melee Warrior

Choosing the right accessories can significantly enhance your melee build. Some essential accessories include:

Celestial Shell: A powerful accessory that combines the effects of the Moon Stone and Sun Stone, providing stat boosts during both day and night.
Mechanical Glove: Increases melee damage, speed, and size.
Fire Gauntlet: Adds fire damage to melee attacks and provides light.
Warrior Emblem: Increases melee damage.
Ankh Shield: Provides immunity to several common debuffs.
Wings: Essential for mobility and dodging enemy attacks.
Master Ninja Gear: Grants the ability to dash, climb walls, and dodge attacks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best pre-Hardmode melee weapon for bosses?

The Dark Lance and the Sunfury are both excellent choices, providing good damage and range (Dark Lance) or crowd control and continuous damage (Sunfury). The Night’s Edge is also a solid overall option.

2. What is the best early Hardmode melee weapon?

The Terra Blade is a great weapon, especially with the sword beam projectile giving ranged attacks without relying on other weapons.

3. What is the best way to increase melee damage?

Use accessories that boost melee damage, such as the Mechanical Glove, Fire Gauntlet, and Warrior Emblem. The Celestial Shell also provides a significant damage boost. Don’t forget to use melee damage boosting potions and well fed buffs.

4. What is the best melee armor for defense?

The Solar Flare Armor provides the highest defense in the game.

5. What is “true melee” in Terraria?

“True melee” refers to attacks made directly with the weapon, rather than projectiles fired by the weapon. This distinction is more important in some mods than in vanilla Terraria.

6. What are the best melee modifiers?

Godly and Demonic are generally considered the best modifiers for melee weapons, providing a significant damage boost.

7. How important is melee speed?

Melee speed is crucial for maximizing damage output, allowing you to attack more frequently. Accessories like the Mechanical Glove and the Hasty modifier can increase melee speed.

8. Is the Terra Blade still good in endgame?

While the Terra Blade is a good weapon, it is outclassed by endgame options like the Zenith, Meowmere, and Star Wrath.

9. What’s the best strategy for fighting bosses with melee?

Prioritize dodging attacks and maintaining a safe distance when necessary. Use accessories that provide mobility and defense, and choose weapons with good range or crowd control capabilities.

10. Which class is best in Terraria?

There isn’t a single “best” class in Terraria. Each class (Melee, Ranged, Magic, Summoner) has its strengths and weaknesses, and the best class for you depends on your playstyle and preferences.

11. Is melee a good class for beginners?

Melee is a relatively forgiving class for beginners due to its high defense and straightforward gameplay.

12. What is the fastest melee weapon in Terraria?

The Fetid Baghnakhs, although heavily nerfed, still hold the crown for fastest attack speed.

13. Where can I learn more about game design and the impact of games on learning?

You can learn more about game design and the intersection of games and education at the Games Learning Society website: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. The Games Learning Society explores the educational impact of games.

14. What are some underrated melee weapons?

The Flairon, dropped by Duke Fishron, is a highly underrated flail that deals significant damage and homes in on enemies.

15. What is the most important stat for a melee build?

While damage is crucial, defense and survivability are also essential for a successful melee build. Balancing offense and defense is key to thriving in Terraria’s challenging encounters.

Crafting the perfect melee build in Terraria takes time and experimentation. Remember to adapt your gear and strategies to the challenges you face, and most importantly, have fun exploring the vast and exciting world of Terraria!

What’s the best melee in Terraria?