There are an extensive number of Terraria armor sets on offer, and you might even want to collect a bunch of different sets as your circumstances change in-game, as you battle various enemies and bosses. But which armor sets are the best? That’s where we come in, because we’ve put together an extensive armor progression guide that can take you all the way to hardmode, as well as our top picks for the best Terraria armor later in the game.
If you’re just getting started with Terraria, we have a list of Terraria NPCs, which includes how to find them and keep them happy, as well as how to unlock the elusive Terraria Dryad. Plus, you can get yourself a pair of Terraria wings. Because who doesn’t want a pair of wings?
So, let’s dive into our Terraria armor guide.
Table of Contents
Armor Progression
In Terraria, progression is defined by you gaining access to new weapons, accessories, and armor. Armor is very important in combat, as it mitigates damage taken, and can boost your damage output, so choosing the right set is important. However, it will depend on your play style and what you’re trying to achieve, so we’ve outlined the best Terraria armor sets for each class, to help you progress through the game up to hardmode.
The main purpose of armor in the early game is to simply boost your defense. While some give you a better defense boost, they are expensive to make and your valuable resources are sometimes better saved. Try to aim for easy-to-craft armor that offers the highest defense until you get your paws on a proper set. Here are some good pieces to get your feet off the ground. As you get closer to hardmode, the armor set bonuses become more valuable based on your class and playstyle.
Armor Sets for All Classes
| Head | Chest | Legs | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mining helmet or Ultrabright helmet | Flinx fur coat | Jungle pants | +1% cap, 5% summon, and 8% defense. Good all-around set for exploring |
| Gladiator helmet | Gladiator breastplate | Gladiator leggings | +16 defense. This set provides high defense, as well as knockback immunity, and can be farmed from a Hoplite Statue near a natural wire trap, so is essentially free |
| Mining helmet or Ultrabright helmet | Mining shirt | Mining pants | +3 defense. Gives you a 30% increase in mining speed, but has a low drop rate from undead miners |
| Pumpkin helmet | Pumpkin breastplate | Pumpkin leggings | +10% damage and +7 defense. Strong set that can be obtained before defeating a boss in the Halloween season |
| Cactus helmet | Cactus breastplate | Cactus leggings | +3 defense. Can be obtained early game, and repels enemies on contact |
| Crimson helmet | Crimson scalemail | Crimson greaves | +6% damage, +19 defense, health regeneration. This is a classless set for late pre-hardmode, and can be used to regenerate health while exploring – especially when standing still outside of combat |
Best Armor
So you’ve got yourself up to the tippety top, and now you need to work out which is the best armor for you. Well, as always, this question is pretty open depending on what you’re looking for and how you intend to play the game with your newfound power. Here, we’ve put together our top picks for the best Terraria armor in each class, along with their buffs and what materials are needed to craft them.
When it comes to melee, you want to focus on high defense and strength, so we recommend the solar flare armor. This powerful set grants a significant boost to melee damage and critical strike chance, making it ideal for any player looking to dominate in close combat. Additionally, the special shield feature allows you to dash into enemies, dealing damage while also providing a tactical advantage.
Best Melee Armor
| Armor Set | Description | Materials Required |
|---|---|---|
| Solar Flare | +22% melee damage, +17% crit, +15% movement and attack speed. Increases the likelihood that enemies will attack you, as well as giving you a special shield to dash into enemies. | 45 solar fragments, 36 luminite bars. Crafted at the ancient manipulator |
Best Ranged Armor
Ranged fighters need to focus on increasing the damage of their ranged attacks and putting distance between themselves and the enemy. For this, we recommend the vortex armor. This set enhances ranged damage significantly and increases critical hit chance while also providing an ammo conservation feature, making it a vital choice for those who prefer distance combat.
| Armor Set | Description | Materials Required |
|---|---|---|
| Vortex | +36% ranged damage, +27% increased crit, +10% movement speed, +25% chance to consume no ammo. Allows you to go into stealth mode, increasing ranged ability while making you less likely to be targeted. | 45 vortex fragments, 36 luminite bars. Crafted at ancient manipulator |
Best Summoner Armor
Summoners have the unique ability to bring in minions to fight for them, making the stardust armor the best choice. This set significantly boosts minion damage and capacity, allowing you to spawn a stardust guardian to aid you in battles.
| Armor Set | Description | Materials Required |
|---|---|---|
| Stardust | +66% minion damage, +5 minion capacity. This set gives you the ability to spawn a stardust guardian, which can be set down like a turret. | 45 stardust fragments, 36 luminite bars. Crafted at ancient manipulator |
Best Magic Armor
Mages focus on lighting up the world with their wide range of spells, so upping magic damage and decreasing mana consumption is crucial. Therefore, we recommend the nebula armor, which enhances magic damage and grants additional mana while lowering consumption rates.
| Armor Set | Description | Materials Required |
|---|
