[Top 10] Terraria Best Builds That Are Fun To Play

Vortex Beater with Vortex Armor and Vortex Wings


Finding the right playstyle is difficult, especially if you don’t know how to mix and match armors to suit your preferred build. Fear not, for we're here to assist! We've compiled a list of the top 10 best Terraria builds that are fun to play!

10. The Beetles - Melee

Shell up! It’s battle time!

The Beetle armor set is one of the most defense-oriented melee builds you're guaranteed to try when facing Terraria's endgame. It provides you with the best defense stat along with an increase in damage reduction. Try this out when you're struggling to survive in your melee playthrough.

What the Beetle excels in:

  • This set emphasizes on pure defense and absorbing damage

Build details:

  • 11% damage
  • 5% critical strike chance
  • 73 defense
  • Reduces damage taken by up to 45% every 3 seconds, but offensive bonuses are extremely poor.

Item details:

  • Beetle Armor Set - Link

 

9. Mushroom Viking - Ranged

A Viking with a Glock! Pew pew!

Ranged classes often have very low survivability with extremely powerful offensive capabilities. The Mushroom Viking combines the ranger's Shroomite head armor along with the Valhalla Knight’s Breastplate and Red Riding leggings. This build allows you to continuously deal damage while having a mid-range defense with health regeneration.

What the Mushroom Viking excels in:

  • This set focuses on giving health regeneration to your ranger build while still retaining the damage boost from the Shroomite head piece.

Build details:

  • 0% damage
  • 15% critical strike chance
  • 51 defense
  • 4 regen

Item details:

  • Shroomite Armor - Link
  • Valhalla Knight Set - Link
  • Red Riding Set - Link

 

8. Spectre Mage - Magic

Giving your enemies a fright since 2013!

The Spectre armor set is a hybrid between DPS and support. Switching between different headpieces provides different buffs including increased magic damage and healing abilities. At this point, both the hood and the mask are used via hot switching.

What the Spectre Mage excels in:

  • This set focuses on giving health regeneration to your ranger build while still retaining the damage boost from the Shroomite head piece.

Build details (hood/mask):

  • -25% / 25% damage
  • 7% / 17% critical strike chance
  • 30 / 42 defense
  • Hood focuses on healing, Mask focuses on burst damage

Item details:

  • Spectre Armor - Link

 

7. Spooky Viking - Summon

Spooky with a dash of armor!

Summoners are known for being the squishiest classes to play in Terraria. That's why this build prefers to sacrifice a bit of DPS to increase your odds of surviving. The Spooky Viking is generally the Spooky Armor Set mixed with the Viking Knight's Breastplate for extra health regeneration and defense.

What the Spooky Viking excels in:

  • Having 2 pieces of Spooky armor is just 6% lesser damage than the full set.
  • The Viking Knight’s Breastplate adds survivability to the summoner’s core stats

Build details (hood/mask):

  • 52% summon damage
  • +2 minion slots
  • 43 defense
  • Loses out on 2 minion slots as compared to the full Spooky set but adds regen and defense which the summoner class really needs.

Item details:

  • Spooky Armor - Link
  • Valhalla Knight Set - Link

 

6. Ninja Viking - Melee

I could be called the Shredder, but that’s a different franchise.

Melee classes often struggle with late-game Terraria, but the Dungeon Defenders 2 collaboration allowed for more options for you to play with. This combination of the Shinobi Infiltrator's Helmet along with the Valhalla Knight's Breastplate and Greaves allows you to rely on sentries for additional damage while still having the tank qualities of a melee fighter.

What the Ninja Viking excels in:

  • Balanced melee stats in damage, critical chance, and survivability

Build details:

  • 20% melee damage
  • 70% summon damage
  • 4 regen
  • 58 defense

Item details:

  • Shinobi Infiltrator Set - Link
  • Valhalla Knight Set - Link

5. Red Riding Mushroom - Ranged

And they lived happily ever after…Or did they?

The Shroomite armor set offers good ranged damage boosts but is not the best when it comes to overall damage. The Red Riding Mushroom build gives rangers the best damage possible before facing the Moon Lord. To add to that, it also has better defense!

What the Red Riding Mushroom excels in:

  • Balanced melee stats in damage, critical chance, and survivability

Build details:

  • 25% x1.15 ranged damage
  • 50% summon damage
  • 51 defense
  • Works well with using late-game sentries

Item details:

  • Shroomite Armor - Link
  • Red Riding Set - Link

 

4. Nebula Mage - Magic

The power of the cosmos resides in your hands

The Nebula armor set is effectively the best combination of damage and support for the mage class. It provides all other players, including yourself, with massive buffs that allow you to obliterate bosses with ease. Using this set with the Last Prism against the Destroyer destroys the boss in less than 5 seconds.

What the Nebula Mage excels in:

  • Balanced melee stats in damage, critical chance, and survivability

Build details:

  • 26-71% damage (with level 3 damage buff)
  • 16% critical strike chance
  • 0-9 regen (with level 3 health regeneration buff)
  • 46 defense
  • Offers 3 distinct buffs: Damage, Life, and Mana Booster

Item details:

  • Nebula Armor - Link

 

3. Stardust Dragon - Summon

You shall not die by my hands

Summoners are one of the most powerful, albeit lazy, classes post-Moon Lord. Their raw damage is on the higher side while their defense is a bit lacking. Pack your build with minion boosting accessories and you're set!

What the Stardust Dragon excels in:

  • Full-offensive summoner build

Build details:

  • +5 minion slots
  • 66% summon damage
  • 38 defense
  • Additional Stardust Guardian minion that’s always active

Item details:

  • Stardust Armor - Link

 

2. Vortex Gunner - Ranged

Storm your enemies with a Vortex of bullets

Ranged classes have the second-highest offensive capabilities in the game. Boost that with the Vortex build and you're golden! Use fast-firing guns like the S.D.M.G. or the Vortex Beater for fast single damage output, or use rocket launchers like the Celebration MK2 for pure chaos!

What the Vortex Gunner excels in:

  • Extremely high damage boost while stealthed
  • Mobility debuff can be countered using the Soaring Insignia
  • Excels in team fights

Build details:

  • Stealth Ability can be toggled
  • 36% ranged damage (116% when stealthed)
  • 27% critical strike chance (47% when stealthed)
  • 62 defense

Item details:

  • Vortex Armor - Link

1. Solar Flare - Melee

Burn in the rays of the sun!

Melee classes boast the best DPS in the entire game with the addition of the Zenith. This new weapon also started a revolution in choosing the best build to maximize its potential. The Solar Flare provides you with the best balance between offense, mobility, and defense and increases enemy aggro.

What the Solar Flare excels in:

  • Offers the best DPS with the best survivability
  • Excels in playing the vanguard role as enemies are more drawn towards you

Build details:

  • 29% damage
  • 26% critical strike chance
  • 3 health regeneration
  • 78 defense

Item details:

  • Solar Flare Armor - Link

 

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A BardBarian that has explored everywhere from the slums of Midgard, the mountains of High Hrothgard, to beyond the Astral plane to bring wonderful stories and magic to all the uninitiated.
Gamer Since: 1996
Currently Playing: Granblue Fantasy
Top 3 Favorite Games:The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Dragonborn, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin


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