Are you considering trying a summoner build for your new Terraria character? If so, this tier list should hopefully help you figure out which minions you want to get your hands on! There are 26 unique summon weapons available in the game, each with their own strengths. There are also 12 sentries that can be purchased from the Tavernkeep, consisting of four base sentries at three different tiers of strength. Below, all of the summons will be ranked from highest damage output to lowest.
S Tier: These sentries and minions not only cause the most damage but have the best DPS to match, allowing them to shred through your enemies before they can shred through you.
- Rainbow Crystal Staff
- Terraprisma
- Ballista Staff
- Lunar Portal Staff
- Staff of the Frost Hydra
- Desert Tiger Staff
- Stardust Cell Staff
- Stardust Dragon Staff
A Tier: These sentries and minions, while not the best, still have very high damage and will serve you very well if you want to aim for something a little easier to get your hands on.
- Tempest Staff
- Raven Staff
- Xeno Staff
- Deadly Sphere Staff
- Flameburst Staff
- Ballista Cane
- Explosive Trap Staff
B Tier: These summons offer decent damage but typically don’t fully measure up to the best of the best and are better off being replaced eventually. That is, unless you’re aiming for niche summon builds.
- Explosive Trap Cane
- Lightning Aura Staff
- Pygmy Staff
- Optic Staff
- Pirate Staff
- Queen Spider Staff
- Sanguine Staff
- Spider Staff
C Tier: These summons are certainly upgrades from the very first summons you will get on your journey, but they are easily outdone by many other summons in the game in terms of damage output.
- Blade Staff
- Houndius Shootius
- Ballista Rod
- Explosive Trap Rod
- Flameburst Rod
- Hornet Staff
- Imp Staff
- Vampire Frog Staff
D Tier: These summons have their place in the game as they will generally be the weapons you first have access to, but they definitely should be replaced as you move through the game.
- Finch Staff
- Slime Staff
- Abigail’s Flower
- Lightning Aura Rod
- Flinx Staff
Let’s go over those S and A tier weapons in a bit more detail, shall we?
1. Rainbow Crystal Staff (S Tier)
The Rainbow Crystal Staff is a fantastic summon weapon, boasting one of the highest base attack stats of all the available summon weapons. Here’s a breakdown of all the things that you can expect from it:
STATS
- Summon type - Sentry
- Base Damage - 130
- Knockback - Very Strong
PERKS
- Damage. The damage output of the Rainbow Crystal Staff is one of its greatest attributes. Not only is the base attack power incredibly high, but its method of attack makes it even stronger; it shoots out around five beams that all inflict the same incredible damage, making it amazing for large, slow enemies and crowd control.
- Hover. Unlike many sentry-type summons, the Rainbow Crystal Staff will spawn in wherever the player clicks on the screen rather than falling to the nearest ground tile. This can be useful for targeting airborne enemies.
- Range. The Rainbow Crystal Staff boasts an impressive 60-tile range. This makes it a highly effective sentry as it can attack a large area at once despite being stationary.
- Defense. Any summoner knows that a good summon keeps the enemies away from the player. The Rainbow Crystal Staff, due to its wide area of effect and intense knockback, does this job very well, even when dealing with large crowds of enemies.
- Detection. The Rainbow Crystal Staff can detect and begin to attack enemies before they are visible on screen. This means that the player can get a heads up to oncoming danger and give them some time to react if needed.
HOW TO GET IT
The Rainbow Crystal Staff has about a 30.9% chance of dropping from the Moon Lord boss. As such, this won’t be something you get until the very end of the game, unfortunately.
2. Terraprisma (S Tier)
The Terraprisma is a newer addition to the summoner’s roster. Its speed and behavior make it a great option for any summoner build, but it is definitely a tricky one to get your hands on. Let’s take a closer look at what it has to offer:
STATS
- Summon type - Minion
- Base Damage - 90
- Knockback - Weak
PERKS
- Damage. The damage output of the Terraprisma is definitely on the very high end of minion-type summons, holding the highest base attack stat of any. Its attack can also, of course, be boosted by weapon modifiers and summon-boosting effects.
- Speed. The Terraprisma darts around at incredible speed to attack, making it a great choice for fast enemies, including later game bosses as it has no trouble keeping up and putting on the damage.
- Range. The Terraprisma has a wide range that is not interrupted by solid blocks, which makes it great for grinding for certain mob drops or dealing with difficult in-game events.
- Multiple Summons. The Terraprisma is, luckily, one of the summons that allows you to summon multiple minions with minion-boosting accessories, armor, and other effects, rather than just boosting one minion like the Desert Tiger or the Stardust Dragon. This allows the player to run around with an army of glowing, rainbow swords to mow down enemies.
- Behavior. The Terraprisma preferentially attacks closer enemies to the player with high consistency in addition to immediately returning to the player’s side once done attacking. This pattern of behavior makes it highly effective at protecting the player, making it great for defense in addition to offense.
HOW TO GET IT
The Terraprisma is a guaranteed drop from the difficult Hardmode boss Empress of Light, but only under the condition that all damage to the boss is done during the day. This makes her way more difficult to fight; the Empress of Light is already a tough boss, but she gets a major boost to her damage and speed during the day, so the Terraprisma is definitely not an easy grab. However, for those willing to take on the challenge, it is a great reward! No risk, no reward, and all that.
3. Ballista Staff (S Tier)
The Ballista Staff is a summon that comes as an extension of the Old One’s Army content in the game. Its main purpose is definitely to be used in that event, but it can be used at any point in the game if the Old One’s Army event has been defeated at least once, and to great effect. Let’s break down what it brings to the table:
STATS
- Summon type - Sentry
- Base Damage - 156
- Knockback - Average
PERKS
- Damage. The damage output is the greatest perk of the Ballista. With enough Ballistas in a strategic location, even fast-moving, difficult end-game bosses can be taken out by the Ballista’s projectiles.
- Speed. The projectiles of this sentry are, admittedly, pretty slow, and each shot from the Ballista requires a few seconds to recharge. However, the player can easily get around this by repeatedly re-summoning the sentry to reset its cooldown, or by wearing summon armor like the Valhalla Knight set that reduces sentry cooldown.
- Piercing. The projectile from this sentry does not stop once it hits a single enemy; it flies through several enemies and deals massive damage to each one before it hits a solid block and gets stuck. This makes it great for crowd control.. Combined with its insane base damage, this definitely helps make up for the rather slow time between its projectile launches.
- Accessibility. Compared to many of the other S-tier summons which require super late game loot drops or require taking on insane challenges, the Ballista is fairly accessible as it is purchased from the Tavernkeep. You’ll have to grind for Defender Medals, but at least you don’t have to fight an enraged Empress of Light!
- Old One’s Army. The Ballista Staff allows you to spawn many Ballistas without needing any special perks that boost your summon number when participating in the Old One’s Army event; your only limit is your access to Etherian Mana. This makes it ideal for grinding the event.
HOW TO GET IT
The Ballista Staff is available to purchase from the Tavernkeep after defeating the Golem boss. Unfortunately, it is also bought using defender medals, and a whopping 60 of them at that, so you’ll have to grind the special Old One’s Army event for a bit before you’re able to get your hands on it.
4. Lunar Portal Staff (S Tier)
The Lunar Portal Staff is a useful post-Moon Lord summon that attacks by firing a laser in a path along the ground, similar to the Moon Lord’s eye beam. Naturally, being a post-Moon Lord item, it is very useful. The following are its stats and perks:
STATS
- Summon type - Sentry
- Base Damage - 100
- Knockback - Very Strong
PERKS
- Piercing. The laser from this sentry attacks in a sweep pattern for a set duration, allowing it to mow through several enemies at a time without being interrupted. This makes it helpful during events with big crowds.
- Hover. Similar to the Rainbow Crystal Staff, the Lunar Portal will spawn wherever the player clicks on the screen and will not fall to the ground, allowing for more flexibility in positioning it.
- Range. The sentry has a solid 60-tile range, meaning that it is not terribly limited by its status as a sentry, as long as the player stays relatively close. Additionally, the portal can shoot its laser up at aerial enemies!
- DPS. Because of the attack pattern of the Lunar Portal, this sentry has excellent DPS, especially when set up against large enemies with multiple segments like the Destroyer.
- Light. The Lunar Portal gives off a small bit of light. This can certainly help with visibility, but can also be exploited to find caves due to the lack of placement restriction; simply click around the screen underground until you light up a new passage!
HOW TO GET IT
The Lunar Portal Staff has a 30% chance of dropping from the Moon Lord boss (or his lootbag) upon defeat. This drop rate is not affected by world difficulty.
5. Staff of the Frost Hydra (S Tier)
The Staff of the Frost Hydra is a unique Hardmode item found in the Dungeon that offers great offense for any summon build. Let’s take a look at its details:
STATS
- Summon type - Sentry
- Base Damage - 100
- Knockback - Very Strong
PERKS
- Piercing. The projectile from this sentry can pierce through up to two enemies before stopping, making it more effective in dealing with groups of enemies at a time.
- Frostbite. The Frost Hydra is capable of inflicting the Frostbite debuff on any susceptible enemy, which causes afflicted mobs to lose 25 health per second. The debuff also prevents regeneration while active. Luckily, most enemies are susceptible to this debuff!
- Range. Like some of the previously discussed summons, it has a healthy 60 tile range, allowing it to hit enemies while they are quite far away. However, this is a ground-bound sentry, so keep that in mind when placing it!
- Independence. The Frost Hydra will not despawn even if a player moves far away or even dies, making it great for fighting strategies that rely on frequent use of teleportation to and from a battle arena.
- PvP. Under normal circumstances the Frost Hydra does no contact damage. However, the sentry will inflict contact damage to another player when PvP is enabled before breaking. This, combined with its relative lack of placement restriction, can make it quite annoying for any enemy players (or friends you want to mess with).
HOW TO GET IT
The Staff of the Frost Hydra is a unique item in a Terraria world that can only be found in the Ice Chest deep in the Dungeon, which can only be unlocked by a Frozen Key. This key is one of several biome keys, which have a very small chance (0.04%) of being dropped from any enemy in their respective biome. The Frozen Key, as you may be able to guess, can be found in the Snow biome. However, it is important to note that, while the Key can be obtained at any point in Hardmode, it won’t work until after Plantera has been defeated, which means you’ll have to brave a post-Plantera Dungeon to grab your prize even if you get lucky with your drops early into Hardmore.
6. Stardust Cell Staff (S Tier)
The Stardust Cell Staff is a post-Lunatic Cultist summon that can pile on some pretty crazy DPS, especially if summoned multiple times. Here is a closer look:
STATS
- Summon type - Minion
- Base Damage - 60
- Knockback - Very Weak
PERKS
- DPS. The Stardust Cell attacks by shooting mini-cells at enemies, doing an initial bit of damage equal to its base damage, plus any bonus damage from modifications or perks. Then, the mini-cell will stick to the enemy and continue to tick a marginal amount of damage until they despawn or the enemy dies, allowing you to really lay on the DPS; the maximum amount of damage per tick, limited by how many mini-cells can stick to an enemy at once, is a whopping 100 per tick, which comes out to a crazy 200 per second!
- Sticky. Because of the sticky quality of the Stardust Cell’s projectiles, this summon can do continuous damage to fast-moving enemies that can normally be difficult to keep up with.
- Accessibility. This is a craftable staff made from the fragments dropped by one of the pillars from the Lunar Event. There’s a good chance you’ll get enough fragments on the first go, meaning you might dodge any tedious or stressful mob grinding to get your hands on it, and just in time to fight the Moon Lord too!
- Teleportation. Rather than zipping back and forth on the screen to get to enemies, the Stardust Cell teleports directly to the enemy, meaning it can be much more efficient in taking down its targets.
- Range. The Stardust Cell has a relatively large attack radius. Combined with its teleportation, it is able to defend the player pretty effectively from all directions.
HOW TO GET IT
The Stardust Cell Staff can be crafted at the Ancient Manipulator crafting station with 18 Stardust Fragments, which drop from the Stardust Pillar from the Lunar event. This means you must defeat the progression bosses up to and including the Lunatic Cultist. It is important to note that the minimum amount of fragments that drop from a pillar in a Classic mode world is 12, so if you don’t want to grind for this, you may want to consider playing in an Expert or Master mode world where you are guaranteed to receive at least 24 fragments.
7. Stardust Dragon Staff (B Tier)
The Stardust Dragon Staff seems quite weak according to stats alone, which nearly knocks it down to the A-Tier. However, with the proper build, the Stardust Dragon Staff can become ridiculously overpowered. Let’s take a look at how:
STATS
- Summon type - Minion
- Base Damage - 40
- Knockback - Very Weak
PERKS
- Summon Boost. Summoner builds generally revolve around finding ways to increase the number of minions you have surrounding you at one time. The Stardust Dragon operates a bit differently, however; rather than increasing in number with each summon, the Stardust Dragon increases in size. This size increase also increases its damage output, which can take it from doing 40 damage per hit to over 200 damage per hit at the highest levels!
- DPS. The Stardust Dragon is able to attack an impressive 10 times per second. This already makes the base damage much more respectable, but when combined with the higher-tier damage output, the Stardust Dragon essentially becomes a fancy blender for your foes.
- Speed. The Stardust Dragon moves around the screen incredibly quickly, allowing it to take down enemies before they get close to the player and keep pace with speedy late-game mobs with ease.
- Range. The Stardust Dragon has a wide enough range that it can attack enemies off screen. This makes it a great defensive summon, especially when combined with its speed and damage output.
- Accessibility. This staff has the same crafting recipe as the Stardust Cell Staff, meaning it also benefits from being relatively easy to get your hands on while potentially skipping out on tedious mob grinding.
HOW TO GET IT
The Stardust Dragon Staff is crafted at the Ancient Manipulator crafting station with 18 Stardust Fragments, which drop from the Stardust Pillar as a part of the Lunar events. Remember, the minimum amount of fragments that drop from a pillar in a Classic mode world is 12, so you may want to consider playing in an Expert or Master mode world where you are guaranteed to receive at least 24 fragments.
8. Desert Tiger Staff (A Tier)
The Desert Tiger Staff is another unique Dungeon summon that functions similarly to the Stardust Dragon minus the flight capabilities. Here is what this adorable summon will offer to any brave Dungeon-crawling summoners:
STATS
- Summon type - Minion
- Base Damage - 41
- Knockback - Weak
PERKS AND QUIRKS
- Summon Boost. Like the Stardust Dragon, the Desert Tiger gets upgraded when the player attempts to summon it more than once rather than gaining increased numbers of tigers. However, rather than getting a buff to its damage using a wild math formula (that I spared you having to read before) like the dragon, the Desert Tiger gets a consistent buff with each summon, that being a roughly 40% increase of base damage each time.
- Speed. The Desert Tiger is super fast in its movement and attack rate, even at the lowest tier, allowing it to shred through enemies even with a comparatively low 41 base damage. However, each subsequent summon adds to its speed, making it a DPS machine by the later tiers.
- Aerial Combat. Despite the Desert Tiger being a ground-based summon, one of its two attacks is able to hit enemies in the air easily; its pounce attack fires a small projectile, so it can still handle enemies attacking from above.
- Range. The Desert Tiger has a wide range and can attack enemies that are even as far away as 100 blocks from the player, meaning that this cuddly summon can take out enemies before they even get close to its summoner.
- Cheesy Exploit. While I usually like to rank things based on innate usefulness, the Desert Tiger’s pounce attack is able to be exploited very easily. The pounce attack does more damage than its contact-based attack, but it also has a small cooldown. However, re-summoning the Desert Tiger instantly resets the cooldown, so the player can continuously re-summon it over and over to completely avoid the cooldown, provided that the player has access to the mana required to do it.
HOW TO GET IT
Like the Staff of the Frost Hydra, the Desert Tiger Staff is in a biome chest. You can probably guess which biome chest based on the name; you can unlock the Desert Chest at any time after defeating Plantera, provided you are able to get your hands on the Desert Key. This key is one of the biome keys, which have a very small chance (0.04%) of being dropped from any enemy in their respective biome.
9. Tempest Staff (A Tier)
The Tempest Staff summons a small water tornado that follows the player and launches sharks at enemies. It has decent damage and a nice attack rate that makes it a good companion to a summoner. However, it still has a few drawbacks that prevent it from making it to the S Tier. Let’s look at what it will offer the player:
STATS
- Summon type - Minion
- Base Damage - 50
- Knockback - Very Weak
PERKS AND QUIRKS
- Attack Rate. This summon shoots projectiles once about every second. This can help offset the relatively low damage per hit, and when multiple Tempests are summoned at one time, it becomes even more effective.
- Damage. The primary way that this summon will attack is with projectiles, but the swirling Tempest can do contact damage to enemies as well, making this summon much more versatile.
- Accessibility. The Duke Fishron boss can be taken on at any point in Hardmode as long as you are well-prepared, meaning that the Tempest Staff can be acquired before you progress too far in the late stages of the game.
- Piercing. Unfortunately, the shark projectiles from this summon lack piercing and stop doing damage after hitting one enemy despite the projectile appearing to keep going. However, if combined with other summons or sentries, one can easily get around this quirk.
- Accuracy. The projectile from this summon moves with a slight arc. This lowers its accuracy and can occasionally prevent it from hitting a target, especially when dealing with a fast, small enemy, so a player should keep this in mind if they plan to use this staff.
HOW TO GET IT
The Tempest Staff has a 20% chance of dropping from the Duke Fishron boss (or his lootbag), regardless of world difficulty. Just make sure you prep an arena in a healthy Ocean biome before you start fighting this boss; he gets enraged when fighting outside of it!
10. Raven Staff (A Tier)
The Raven Staff is a speedy summon from the later stages of Hardmode. While it is not necessarily able to compete with the damage output of weapons like the Stardust Dragon or Terraprisma, the Raven Staff can be very useful to any summon build. Here is why:
STATS
- Summon type - Minion
- Base Damage - 55
- Knockback - Very Weak
PERKS AND QUIRKS
- Flight. The Raven summoned from this staff flies around the player, meaning that it can attack enemies in the air and on the ground with ease.
- Speed. The Raven is quite fast, not only in getting from one enemy to the next, but also in its attack speed, making it capable of putting out quite decent DPS despite a relatively low base damage per attack.
- Accessibility. This summon is a possible loot item from one of the Pumpkin Moon event mini-bosses, meaning that the player has quite a few chances to snag one in a single event, provided that they can stay alive through it!
- Visibility. This is a minor quirk, but in my experience, the Raven’s dark color makes it hard to see at night or in dark areas. This isn’t the worst drawback, but I’ve lost track of my Raven summon many times, which can make it hard to anticipate whether you will be safe from an oncoming enemy or not.
- Piercing. Similar to the Tempest Staff, the Raven attacks one enemy at a time and does not pierce despite sometimes appearing to strike multiple monsters at one time.
HOW TO GET IT
The Raven Staff is a relatively rare drop from the Pumpking mini-boss from the Pumpkin Moon event. The drop rate can range from 1.79% to 14.29% depending on wave progression; the chance of it dropping increases as the player gets through the increasingly difficult waves. This drop rate can be further increased by playing on an Expert or Master mode world difficulty.
11. Xeno Staff (A Tier)
The Xeno Staff summons a tiny flying saucer to fight for you. While it is not the best summon in the game, especially in terms of base damage per hit, it is certainly not a bad summon either. Here is what it has to offer:
STATS
- Summon type - Minion
- Base Damage - 36
- Knockback - Very Weak
PERKS AND QUIRKS
- Attack Rate. This summon shoots projectiles about twice about every second. When combined with damage boosts from armor, potions, or weapon modifications, the Xeno Staff can outrank many other summons in terms of DPS, especially if the user summons multiple flying saucers.
- Accuracy. The laser projectile of this weapon locks onto enemies instantly, meaning that, unlike some projectile-based summons such as from the Tempest Staff or the Ballista Staff, it cannot miss its target. This can be very helpful in dealing with speedier enemies that would normally outpace or dodge a projectile.
- Teleportation. Your flying saucer summon wastes no time in moving to enemies; the Xeno Staff’s minion simply teleports over the enemy and fires down at it, allowing it to aid the player in dire circumstances.
- Range. Compared to many previously discussed summons on this list, the Xeno Staff’s summon has a somewhat small range. This can be a blessing as it sticks by the player pretty closely, avoiding situations where the player is abandoned in favor of some far off enemy while another enemy sneaks much closer. However, it can also be unfavorable as, sometimes, it is better to deal with the far off enemies before they get close enough to cause problems.
- Aiming Radius. The laser beam of the flying saucer can only attack enemies that are below it, meaning that it may not be as versatile as other summons that can attack omnidirectionally.
HOW TO GET IT
The Xeno Staff is a loot drop from the Martian Saucer mini-boss from the Martian Madness game event. It has a 16.66% chance of dropping from it upon defeat (or from its lootbag) regardless of world difficulty.
12. Deadly Sphere Staff (A Tier)
The Deadly Sphere Staff is a post-Plantera summon that offers decent DPS, given you are able to successfully plan around its few quirks. Let’s take a closer look at this summon:
STATS
- Summon type - Minion
- Base Damage - 40
- Knockback - Very Weak
PERKS AND QUIRKS
- Attack Pattern. The Deadly Sphere summon will attack three times in about one second, undergo a short cooldown window, and then attack again in the same pattern. The cooldown lessens its effectiveness overall, but its overall quick attack rate gives it a great DPS despite its relatively low base damage.
- Form Change. The summon will cycle through three different visual forms while attacking enemies, changing during each cooldown period. This certainly adds to its visual appeal, but, unfortunately, these changes do not change anything about its function. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is definitely a little disappointing.
- Accessibility. While there are less hoops to jump through for this one compared to summons like the Terraprisma or any post-Moon Lord items, due to the low drop rate, the relatively low spawn rate of the Deadly Sphere, you may end up having to grind Solar Eclipses for a while before successfully acquiring this item. Considering that the Solar Eclipse event is one of the harder ones to grind due to frustrating enemies like the Nailhead and intimidating enemies like Mothron, any player seeking this staff has their work cut out!
- Obstacles. The Deadly Sphere cannot move through solid blocks. This can mean that it can get stuck on obstacles, which can be a big problem for a player in dire need of assistance. Luckily, the Deadly Sphere can be summoned anywhere on the screen, so the player can circumvent this difficulty to some extent.
- Piercing. The Deadly Sphere can be summoned anywhere on the screen, meaning that you can get around it's trouble with getting stuck fairly easily, as long as you stay mindful!
HOW TO GET IT
The Deadly Sphere Staff is a possible drop from the Deadly Sphere enemy (though, you may have been able to guess that), which only spawns during the Solar Eclipse event. It has a 2.5% drop rate in Classic worlds but a 4.94% chance to drop in Expert and Master worlds. While the Solar Eclipse has a chance of occurring at any point after taking out your first mechanical boss, the Deadly Sphere enemy is one of several Solar Eclipse mobs that will only begin spawning after the player has defeated Plantera.
13. Flameburst Staff (A Tier)
The Flameburst is another summon from the Old One’s Army content in the game. While its main purpose is definitely to be used in that event, and it is indeed most useful in it, it can be summoned outside of the event as well. Here’s what you should expect from it:
STATS
- Summon type - Sentry
- Base Damage - 88
- Knockback - Very Weak
PERKS AND QUIRKS
- Debuffs. The Flameburst sentry has a relatively high chance of inflicting the On Fire! debuff on hit enemies, which can definitely increase the DPS of this summon far past its base damage.
- Attack Behavior. This sentry can fire immediately upon spawning, meaning that it is a great way to deal with sudden threats as the player can spawn it directly in front of an oncoming enemy.
- Damage. The damage output for the Flamburst Staff is decent, especially since it can hit multiple enemies at once due to its explosion effect. Its projectiles, however, do not pierce and instead explode on contact, so this is best used against clustered enemies.
- Attack Range. This sentry can shoot aerial enemies as well as ground enemies with its projectiles, allowing it to be effective at defending the player from multiple angles.
- Cooldown. The Flameburst sentry’s biggest drawback is its long cooldown time; it takes about two seconds for the Flameburst sentry to fire again. While the On Fire! debuff can certainly offset this downside, this sentry is not something that the player should expect to use on its own. However, the cooldown can also be circumvented by repeatedly re-summoning the sentry as it attacks immediately upon being summoned.
HOW TO GET IT
The Flameburst Staff is available to purchase from the Tavernkeep after defeating the Golem boss. Like the Ballista Staff, it will cost 60 Defender Medals, meaning you’ll be fighting the Old One’s Army a couple of times before you can grab this one.
14. Ballista Cane (A Tier)
This is no typo; this is the second tier version of the Ballista summon sold by the Tavernkeep. While not quite as strong as the final tier, it’s certainly still got its uses, though they will admittedly be quite similar to that of the Ballista Staff. Let’s look closer:
STATS
- Summon type - Sentry
- Base Damage - 74
- Knockback - Average
PERKS AND QUIRKS
- Damage. While much weaker compared to the next tier up, a Ballista summoned by the Ballista Cane still does a considerable amount of damage.
- Piercing. This version of the Ballista summon also has piercing projectiles, meaning one projectile can hit several enemies in a row before colliding with a solid block, usually being the ground as the projectile is affected by gravity.
- Cost. The cost of the Ballista Cane is much lower compared to the Ballista Staff, meaning that it is much easier to obtain. The cost, of course, is made up for in the lowered stats, but if you’re not planning to stick with the Ballista Cane forever, this is a definite perk as it doesn’t take as much work to buy it.
- Old One’s Army. Like the other summons from the Old One’s Army event, you can spawn as many Ballistas as you like if you have the Etherian Mana for it. No special armor or accessories required, meaning you can tackle this challenging event with different strategies.
- Speed. The projectiles of this sentry are slow-moving and have a pretty sizable cooldown. Due to the lower damage, the cooldown becomes much more of a problem, so the player will definitely need to think of ways to get around it, such as by using special armor.
HOW TO GET IT
The Ballista Staff is available to purchase from the Tavernkeep after defeating any Mechanical boss. Because it is in the second tier of the summons, it only costs 15 Defender Medals, which greatly reduces the time you’ll need to spend grinding.
15. Explosive Trap Staff (A Tier)
The Explosive Staff is a solid and unique summon that comes from the same bushel of content as the Ballista Staff. Like it, the Explosive Staff’s main function is to be used in the Old One’s Army event, which means it is highly specialized for dealing with crowds. Here’s a detailed peek at what you should expect from it:
STATS
- Summon type - Sentry
- Base Damage - 126
- Knockback - Weak
PERKS AND QUIRKS
- Damage. The damage output of this sentry is very impressive. This stat alone would normally be enough to put it in the S-Tier, but it has a lot of drawbacks that prevent it from reaching that top spot.
- Burst Damage. Just as the name suggests, this is an explosive sentry, meaning that it damages in a specific radius. While it’s not necessarily the most impressive range, it can damage quite a few enemies at once, and when the sentry is stacked multiple times in the same location, it can do crazy bursts of damage at once, making it useful for crowd control or even mob grinding set ups.
- Attack Range. The trap had no projectiles and can only short-range damage within a few block radius. This really reduces its overall effectiveness especially as a sentry.
- Attack Speed. The trap goes off roughly every two seconds, which is pretty slow compared to many sentries. That, combined with its short range and stationary position, really pulls this sentry down in the ranking.
- Cheesy Exploits. Like some previously discussed summons, the cooldown of this sentry’s attacks will be reset upon being summoned, so constant re-summoning can get around some of its biggest quirks at the cost of shredding through your mana bar.
HOW TO GET IT
The Explosive Trap Staff is available to purchase from the Tavernkeep after defeating the Golem boss. Just like the Ballista Staff, it costs 60 Defender Medals, so you’ll like be grinding the event for a while if you want this one.
