Much like an effective leader, a summoner in Terraria excels at delegation. The best summoner weapons here don`t rely on you wielding sharp blades or firing rapid bullets; instead, they empower others to do the work. Every staff or whip you acquire enhances not your personal strength, but the might of the team you assemble – from humble birds and frogs to majestic celestial dragons. This playstyle is built on patience and strategic planning, rewarding those who prefer to orchestrate combat rather than charge headfirst into it.
However, this doesn`t imply that the summoner`s journey is easy. The class often treads a fine line between feeling underpowered and excessively powerful, depending on the current game stage and how effectively you support your minions with appropriate gear. But when everything aligns perfectly, few experiences can match the satisfaction of watching an army you`ve raised tear through bosses while you stand back, whip in hand, guiding the chaos.
Before we delve into the progression of weapons from Pre-Hardmode to Hardmode, it`s crucial to understand the distinction between minions and sentries. Sentries are stationary, proving more effective for defending a single point during wave-based events, but they require re-summoning if you move. Minions, due to their mobility, are generally more versatile, following you directly into battle. The choice entirely depends on whether you prefer to lead from the back or the front lines. Regardless, you can summon multiple units of the same type to bolster your chances of success.
Pre-Hardmode
Finch Staff
- Damage: 7
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 4
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
The Finch Staff offers many players their first taste of summoner gameplay, dropping with a bit of luck from Living Trees. Initially, it might seem unremarkable, summoning a lone bird minion that hovers overhead and pecks at enemies. However, it provides you with a companion long before most other classes acquire anything reliable. It serves as a gentle introduction to the concept of indirect combat and a handy tool for those who wish to embrace the summoner role from the very beginning.
Its stats are modest: 7 base damage and zero knockback, meaning it won`t carry you into the mid-game. Nevertheless, for an item acquired almost immediately, it performs above its weight, providing a steady stream of minor damage that accumulates during early encounters. While hardly spectacular, it establishes the foundation for the summoner path and ignites the desire for more potent companions.
Ballista Rod
- Damage: 30
- Mana cost: 5
- Knockback: 4.7
- Velocity: 1
- Speed: 30 (Average)
- Summon type: Sentry
The Ballista Rod is acquired from the Tavernkeep after you defeat the Goblin Army, and it marks the point where summoners begin to truly appreciate the power of sentries. Deploying a ballista turret alters your combat strategy, allowing you to cover choke points or apply additional pressure in boss arenas with piercing bolts that can subdue multiple enemies simultaneously.
Unlike minions, sentries remain fixed in place, making clever positioning as crucial as raw power. Summoning more than one sentry at a time requires some effort, for instance, by obtaining the `Strategist` buff from the War Table, which increases your capacity by one. The key advantage here is that sentries do not count towards your minion limit. Combine them with various staves, and you`ll be well on your way to victory.
Vampire Frog Staff
- Damage: 11
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 5
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
This is where Pre-Hardmode summoning truly gains momentum. The Vampire Frog Staff, acquired during the Blood Moon event by defeating Zombie Merman or Wandering Eye Fish, unleashes frogs that aggressively leap at enemies, tearing through them with surprising speed. They might not appear intimidating, but these amphibians will carry you much further than any bird or slime, suddenly making the summoner class feel less like a gimmick and more like a genuinely viable playstyle.
Each frog deals 11 damage and strikes rapidly, providing swift crowd control against enemy swarms. Throughout the Pre-Hardmode phase, they feel like a genuine revelation. If you can survive the Blood Moon long enough to acquire this staff, you will possess one of the most dependable weapons available in the entire early game.
Imp Staff
- Damage: 17
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 2
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
By the time you reach the Underworld, the Imp Staff emerges as the premier Pre-Hardmode option. It is crafted from 17 Hellstone Bars, requiring you to brave lava lakes and confront fiery imps, but the reward is well worth the effort. The summoned imps launch fireballs from a distance, inflicting consistent damage without putting themselves in harm`s way. This is a formidable weapon for Terraria boss encounters, particularly against the Wall of Flesh, where continuous ranged pressure makes all the difference.
With its substantial base damage and piercing fireballs that slice through enemies, the Imp Staff stands head and shoulders above other Pre-Hardmode alternatives. Its capacity to maintain enemies at range is a significant upgrade over frogs and slimes, and it transitions smoothly into early Hardmode until you discover something more potent.
Hardmode
Spider Staff
- Damage: 26
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 3
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
Upon defeating the Wall of Flesh and entering Hardmode, the Spider Staff frequently becomes your initial significant upgrade. Crafted from 16 Spider Fangs, which you farm from the newly accessible spider caves, the staff summons spiders that rapidly scuttle across the ground to overwhelm foes. These arachnids tear through enemies at close range and render mechanical bosses far more manageable than they would otherwise be.
Each spider inflicts 26 damage with swift bites, and their ability to cling to enemies makes them especially effective against single targets. Their sole drawback is their limited range, but applying the Acid Venom debuff for six health per second ensures they quickly dispatch their current target. Equip the right armor and top Terraria accessories, and you can summon a small army to clear your path forward.
Queen Spider Staff
- Damage: 26
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 7.5
- Velocity: 14
- Speed: 30 (Average)
- Summon type: Sentry
Crafted from 24 Spider Fangs, this staff is an indispensable component of any Hardmode summoner`s arsenal. It deploys a sentry that fires eggs, which explode on impact, inflict damage over time via the Acid Venom debuff, and spawn two baby spiders that latch onto the enemy. Crucially, sentries do not consume minion slots, allowing you to pair a Queen Spider turret with a full complement of minions for a devastating combination.
The barrage of eggs dealing base damage and the continuous spawning of multiple spiders to chip away at foes establish the Queen Spider Staff as a consistent source of supplementary damage that scales exceptionally well with your increasing minion count.
Raven Staff
- Damage: 55
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 3
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 28 (Average)
- Summon type: Minion
As pumpkins fall and Halloween approaches, the Raven Staff transforms into a formidable, eerie powerhouse. Dropped during the Pumpkin Moon event, it summons ravens that fiercely swoop down, delivering powerful blows. This weapon immediately propels summoners into late Hardmode viability, equipping you with the means to decimate both bosses and invasion waves.
Each raven inflicts a massive amount of damage and attacks swiftly from the air, providing relentless harassment to enemies. With enough summons active, the screen rapidly becomes a blur of feathers and strikes that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud. While event-dependent, the Raven Staff is a significant upgrade capable of carrying you through to the endgame, provided you invest in supporting gear.
Stardust Dragon Staff
- Damage: 40
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 2
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
The Stardust Dragon Staff represents the pinnacle of summoning, a weapon that instills a feeling of true invincibility. Crafted from 18 Stardust Fragments after conquering the Lunar Events, it summons a celestial dragon that extends in length with every minion slot you dedicate to it. Instead of multiple creatures, you channel your entire summoning capacity into one devastating beast that utterly dominates the battlefield.
Each segment of the dragon adds 40 base damage, and when fully extended, it transforms into one of Terraria`s most destructive forces. Its continuous sweeping attacks obliterate both enemies and bosses, leaving little opportunity for resistance. This is the definitive summoner`s staff for endgame players, surpassing nearly all other Terraria weapons, and a fitting reward for those who embraced the path of delegation.
Summoner weapons fundamentally transform Terraria into a different game, one where your success relies less on personal reflexes and more on the collective strength of your companions. From humble birds and frogs in the early stages to celestial dragons at the apex of power, these tools of delegation empower you to become the ultimate battlefield commander. Master them, and you may never need to wield a sword again.