Playing as a Summoner in Terraria offers a unique and rewarding experience focused on controlling a team of minions to do your fighting. Unlike other classes that rely heavily on weapons or magic, Summoners need to manage their summons and gear to maximize damage and survivability. While the class may feel weaker in early stages, it becomes one of the most powerful in the endgame if properly equipped. To dominate as a Summoner, knowing the best summoner items, including minion-summoning weapons, accessories, armor sets, and buffs, is key to unleashing your full potential in Terraria.
Best Summoner Weapons in Terraria
Early Game Minion Summons
Starting out as a Summoner can be tricky due to the limited options available. However, some early game items help you gain a strong start.
- Slime Staff: This is the first summoning weapon available, though it has a very low drop rate from slimes. It summons a baby slime to fight for you.
- Finch Staff: Often found in Living Wood chests, it summons a small bird that hovers around enemies. It’s weak but better than nothing early on.
- Flinx Staff: Crafted using Flinx Fur from the Snow biome, this staff is a much more reliable and stronger early game minion option.
Mid Game Summoner Weapons
Once you’ve progressed past the early stages and entered pre-Hardmode and Hardmode, your options start to expand considerably.
- Imp Staff: Summons a fireball-shooting imp. It’s a reliable and easy-to-obtain weapon once you reach the Underworld.
- Spider Staff: Crafted from Spider Fangs after defeating the Wall of Flesh and unlocking Hardmode. These spiders cling to enemies and deal consistent damage.
- Pirate Staff: A rare drop from Pirate Invasion enemies, summoning pirates that charge enemies with high damage output.
- Optic Staff: Summons a pair of mini-Twins: one fires lasers, the other charges enemies. Excellent for mid-Hardmode battles.
Late Game and Endgame Summoner Weapons
Late-game Summoner builds benefit from powerful and flashy minions with large damage outputs and great utility.
- Deadly Sphere Staff: Drops from Deadly Spheres in the post-Plantera Solar Eclipse. These minions move quickly and deal massive damage.
- Xeno Staff: Dropped by Martian Saucers, it summons UFOs that shoot high-speed lasers, offering great accuracy and power.
- Raven Staff: A Pumpkin Moon drop that summons fast, powerful ravens. They deal large amounts of damage and can be summoned in multiple numbers.
- Terraprisma: One of the most powerful Summoner weapons, obtained by defeating the Empress of Light during daytime. It deals incredible damage and summons swords that home in on enemies rapidly.
Best Armor Sets for Summoner Class
Armor is vital for boosting your minion count and overall damage. Different sets offer specific benefits at various stages of the game.
Pre-Hardmode Armor
- Obsidian Armor: Provides a strong early bonus to minion damage and allows you to summon an extra minion. Excellent starting choice after defeating some early bosses.
- Bee Armor: Crafted from Bee Wax, this set gives increased minion damage and capacity, perfect for a pre-Hardmode setup.
Hardmode Armor
- Spider Armor: Easily craftable from Spider Fangs. Great early Hardmode choice for boosting minion slots and damage.
- Hallowed Armor (with Summoner Helmet): Offers decent defense with an increase in minion count and survivability.
- Tiki Armor: Bought from the Witch Doctor after Plantera is defeated. It provides solid stats and multiple minion slots.
- Spooky Armor: Crafted with Spooky Wood from the Pumpkin Moon event. Higher damage but less defense than Tiki Armor, ideal for aggressive builds.
Endgame Armor
- Stardust Armor: Crafted from Stardust Fragments after defeating the Celestial Pillars. It’s the ultimate Summoner armor, giving the highest minion bonuses and a special Stardust Guardian.
Accessories to Boost Your Summoner Build
Accessories play a big role in improving your effectiveness as a Summoner. Stacking the right accessories can significantly enhance your minions’ performance.
- Summoner Emblem: Increases minion damage. Drops from the Wall of Flesh.
- Pygmy Necklace: Bought from the Witch Doctor at night in a jungle house. Grants an extra minion slot.
- Necromantic Scroll: Increases minion damage and lets you summon one extra minion.
- Hercules Beetle: Boosts both damage and knockback. Combined with the Necromantic Scroll to make the Papyrus Scarab.
- Papyrus Scarab: Offers damage, knockback, and one additional minion. A top-tier accessory for Summoners.
- Bewitching Table: Not an accessory, but using it grants an extra minion summon for 10 minutes.
- Summoning Potion: Also not an accessory, but boosts your summon limit by one. Can be stacked with other bonuses.
Useful Tools and Buffs for Summoners
To get the most out of your Summoner build, you should also take advantage of temporary buffs and support items that enhance your effectiveness.
- Bewitching Table (Furniture): Use before battle to add one minion slot.
- Summoning Potion: Craftable buff potion that allows an additional minion summon.
- Wrath and Rage Potions: Boost overall damage and critical chance, indirectly benefiting minions.
- Sharpening Station and Flask Buffs: While more useful for melee, these can still aid hybrid builds.
Strategies for Playing as a Summoner
Being a successful Summoner in Terraria requires more than just having the right items it’s about strategy. You need to manage positioning, avoid direct combat when possible, and let your minions do the work while keeping yourself safe. Use terrain and mobility to your advantage, and always maintain your summon count during longer fights or invasions.
Tips for Efficiency
- Always refresh your summons after buffs or weapon swaps to ensure they get the full bonus.
- Place your minions deliberately to maximize their targeting efficiency, especially in boss fights.
- Combine summoner weapons with sentries (like the Ballista Rod or Flameburst Rod) for extra control and damage output.
Summoners in Terraria can go from underdogs to powerhouses with the right items, strategy, and persistence. Whether you’re summoning tiny slimes, commanding ravenous spiders, or unleashing the incredible Terraprisma, there’s a deep satisfaction in watching your summoned army dominate the battlefield. From early game survival to endgame destruction, the Summoner class offers a completely unique way to experience Terraria’s vast world. Equipping yourself with the best summoner items is the key to mastering this powerful playstyle.