Terraria: Best Ranged Build In Terraria 1.4 (2024)

Often overlooked, sometimes underappreciated, the Ranged build in Terraria 1.4 is an unsung hero of late-game glory. Shredding through a boss with a stacked Minigun and Ranged buffs is one of the most satisfying ways to play Terraria.

It isn't until Hardmode that a Ranged build really gets off the ground. Bows are replaced with powerful guns, and the range of diverse accessories and armor sets really lets a player customize their loadout. Here's our guide to the best Ranged build in Terraria 1.4.

Updated July 13th by Harry Alston: With the news that the 1.4 Journey's End update is rapidly approaching a console release, we're updating this Ranged build guide for new players or for those who are returning to the game to experience some of the new content. A lot has changed in 1.4, this guide covers everything you need to have a complete ranged build from the start of the game to the very end.

Fundamentals Of A Ranged Build

As a Ranged character in Terraria, a player is inevitably going to be less tanky than a Melee build, and sometimes not as useful at taking down large groups of enemies as say a Mage or a Yoyo wielder. Ranged really excels during the many boss fights in Terraria.

The Wall of Flesh? No problem with a bow and arrow. The Destroyer? The Moonlord? Kit yourself out with a powerful gun and you'll be able to evade most of the boss's attacks while also dealing serious damage. To reach that point is a bit of a journey, though. Here's how you get there.

What Is The Best Ranged Weapon In Terraria 1.4?

The best weapon for a Ranged build in Terraria changes depending on what part of the game you're currently playing. You can check out our full Boss progression guide for a better idea of the different areas of the game.

The best ranged weapon in pre-Hardmode for a Ranged build is the Star Cannon. This monstrous weapon pumps out Fallen Stars with massive damage, although the rarity of its ammunition means it's quite a hard weapon to sustain. It'll make short work of the Wall of Flesh, however.

• The Star Cannon is crafted with a Minishark, 20 Meteorite Bars, and five Fallen Stars.
• It can later be upgraded to the Super Star Shooter as of 1.4, although there are arguably better ranged weapons in Hardmode.

Moving into Hardmode Terraria, the best Ranged weapon is probably the Daedalus Stormbow, at least during the very early stages. You can collect it by defeating Hallowed Mimics with a 25 percent chance to drop. It's such a good weapon because it's perfect at defeating the Mechanical Bosses, especially The Destroyer.

Much later in the game, i.e after defeating Moon Lord, you can get your hands on the S.D.M.G, arguably the best Ranged weapon in the entire game. Seeing as you've already beaten the final boss it's more useful for PVP if that's your kind of thing.

Early Game Ranged Build

In the early game, you have to roll with what the RNG overlord of Terraria offers you. Don't bother with a Wooden Bow, but if you happen to find an Enchanted Boomerang early on then you're pretty set up to handle the monsters in the Caverns and beyond.

Get yourself set up with a mixed build of sword and bow, maybe upgrading to a Tendon or Demon bow once you've defeated some of the first bosses, and work towards better armor. The Undertaker or Musket, dropped by destroying Orbs or Hearts, are okay weapons to choose. Not fantastic, but get the job done.

Recommended early game ranged build:

• Tendon or Demon bow, Undertaker or Musket
• Jungle or Platinum Armor
• Cloud in a Bottle, Hermes Boots

Pre-Hardmode And The Wall Of Flesh

By the time you're ready to take down the Wall of Flesh and enter Hardmode, your build should have reached its maximum potential for the early stages of the game. There is no doubt that the Beenade or The Bee's Knees bow (both dropped by the Queen Bee in the Jungle) are the best weapons to take down the Wall of Flesh with ease. Check out our guide for the best pre-Hardmode weapons in Terraria.

The ideal Pre-Hardmode Ranged build will also include either Necro or Fossil Armor. Necro Armor offers two big buffs when worn as a complete set: a 15 percent ranged critical damage chance, and a 20 percent chance to not consume ammo. Fossil Armor doesn't have the critical damage modifier but does offer a boosted twenty percent chance not to consume ammo.

The ideal Pre-Hardmode ranged build looks like this:

• Star Cannon, Mini Shark, Hellwing Bow
• Necro Armor, Fossil Armor

There are no Pre-Hardmode ranged accessories, so try and opt for items that give you more defense, like the Obsidian Shield. You should also have Spectre or Lightning Boots, a Cloud in a Balloon, or other useful accessories.

Hardmode Pre-Mechanical Boss Ranged Build

The transition to Hardmode is a tricky one. Before you even consider taking down the mechanical bosses with your current Ranged loadout, you're going to need an upgrade. The best early Hardmode ranged weapons is the Repeater, either Adamantite or Titanium, depending on which Ore spawns in your world.

You could also opt for a powerful weapon like the Daedalus Stormbow, dropped by a Hallowed Mimic. This is obviously a bit harder to get. Those mimic chests are no joke. The Daedalus Stormbow is arguably one of the best weapons to kill the mechanical bosses, so it's often picked up by most players, even if they're not going for a full Ranged build.

The ideal starter Hardmode Ranged build might be something like this:

• Repeater, Daedalus Stormbow, Endless Quiver
• Orichalcum, Palladium, Adamantite or Titanium Armor
• Ranger Emblem, Magic Quiver

Plantera Hardmode Ranged Build

You've defeated the mechanical bosses and are now ready to take on the next progression boss in Terraria: Plantera. This is also the period of the game where playing with mixed items and accessories becomes much weaker. From this point onwards you have to choose a class, and Ranged isn't a bad choice.

A Ranged build is all about taking down bosses. You have the choice of some top-tier weapons, such as the Megashark, Daedalus Stormbow, and the Phantom Phoenix Bow. You will be squishier, but you should be putting out so much damage that you can take down the bosses quickly and without too many issues.

The ideal Plantera Hardmode Ranged build features these key items:

• Megashark, Stormbow, Phantom Phoenix Bow
• Chlorophyte Armor with the Helmet, Hallowed Armor with the Helmet
• Ranger Emblem, Magic Quiver

It's at this stage where you should also consider which Wings you're using. Wings are essential to staying alive as a Ranged build. We recommend Flame or Bat Wings, or a Mount like the Unicorn.

Golem Hardmode Ranged Build

You dealt with that angry plant with ease, and now it's time to take on the Jungle Temple. At its heart resides the Golem, a difficult boss that you have to fight in quite an enclosed area. Thankfully, with the maneuverability and damage of a Ranged build, you should be in decent shape to give it a go.

This stage of the build is quite similar to the Plantera build, but now you have the option of upgrading your arsenal to the Sniper Rifle or Tactical Shotgun. Although these meaty military items might feel a bit out of place in the fantastical world of Terraria, they'll still rip the Golem apart. It's also time to upgrade to Shroomite Armor, the Ranged-class specific armor set with a bunch of different modifiers available.

The perfect Ranged build to take down the Golem includes:

• Megashark, Sniper Rifle, Tactical Shotgun, Daedalus Stormbow (you just can't get rid of this bow)
• Shroomite Armor, with a modifier of choice (could be ranged damage, crit chance, or rocket damage)
• Ranger Emblem, Magic Quiver

Lunar Events And The Moon Lord Ranged Build

The endgame of Terraria 1.4 is where the Ranged class really begins to excel. The days of the Wooden Bow are far behind you, and you can now upgrade to top-tier Ranged weapons like the Martian-dropped Xenopopper or the Chain Gun. The very last Ranged weapon you get your hands on is the Space Dolphin Machine Gun. Yes, you read that right.

Shroomite Armor holds up until you want to make the transition to the endgame Vortex Armor, and then you're basically invincible. You'll also want to pick up the Sniper Scope accessory to improve your range.

Endgame Ranged Build in Terraria:

• S.D.M.G, Vortex Beater, Xenopopper, Daedalus Stormbow (just joking, the bow is now a little underpowered)
• Shroomite Armor, Vortex Armor
• Ranger Emblem, Molten Quiver, Sniper Scope

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