How do I unlock the best summoner weapons in Terraria?

Unlocking the best summoner weapons in Terraria requires a combination of progression through the game's stages, defeating specific bosses, and gathering rare materials. Summoner is a unique class that relies on minions and sentries to deal damage, making it essential to focus on summoning weapons, armor, and accessories that enhance your minions' effectiveness. Here's a detailed guide to help you achieve this.

To start, you need to understand the summoner class mechanics. Summoners use weapons like whips and summoning staves to call minions or sentries. Minions are permanent allies that follow you and attack enemies, while sentries are temporary turrets that stay in one place. Your summon damage is influenced by your armor, accessories, and buffs, so optimizing these is crucial.

Early in the game, you can obtain basic summoning weapons like the Slime Staff, which has a low drop chance from slimes. While not the strongest, itÔÇÖs a good starting point. As you progress, youÔÇÖll want to defeat the Queen Bee in the Jungle biome to obtain the Bee Staff, a powerful early-game summoning weapon. The Imp Staff, crafted from Hellstone Bars in the Underworld, is another strong option before entering Hardmode.

Once you enter Hardmode, the summoner class gains access to more powerful weapons. Defeating the Wall of Flesh unlocks Hardmode, and youÔÇÖll need to gather materials like Souls of Night and Hallowed Bars to craft advanced summoning staves. The Spider Staff, crafted from Spider Fangs found in the Spider Caves biome, is a great early Hardmode option. It summons spider minions that deal decent damage and inflict the Venom debuff.

To unlock the best summoner weapons, youÔÇÖll need to defeat the Mechanical Bosses (The Destroyer, Skeletron Prime, and The Twins). These bosses drop Souls of Might, Sight, and Fright, which are used to craft powerful summoning staves like the Optic Staff and the Pirate Staff. The Optic Staff summons twin minions that deal high damage, while the Pirate Staff summons a pirate minion with a ranged attack.

After defeating the Mechanical Bosses, you can fight Plantera in the Underground Jungle. Defeating Plantera unlocks the Temple, where you can find the powerful Pygmy Staff. This staff summons pygmy minions that throw spears at enemies. Plantera also drops the Seedler, a whip that synergizes well with summoner builds.

The next major step is defeating the Lunatic Cultist and the Moon Lord, the final boss. The Moon Lord drops the Stardust Dragon Staff and the Stardust Cell Staff, two of the best summoning weapons in the game. The Stardust Dragon Staff summons a dragon that grows longer as it deals damage, while the Stardust Cell Staff summons cells that explode on contact with enemies.

To optimize your summoner build, focus on armor sets that boost summon damage. The Spider Armor, obtained from Spider Fangs, is a good early Hardmode option. Later, the Tiki Armor and Spooky Armor, crafted from materials dropped by Plantera and the Pumpkin Moon event, provide significant summon damage bonuses. The Stardust Armor, crafted from Stardust Fragments dropped by the Moon Lord, is the best summoner armor, offering high defense and summon damage.

Accessories are also crucial. The Papyrus Scarab, Pygmy Necklace, and Necromantic Scroll increase your minion count and damage. The Celestial Shell and Celestial Stone provide overall stat boosts, while the Summoner Emblem increases summon damage. Reforge your accessories to Menacing or Lucky for maximum damage or critical strike chance.

Buff potions like the Summoning Potion, Bewitching Table, and Wrath Potion can significantly enhance your minions. Always carry these during boss fights or challenging events. Additionally, use whips like the Durendal or Kaleidoscope to boost your minions' attack speed and damage.

Common mistakes include neglecting defense and relying solely on minions. While summoners focus on minions, you still need to dodge attacks and manage your health. Another mistake is not upgrading your armor and accessories regularly. Always aim for the best available gear for your current progression stage.

Advanced techniques include using sentries like the Rainbow Crystal Staff or Ballista Cane during events like the Old OneÔÇÖs Army. These sentries provide additional firepower and can be placed strategically to maximize their effectiveness. Combining minions and sentries with whips creates a versatile and powerful summoner build.

Resource management is key. Gather materials like Spider Fangs, Souls, and Fragments as you progress. Always prepare for boss fights by crafting potions, setting up arenas, and ensuring you have the best available gear.

In summary, unlocking the best summoner weapons in Terraria involves progressing through the game, defeating bosses, and crafting powerful staves and armor. Focus on optimizing your build with the right accessories, buffs, and strategies to maximize your minions' effectiveness. With careful preparation and execution, you can master the summoner class and tackle TerrariaÔÇÖs toughest challenges.