qwerty3.14
Terrarian
Potions are powerful items in Terraria allowing the character's abilities. Unlike with weapons, armor, and accesories potions aren't in direct competition with one another (unless you somehow manage to reach the buff limit). Instead of being evaluated as an alternative to other potions these are evaluated based on how useful, and how often they are useful as opposed to the time put into getting them.
If you're someone who doesn't make potions then you definatly should. Setting up a sizeable herb farm doesn't take much time and will supply you with all the herbs you need. The effects granted by some potions are quite strong and they don't require any accesory or armor slots.
This list is based off of my experiences, so some of the lower tier potions could easily be moved up if more uses are found for them. If there is anything you think I missed let me know.
Here is a visual of the tier list, I well explain in depth why each potion is where it is.
S Tier
A Tier
B Tier
A Tier
C Tier
D Tier
F Tier
why.. do these even exist?
If you're someone who doesn't make potions then you definatly should. Setting up a sizeable herb farm doesn't take much time and will supply you with all the herbs you need. The effects granted by some potions are quite strong and they don't require any accesory or armor slots.
This list is based off of my experiences, so some of the lower tier potions could easily be moved up if more uses are found for them. If there is anything you think I missed let me know.
Here is a visual of the tier list, I well explain in depth why each potion is where it is.
S Tier
Regeneration Potion
The best potion in the game, it is extremly cheap and that +2life/s health regen is very good. Let's put that amount into perspective 2life/s over the duration of 60 seconds is 120 life restored. That is stronger than any healing potion obtainable prehardmode without fishing. This is equivalent to equiping 4 bands of regeneration, or two celestial stones/shells. Even if you have a lot of life regen equipment there is really no reason not to throw this on top, life regen is a powerful stat, and more is always good. This potion is very useful, all the time, and is very cheap, what else deserves the top spot?
Mana Regeneration Potion
If it weren't for this potion trying to play mage would be a lot harder. This thing brings you from 0 to full mana in seconds. Unlike mana potions this thing doesn't sap you your precious magic damage, and unlike the celestial cuffs it doesn't ask for an accessory slot. This potion is also fairly cheap, daybloom and moonglow are easy to farm, fallen stars are the most expensive part of this potion. However if we assume you are able to get on average 3 stars a night and you have an alchemy table, then you can always have this buff and craft mana regen potions faster than they are consumed.
Archery Potion
This potion may only work for bows, but bows are consistently high tier weapons and 20% damage is a huge boost, especially since it is applied seperatly from your other damage bonuses. If you have 50% extra ranged damage applying this will bring you to a total of 80% extra damage for bows. Throw on a magic quiver which also applies its bonus separately and that totals 98% extra damage for bows. This potion is also very cheap the nonstandard ingredient in this potion is a lens, which you will have more than enough of.
Spelunker Potion
This potion does not help with combat performance, it is what can be considered a grind speedup potion. It's value come from the amount of time saved by using it vs. the time spent crafting it. It certainly delivers I don't need to tell you that being able to see the locations of valuable items is huge. It's also fairly cheap, moonglow and blinkroot are easy to farm large quantities of and you'll find plenty of gold equivalent ore. Always bring a spelunker potion if you can when mining.
Mining Potion
So you can sense treasure but it still takes a while to reach it. This potion helps with that. Once again the amount of time this potion saves vs. amount of time taken to make it is huge. The antlion mandible can be a bit annoying to get but due to the long duration of this potion a few visits to the underground desert is all you need.
The best potion in the game, it is extremly cheap and that +2life/s health regen is very good. Let's put that amount into perspective 2life/s over the duration of 60 seconds is 120 life restored. That is stronger than any healing potion obtainable prehardmode without fishing. This is equivalent to equiping 4 bands of regeneration, or two celestial stones/shells. Even if you have a lot of life regen equipment there is really no reason not to throw this on top, life regen is a powerful stat, and more is always good. This potion is very useful, all the time, and is very cheap, what else deserves the top spot?
Mana Regeneration Potion
If it weren't for this potion trying to play mage would be a lot harder. This thing brings you from 0 to full mana in seconds. Unlike mana potions this thing doesn't sap you your precious magic damage, and unlike the celestial cuffs it doesn't ask for an accessory slot. This potion is also fairly cheap, daybloom and moonglow are easy to farm, fallen stars are the most expensive part of this potion. However if we assume you are able to get on average 3 stars a night and you have an alchemy table, then you can always have this buff and craft mana regen potions faster than they are consumed.
Archery Potion
This potion may only work for bows, but bows are consistently high tier weapons and 20% damage is a huge boost, especially since it is applied seperatly from your other damage bonuses. If you have 50% extra ranged damage applying this will bring you to a total of 80% extra damage for bows. Throw on a magic quiver which also applies its bonus separately and that totals 98% extra damage for bows. This potion is also very cheap the nonstandard ingredient in this potion is a lens, which you will have more than enough of.
Spelunker Potion
This potion does not help with combat performance, it is what can be considered a grind speedup potion. It's value come from the amount of time saved by using it vs. the time spent crafting it. It certainly delivers I don't need to tell you that being able to see the locations of valuable items is huge. It's also fairly cheap, moonglow and blinkroot are easy to farm large quantities of and you'll find plenty of gold equivalent ore. Always bring a spelunker potion if you can when mining.
Mining Potion
So you can sense treasure but it still takes a while to reach it. This potion helps with that. Once again the amount of time this potion saves vs. amount of time taken to make it is huge. The antlion mandible can be a bit annoying to get but due to the long duration of this potion a few visits to the underground desert is all you need.
A Tier
Battle Potion
Another grind speedup potion, this one oriented toward enemy drops instead of looted treasure. The reason i put this at the top of A instead of S is because deathweed is the most annoying herb to get large quantities of. It only blooms on full moons and blood moons. You will still eventually have a surplus of deathweed but it will take longer than with the other herbs. This potion is still amazing, it is where you will be using most of your deathweed. Combine this with a water candle and you will get loads more drops.
Builder Potion
Once again another potion that proves its worth through saving time. This thing is cheap and lasts a long time. There are a lot of cituations that involve placing a lot of blocks, such as constructing boss arenas, setting up a minecart track across your world, and even just building houses. It only takes 5 seconds to run over to your crafting area and get one of these, so use one before any building project.
Liferforce Potion
This thing has the amazing effect of increasing your max life, it allows to to survive just a little longer which can be the difference between defeat and victory in a boss fight. The main issue with this potion is the cost. By the time you're in hardmode you should have plenty of waterleaf, moonglow, and shiverthorn, but the prismite is another story. It has to be fished in the underground hallow which is quite dangerous. Also there's the chance that jungle just nopes your initial hallow requiring a lot of time spent terraforming.
Endurance Potion
This potion's effect is similar to the lifeforce in that it increases survivability. The effect isn't quite as strong but it is a lot easier to get. Armored cave fish can be caught anywhere underground. If you do go for prismite you'll also get some of these as well so why not stack the effects.
Wormhole Potion
This potion is multiplayer only, from the little multiplayer in terraria I've done I've always ended up fishing for specular fish at some point. This potion is just such a huge convenience and while you're getting the ingredients for it you're also getting the ingredients for endurance potions.
Another grind speedup potion, this one oriented toward enemy drops instead of looted treasure. The reason i put this at the top of A instead of S is because deathweed is the most annoying herb to get large quantities of. It only blooms on full moons and blood moons. You will still eventually have a surplus of deathweed but it will take longer than with the other herbs. This potion is still amazing, it is where you will be using most of your deathweed. Combine this with a water candle and you will get loads more drops.
Builder Potion
Once again another potion that proves its worth through saving time. This thing is cheap and lasts a long time. There are a lot of cituations that involve placing a lot of blocks, such as constructing boss arenas, setting up a minecart track across your world, and even just building houses. It only takes 5 seconds to run over to your crafting area and get one of these, so use one before any building project.
Liferforce Potion
This thing has the amazing effect of increasing your max life, it allows to to survive just a little longer which can be the difference between defeat and victory in a boss fight. The main issue with this potion is the cost. By the time you're in hardmode you should have plenty of waterleaf, moonglow, and shiverthorn, but the prismite is another story. It has to be fished in the underground hallow which is quite dangerous. Also there's the chance that jungle just nopes your initial hallow requiring a lot of time spent terraforming.
Endurance Potion
This potion's effect is similar to the lifeforce in that it increases survivability. The effect isn't quite as strong but it is a lot easier to get. Armored cave fish can be caught anywhere underground. If you do go for prismite you'll also get some of these as well so why not stack the effects.
Wormhole Potion
This potion is multiplayer only, from the little multiplayer in terraria I've done I've always ended up fishing for specular fish at some point. This potion is just such a huge convenience and while you're getting the ingredients for it you're also getting the ingredients for endurance potions.
B Tier
A Tier
Ale
This 'potion' grants a total of 10% melee damage, 10% melee speed, and 2% melee crit. That is a significant boost for melee weapons, so what does it cost? Well these things are basically free to craft just get so sand melt it into some mugs the fill them at the keg. The real cost is that -4 defense, that 4 defense is still not enough to out way the offensive benefits. You can replace the lost defense with 1 warding accessory but good luck getting an accessory reforge to grant you 10% damage, melee speed and 2% crit. If you are in a situation where every point of defense matter you're probably dps racing a boss, at which point killing the boss faster increases your survivability.
Summoning Potion
This is a decent potion +1 minion slot is hard to come by, without investing in armor or endgame accessories. Combine this with a bewitching table and that's 3 minion slots before you even have any equipment. This requires a fish found in the underground jungle which you visit often (or in my case live in) throughout a playthrough.
Magic Power Potion
That 20% magic damge is very good, to bad this potion only last for 2 minutes, in addition you need deathweed which I've mentioned is the most difficult herb to obtain large quantities of. The star requirment is also a lot to ask for since it is in direct competition with mana regen potions, while requiring 8 stars (averaging the alchemy table saves) per night to get a permanent magic damage buff. If you're playing a mage and you got the resources to spare consider making two of these for a boss fight.
Ironskin Potion
This potion is very useful in the early game, it save your regen potion 3 seconds of life regen every time you are hit. It's also cheap, but unlike the life regen potion its usefulness drops off in the later parts of the game. With how cheap it is though its still worth using, it just isn't that noticeable when it's missing later on. This potion is really useful against the EoW, the body segments only do 20 damage on expert so combine this with some decent armor you can easily get enough defense to just tank him underground, where you don't need to worry about that high damage spit.
Crate Potion
This potion helps you get more potions! It doubles the chance of catching crates, iron and gold crates are the best source of the best bait helping you reach sustainable fishing. Not to mention the crates themselves often have potion in them! Only issue is these are a bit pricey they require amber and deathweed. Alternatively you can get them from the angler.
Fishing Potion
More fishing power, get more and better items from fishing! This potion is also easy to mass produces. Infinite honey block generators are easy to build, just cook em up and you can make fishing potions.
Wraith/Rage Potion
Both these potions are obtained in about the same way and have similar effects. They're reasonably powerful but a bit expensive, requiring deathweed and a fish caught in one of the evil biomes. Not much to say.
Hunter Potion
This potion is quite useful, for both detecting threats and hunting rare creatures. It can be quite annoying to get shark fins though, if you can get your hands on a shark statue this goes up to the battle potion.
Dangersense Potion
This thing highlights traps and webs, good for the temple. It also reveal the locations of spider nests and underground houses. Very cheap 10 webs and a shiverthorn.
This 'potion' grants a total of 10% melee damage, 10% melee speed, and 2% melee crit. That is a significant boost for melee weapons, so what does it cost? Well these things are basically free to craft just get so sand melt it into some mugs the fill them at the keg. The real cost is that -4 defense, that 4 defense is still not enough to out way the offensive benefits. You can replace the lost defense with 1 warding accessory but good luck getting an accessory reforge to grant you 10% damage, melee speed and 2% crit. If you are in a situation where every point of defense matter you're probably dps racing a boss, at which point killing the boss faster increases your survivability.
Summoning Potion
This is a decent potion +1 minion slot is hard to come by, without investing in armor or endgame accessories. Combine this with a bewitching table and that's 3 minion slots before you even have any equipment. This requires a fish found in the underground jungle which you visit often (or in my case live in) throughout a playthrough.
Magic Power Potion
That 20% magic damge is very good, to bad this potion only last for 2 minutes, in addition you need deathweed which I've mentioned is the most difficult herb to obtain large quantities of. The star requirment is also a lot to ask for since it is in direct competition with mana regen potions, while requiring 8 stars (averaging the alchemy table saves) per night to get a permanent magic damage buff. If you're playing a mage and you got the resources to spare consider making two of these for a boss fight.
Ironskin Potion
This potion is very useful in the early game, it save your regen potion 3 seconds of life regen every time you are hit. It's also cheap, but unlike the life regen potion its usefulness drops off in the later parts of the game. With how cheap it is though its still worth using, it just isn't that noticeable when it's missing later on. This potion is really useful against the EoW, the body segments only do 20 damage on expert so combine this with some decent armor you can easily get enough defense to just tank him underground, where you don't need to worry about that high damage spit.
Crate Potion
This potion helps you get more potions! It doubles the chance of catching crates, iron and gold crates are the best source of the best bait helping you reach sustainable fishing. Not to mention the crates themselves often have potion in them! Only issue is these are a bit pricey they require amber and deathweed. Alternatively you can get them from the angler.
Fishing Potion
More fishing power, get more and better items from fishing! This potion is also easy to mass produces. Infinite honey block generators are easy to build, just cook em up and you can make fishing potions.
Wraith/Rage Potion
Both these potions are obtained in about the same way and have similar effects. They're reasonably powerful but a bit expensive, requiring deathweed and a fish caught in one of the evil biomes. Not much to say.
Hunter Potion
This potion is quite useful, for both detecting threats and hunting rare creatures. It can be quite annoying to get shark fins though, if you can get your hands on a shark statue this goes up to the battle potion.
Dangersense Potion
This thing highlights traps and webs, good for the temple. It also reveal the locations of spider nests and underground houses. Very cheap 10 webs and a shiverthorn.
C Tier
Gravitation Potion
This is one of the few potions where I almost never craft them. You only need a few in prehardmode to help locate sky islands and you can find them as loot. After that I don't really find much use for them.
Shine/Night Vision Potion
Both of these potions help you to see things, they are very convenient, nothing game changing, but they are cheap enough to where you can mass produce them and have a permanent vision increase.
Water Walking Potion
This potion has some very niche uses, but they are significant enough to warrant a C tier spot. Unlike water walking boots this thing let's you walk on lava, good if you don't want to build a big hell bridge for WoF. You can also use them for duke fishron, the cthulunados sink underwater, but can form on platforms. So by using a water walking potion you can turn the waters surface that you but not the cthulunado can use. It's expensive to craft but just like the gravitation potion you should get enough just from looting things.
Obsidian Skin Potion
This potion grants immunity to lava, lava does a lot of damage but it is only found very deep in the world. This potion is cheap to craft so if you ever need to deal with lava well here's your answer.
Gills Potion
The gills potion let's you breath underwater longer. In the early game consider grabbing a coral and craft one of these before diving deep into the ocean. It can also be nice when you are harvesting obsidian and are in the water half of the mix. If you are using the thorium mod this potion is a lot more useful but this list is for vanilla.
Heartreach Potion
This potion is alright, it's good for the destroyer due to the probes dropping hearts, and for events. It is only craftable on crimson worlds however since you need to fish in the crimson.
Calming Potion
The reverse of the battle potion, when you don't want to be interupted. It usually isn't that hard to avoid enemies though.
Feather Falling Potion
Makes you fall slower and removes fall damage, you can hol down to have normal falling speed or up to fall even slower. You can combine this with a bundle of balloons to replace the need for wings.
Teleportation Potion
Teleports you to a random location, potentially far from anywhere you've already looted! Kind of expensive though requiring you to fish in the underground hallow to craft it.
This is one of the few potions where I almost never craft them. You only need a few in prehardmode to help locate sky islands and you can find them as loot. After that I don't really find much use for them.
Shine/Night Vision Potion
Both of these potions help you to see things, they are very convenient, nothing game changing, but they are cheap enough to where you can mass produce them and have a permanent vision increase.
Water Walking Potion
This potion has some very niche uses, but they are significant enough to warrant a C tier spot. Unlike water walking boots this thing let's you walk on lava, good if you don't want to build a big hell bridge for WoF. You can also use them for duke fishron, the cthulunados sink underwater, but can form on platforms. So by using a water walking potion you can turn the waters surface that you but not the cthulunado can use. It's expensive to craft but just like the gravitation potion you should get enough just from looting things.
Obsidian Skin Potion
This potion grants immunity to lava, lava does a lot of damage but it is only found very deep in the world. This potion is cheap to craft so if you ever need to deal with lava well here's your answer.
Gills Potion
The gills potion let's you breath underwater longer. In the early game consider grabbing a coral and craft one of these before diving deep into the ocean. It can also be nice when you are harvesting obsidian and are in the water half of the mix. If you are using the thorium mod this potion is a lot more useful but this list is for vanilla.
Heartreach Potion
This potion is alright, it's good for the destroyer due to the probes dropping hearts, and for events. It is only craftable on crimson worlds however since you need to fish in the crimson.
Calming Potion
The reverse of the battle potion, when you don't want to be interupted. It usually isn't that hard to avoid enemies though.
Feather Falling Potion
Makes you fall slower and removes fall damage, you can hol down to have normal falling speed or up to fall even slower. You can combine this with a bundle of balloons to replace the need for wings.
Teleportation Potion
Teleports you to a random location, potentially far from anywhere you've already looted! Kind of expensive though requiring you to fish in the underground hallow to craft it.
D Tier
Recall Potion
Before you find a magic mirror this was used to help you get around. once you get one there isn't much use in these. They are slightly faster than a mirror though so maybye in hardcore mode it may be worth using them.
Swiftness Potion
These are similar to the Recalls where they are useful early on but when you find a certain item (hermes boots) thier usefulness drops. They do have another use later on though, asphault increases the player's running speed and makes it to where the movespeed stat actually allows for higher top speeds.
Warmth Potion
Use it for the frost moon. Do I need to say any more?
Sonar Potion
Shows you what you're about to reel in... less than a second before you're about to do so. I think the idea behind this is to save bait by not catching items you don't want, but you can easily obtain sustanable fishin, an all the items from fishing are useful.
Flipper Potion
Makes you more mobile in liquids, I haven't really found a reliable use for this. It grants better swimming than the flipper accessory. Just like the Gills potion it's a lot more useful in thorium mod.
Ammo Reduction Potion
Making this potion requires catching a fish from the jungle which is a bit odd for something that is supposed to help you save resources. Still though it can be useful some ammo can be expensive.
Invisibility Potion
Haven't used this much the aggro reduction seems kind of useful for multiplayer, haven't gotten the chance to play around with enemy aggro much.
Before you find a magic mirror this was used to help you get around. once you get one there isn't much use in these. They are slightly faster than a mirror though so maybye in hardcore mode it may be worth using them.
Swiftness Potion
These are similar to the Recalls where they are useful early on but when you find a certain item (hermes boots) thier usefulness drops. They do have another use later on though, asphault increases the player's running speed and makes it to where the movespeed stat actually allows for higher top speeds.
Warmth Potion
Use it for the frost moon. Do I need to say any more?
Sonar Potion
Shows you what you're about to reel in... less than a second before you're about to do so. I think the idea behind this is to save bait by not catching items you don't want, but you can easily obtain sustanable fishin, an all the items from fishing are useful.
Flipper Potion
Makes you more mobile in liquids, I haven't really found a reliable use for this. It grants better swimming than the flipper accessory. Just like the Gills potion it's a lot more useful in thorium mod.
Ammo Reduction Potion
Making this potion requires catching a fish from the jungle which is a bit odd for something that is supposed to help you save resources. Still though it can be useful some ammo can be expensive.
Invisibility Potion
Haven't used this much the aggro reduction seems kind of useful for multiplayer, haven't gotten the chance to play around with enemy aggro much.
F Tier
why.. do these even exist?
Titan Potion
This potion increases knockback, is that even useful? Idk there may be a case for putting this higher but I've never felt like I've needed more knockback.
Thorns Potion
The thorns effect in terraia is kinda useless, most enemies have more health than you but have a lot less dps. Not to mention this potion is actually kind of expensive. It needs worth teeth which is corruption only from an uncommon enemy. A deathweed whcih you probably already read about, and a stinger which isn't too expensive but it is often the limiting ingrediant for crafting abeeminations wich can yield 25+gold each from the queen bee fight.
Inferno Potion
This is the most expensive potion in the game, you need to do at least 25 angler quests and be in hardmode, after that every quest has a 1 in 75 chance of giving you a hotline fishing rod. After that you need to fishin in lava, you need not 1 not 2 but 3 fish in total to make one of these potions, whereas every other potion requires 1 or no fish to craft. So after all that, this potion better do something really useful right? Nope it just does a small amount of damage and sets things On fire! wich also does a small amount of damage. The only potentialluseful thing it can do is stop 'destructable projectiles' wich usually aren't a big threat.
This potion increases knockback, is that even useful? Idk there may be a case for putting this higher but I've never felt like I've needed more knockback.
Thorns Potion
The thorns effect in terraia is kinda useless, most enemies have more health than you but have a lot less dps. Not to mention this potion is actually kind of expensive. It needs worth teeth which is corruption only from an uncommon enemy. A deathweed whcih you probably already read about, and a stinger which isn't too expensive but it is often the limiting ingrediant for crafting abeeminations wich can yield 25+gold each from the queen bee fight.
Inferno Potion
This is the most expensive potion in the game, you need to do at least 25 angler quests and be in hardmode, after that every quest has a 1 in 75 chance of giving you a hotline fishing rod. After that you need to fishin in lava, you need not 1 not 2 but 3 fish in total to make one of these potions, whereas every other potion requires 1 or no fish to craft. So after all that, this potion better do something really useful right? Nope it just does a small amount of damage and sets things On fire! wich also does a small amount of damage. The only potentialluseful thing it can do is stop 'destructable projectiles' wich usually aren't a big threat.
