In-depth Hardmode weapon tier list

1 interesting ‘weapon’ that’s not mentioned: hammush.
Sure, it’s a hammer, but it creates projectiles on use, which puts it into the projectile melee category.
 
I think the Shotgun deserves more credit and should be in a higher tier. Its DPS isn't as bad as I hoped and actually got through the Twins pretty fairly. Its accuracy is still pretty bad, but not as bad as I was told; the shaky accuracy still shows in that the shots sometimes flew over the boss. It's more focused towards single targets and still won't really exceed much with massive crowds, so I don't expect much change with the crowd control ranking.
 
I think the Shotgun deserves more credit and should be in a higher tier. Its DPS isn't as bad as I hoped and actually got through the Twins pretty fairly. Its accuracy is still pretty bad, but not as bad as I was told; the shaky accuracy still shows in that the shots sometimes flew over the boss. It's more focused towards single targets and still won't really exceed much with massive crowds, so I don't expect much change with the crowd control ranking.
Agreed. Its upgraded form is so much better and has that dark energy, and does more damage. But the shotgun can be obtained basically instantly once starting hardmode and it helps a lot defending yourself from hardmode underground mobs.
 
Terrarian: S
The Yoyo Bag actually doesn't double the Terrarian's DPS like you might think; it just widens its area of effect and increases the projectile density. This makes it easier to wipe out crowds with, but a Mechanical Glove might be better suited for that accessory slot if you're looking to maximize single-target DPS. Whether you elect to use the Yoyo Bag or not, it's ridiculously strong against crowds and bosses alike. However, in multiplayer, two players should not target the same enemy with the Terrarian; only one will deal damage every six frames.​
DPS: 5/5. Probably the best of the three melee weapons for general boss-killing.​
Crowd control: 5/5. It deals piercing damage, so you can eliminate crowds just by flying over and dragging the Terrarian through them.​
Accuracy: 5/5. Since it creates so many homing projectiles, keeping enemies within its area of effect is very easy.​
Disruption: 5/5. Like the Razorblade Typhoon, it easily hits the piercing damage cap.​
Safety: 5/5. The best throwing distance of any yoyo. It doesn't require you to stand anywhere near your target.​
Best prefix: Godly/Demonic $$$$

S tier, agreed.
 
Unholy Trident: C+
A completely unremarkable magic weapon, mostly held back by its narrow projectile size, high mana cost, and the fact that you've seen so many better choices that were available earlier. Many people have a bad impression of this item because it has a poor matchup against flying enemies, and the Underworld is full of them. And maybe because the Unholy Tridents seem so much more powerful in the hands of the Red Devils than in the player's. Still, if you're running mana regeneration of some kind, the Unholy Trident can be much better than it's given credit for. It’s basically a poor man’s magical Terra Blade, minus the blade.

DPS: 4/5. Speed and damage per hit is very respectable, but that requires you to land your shots, which is extremely difficult unless you're on flat terrain.
Crowd control: 4/5. Against invasions, it's decent, but you'll often find that your enemies won't line up so neatly anymore.
Accuracy: 3/5. Narrow, slow, and not all that fast-moving. If either you or your targets are flying or jumping around, the Unholy Trident is much harder to aim with.
Disruption: 3/5. Like the Frost Staff, it has the potential to knock enemies backwards, but isn't exceptionally fast.
Safety: 4/5. With decent velocity and excellent range, it can be used to snipe enemies as long as they don't snipe you back.
Availability: 2/5. 3.33% chance to drop from Red Devils, which spawn after a mechanical boss has been defeated.

Best prefix: Mythical $$$$

I would drop it down to a C.
DPS: I am fine with this score.
Crowd Control: 3/5, as lots of enemies in hardmode move vertically a lot more than in pre-hardmode.
Accuracy: I am fine with this score.
Disruption: Fine.
Safety: Fine.
Availability: 1/5, Red Devils are rare.
 
With the nimbus rod it might be worth mentioning that your critical chance is based on the weapon being held at the time a projectile hits. This means if you are holding a magic weapon with high crit rate like the sky fracture, the nimbus rod actually gets the critical boost.
 
I CANNOT wait to experience how Journey's End shakes things up. The fact that we're not only seeing performance increases for underpowered weapons, but also imaginative reworks for lackluster items in general is going to make approaching the game again so much more interesting. I'm hoping for a best case scenario where all progression items and random drops become exciting and viable so that a player's preference to "kill things better" becomes secondary to "having a good time with awesome weapons" at every stage of the game, and so that your effort updating this guide is focused on expressing the cool, unique aspects of the items in this game instead of noting various degrees of obvious suboptimality versus a clear gold standard. That update spoiler from a week ago revealed great strides in this direction, so I'm confident that the end result will be fun!

Wow it feels good to be talking about this game again... I can't believe how long it's been, but I am so glad to be back
 
oh no.
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@Tunnel King What should I do in this situation?
 
Thanks! After a few hundred hours of playing Normal mode, I finally beat all the Expert mode bosses, and I had this guide up almost the entire time. Really appreciate it! I make the Onyx Blaster as soon as I enter hardmode, every time, now.
 
Thanks a lot for making this guide, it's been a great help as I try to expand my horizons beyond the staples i used back in 1.2!

I'm a bit surprised you only rated the aerial bane a B+, as I've personally found it to be exceptionally good, even compared to the tsunami. Sure, its range isn't great , but against slow-moving or predictable bosses (ie. in my experience the mechanical bosses, plantera, golem, pumpking, the grounded bosses from the moon events, fishron, the martian saucer, and the pillars) it's really not a challenge to nail the enemy most of the time. And the damage bonus against airborne enemies applies to almost every boss, so there's that too.
At the very least I'd think it deserves a honourable mention for how good it is during the pumpkin moon, where the later wave's pumpking-clusters get shredded in seconds by the ridiculous amount of projectiles it can put in the air. Though it's certainly not as polyvalent a weapon as the Tsunami (it doesn't perform nearly as well against the frost queen's better mobility, for one).

Anyway, sorry for ranting, and thanks again for this wonderful guide!
 
Mushroom Spear should be a B, not a B-
By boxing golem in it totally wrecks golem especially with ichor and sharpening
It is(at least was for me) much more attainable than the Death Sickle
 
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