TheFlyingSoda
Terrarian
Overview
When it comes to complimenting Terraria regarding gameplay quality and such, one of my personal favorite aspects of the game is its weaponry. For some time now, I've been talking about certain weapons based on viability, strategizing, and so on. But I figured that I would opt for a break from that optimization mumbo jumbo. Today, I would like to talk about my top 10 favorite weapons of all time, both vanilla and modded. These 10 weapons are ranked based on enjoyment and enjoyment only. Now, similar to my boss ranking, a list like this would be 100% subjective, but there are some major points I still want to take into account. Does a weapon manage to use its gimmick well? Does it have a feature that's not directly shown, but is discovered through a unique strategy, and that strategy will hold attention longer? Are there meta weapons fun? Are there non-meta weapons fun? There are a lot of other points I can pull out of my pants pockets, but I figured that these are the criteria I'm most comfortable sticking with. I'm definitely sure that other people around have their own ways of enjoying their weapons, and regardless of what specific criteria are involved, that's perfectly fine. So, with all of this out of the way, let's start playing with our toys like Chuck Norris.
No. 10 - Whips (in general)
So already, we're starting with quite possibly one of the most complicated weapon types in the game. When whips were introduced, a good number of players were not sure how they felt about being in Terraria as a whole. And to my observation, that's quite understandable. Hell, I was one of the few people who weren't fond of whips. But as soon as I gained a better understanding of whips when I was playing my second summoner run in 1.4, whips truly grew on me. They turned summoner from what was a boring, glorified AFK class (summoner is still good for AFK, if you're farming items while focusing on other priorities, outside of Terraria) to a high-risk, high-reward beast tamer. You see, a summoner would see minions as their own friendly troops, and while that doesn't necessarily benefit gameplay value, it's still very fitting for the class. Whips, however, still provide very engaging values with certain tricks, which brings us to whip stacking, which might be the most interesting thing in the game. Whip stacking takes a while to get into, due to needing the right timing, but once you get the hang of it, those numbers do shine quite perfectly, and it's not even remotely painful to sit through anyway. Whip stacking is practically a great case of hard to learn but easy to master. Now, I'll admit that whips can be a little bit same-y at times, which prevents me from putting them higher in this list, but whips are still very fun weapons for me to mess around with.
No. 9 - Ghastly Glaive
Spears are one of my least favorite weapon types in the game, hell, only second to yoyos. While a good number of them compensate by having projectiles and/or special effects, for most of the gameplay, almost all of them are just painfully same-y, except for one... This is the Ghastly Glaive, a rare drop from the Ogre. This one is actually special, because its animation is different from all the other spears. On top of that, every time you land a hit on an enemy, it creates ghosts around them. Realistically speaking, it's not the most interesting thing in the world, but I still think it's a fun weapon. Having to play around with this thing, going closer to an enemy, and creating these ghosts whenever you land a successful hit is simple but very enjoyable. It's such a shame that in its current state, it lacks viability and falls short compared to the Gungnir and Mushroom Spear. If it gained more use, I would have put this higher. But needless to say, I still love this weapon.
No. 8 - Ark of the Cosmos + components (Calamity)
Of all the melee weapons in Calamity, they gave the Ark of the Cosmos and its predecessors the most complex weapon mechanics in the mod, and much to my surprise, they're hella fun. The Ark weapons have different animations than most melee weapons. Now that doesn't say much, but what makes these weapons very appealing is how they function. From the Fractured Ark to the Ark of the Ancients, they're true melee weapons that get stronger and/or more versatile whenever you parry, but that parry requires right timing. Once you get to the Ark of the Elements and above, they turn into homing weapons, but they aren't very powerful if you still ignore the parry. I think the parry mechanic makes the weapons enjoyable. Like the whips, they're hard to learn but easy to master. Not as risky as the whips, though, but they're still fun to learn regardless. I also want to mention just how satisfying the sound effects are. Very fun to hear and very fitting for the weapons. These weapons used to be your standard homing melee weapons back in the old days, which I personally don't mind, but I'm glad these reworks are truly deserved.
No. 7 - Flinx Staff
Now I can already hear you yelling: "How the hell can a simple pre-hardmode weapon in vanilla be any more enjoyable than the Ark weapons of all things?" Hear me out for a sec: on the surface, this weapon isn't any more special. They're jumping minions that you get from starter enemies. But worry not, the Flinx Staff unlocks some interesting strategies. You see, the Flinx Staff is a fast-hitting minion with perfect AI, at the cost of some base damage. You can alleviate these issues by wearing the Flinx coat, wearing the Shark Tooth Necklace, and using whips. Heck, the Flinxs are especially potent with whip stacking, as mentioned earlier. If you think it ends here, it doesn't. Flinx Staff also unlocks a new and interesting strategy that most players should give a try: minion-mixing. The Flinx Staff is a perfect minion to pair with a single Vampire Frog Staff and/or Finch Staff use, for example, and even in late pre-hardmode with the Hornet Staff and the Imp Staff. It's not a lot of depth, but the Flinx Staff is just very enjoyable because of these things. Hell, these things even manage to alleviate annoying enemies, with how well they blend with each other, even ignoring whips if you want to rest for a bit. I can talk about more points regarding the Flinx Staff, but these points mentioned are more than enough to justify my love and appreciation for the weapon.
No. 6 - Volcano
Here, we have one of my personal favorite weapon reworks in all of vanilla Terraria, the Volcano (RIP, 'Fiery Greatsword' is a much more badass name). This weapon is slow, but once you land a successful hit, it creates a potent explosion. Now, this weapon may not be as much, but if you're fighting Queen Bee, Deerclops, and/or Skeletron with this thing, there's a lot of fun involved. This is yet another high-risk, high-reward weapon. Fighting the aforementioned bosses is risky, but once you pull it off, you'll be gifted with some 5-star gourmet-esque meals. As I keep repeating, it's not punishing to learn the curve, especially when you consider that the Volcano is a part of the melee class. Besides, the Volcano is one of, if not the best, options for those bosses. The Night's Edge, an upgrade to it, is a fun weapon, but not as fun as the Volcano, which makes me a bit sad that I don't get to use this on the Wall of Flesh outside of risky challenges. But all in all, I love the Volcano, and I still hope Re-Logic reverts this weapon's current name to its original name.
No. 5 - Kingsbane (Calamity)
Finally jumping into the top 5, we have my personal favorite weapon in all of Calamity, the Kingsbane (formerly known as the 'Minigun'). When you pull out this gun, it has a slow rev, and for a very short time, it begins to spew out a stream of bullets. Once you stop firing, it releases Auric bullets that are more powerful than the base bullets, at the cost of your position. Again, this doesn't seem too crazy or anything until you use more of this weapon in a real playthrough. I think the ragdoll mechanic truly makes for 2 very impactful scenarios. You can use the burst fire for insane damage, especially when you save your rage and/or adrenaline well, but you'll be put in a riskier position, or you can risk the damage output for a safer escape route. You know how the Exo Mechs and SWCal design their bullet hells? Choosing either of these 2 scenarios would make the strategies on either of these two bosses not only very effective but also very enjoyable (except when you rock on the Exo box on the latter boss, but that's besides the point). Once again, this is a very enjoyable high-risk, high-reward weapon. The best part about this weapon is that its primary fire (normally firing bullets of your selection) is still really great in every scenario you're put in, whether you're fighting the Exo Mechs or SWCal. It's not as complex as the Ark weapons, but I still enjoy this weapon more. It's such a shame that the Soma Prime, AN UPGRADE TO THE KINGSBANE, doesn't hold the same appeal, but I guess it wouldn't matter much. The Kingsbane is just amazing, with the simple yet fun and engaging mechanics, very badass aesthetic, and satisfying animation, making for a very addictive toy and further emphasizing the minigun aesthetic quite perfectly, all while still retaining very high viability.
No. 4 - Blade Staff
Such a shame that I have to end the summoner praise trilogy, but I guess it's for the better. Anyway, the Blade Staff is absolutely enjoyable. It's very similar to the Flinx Staff, and it has perfect AI and a fast hit rate, at the cost of damage. Now, this weapon may not fit well with minion mixing or hybrid summoners, but what still beats the Flinx Staff is just how satisfying it is to use all around. The Blade Staff excels at crowd control, and while that may not seem such, you're still playing with a lot of fire. Going back to the recurring theme of high-risk and high-reward weapons, the Blade Staff is especially hella satisfying with whip-stacking. This is particularly very versatile when paired with the Cool Whip. Hell, I'd argue that it holds up in post-Plantera well, where it excels greatly with mobbing the dungeon, where you can easily get your hands on the Mourning Star. And it even does great in Pumpkin Moon, where you can get your hands on Dark Harvest and Raven Staff (mainly Darvest, though), and/or the Solar Eclipse, where you can attain the Deadly Sphere Staff without sweat. Realistically speaking, the Sanguine staff is better for the mech bosses, pre-mech Duke, and hybrid setups, but the amount of benefits the Blade Staff holds for mobbing enemies around and events still beat the former. And besides, the learning curve of the Blade Staff is unmatched when it comes to both game design and enjoyment. Overall, the Blade Staff may be arguably an overpowered weapon, but let's be honest, you can practically say the same logic with pretty much half of the weapons featured in this list, and just because something is overpowered, it doesn't mean it's not a fun item to play around with. The Blade Staff is one of the best examples for that. Speaking of overpowered but fun weapons...
No. 3 - Terra Blade
Here, we have one of, if not the most iconic weapons in all of Terraria, and looking at how it's reworked in 1.4.4, that iconicity is well-deserved. The Terra Blade, as I keep saying, may be a simple weapon that's very powerful in all scenarios, but that power can be achieved through a specific strategy. I already explained how this strategy works in this post, but to summarize: the Terra Blade is much stronger when you invest in a good amount of melee speed. The Terra Blade is a unique projectile melee weapon because both its animation speed and firing speed are linked together. What makes it more interesting is how it has a 25% benefit-consuming penalty. This means that if you want to make the weapon stronger, you'll need to achieve 81% (on post-Plantera)/104% (on post-Golem) melee speed. Even if it doesn't fit with the high-risk, high-reward appeal, what I love about the weapon is that it wants you to invest in a more unique strategy not seen with most, if not all, other melee weapons in the game. Using gloves is obvious, but it also gives the Violent reforge a much more reasonable chance. At this point, I don't care if the Terra Blade is stupidly strong; this is just really satisfying. It may not fit amazingly with tank builds, but again, it wouldn't matter much. The Terra Blade may be in a weird spot, especially considering the discussions surrounding the weapon, but I still have a soft spot for it. Hell, I even used it on the Moon Lord, and I'd argue that it's viable for the boss, even though the Daybreak is obviously a much more appropriate choice. And that's ignoring just how impressive and visually pleasing the projectiles look. Not the craziest look, sure, but it still has a very dynamic aesthetic when you think about it. All in all, the Terra Blade achieved its legendary status very well.
No. 2 - Zenith (in modded playthroughs)
...should I feel ashamed? Look, I can already hear your laughs from a distance because of a conclusion I went with, but the Zenith. No, really, THE ZENITH. A baby's first delete button, complicated regarding discussions, let's-watch-something-on-your-other-device weapon. You would think that the Zenith is just as enjoyable as sliced bread, and on the surface, that's perfectly understandable. On Vanilla, it's the strongest weapon in the game, and contrary to your journey and its achievements, that might be for the wrong reasons. But make no mistake, if you ignore the overpoweredness, the Zenith is surprisingly well-designed. It may be a follow-the-cursor weapon, but its animation and how it feels to use are just great. The reason why I have the Zenith THIS HIGH is because of how it's used on modded playthroughs. You see, all mod developers agree that the Zenith needed proper balancing, and they truly went with it. The statement I said with the Zenith perfectly translates into modded playthroughs. Again, it's not as crazy as something like the Ark weapons, but I still really love it more because of its perfect blend between simplicity and complexity. Even if it doesn't have as much depth as one would think, in other points, it's just really fun messing around with this weapon, regardless of what scenario. Although resource packs don't affect my criteria at all, I should also mention just how amazing the resource packs that affect the Zenith's sprite are. Now, yes, I fully agree that the Zenith really needs proper balancing in vanilla, even for endgame standards, which is why I only use it when I feel like needing to clear things up quickly. I usually treat it as more of a trophy because of that. But in modded playthroughs, I should hold your hand for a moment and argue that it's desperately kino.
Honorable mentions
Before I get into the number one, allow me to share some weapons I adore but didn't make it to my list:
Slime King's Slasher + Slime Slinging Slasher (Fargo's Souls) - Very fun high-risk, high-reward weapons with great animations, but not as fun as the other weapons in the top 10.
The Penetrator (Fargo's Souls) - Very impressive mechanics all around, and it looks absolutely brilliant. If there were more challenges for Fargo's Souls' endgame, though, I would have put this weapon somewhere in the top 10 list.
Sylvestaff (Calamity) - Idk, it just looks very satisfying, both in sprite and when using it.
Daedalus Stormbow - A similar case said here, the raining arrows are very fun to look at.
No. 1 - Bubble Gun + Razorblade Typhoon
Now, we finally get to my personal favorite weapons in all of Terraria, the duo between the Bubble Gun and the Razorblade Typhoon. These weapons are blatantly simple initially, but when you consider their functions, especially considering that they're both Duke Fishron drops, they form a perfect synergy. I've been talking about the enjoyable high-risk and high-reward weapons many times now, but I think these weapons hit the nail the most. The Bubble Gun has the highest single-target DPS of any vanilla weapon, regardless of progression that isn't pre-Moon Lord and above. What seemingly counters the weapon is its short range, but its lingering bubbles make it quite easy to kite bosses. Yes, even the Moon Lord. As for the Razorblade, it's a homing weapon, but regarding design and fun factor, it's done right. It's more suited for mobbing, and while it's still viable for bosses, the damage is lower. At the end of the day, though, why argue which of the two is better when you can just have both? Their synergies may not be very complex, but they're well handled in all dimensions, and they're the reason why I fundamentally reject said arguments. I've been playing a lot of mage in Terraria, and almost all of my enjoyment comes from these two weapons. They single-handedly emphasize my love and appreciation for hardmode Mage in general. All in all, I don't see how I can let go of these weapons.
Conclusion
And that does it, a list of the ten weapons I consider to be the most fun, no matter what. Feel free to share what your personal favorite weapons are, whether vanilla or modded. And that's all I have.
Ciao
When it comes to complimenting Terraria regarding gameplay quality and such, one of my personal favorite aspects of the game is its weaponry. For some time now, I've been talking about certain weapons based on viability, strategizing, and so on. But I figured that I would opt for a break from that optimization mumbo jumbo. Today, I would like to talk about my top 10 favorite weapons of all time, both vanilla and modded. These 10 weapons are ranked based on enjoyment and enjoyment only. Now, similar to my boss ranking, a list like this would be 100% subjective, but there are some major points I still want to take into account. Does a weapon manage to use its gimmick well? Does it have a feature that's not directly shown, but is discovered through a unique strategy, and that strategy will hold attention longer? Are there meta weapons fun? Are there non-meta weapons fun? There are a lot of other points I can pull out of my pants pockets, but I figured that these are the criteria I'm most comfortable sticking with. I'm definitely sure that other people around have their own ways of enjoying their weapons, and regardless of what specific criteria are involved, that's perfectly fine. So, with all of this out of the way, let's start playing with our toys like Chuck Norris.
No. 10 - Whips (in general)
So already, we're starting with quite possibly one of the most complicated weapon types in the game. When whips were introduced, a good number of players were not sure how they felt about being in Terraria as a whole. And to my observation, that's quite understandable. Hell, I was one of the few people who weren't fond of whips. But as soon as I gained a better understanding of whips when I was playing my second summoner run in 1.4, whips truly grew on me. They turned summoner from what was a boring, glorified AFK class (summoner is still good for AFK, if you're farming items while focusing on other priorities, outside of Terraria) to a high-risk, high-reward beast tamer. You see, a summoner would see minions as their own friendly troops, and while that doesn't necessarily benefit gameplay value, it's still very fitting for the class. Whips, however, still provide very engaging values with certain tricks, which brings us to whip stacking, which might be the most interesting thing in the game. Whip stacking takes a while to get into, due to needing the right timing, but once you get the hang of it, those numbers do shine quite perfectly, and it's not even remotely painful to sit through anyway. Whip stacking is practically a great case of hard to learn but easy to master. Now, I'll admit that whips can be a little bit same-y at times, which prevents me from putting them higher in this list, but whips are still very fun weapons for me to mess around with.
No. 9 - Ghastly Glaive
Spears are one of my least favorite weapon types in the game, hell, only second to yoyos. While a good number of them compensate by having projectiles and/or special effects, for most of the gameplay, almost all of them are just painfully same-y, except for one... This is the Ghastly Glaive, a rare drop from the Ogre. This one is actually special, because its animation is different from all the other spears. On top of that, every time you land a hit on an enemy, it creates ghosts around them. Realistically speaking, it's not the most interesting thing in the world, but I still think it's a fun weapon. Having to play around with this thing, going closer to an enemy, and creating these ghosts whenever you land a successful hit is simple but very enjoyable. It's such a shame that in its current state, it lacks viability and falls short compared to the Gungnir and Mushroom Spear. If it gained more use, I would have put this higher. But needless to say, I still love this weapon.
No. 8 - Ark of the Cosmos + components (Calamity)
Of all the melee weapons in Calamity, they gave the Ark of the Cosmos and its predecessors the most complex weapon mechanics in the mod, and much to my surprise, they're hella fun. The Ark weapons have different animations than most melee weapons. Now that doesn't say much, but what makes these weapons very appealing is how they function. From the Fractured Ark to the Ark of the Ancients, they're true melee weapons that get stronger and/or more versatile whenever you parry, but that parry requires right timing. Once you get to the Ark of the Elements and above, they turn into homing weapons, but they aren't very powerful if you still ignore the parry. I think the parry mechanic makes the weapons enjoyable. Like the whips, they're hard to learn but easy to master. Not as risky as the whips, though, but they're still fun to learn regardless. I also want to mention just how satisfying the sound effects are. Very fun to hear and very fitting for the weapons. These weapons used to be your standard homing melee weapons back in the old days, which I personally don't mind, but I'm glad these reworks are truly deserved.
No. 7 - Flinx Staff
Now I can already hear you yelling: "How the hell can a simple pre-hardmode weapon in vanilla be any more enjoyable than the Ark weapons of all things?" Hear me out for a sec: on the surface, this weapon isn't any more special. They're jumping minions that you get from starter enemies. But worry not, the Flinx Staff unlocks some interesting strategies. You see, the Flinx Staff is a fast-hitting minion with perfect AI, at the cost of some base damage. You can alleviate these issues by wearing the Flinx coat, wearing the Shark Tooth Necklace, and using whips. Heck, the Flinxs are especially potent with whip stacking, as mentioned earlier. If you think it ends here, it doesn't. Flinx Staff also unlocks a new and interesting strategy that most players should give a try: minion-mixing. The Flinx Staff is a perfect minion to pair with a single Vampire Frog Staff and/or Finch Staff use, for example, and even in late pre-hardmode with the Hornet Staff and the Imp Staff. It's not a lot of depth, but the Flinx Staff is just very enjoyable because of these things. Hell, these things even manage to alleviate annoying enemies, with how well they blend with each other, even ignoring whips if you want to rest for a bit. I can talk about more points regarding the Flinx Staff, but these points mentioned are more than enough to justify my love and appreciation for the weapon.
No. 6 - Volcano
Here, we have one of my personal favorite weapon reworks in all of vanilla Terraria, the Volcano (RIP, 'Fiery Greatsword' is a much more badass name). This weapon is slow, but once you land a successful hit, it creates a potent explosion. Now, this weapon may not be as much, but if you're fighting Queen Bee, Deerclops, and/or Skeletron with this thing, there's a lot of fun involved. This is yet another high-risk, high-reward weapon. Fighting the aforementioned bosses is risky, but once you pull it off, you'll be gifted with some 5-star gourmet-esque meals. As I keep repeating, it's not punishing to learn the curve, especially when you consider that the Volcano is a part of the melee class. Besides, the Volcano is one of, if not the best, options for those bosses. The Night's Edge, an upgrade to it, is a fun weapon, but not as fun as the Volcano, which makes me a bit sad that I don't get to use this on the Wall of Flesh outside of risky challenges. But all in all, I love the Volcano
No. 5 - Kingsbane (Calamity)
Finally jumping into the top 5, we have my personal favorite weapon in all of Calamity, the Kingsbane (formerly known as the 'Minigun'). When you pull out this gun, it has a slow rev, and for a very short time, it begins to spew out a stream of bullets. Once you stop firing, it releases Auric bullets that are more powerful than the base bullets, at the cost of your position. Again, this doesn't seem too crazy or anything until you use more of this weapon in a real playthrough. I think the ragdoll mechanic truly makes for 2 very impactful scenarios. You can use the burst fire for insane damage, especially when you save your rage and/or adrenaline well, but you'll be put in a riskier position, or you can risk the damage output for a safer escape route. You know how the Exo Mechs and SWCal design their bullet hells? Choosing either of these 2 scenarios would make the strategies on either of these two bosses not only very effective but also very enjoyable (except when you rock on the Exo box on the latter boss, but that's besides the point). Once again, this is a very enjoyable high-risk, high-reward weapon. The best part about this weapon is that its primary fire (normally firing bullets of your selection) is still really great in every scenario you're put in, whether you're fighting the Exo Mechs or SWCal. It's not as complex as the Ark weapons, but I still enjoy this weapon more. It's such a shame that the Soma Prime, AN UPGRADE TO THE KINGSBANE, doesn't hold the same appeal, but I guess it wouldn't matter much. The Kingsbane is just amazing, with the simple yet fun and engaging mechanics, very badass aesthetic, and satisfying animation, making for a very addictive toy and further emphasizing the minigun aesthetic quite perfectly, all while still retaining very high viability.
No. 4 - Blade Staff
Such a shame that I have to end the summoner praise trilogy, but I guess it's for the better. Anyway, the Blade Staff is absolutely enjoyable. It's very similar to the Flinx Staff, and it has perfect AI and a fast hit rate, at the cost of damage. Now, this weapon may not fit well with minion mixing or hybrid summoners, but what still beats the Flinx Staff is just how satisfying it is to use all around. The Blade Staff excels at crowd control, and while that may not seem such, you're still playing with a lot of fire. Going back to the recurring theme of high-risk and high-reward weapons, the Blade Staff is especially hella satisfying with whip-stacking. This is particularly very versatile when paired with the Cool Whip. Hell, I'd argue that it holds up in post-Plantera well, where it excels greatly with mobbing the dungeon, where you can easily get your hands on the Mourning Star. And it even does great in Pumpkin Moon, where you can get your hands on Dark Harvest and Raven Staff (mainly Darvest, though), and/or the Solar Eclipse, where you can attain the Deadly Sphere Staff without sweat. Realistically speaking, the Sanguine staff is better for the mech bosses, pre-mech Duke, and hybrid setups, but the amount of benefits the Blade Staff holds for mobbing enemies around and events still beat the former. And besides, the learning curve of the Blade Staff is unmatched when it comes to both game design and enjoyment. Overall, the Blade Staff may be arguably an overpowered weapon, but let's be honest, you can practically say the same logic with pretty much half of the weapons featured in this list, and just because something is overpowered, it doesn't mean it's not a fun item to play around with. The Blade Staff is one of the best examples for that. Speaking of overpowered but fun weapons...
No. 3 - Terra Blade
Here, we have one of, if not the most iconic weapons in all of Terraria, and looking at how it's reworked in 1.4.4, that iconicity is well-deserved. The Terra Blade, as I keep saying, may be a simple weapon that's very powerful in all scenarios, but that power can be achieved through a specific strategy. I already explained how this strategy works in this post, but to summarize: the Terra Blade is much stronger when you invest in a good amount of melee speed. The Terra Blade is a unique projectile melee weapon because both its animation speed and firing speed are linked together. What makes it more interesting is how it has a 25% benefit-consuming penalty. This means that if you want to make the weapon stronger, you'll need to achieve 81% (on post-Plantera)/104% (on post-Golem) melee speed. Even if it doesn't fit with the high-risk, high-reward appeal, what I love about the weapon is that it wants you to invest in a more unique strategy not seen with most, if not all, other melee weapons in the game. Using gloves is obvious, but it also gives the Violent reforge a much more reasonable chance. At this point, I don't care if the Terra Blade is stupidly strong; this is just really satisfying. It may not fit amazingly with tank builds, but again, it wouldn't matter much. The Terra Blade may be in a weird spot, especially considering the discussions surrounding the weapon, but I still have a soft spot for it. Hell, I even used it on the Moon Lord, and I'd argue that it's viable for the boss, even though the Daybreak is obviously a much more appropriate choice. And that's ignoring just how impressive and visually pleasing the projectiles look. Not the craziest look, sure, but it still has a very dynamic aesthetic when you think about it. All in all, the Terra Blade achieved its legendary status very well.
No. 2 - Zenith (in modded playthroughs)
...should I feel ashamed? Look, I can already hear your laughs from a distance because of a conclusion I went with, but the Zenith. No, really, THE ZENITH. A baby's first delete button, complicated regarding discussions, let's-watch-something-on-your-other-device weapon. You would think that the Zenith is just as enjoyable as sliced bread, and on the surface, that's perfectly understandable. On Vanilla, it's the strongest weapon in the game, and contrary to your journey and its achievements, that might be for the wrong reasons. But make no mistake, if you ignore the overpoweredness, the Zenith is surprisingly well-designed. It may be a follow-the-cursor weapon, but its animation and how it feels to use are just great. The reason why I have the Zenith THIS HIGH is because of how it's used on modded playthroughs. You see, all mod developers agree that the Zenith needed proper balancing, and they truly went with it. The statement I said with the Zenith perfectly translates into modded playthroughs. Again, it's not as crazy as something like the Ark weapons, but I still really love it more because of its perfect blend between simplicity and complexity. Even if it doesn't have as much depth as one would think, in other points, it's just really fun messing around with this weapon, regardless of what scenario. Although resource packs don't affect my criteria at all, I should also mention just how amazing the resource packs that affect the Zenith's sprite are. Now, yes, I fully agree that the Zenith really needs proper balancing in vanilla, even for endgame standards, which is why I only use it when I feel like needing to clear things up quickly. I usually treat it as more of a trophy because of that. But in modded playthroughs, I should hold your hand for a moment and argue that it's desperately kino.
Honorable mentions
Before I get into the number one, allow me to share some weapons I adore but didn't make it to my list:
Slime King's Slasher + Slime Slinging Slasher (Fargo's Souls) - Very fun high-risk, high-reward weapons with great animations, but not as fun as the other weapons in the top 10.
The Penetrator (Fargo's Souls) - Very impressive mechanics all around, and it looks absolutely brilliant. If there were more challenges for Fargo's Souls' endgame, though, I would have put this weapon somewhere in the top 10 list.
Sylvestaff (Calamity) - Idk, it just looks very satisfying, both in sprite and when using it.
Daedalus Stormbow - A similar case said here, the raining arrows are very fun to look at.
No. 1 - Bubble Gun + Razorblade Typhoon
Now, we finally get to my personal favorite weapons in all of Terraria, the duo between the Bubble Gun and the Razorblade Typhoon. These weapons are blatantly simple initially, but when you consider their functions, especially considering that they're both Duke Fishron drops, they form a perfect synergy. I've been talking about the enjoyable high-risk and high-reward weapons many times now, but I think these weapons hit the nail the most. The Bubble Gun has the highest single-target DPS of any vanilla weapon, regardless of progression that isn't pre-Moon Lord and above. What seemingly counters the weapon is its short range, but its lingering bubbles make it quite easy to kite bosses. Yes, even the Moon Lord. As for the Razorblade, it's a homing weapon, but regarding design and fun factor, it's done right. It's more suited for mobbing, and while it's still viable for bosses, the damage is lower. At the end of the day, though, why argue which of the two is better when you can just have both? Their synergies may not be very complex, but they're well handled in all dimensions, and they're the reason why I fundamentally reject said arguments. I've been playing a lot of mage in Terraria, and almost all of my enjoyment comes from these two weapons. They single-handedly emphasize my love and appreciation for hardmode Mage in general. All in all, I don't see how I can let go of these weapons.
Conclusion
And that does it, a list of the ten weapons I consider to be the most fun, no matter what. Feel free to share what your personal favorite weapons are, whether vanilla or modded. And that's all I have.
Ciao
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