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For detailed armor set recommendations at every stage of the game, see Guide:Armor progression

Terraria has no formal player class or leveling system. However, weapons can be grouped into four distinct categories based on their damage type – melee, ranged, magic, and summoning. Each class has its strengths and weaknesses and has a wide variety of weapons to choose from.

Melee – sports the highest defense on average and decent crowd control, but many melee weapons have short attack range, and those that do attack from a distance tend to have below-average DPS .

. Ranged – powerful class with very high single-target damage output from a usually long range. Ranged users must gather materials to craft ammunition or buy it from the Arms Dealer.

Magic – fragile but highly varied in attack style, often utilizing special mechanics such as homing, lifesteal, and area-of-effect damage. It is held back by reliance on mana, which regenerates very slowly unless the Mana Regeneration buff is in effect. Magic users must craft or purchase mana potions if they wish to use high-mana cost weapons for extended periods of time.

Summoning – good at farming enemies, but most summoning armors have low defense, and summons are often inaccurate against enemies that move very quickly. Whips

Each class gains more complex abilities as the game progresses, enabling more strategic variety in combat. It is advised for players to try out every weapon they find to help determine what works best for them. It is also recommended to use buff potions and healing potions to increase efficiency and survivability in combat (especially during events and boss fights).

In general, it is recommended to focus on one class. Many armors, accessories, and buffs only benefit a specific class, especially later into the game. Nonetheless, even when not specifically using a hybrid set, backup weapons from another class can be helpful should the situation require a different weapon. Furthermore, each class has at least one minion slot, so it is recommended to have it utilized at all times.

Prior to encountering a boss, set bonuses from wooden and ore armor will almost exclusively provide additional defense, and accessories will not discriminate by weapon type when giving bonuses. When combined with the general scarcity of weapons and the need to survive, there is little point to sticking to a "class" this early on. For these reasons, players are recommended to make use of whatever they can get their hands on. (Note that Shadewood and Ebonwood are the best variants of the wooden equipment, and even being better than Cactus equipment.)

Once you start defeating the first bosses new options become available. In addition, you should have enough mana to use magic weapons. However, the armors still only give small bonuses, so you can still safely mix class styles without a significant loss of damage. Dedicated summoners are still rather weak at this point, although their summoning items can be used by any class.

At this point in time, it starts to become important to pick a specific class. Many accessories will only benefit a certain class and armor sets start to notably affect your damage output. However, summoner hybridization remains not only viable, but extremely potent due to the availability of the powerful Sanguine Staff.

At this point, you may want to start working on getting good modifiers for your equipment as well.

This is the point where a mixed class becomes rather weak compared to a single class, mainly due to there being separate armor sets for each class. You can of course still play a mixed class, though it is recommended to have a backup armor set (e.g. in the vanity slots) so you can switch quickly for some additional damage or defense. Hallowed armor may be preferred for extra survivability.

With the Hardmode Dungeon and the Pumpkin Moon now available, players have access to a variety of new equipment. Furthermore, any Biome Keys you have obtained are now usable. Terraprisma, while very challenging to get with Pre-Golem gear, is extremely powerful through the rest of the game.

Equipment from Golem, Martian Invasion and the final tier of the Old One's Army is now available. Challenging Duke Fishron, Empress of Light and the Frost Moon is also now feasible.

At this point you can start using mixed class setups again, since you can kill everything easily. (except when fighting the Moon Lord).

These setups sacrifice part of their own damage to make boss fights smoother for the entire team. A tank keeping bosses in one place should, depending on your group size, result in the overall party's DPS being higher, due to less deaths, ease of aiming, and no situations where one player runs away with the boss while everyone else chases them. The healer helps increase survivability for their team, but sacrifices large amount of their own damage and defense.

Some equipment sets are not meant for fighting, but for other activities, such as fishing, building and exploring. All equipment is optional and makes it easier to perform the task, but otherwise simply use what is at hand.