There are two things necessary to survive in Terraria: weapons and armor. Without them, you’ll find yourself at the mercy of all manner of monsters, ghouls, and aliens. Weapons are a story for another time, so, for now, we’ll be focusing on some of the best armor sets the game has to offer, and why they’re awesome.
Armor is used to protect your character from damage, and there are currently a total of 67 available armor sets since the latest major update. Whether you’re a mage, a warrior, or a ranger (or any combination of those three), there’s something out there for you in the world of Terraria.
With all that said, it is difficult to determine the “best” armor in Terraria. Ultimately, this depends on the player’s personal taste. So, for the purposes of this list, we will be considering factors like set bonuses and base defense. Let’s get to it!
5. Hallowed Armor
Behold this majestic set made of holy metals! Believe it or not, Hallowed Armor carries some decent defense despite being accessible in early Hardmode. But what makes it better is its set bonuses. The bonuses depend on the helmet you’ve chosen. For example, your character can have 20% reduced mana usage with the headgear equipped, 25% chance to not consume ammo with the helmet, and 19% melee and movement speed with the mask. The set is a great choice for early and even mid-Hardmode as it offers nice defense and some handy features.
Hallowed Armor stats:
Headgear:
- Defense: 5
- Increases mana by 100 points
- 20% increased magic damage and critical strike chance
Helmet:
- Defense: 9
- 15% increased ranged damage
- 8% increased ranged critical strike chance
Mask:
- Defense: 24
- 10% increased melee damage and critical strike chance
- 10% increased melee speed
Plate mail:
- Defense: 15
- 7% increased critical strike chance
Greaves:
- Defense: 11
- 7% increased damage and 8% increased movement speed
The Hallowed Armor set is a holy relic of ages past. It glows with magical light and carries with it many helpful powers. This set is perfect for mages, warriors, or rangers looking for good armor early into Hardmode.
How to get Hallowed Armor:
- Like many armor sets, the Hallowed Armor must be crafted.
- To do so, the player must first enter Hardmode by slaying the Wall of Flesh in the Underworld.
- After entering Hardmode, you must at least two of the mechanical bosses who all drop Hallowed Bars. You will need 54 of these to craft the entire set. Once you have obtained the materials, you must craft the armor at a Mythril or Orichalcum Anvil.
4. Stardust Armor
From the stars, a great beast has come to destroy your world. But you have defeated the creature and used its otherworldly treasures to craft the Stardust Armor. This set is perfect for summoners, players who like to have an entourage of helpful minions to do their bidding. The Stardust set allows you to summon five additional minions and each piece increases your minions’ damage by 22%. Not only that, but the set also summons its own unique minion when equipped, the Stardust Guardian, to stand watch and protect you from foes.
Stardust Armor stats:
Helmet:
- Defense: 10
- Increases your maximum number of minions
- Increases minion damage by 22%
Plate:
- Defense: 16
- Increases your maximum number of minions
- Increases minion damage by 22%
Leggings:
- Defense: 12
- Increases your maximum number of minions
- Increases your minion damage by 22%
The Stardust Armor allows you to build your own army to combat the forces of evil. Command your minions to destroy bosses and monsters as if they were nothing, wielding the power of the stars. This set can be extremely entertaining to use. It’s hilarious to watch that terrifying boss get torn to pieces without even having to touch it. With your army in tow, you are nearly untouchable.
How to get Stardust Armor:
- In order to obtain this set, you must first defeat the Lunatic Cultist. Slaying the Cultist will trigger an alien invasion.
- The Stardust pillar must be destroyed, and the player must collect the leftover Stardust Fragments. Now that you have gathered the fragments, the remaining three pillars must be destroyed. Once you have defeated the invading aliens, the game’s final boss, Moon Lord, will invade your world. Defeat him to obtain Luminite, the primary ingredient of the set.
- Crafting the armor requires 45 Stardust Fragments and 36 Luminite Bars (crafted at the Ancient Manipulator dropped by the Cultist boss), meaning that you may have to defeat Moon Lord twice. You will have to transform some of the other fragments collected from each pillar into Stardust Fragments, or you may simply fight the invasion again the next day to gather enough.
- Once you have the necessary materials, the armor set can be crafted at the Ancient Manipulator.
3. Vortex Armor
Are you gunslinger, a sniper, or a stealthy assassin? Then this set is for you! Vortex Armor is perfect for those with an itchy trigger finger or with a sneaky disposition. It grants some awesome bonuses for rangers and also looks really cool. Plus, it has an intrinsic stealth effect that allows the wearer to disappear when standing still.
Vortex Armor stats:
Helmet:
- Defense: 14
- 16% increased ranged damage
- 7% increased ranged critical strike chance
Breastplate:
- Defense: 28
- 12% increased ranged damage and critical strike chance
- 25% chance to not consume ammo
Leggings:
- Defense: 20
- 8% increased ranged damage and critical strike chance
- 10% increased movement speed
Made of otherworldly materials, this epic looking armor transforms the wearer into a stealthy killing machine. With the right accessories and weapons, the Vortex Armor is the best choice for rangers.
How to get Vortex Armor:
- As with the other three post-Moon Lord armor sets, the Vortex Armor is crafted with Luminite Bars.
- After defeating the Lunatic Cultist boss, defeat the Vortex Pillar that invades your world and collect the Vortex Fragments. You will need 45 of these, meaning that you will have to use other fragments and convert them to Vortex Fragments, or you will need the fight the invasion a second time.
- Once you have defeated Moon Lord after he is summoned into your world, use the Luminite to craft Luminite Bars at the Ancient Manipulator dropped by the Cultist. The set requires 36 bars to craft. You may have to fight Moon Lord twice to get enough of these.
2. Nebula Armor
Looking like something straight out of League of Legends or Grim Dawn, the Nebula Armor is the game’s best set for delvers into the arcane. It provides an extra 60 mana points, 26% magic damage, 16% magic critical strike chance, -15% mana usage, and 10% movement speed. All in all, it is extremely powerful for mages.
Nebula Armor stats:
Helmet:
- Defense: 14
- Increases mana by 60
- Reduces mana usage by 15%
- 7% increased magic damage and critical strike chance
Breastplate:
- Defense: 18
- 9% increased magic damage and critical strike chance
Leggings:
- Defense: 14
- 10% increased magic damage
- 10% increased movement speed
This mysterious set of armor is perfect for the magically inclined, those who prefer careful tactics and less up-close-and-personal combat styles. Plus, it looks awesome, even a little spooky, like it could be worn by some sort of dark wizard. After all, fashion is always a bonus in Terraria. Aside from the cool appearance, when the player deals damage with projectiles of any kind, the set produces small ghostly apparitions that when touched grant HP, mana, and damage buffs to the player.
How to get Nebula Armor:
- The Nebula Armor is a post-Moon Lord item, meaning that the final boss must be defeated before it can be crafted.
- First, you must defeat the Lunatic Cultist boss and then the four alien pillars that invade your world.
- After defeating Moon Lord when he is summoned into your world, use the Luminite he drops to craft Luminate Bars. You will need 36 of these and 45 of the Nebula Fragments obtained from the alien invasion. Remember that you may need to defeat Moon Lord twice to obtain enough Luminite. Once you have enough, use an Ancient Manipulator to craft the armor.
1. Solar Flare Armor
And now, the grand finale. The might of the sun rests within this heavenly plate armor. This set is probably the best choice for those seeking to tank through hits and deal crazy amounts of damage in the process. Adorn yourself with this fiery set of armor and smite your foes!
This set grants you an extra 17% melee critical strike chance, 22% melee damage, and 15% melee speed. Alongside the buffs, it also grants you a shield called Solar Blaze that allows you to dash forward by double-tapping A or D and smash into enemies, dealing considerable damage. Solar Blaze also protects the wearer by giving them an additional 30% resistance to damage.
Solar Flare Armor stats:
Helmet:
- Defense: 24
- 17% increased melee critical strike chance
- Enemies are more likely to target you
Breastplate:
- Defense: 34
- 22% increased melee damage
- Enemies are more likely to target you
Leggings:
- Defense: 20
- 15% increased movement and melee speed
- Enemies are more likely to target you
If you wish to go to battle with strength on your side, then choose this majestic suit of armor. Wings of fire on your back and a shield at your front, you will pave the way to victory.
How to get Solar Flare Armor:
- As with the Nebula, Vortex, and Stardust sets, Solar Flare armor is crafted with Luminite dropped by Moon Lord.
- First, defeat the Lunatic Cultist boss and the proceeding alien invasion and defeat all four pillars, collecting the Solar Fragments in the process. You will need 45 of these, so make sure to transform some of the other fragments into Solar Fragments at an Ancient Manipulator. Or, if you wish, simply fight the event again the next day.
- After defeating Moon Lord, smelt the Luminite into Luminite Bars at an Ancient Manipulator and craft the set. If Moon Lord did not drop enough Luminite, you will have to slay him again. Good luck!
With all this new-found knowledge, go forth and battle the evil of Terraria without fear! May your armor protect you, Terrarian.
You may also be interested in:
