Even though Terraria doesn’t have any official classes high weapon and gear versatility allows us to choose between four (or even five depending on how you look at it) main traditional classes. Those classes are melee, ranged, summoner and mage. Starting out, the game allows you to get familiar with the game’s class and weapon system so it’s not necessary to choose a class at the beginning. But, as the game progresses you will be forced to orient yourself toward a single specific class or you will be stretched too thin when it comes to buffs and gear.
Taking all of this into account we’ve decided to rank every class according to its usefulness in both solo and multiplayer modes. Before we begin with our ranking, it’s important to keep in mind that every class is useful and in theory balanced, the best class is the class that works for you. Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to see the best classes in Terraria ranked!
Best classes for solo play in Terraria
We’re starting our classes ranking with the single-player mode since it’s objectively the mode where you will be spending most of your time. Let’s see what the best classes for solo play are.
4. Summoner
Summoner is an excellent class with high damage output the thing with summoner classes though is the fact that it becomes viable a bit later than most classes and it’s difficult to play. It’s not as straightforward as most other classes and summoners are extraordinarily squishy which makes survivability a bit more complicated.
As a summoner, you will mostly rely on your summoned minions to deal most of your damage, although traditional weapons such as whips can be used during playing.
Most of your tactics should be oriented toward avoiding damage and maximizing your damage output which is not always easy to achieve.
All in all, Summoner is a great class if you know how to utilize its unconventional combat system. Everyone else will not have a good time, especially beginners.
3. Mage Class
Number 3 on our list of best classes for single-player mode in Terraria goes to the mage class. Again, just like with the summoner class mage class is not bad at all. It’s just that mages are squishy and don’t have good “trade-offs” like some other Terraria classes. As a mage, you have lots of varied strategies at your disposal, you can specialize in several “branches” of the mage class such as lifesteal, area-of-effect damage, etc.
The problem with mages is the fact that they are highly dependent on mana, especially early game. While it stops being a problem, later on, it makes no difference due to the fact that during the end-game you will be able to steamroll most enemies with any class. Problems with mana and squishiness are the reason why mage is our number 3 on this list.
2. Melee class
The second best class for single-player in Terrarira is the melee class. The melee class has decent survivability and decent damage output so what’s the catch why isn’t it the best class in Terraria? Well, the catch is you need to get close to your enemies in order to damage them significantly.
I mean you do have “ranged” weapons in a way but those deal much less damage than your short-ranged weapons. All in all, if you go with the melee class you can’t go wrong since it’s the easiest class in Terrarira to play with. You just stick them with the pointy end and keep your health above zero!
1. Ranged class
The best class to play Terraria single-player with is the ranged class. The ranged class has the most optimal survivability due to being able to attack enemies from distance. It has a decent damage output as well. The only drawback of the ranged class is the use of ammo, but that drawback is easily alleviated when you get to the point of acquiring Endless Quiver or Endless Musket Pouch. All in all, if you go with the Ranger, you can’t go wrong. You will be able to survive the most complicated of encounters while dealing decent damage.
Best classes for Multiplayer in Terraria
Now that we’ve covered single-player, it’s time to progress to the multiplayer mode. Our ranking will be different this time around due to each class having different mechanics while it’s part of a team. Traditional single-player roles are out of the question and the main factor in our ranking now is how much is a certain class useful to the team as a whole. Let’s check out the best classes for multiplayer in Terraria
4. Ranged class
The least useful class in Terrarira when it comes to multiplayer is the ranged class. It’s not that the class is bad, it just has little to offer when it comes to group fights. It has high enough DPS, and decent survivability but it’s the least supportive of all classes which makes it the worst for multiplayer. Rangers have naturally low aggro which means that all other group members will have to “soak up” hits. When it comes to compensating for this, you as a ranger have nothing to offer except for DPS that any other class can offer as well without losing aggro all the time.
Ranger IS NOT a bad class, it’s just not as useful as other classes.
3. Summoner
Summoner is number three on this list due to being hard to play once again, and it takes a lot of time to get good gear for this class. It has decent enough damage output. But that’s pretty much it.
2. Mage
Mage is an extremely versatile and useful class to have in multiplayer mode due to having a high AoE damage output. It’s one thing mages are known for in most other games as well. Mages can help out with healing as well which is an added plus.
1. Melee
At the top of our list of best Terraria classes for multiplayer, we have a melee class. I mean, you probably have a good idea why melee is the best, it’s because it’s the most useful part of the team. Melees usually take on the role of the tank in multiplayer which means they soak up the damage so other squishier classes (like mages and summoners) don’t have to.
Even if you don’t have high enough damage output, you can always take the hits from the boss and allow your other, more powerful teammates simply melt the boss.
What is the best Terraria class for solo play?
The best Terraria class for solo play is the ranged class. It’s simple, rangers can keep their distance while dealing large amounts of damage to bosses and other enemies. It’s a perfect mix between damage dealing and survivability. Endless Quiver or Endless Musket Pouch completely eliminates the drawback of having to use ammo/arrows.
What is the best class for Terraria multiplayer?
The best class for Terraria multiplayer is the melee class due to being the most useful. The melee class has excellent damage output and excellent survivability which make melees perfect tanks. You can’t go wrong with playing melee in multiplayer.
What is the best class in Terraria calamity?
Once again, all classes are in theory balanced and you should go with what makes you the most comfortable. But when it comes to the general ease of play I would say that melee is the best class in Terraria Calamity. Melee is not overly complicated to play it’s pretty straightforward when it comes to single-target damage.
And that’s pretty much it, I hope that you will find this guide useful, for some other tips and tricks regarding Terraria check out our guide on farming gold as well as our guide on taking down Ice Golem in Terraria!
