In an early version of the hit action-adventure sandbox game Terraria, the summoner profession is one of the worst professions. There are almost no summoner minions available, making it nearly impossible to complete the entire game as a pure summoner.
However, the latest game update has changed this so there are a lot of different possible minions to choose from. While this makes it easier for players to incorporate class elements or become summoners entirely throughout the game, it can be difficult to know which minions are the best.
Imp
Imps deal the most damage with a single attack of all pre-Hardmode minions. Since it can fly anywhere and through anything, it can usually hit most enemies unless they are underwater. The Imp’s attacks cause the target to lose some extra health due to “Fire!” Debuff, Imp was a good damage dealer before Wall of Flesh.
However, Imps also attack much slower than other minions. Additionally, in order to obtain the Imp Staff, players need to obtain it from one of the Shadow Chests or by crafting 17 Hellstone Bars. If the player has become a full summoner by now and has the Vampire Frog Staff or the Flinx Staff, then this extra work is unnecessary as the player is about to enter Hardmode, which means the player will need the new weapon anyway .
vampire frog
The vampire frog minion is arguably the best minion before Hardmode. Terraria Because they deal a lot of quick damage to enemies. Because they are fast, can jump, and deal contact damage, Vampire Frogs can even take out some early Hardmode enemies quickly, meaning this minion is a good long-term investment before Hardmode.
The only problem is that Vampire Frogs are hard to come by. Players need to use the survival skill Fishing to obtain this staff and kill zombie merfolk or wandering eye fish during the blood moon. While minions are worth the effort, players may not even get the Blood Moon before Hardmode.
Frinks
While the Flinx minions don’t do as much damage with a single attack as the Imp or the Vampire Frog, these furry minions make up for it in other ways. Unlike other pre-Hardmode minions that are difficult to obtain, players only need 6 Flinx Pelts and 10 Gold or Platinum Bars to craft the Flinx Staff at a workbench. These minions are fast and agile, which means they deal a lot of damage over time.
Unlike vampire frogs, which can easily become trapped behind walls, Flinx minions are able to keep up with the player. One issue is that players must enter the Ice biome to obtain the Flinx pelt, which can be a dangerous biome early in the game.
spider
The first thing Summoner players should do once they enter Hardmode is try to find the Spider biome if they haven’t already. If the player kills enough spiders and obtains 16 Spider Fangs, they can craft a Spider Staff on an Anvil or Lead Anvil. Since it doesn’t require any new ores and is easy to craft, it’s a great weapon to have at the start of Hardmode.
Spiders deal significantly more damage than any pre-Hardmode minion, and they can climb walls. Their attacks also inflict the “Venom” debuff, which adds even more damage. However, these minions don’t always work best against bosses, as they tend to behave strangely on the platform.
desert tiger
After defeating Plantera, players can finally use the Biome Key to open the Biome Chest in the dungeon. In the desert chest, players will receive the Desert Tiger Staff. Unlike other summoner minions that summon multiple creatures, this staff summons only one Desert Tiger, and each additional summon makes the Desert Tiger stronger and faster.
Depending on how many minions the player can summon at one time, the Desert Tiger can become an extremely powerful ally. However, the fact that it’s only a minion and can’t fly makes it less viable than other post-Plantera minions. Additionally, obtaining the Desert Key is extremely rare, so players may only be able to obtain it after a better option becomes available.
plunder
After defeating Plantera, players have a chance to encounter Pumpkin Moon. During this event, there is a mini-boss called the Pumpkin King, which may drop the Raven Staff if defeated. This cute flying minion is capable of dealing a ton of damage.
However, similar to the Vampire Frog Staff, the drawback of this minion is that it can only be obtained through random events and may not even be available to the player. Additionally, the AI can be a bit unreliable, as the birds like to return to the player before killing an enemy. However, if the player likes to attack bosses up close, then this minion is perfect.
stardust cells
After defeating the Lunatic Cultists and Stardust Pillars, players can use 18 Stardust Shards on the Ancient Manipulator to craft a sci-fi weapon: the Stardust Cell Staff. The staff summons a Stardust Cell, which teleports to enemies and fires mini versions of the Stardust Cell at them, which then stick to the enemy and deal damage over time.
If you combine this staff with the Summoner’s Whip, these minions can deal massive damage to other enemies. The only downside is that the way it works is a bit difficult to get used to, and it can only be used before the final boss. However, if players learn to use it correctly, it can be a devastating weapon that can kill every boss in the game with ease.
blood red bat
If the player is fishing during the Blood Moon on Hardmode, the player may encounter the Nautilus Dire, which drops a Blood Staff when defeated. In addition to high damage and fast speed, Crimson Bats are great minions as they have one of the best AI of any minion in the game.
Even near the end of the game, the Blood Red Bat can still hold its own and be a good companion to the player. While players will need to fish, and the Dread Nautilus is relatively rare, the Blood Staff has a high drop rate, and players may be prepared to seek it out during the Blood Moon in Hardmode.
magic dagger
The Slime Queen is an optional boss that many players tend to skip when playing the game, but this enemy has a good chance of dropping one of the best staffs in the game: the Blade Staff. Similar to the Crimson Bat, the enchanted dagger minions in Blade Staff are incredibly fast and have one of the best artificial intelligences in the game. However, the magic dagger is faster and can easily stun enemies. Sometimes, it can even protect the player from enemy attacks.
While it seems to deal less damage based on its stats, it ignores a large portion of the enemy’s defense, making it stronger. While players will need to fight additional bosses to obtain the Sword Staff, the Slime Queen is easy to summon and not as difficult as other Hardmode bosses.
stardust dragon
Players can use the same materials to craft the Stardust Dragon Staff instead of crafting the Stardust Cell Staff. Like the Desert Tiger Staff, the Stardust Dragon Staff does not summon multiple minions. Each additional summon makes a single Stardust Dragon minion longer, stronger, and faster.
With the right equipment, Stardust Dragon can easily defeat Moon Lord. The only downside to this powerful minion is that it only appears at the end of the game, and it’s easy to accidentally kill enemies the player didn’t intend to kill.