January 11, 2026 2:51 AM EST
Early weapon progression is about efficiency, not aesthetics. Start with
Wooden Sword (skip it), rush
Cactus Sword (19 damage, easy desert farm), then grab
Ice Boomerang from underground Ice chests (21 damage, pierces). First major upgrade:
Reaver Shark from Ocean fishing (40% pickaxe power, mines Hellstone pre-Hardmode) or
Vilethorn from Corruption orbs (pierces, wrecks early bosses).
Minishark (35 gold from Arms Dealer) is the best pre-Hardmode ranged weapon—pair with Meteor Shot for piercing.
Space Gun with Meteor Armor (0 mana cost) is mage meta until Hardmode.
Bee Gun from Queen Bee is summoner starter. Don't waste time on the
Fiery Greatsword—it's slow and outclassed by
Night's Edge (craftable). Pro tip:
shurikens from pots are free, pierce, and kill Eye of Cthulhu in 2 minutes. My first expert run, I beat every pre-Hardmode boss with shurikens and a rope coil. Gear is secondary to strategy.
Terraria