Like any good manager, delegation is one of your best tools. The best Terraria summoner weapons thrive not by swinging the sharpest blade or firing the fastest bullet, but by putting others to work. Each staff or whip you pick up is less about your own might and more about the team you assemble, from humble birds and frogs to celestial dragons. It is a playstyle built on patience and planning, rewarding those who prefer to orchestrate the fight rather than charge headfirst into it.
That is not to say life as a summoner is easy. The class often walks a fine line between feeling underpowered and overpowered, depending on the stage of the game and how well you support your minions with the right gear. But when it all clicks, few things match the satisfaction of watching an army you raised tear through bosses while you stand back, whip in hand, guiding the carnage.
Before we get into the journey best taken from Pre-Hardmode to Hardmode, it’s worth understanding the difference between a minion and a sentry. Sentries are stationary, stronger for defending a single point during wave-based events, but require re-summoning if you relocate. Thanks to the added mobility, minions are generally better, following you into battle. It entirely depends on whether you prefer to lead from the back or the front. Regardless, you can summon multiple of the same unit to better stack your odds.
Pre-Hardmode
Finch Staff
- Damage: 7
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 4
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
The Finch Staff is the earliest taste of summoner life for many players, dropping from Living Trees with a bit of luck. It might not seem much at first, summoning a lone bird minion to hover overhead and peck at enemies, but it gives you a companion long before most other classes find something reliable. It is a gentle introduction to the idea of indirect combat, and a handy tool for those who want to feel like a summoner from the very start.
Stats are modest, with 7 base damage and zero knockback, meaning it will not carry you into midgame. Still, for something acquired almost immediately, it punches above its weight and provides a constant stream of chip damage that adds up in early fights. It is hardly spectacular, but it sets the tone for the summoner path and makes you hungry for stronger companions.
Ballista Rod
- Damage: 30
- Mana cost: 5
- Knockback: 4.7
- Velocity: 1
- Speed: 30 (Average)
- Summon type: Sentry
The Ballista Rod is obtained from the Tavernkeep once you have beaten the Goblin Army, and it marks the point where summoners begin to appreciate the power of sentries. Dropping a ballista turret changes how you approach fights, letting you cover choke points or add extra pressure in boss arenas with piercing bolts that subdue multiple enemies at once.
Unlike minions, sentries stay fixed to the ground, so clever placement becomes just as important as raw power. It takes some grinding to be able to summon more than one sentry at a time, such as the War Table granting the Strategist buff and increasing your capacity by one, but the benefit here is that this doesn’t count towards your minion limit. Mix and match with multiple staves and you’ll be well on your way to victory.
Vampire Frog Staff
- Damage: 11
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 5
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
This is where pre-Hardmode summoning starts to get serious. The Vampire Frog Staff, obtained during the Blood Moon event by defeating Zombie Merman or Wandering Eye Fish, unleashes frogs that leap aggressively at enemies, tearing through them with surprising speed. They might not look intimidating, but these amphibians carry you further than any bird or slime, and suddenly the summoner class feels less like a gimmick and more like a viable playstyle.
Each frog deals 11 damage and strikes quickly, giving you rapid crowd control against swarms of enemies. For the pre-Hardmode stretch, they feel like a revelation. If you can survive the Blood Moon long enough to snag this staff, you will have one of the most dependable weapons of the entire early game.
Imp Staff
- Damage: 17
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 2
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
By the time you reach the Underworld, the Imp Staff becomes the standout pre-Hardmode choice. It is crafted with 17 Hellstone Bars, meaning you will need to brave lava lakes and fire imps, but the payoff is worth it. The summoned imps shoot fireballs from a distance, dealing reliable damage without getting into harm’s way. It’s a powerful weapon for Terraria boss fights, particularly against the Wall of Flesh where constant ranged pressure makes all the difference.
With a strong base damage and piercing fireballs that cut through enemies, the Imp Staff stands head and shoulders above other pre-Hardmode options. Its ability to keep enemies at range is a marked improvement over frogs and slimes, and it transitions neatly into early Hardmode before you find something stronger.
Hardmode
Spider Staff
- Damage: 26
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 3
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
Once you defeat the Wall of Flesh and enter Hardmode, the Spider Staff is often your first true upgrade. Pieced together from the 16 Spider Fans you farm from the new spider caves, the staff summons spiders that scuttle rapidly across the ground to overwhelm foes. These arachnids shred enemies at close range and make mechanical bosses far more manageable than they might otherwise be.
Each spider deals 26 damage with fast bites, and the fact that they stick to enemies makes them particularly effective against single targets. Their only drawback is their limited range, but inflicting the Acid Venom debuff for six health per second means they’ll make short work of their current target. Add the right armour and best Terraria accessories, and you can summon a small army to pave the way forward.
Queen Spider Staff
- Damage: 26
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 7.5
- Velocity: 14
- Speed: 30 (Average)
- Summon type: Sentry
Crafted from 24 Spider Fangs, this staff is an essential part of any Hardmode summoner’s toolkit. It raises a sentry that shoots eggs, which explode on impact, cause damage over time via the Acid Venom debuff, and spawn two baby spiders that latch onto the enemy. Most importantly, sentries do not consume minion slots, so you can pair a Queen Spider turret with a full roster of minions for a devastating mix.
The barrage of eggs inflicting base damage and multiple spiders spawning to chip away at enemies make the Queen Spider Staff a constant source of supplementary damage that scales beautifully with your growing minion count.
Raven Staff
- Damage: 55
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 3
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 28 (Average)
- Summon type: Minion
When Pumpkins are falling and Halloween looms, the Raven Staff becomes a spooky powerhouse. Dropped from the Pumpkin Moon event, it summons ravens that swoop down with ferocity and deal heavy hits. It is a weapon that immediately propels summoners into late Hardmode viability, giving you the tools to melt bosses and invasion waves alike.
Each raven deals a whopping amount of damage and attacks swiftly from the air, providing relentless harassment to enemies. With enough summons in play, the screen quickly becomes a blur of feathers and strikes that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud. While event-dependent, the Raven Staff is a serious upgrade that can carry you all the way to the endgame if you invest in supporting gear.
Stardust Dragon Staff
- Damage: 40
- Mana cost: 10
- Knockback: 2
- Velocity: 10
- Speed: 36 (Very Slow)
- Summon type: Minion
The Stardust Dragon Staff is the crown jewel of summoning, the weapon that makes you feel truly unstoppable. Crafted from 18 Stardust Fragments after defeating the Lunar Events, it summons a celestial dragon that grows longer with every minion slot you invest. Rather than multiple creatures, you channel all your summoning capacity into one devastating beast that dominates the battlefield.
Each segment of the dragon adds 40 base damage, and when fully extended, it becomes one of the most destructive forces in Terraria. Its constant sweeping attacks obliterate enemies and bosses alike, leaving little room for resistance. It is the definitive summoner’s staff for endgame players, rising above just about all Terraria weapons, and a fitting reward for those who chose the path of delegation.
Summoner weapons transform Terraria into a different game, one where your success depends less on personal reflexes and more on the strength of your companions. From tiny birds and frogs in the early days to celestial dragons at the peak of power, these tools of delegation turn you into the ultimate battlefield commander. Master them, and you will never need to lift a sword again.
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