Terraria 1.4.4.9 has added the Loadout feature where you can successfully switch loadouts with a push of a button. This allows you to change all 3 pieces of armor and 7 accessories to another complete set with absolute ease. If you’re wondering what set to equip, here’s a guide with our best melee loadouts in Terraria.
This guide will include most of the best-in-slot equipment at all phases in the game from pre-boss all the way to Moon Lord. We’ve also included the best accessories at every point that benefit the Melee class.
Best Equipment For All Game Phases
We’ve compiled the best armor sets and armor combinations that help you at all the following phases of the game:
These include accessory recommendations as it’s part of the loadout switching that Terraria has introduced.
Best Melee Loadout for Pre-Hardmode
This covers the stages from the start of the game until you fight the Wall of Flesh.
Accessory recommendations:
- Feral Claws – 12% attack speed and auto swing
- Magma Stone – adds the “On Fire!” debuff to applicable melee weapons
- White String and Counterweights – Increased Yoyo range and adds an extra projectile
Check here for our pre-Hardmode weapon recommendations!
Gladiator Armor Set
- 16 Defense
- Early knockback immunity
The Gladiator Armor set is one of the earliest sets you can get for the melee class. Although there might be some trouble getting it, you should try to farm for it if you’re able to find a Hoplite statue and a standing wire trap from either Boulder or Dart traps.
The Gladiator Armor set gives you a sizable amount of defense for being obtainable at the earliest point of the game. This is also a great option to get if you’re planning to play challenges where you can’t get ore for crafting armor. Farm this early on if you can.
Gold / Platinum Armor Set
- Best defense pre-boss
- 20 Defense
The Gold / Platinum Set is the best early armor you can get before fighting any boss in the game. This set is easily obtained by farming ores or through using silt blocks through an Extractinator. This is a great set to use for earlier bosses up until the Eater of Worlds.
This set matches well with Warding forged accessories once you have the Goblin Tinkerer unlocked. The great thing about this set is that it offers you great defensive capabilities even in classes other than the Melee class. Take note to immediately switch out after you have access to Hellstone since this armor does not age well into the Wall of Flesh
Molten Armor Set
- 10% additional melee damage
- Immunity to the “On Fire!” debuff
The Molten Armor set is unlocked after you get access to the Nightmare Pickaxe after the Eater of Worlds. This armor set is a prime addition to your best melee loadout in Terraria by offering not only increased melee damage but adds immunity to the “On Fire!” debuff as well.
This armor synergizes well with weapons that do quick damage since the bonus melee damage will add up significantly. The armor itself will allow you to survive better in the Underworld biome where you’ll have to eventually face off with the Wall of Flesh.
Top Armor Choices for Early Hardmode
This section is dedicated to armor sets that you can use from the start of Hardmode up until the Mechanical Bosses.
Accessory recommendations:
- Warrior Emblem – +15% melee damage
- Power Glove – Increased melee speed and Knockback
- Berserker’s Glove – upgraded Power Glove with extra Defense
- Yoyo Bag – Best-in-slot accessory for Yoyo users
- Moon Charm – Gives massive melee bonuses at night
Check here for our Hardmode weapon recommendations!
Early Hardmode Defense Set
- Adds 9% melee damage and 27% critical hit chance
- 55 defense
This is the first mashup armor set that we’re introducing to this list. The armor set comprises the Titanium Mask, Frost Breastplate, and Adamantite Leggings. This set provides you with the highest amount of defense at this point in the game. This allows you to have an easier time with bosses since you’re worrying less about the damage you take.
This was once a task to create since you would need to fish out tons of Hardmode crates to craft opposing metals (e.g. Titanium and Adamantite) but has then been made easy with the addition of the Shimmer biome.
Frost Armor Set
- 26% melee damage
- 11% critical hit chance
- 43 defense
- Adds the Frostbite debuff
The Frost Armor set is not the best armor set defense-wise but has been included as one of the most prominent damage-oriented armor sets until you get to Plantera. This armor set is one of the few consistent sources of Frostbite in the game.
The debuff from this armor set lasts from 5-14 seconds but has a 100% chance to proc with any melee or ranged attack. This means you’re constantly doing 25 DPS while removing enemy regeneration so long as you’re constantly attacking the enemy.
Turtle Armor Set
- 14% melee damage increase
- 12% increased melee crit chance
- 15% damage reduction
- Amplified Thorns buff effect
- 65 defense
The Turtle Armor set boasts one of the highest defense stats of all the armor sets in the game. This set leans heavily on tanking heavy hits than dishing out damage. The part where this armor shines is the buffed Thorns effect that it has.
This armor gives out an amplified Thorns buff that returns 2x the melee damage it receives which is capped to 1000 damage per reflected hit. It’s great to build this set beforehand as you’ll be upgrading it in the next section of our best melee armors.
Best Melee Loadout in Terraria Post-Golem
We’ve combined the milestone of beating Plantera and Golem since there’s not much difference to what you have in between these sections of the game. These include armors you’ll be using to beat the game.
Accessory recommendations:
- Warrior Emblem – +15% melee damage
- Power Glove – Increased melee speed and Knockback
- Berserker’s Glove – upgraded Power Glove with extra Defense
- Yoyo Bag – Best-in-slot accessory for Yoyo users
- Moon Charm – Gives massive melee bonuses at night
Weapon recommendations:
- Terra Blade
- Possessed Hatchet
- Flairon
- Solar Eruption and Daybreak
Beetle Mail Set
- 14% melee damage increase
- 12% increased melee and movement speed
- 8% melee critical hit chance
- Provides Beetle Might debuff
- 61 defense
The Beetle Armor Set is unlocked after Golem has been defeated and serves as a direct upgrade to the Turtle Armor Set. The main difference from this upgrade is the choice between the Scale Mail and the Shell chest piece. This entry talks more about the Scale Mail variant, which is the attack-oriented armor set.
The Scale Mail is the best melee loadout in Terraria at this point since it has a stacking buff called the Beetle Might that gets stronger while you continuously deal damage. Alternatively, the Beetle Shell armor set conversely offers the Beetle Endurance which adds a stacking damage reduction buff instead.
Old One’s Chlorophyte Set
- 36% melee damage increase
- 26% increased critical hit chance
- 40% summon damage increase
- 66 defense
This is another combination armor set that is made with the Chlorophyte Mask, Monk’s Shirt, and Valhalla Knight’s Greaves. The set combines the various stats of the 3 sets which creates the optimal amount of damage while remaining tanky.
The set is also versatile enough that it allows you to add Sentry weapons to your loadout for extra damage. This is the best melee loadout in Terraria where you can focus on mobility better while fighting difficult bosses. Overall, it gets the job done up until the Lunar events where you would need to update your loadout to the final phase.
Solar Valhalla Flare Armor Set
- 29% additional melee damage
- 46% critical hit chance
- 2 health per second regeneration
- 82 defense
After beating the Solar Pillar, you might want to take the time to upgrade to the Solar Flare armor pieces and weapons. Although people would recommend that you use the full Solar Flare set, replacing the boots with the Valhalla Knight’s Greaves will offer more defense and critical hit chance.
This variant set maximizes the amount of damage you can do but compromises 1 point of health regeneration. But looking at the tradeoffs, 1 health regen point is a welcome sacrifice for an extra 4 defense and a 20% critical hit chance. For the set bonus, you can always just equip the Master Ninja Gear or Shield of Cthulhu.
Conclusion
Loadouts are an effective way for you to switch between offense and defense at any point. Switch between an all-out damage set to a tanky regeneration set on the fly with the new update. We hope this list helps you with finding out which armor and accessories to use as your best melee loadout in Terraria. Did we miss some of your favorite items? Comment down below what you believe should be part of this list.
