Melee Build
The tankiest class. Highest defense and the only class with health-regen bonuses. Swords, yoyos, and flails, from Molten armor to Solar Flare and the Zenith.
At a glance
| Role | Frontline bruiser. Highest defense and survivability. |
| Damage type | Melee. Swords, spears, yoyos, boomerangs, flails, and projectile melee. |
| Strength | Only class with dedicated health-regen bonuses. Forgiving. |
| Weakness | Some early weapons are short-ranged; you take hits to deal damage. |
Loadouts below are representative picks per stage from the wiki class setups, not full lists. Item names are as they appear in-game.
Gear by stage
| Stage | Armor | Weapons | Accessories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early pre-HM | Cactus/Wood, later Gold/Platinum | Starfury, Blade of Grass, Enchanted Sword | Feral Claws |
| Pre-WoF | Molten (best pre-HM) | Night’s Edge, Flamarang, Sunfury, Volcano | Feral Claws, Magma Stone |
| Early Hardmode | Adamantite/Titanium | Fetid Baghnakhs, Amarok, Ice Sickle, Bananarang | Warrior Emblem, Yoyo Bag, Berserker’s Glove |
| Post-mechanical | Chlorophyte or Turtle | True Excalibur, True Night’s Edge, Death Sickle | Mechanical Glove, Fire Gauntlet |
| Post-Plantera | Turtle or Hallowed | Terra Blade, Vampire Knives, Seedler | Fire Gauntlet, Mechanical Glove |
| Post-Golem | Beetle | Influx Waver, North Pole, Flying Dragon, Starlight | Fire Gauntlet, Mechanical Glove |
| Endgame | Solar Flare | Zenith, Meowmere, Star Wrath, Terrarian, Solar Eruption | Fire Gauntlet, Mechanical Glove, Berserker’s Glove |
Do this in order
- Mine Hellstone for Molten armor before the Wall of Flesh. It is the biggest pre-Hardmode power spike for melee.
- After the flip, grab Adamantite or Titanium armor from the first Hardmode ore tier.
- Beat the three mechanicals, then move to Chlorophyte or Turtle armor.
- After Plantera, craft the Terra Blade (via the Solar Eclipse Broken Hero Sword).
- After Golem, move to Beetle armor (Shell for defense, Scale Mail for offense).
- After the Moon Lord, craft Solar Flare armor, then chain toward the Zenith.
Watch out for
- The Zenith crafts from a long chain of swords (Terra Blade, Meowmere, Star Wrath, Terrarian, and more). It is the consensus strongest weapon and trivializes remaining content.
- Solar Flare armor has a shield-charge dash. Use it to close and to break enemy contact.
- Reforge to Warding for defense, or Menacing for damage, at the Goblin Tinkerer.
Related
- Boss order cheatsheet
- Classes and accessories
- Other classes: ranged, mage, summoner