Guns pave the way for some of the most exciting long-ranged gameplay for the Ranged Class in Terraria. Serving as a direct upgrade to the slower Bow, Terraria Guns encourage a more fast-paced playstyle that forces players to outpace their opponents in order to gain the offensive advantage.
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For players using Guns for the first time, their speed-oriented gameplay may seem overwhelming even in the game’s more basic difficulties. However, players who manage to acquire some of the game’s best Pre-Hardmode Guns can help their Terraria sessions be more of a breeze to handle. However, just which Guns are a must-have even before the game’s tougher Hardmode difficulty?
11 Quad-Barrel Shotgun
- Damage: 14
- Knockback: 6.5
- Critical Chance: 4%
- Use Time: 55 (Extremely Slow)
- Velocity: 7
- Effect: Bullets
Players can get the Quad-Barrel Shotgun after defeating the Skeleton and talking to the Arms Dealer in a Graveyard. Its appearance references Phantasm, a 1979 American sci-fi horror film featuring the same weapon. When fired, the Quad-Barrel fires an eight-bullet spread at 45 degrees. Despite its strong knockback, this spread makes it difficult to aim at opponents properly.
However, this spread can be used to a Ranged Terraria player’s advantage when attacking larger enemies such as bosses. In fact, proper usage of the Quad-Barrel Shotgun can one-shot Corruption and Crimson enemies in melee.
10 Boomstick
- Damage: 14
- Knockback: 5.75
- Critical Chance: 4%
- Use Time: 40 (Very Slow)
- Velocity: 5.35
- Effect: Bullets
When players get the Boomstick in their Terraria gameplay, they get a Remington M1889 shotgun based on Ash’s signature weapon from the Evil Dead franchise. Similar to its ordinary appearance is its firing capacity, which fires a three-shot spread that only costs one ammo. However, despite its weakness at long range, the Boomstick excels at hitting enemies that try to attack the player in droves.
While the Boomstick suffers compared to the stronger Quad-Barrel Shotgun and the more powerful Hardmode Shotgun, strategizing its close-to-mid-range use can make this shotgun a potential companion to last the entirety of pre-Hardmode, even against Plantera.
9 The Undertaker
- Damage: 19
- Knockback: 2
- Critical Chance: 4%
- Use Time: 20 (Very Fast)
- Velocity: 6
- Effect: Bullet
Acquiring the Undertaker in the Crimson biome gives players a locale-appropriate weapon in their Terraria experience, this time taking the form of a menacing six-shooter revolver with a slick black and red aesthetic. Players can acquire the Gun when they destroy their first Crimson Heart, instead of being created in a Crafting Station like other weapons.
Although the Musket is the Undertaker’s equivalent in the Corruption biome, the Undertaker suffers less damage per shot in exchange for a faster firing rate. Stats-wise, the Undertaker also resembles the Flintlock Pistol but this time boasting higher damage while having a lower rate of fire.
8 Red Ryder
- Damage: 20
- Knockback: 3.75
- Critical Chance: 4%
- Use Time: 38 (Very Slow)
- Velocity: 8
- Effect: Bullets
Players may acquire the Red Ryder Gun from Presents after defeating them during Christmas, giving Terraria fans a decent starting weapon for base damage. While the Red Ryder is much slower and weaker than the high-tier Musket, it is more powerful than early in-game Bows. This property makes the Red Ryder a substitute for players who prefer more calculated ranged plays before upgrading when facing the Golem.
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What makes the Red Ryder a must-have is how it can fulfill the criteria of the Arms Dealer to move into Town, which is having a bullet-firing gun. Although other Guns can satisfy this criterion, the Red Ryder’s firepower could make it a more useful combat weapon in the earlier stages of Terraria.
7 Revolver
- Damage: 20
- Knockback: 4
- Critical Chance: 9%
- Use Time: 22 (Fast)
- Velocity: 16
- Effect: Bullets
Taking on the appearance of its namesake weapon, the Revolver enables players to enjoy satisfying long-ranged plays against foes like Duke Fishron in their Terraria experience. Despite its average 20 Damage, the Revolver’s decent stats make it an upgrade to the Red Ryder and the Undertaker.
The Revolver is second to the Hardmode Gun Sniper Rifle regarding ranged velocity, being able to only contend with the former should the latter use High Velocity Bullets. Its 9% Critical Chance also gives it more of a punch when used at a distance.
6 Pew-Matic Horn
- Damage: 20
- Knockback: 1
- Critical Chance: 4%
- Use Time: 15 (Very Fast)
- Velocity: 14
- Effect: Bullets in the form of random Normal Items
Serving as a direct reference to the Don’t Starve: Hamlet weapon of the same name is the Pew-Matic Horn, a megaphone-like device that releases random items as bullets. Despite referencing another game, the Pew-Matic Horn is not a Terraria event-exclusive item.
Although the Gun deals a base 20 Damage, this variable can change depending on the overall weight of the projectiles released. In turn, heavier items will deal more damage compared to lighter ones. Moreover, since changing bullet types won’t affect the properties of the actual projectiles, players can save more by using basic Musket Balls.
5 Handgun
- Damage: 26
- Knockback: 3
- Critical Chance: 4%
- Use Time: 15
- Velocity: 10
- Effect: Bullets
True to its namesake, the Handgun looks like an M1911 pistol transported into the fantasy world of Terraria. It doesn’t have any supernatural origins either, instead being available when opening Golden Lock Boxes in the Dungeon.
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The Handgun is quite a straightforward Gun with a high rate of fire and damage much higher than the Flintlock Pistol, though with the visible disadvantage of being manually fired. As such, it’s recommended for players to get a Phoenix Blaster as soon as possible as the 4 Damage and 3 Velocity increase could prove extremely helpful in boosting overall DPS.
4 Phoenix Blaster
- Damage: 30
- Knockback: 2
- Critical Chance: 4%
- Use Time: 14 (Very Fast)
- Velocity: 13
- Effect: Bullets
Boasting one of the most stylish appearances for an item in Terraria gameplay would be the Phoenix Blaster, taking on the aesthetic of an orange and yellow handgun with sights stylized to look like its namesake. Although its stats make it a direct upgrade of the Handgun, the Phoenix Blaster has less knockback.
Moreover, the Phoenix Blaster is technically the third-strongest Gun pre-Hardmode after the Musket and the Star Cannon. Despite its lower base damage, its DPS potential can make it one of the more viable early-Hardmode Weapons and may even contend against the Wall of Flesh.
3 Sandgun
- Damage: 30
- Knockback: 5
- Critical Chance: 4%
- Use Time: 16 (Very Fast)
- Velocity: 24
- Effect: Sands
At first glance, the Sandgun resembles an ordinary golden gun in a player’s Terraria playthrough. However, crafting this weapon results in one of the most potent yet technical-intensive armaments in a gunslinger’s arsenal. At its core, players can use various Sands as ammunition on the Sandgun, which the weapon then releases as gravitationally-affected sand projectiles.
When hitting the ground, the sand projectiles transform into Sand Blocks, potentially hindering players but can be effective against foes fought at a distance such as the Wall of Flesh or even the Hungry. To avoid environmental hurdles with the Sandgun, players should use the weapon pointing downward or Torches and Minecart Tracks to remove Sand Blocks or transform them into usable items.
2 Musket
- Damage: 31
- Knockback: 5.25
- Critical Chance: 11%
- Use Time: 32 (Slow)
- Velocity: 9
- Effect: Bullets
Despite the Musket having a relatively simple appearance, it boasts the second-highest damage among Guns in a player’s Terraria gameplay prior to challenging Hardmode. Although sharing similar stats with the Undertaker, the Musket’s stats make it a more reliable weapon against the Eaters of Corruption with a critical hit.
However, what makes the Musket special in a Terraria session is its potency even after Corruption stages. Its high damage numbers can bypass bosses before the Wall of Flesh, including the Eater of Worlds, Queen Bee, and Skeletron.
1 Star Cannon
- Damage: 55
- Knockback: 3
- Critical Chance: 4%
- Use Time: 12 (Very Fast)
- Velocity: 14
- Effect: Falling Stars
The Star Cannon shoots Fallen Stars as projectiles, boasting no knockback and unlimited piercing throughout 60 seconds that makes it viable in fighting monsters like the Destroyer, Wall of Flesh, and Wyverns. The Star Cannon makes for quite an attractive pre-Hardmode armament, especially since its 55 DPS gives it the status of the strongest Weapon in this game mode.
However, Star Cannon does have its fair share of disadvantages. For instance, the Star Cannon cannot be fired downwards and it can’t land critical hits despite its critical chance. Moreover, its Fallen Stars ammo can be tricky to acquire unless players exploit a skybridge or find them manually.
Terraria is playable on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, and iOS.
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