Welcome to Zuzucorn’s Summoner Progression Guide for Terraria 1.4—a rapid-fire walkthrough covering gear, boss fights, and class evolution for those looking to master the summoner playstyle. Whether you’re brand new or just unsure where to start, this guide will help you navigate the game’s chaos with clarity and direction. Summoner isn’t the easiest class early on, but once it snowballs, it becomes one of the most powerful ways to play Terraria.

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Getting Started: Early Game Summoner Setup

Skip the Finch and Slime Staffs if you can. Instead, go straight for your first whip: Snapthorn, crafted with jungle spores, vines, and stingers in the Jungle biome. This weapon scales hard and lets you rely less on early weak summons.

Additional Early Priorities:

• Explore underground caves for life crystals to hit 400 HP.
• Gather gold or platinum for early armor.
• Enter your evil biome (Crimson or Corruption) and break two orbs/hearts.
• Build an arena and defeat the Brain of Cthulhu or Eater of Worlds (or just gather 6 tissue samples/shadow scales for the Nightmare Pickaxe).

Head to Hell:

• Mine obsidian by pouring water over lava.
• Use Obsidian Skin Potions to safely mine Hellstone.
• Craft the Imp Staff and Molten Armor at a Hellforge.

Defeat Eye of Cthulhu (once you have Hermes Boots + Imp Staff) and then Queen Bee twice to craft Bee Armor, which boosts summon slots.

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Prepping for Hardmode

• Defeat Skeletron and explore the Dungeon.
• Find a Bewitching Table (+1 summon slot).
• Prepare a spider cave farm box (vital for early Hardmode).
• Set up jungle fishing for Variegated Lardfish (used in Summoning Potions).
• Build your Hellbridge, then fight the Wall of Flesh.

Pro Tip: Use Snapthorn to clear the Wall’s “Hungries” and let your Imps handle the body.

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Welcome to Hardmode

First Priorities:

• Farm Black Recluses in your prepared spider biome for Spider Fangs.
• Craft Spider Armor and the Spider Staff.

Early Hardmode Goals:

• Visit an Ice Biome during rain for Ice Golem and a Frost Core.
• Break demon altars to spawn hardmode ores.
• Progress pickaxes through Cobalt/Palladium → Mythril/Orichalcum.
• Craft the Cool Whip at a hardmode anvil (requires Frost Core).
• Kill Wyverns and use Ice Feather to make Frozen Wings.

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Mechanical Boss Progression

Option 1: Fight Twins using Spider Staff (challenging but possible). Option 2: Farm Dreadnautilus during a Blood Moon for Sanguine Staff (strong, easy-to-control minions).

With Twins defeated:

• Craft Optic Staff (mini Twins) with Black Lens + Souls of Sight.

Next, defeat:

• Destroyer using Optic Staff.
• Optionally craft Durendal Whip using Hallowed Bars.
• Skeletron Prime to complete the mech set.

Farm Moths in the Jungle for Butterfly Dust → Butterfly Wings. Pick up Life Fruit to boost max HP to 500.

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Plantera to Golem

• Defeat Plantera and possibly get Pygmy Staff (weak vs flying enemies).
• Buy Tiki Armor and Pygmy Necklace from Witch Doctor (post-Plantera).
• Explore the Dungeon for Ectoplasm, Morning Star Whip, and Master Ninja Gear pieces.
• Clear the Jungle Temple with Wire Cutters, then defeat Golem using aerial platforms.

Post-Golem Options:

• Farm Deadly Sphere Staff during Solar Eclipse.
• Summon Martian Madness for the Xeno Staff (laser summon).

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Pre-Moon Lord Gear Grind

• Defeat Duke Fishron for Fishron Wings.
• Fight Empress of Light for Kaleidoscope Whip.
• Farm the Pumpkin Moon for:
  • Dark Harvest Whip
  • Spooky Armor (minion boost)
  • Necromantic Scrolls + Papyrus Scarab (both stack for +damage/minions)
  • Raven Staff (decent summon)

Try defeating Empress of Light in daytime to earn the Terraprisma, one of the strongest summons in the game. It’s not required, but amazing if obtained.

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Endgame: Pillars and Moon Lord

• Defeat Lunatic Cultist, then prepare for the four Celestial Pillars.
• Farm Stardust Pillar for:
  • Stardust Dragon Staff (monster DPS)
  • Stardust Cell Staff (laser AI, great for tracking enemies)

Dragon vs Cell:

• Dragon: high damage, low control
• Cell: lower damage, better tracking

Strategy: Use both types in combination. If you have Terraprisma, you’re set—just stand still and let the summons clear everything.

Moon Lord Tips:

• Use Hallowed Armor for Holy Protection
• Normal Mode: Run on an asphalt sky bridge
• Expert: Use Soaring Insignia + Fishron Wings

During the fight:

• Let summons attack from a distance
• Prioritize center eye if using Terraprisma by not flying over Moon Lord
• Once the core opens, focus damage and kite carefully

Congratulations—you’ve completed the Summoner Journey! Whether you opted for raw summon damage or whip-enhanced control, you’ve made it through the most complex but rewarding class in Terraria.

Be proud of your army. And don’t forget to have fun experimenting with all the tools this class has to offer.