Magic weapons let you deal the highest amount of damage in a short time, beating that of all bullet-based ranged weapons. However, that leaves you vulnerable to enemy attacks and debuffs, as you’re min-maxing offensive capabilities. This case is further exacerbated if you haven’t dumped hundreds of hours in Terraria practicing how to dodge well.
Good news! You can wear armor sets to reduce the damage you take. But on the pessimistic side, they’re not equally created, and some even prove to be an obstacle, confusing you in the process.
In this list, we reviewed 15 of the supposedly best mage armors in Terraria. Each section will offer our final verdict on whether or not to acquire them. Moreover, as they’re unique, we added pros and cons, and when they become handy.
Ranking Mage Armor in Terraria
Short on time? Because we value quality content, here’s an overview of our best mage armor in Terraria. We have included essential reasons below if you want to know more.
Grade S+
Grade S
Grade A
Grade B
Grade C
Analyzing Individual Mage Armor Sets (Criteria)
In general, this list contains three criteria for determining a magic-based armor’s capabilities:
- Overall stats. From individual pieces to set bonuses, we figured grading them based on raw stats makes sense.
- Long-term usage. Nothing beats an armor you can use until the endgame (the Moon Lord phase). But are there any on this list? Spoiler: A few good ones exist.
- Accessibility. There are times when some mage armors in Terraria are grindy to obtain. Some pay off in the end, while most disappoint. By including this criterion, there’s a guarantee to save time while getting the result you want.
In the bottom part of this list, we’ve also included noteworthy individual pieces that might be a candidate for your hybridizing needs. Hybridizing stats is an uncommon route for most Terraria players, but you’ll be surprised some armor set bonuses should be left unused for a better trade-off.
Grade S+ Mage armors
1. Nebula
While getting the best mage armor in Terraria requires facing the Moon Lord, the grind is worthwhile because of the raw stats and overall attributes. The offensive buff is balanced with defense points, and you get extra perks (that comes into buff boosters) occasionally. Speaking of which, here they are:
Of course, the Nebula armor’s usefulness is slightly challenged when following the normal progression. But if you don’t mind the disadvantage, you’re in for a treat.
2. Spectre
One of the best mage armors in Terraria is Spectre – and the answer to whether which headpiece build is superior remains to be determined.
The Mask build grants you a lot of damage points with a bit of defense. But once you face the Moon Lord, you’ll likely get toasted unless you’re good at dodging. However, you can’t go reckless without life sustain, and that’s when the Hood build comes into play. There’s less damage, but you can always equip magic accessories.
If you ask us which one to get, go for the Hood. Regardless, both are excellent headpieces, and each part could be nice for hybridizing builds.
Grade S Mage armors
1. Dark Artist
If you want some extra DPS on top of your magic weapons, the Dark Artist set is your best solution. The best complimentary damage dealers we recommend are Desert Tiger Staff, Xeno Staff, and Tempest Staff. But in a later stage, picking the Stardust Dragon Staff is best.
Overall, Dark Artist armor’s raw stats are more than we anticipated. Its headpiece, in particular, can be a good candidate for hybridizing builds thanks to its minion capacity increase. By using Dark Artist, you’re limited to using the Flameburst Sentry because of its set bonus. But this set solved its godawful firing speed and range.
2. Hallowed/Ancient Hallowed
One tiny yet significant change is all it took to put the Hallowed armor set in Grade S. Its Chlorophyte counterpart may better be suited here, but comparing their set bonus reveals that Hallowed is superior.
Hallowed armor’s passive dodge ability is indispensable against boss fights that it’s adapted in Expert Mode and Master Mode. Sure, there’s less DPS you can do to bosses and enemies, but your survival rate is further increased.
Grade A Mage armors
1. Titanium
Before the update, the Titanium armor set (regardless of class) is one of the meta picks in Terraria. Its memorable Shadow Dodge buff is now exclusively accessible to Hallowed armor, although this new iteration is still more than enough to earn a Grade A spot.
Titanium armor is Adamantite’s superior alternative. However, finding the materials for the equipment is challenging, as breaking Altars commonly generates Adamantite.
Based on raw stats, Titanium armor has a setback in defense. However, all offensive attributes are buffed. If you’re worrying about getting damage from common enemies, you can cancel it right away with the set’s passive bonus. As long as you refresh your shield using a magic weapon with a fast rate of fire, you’re good.
2. Forbidden
This equipment may be much more grindy than its ore counterparts, but it can parallel the likes of Titanium armor. The caveat, though, is you should use Forbidden if you’re comfortable sacrificing a ton of armor points for damage bursts.
Stats-wise, minions add a significant damage value as long as you have the right one. Following a normal Terraria progression, our best guess is you’ll end up with Optic Staff, Pirate Staff, or Pygmy Staff. If you’re lucky and persistent, you’ll get the Desert Tiger Staff, which you can find below the surface.
There are some tricks you can do to maintain your DPS in boss fights while minimizing the risk of taking damage. One popular way is by using Teleporters. But remember that this scheme works best against enemies with predictable behavior, such as Plantera and Golem. However, we recommend equipping Spectre armor at this point.
3. Chlorophyte
While the Chlorophyte armor is well-rounded in damage and defense, we recommend going straight to Spectre instead. It’s the second-best mage armor in Terraria, capable of carrying you to Moon Lord.
4. Apprentice
The Apprentice armor set may offer fewer stats than Dark Artist, but it’s still a decent start if you want to add more DPS in boss fights. When you have this equipment, you’re most likely opting for Optic Staff. Stick to Flameburst sentries on this one to get the best result.
Grade B Mage armors
1. Adamantite
Through standard evaluation, mage armors in Terraria with mana cost reduction could be better. However, Adamantite offers a solid defense, and the 19% less cost is something you shouldn’t miss.
Because of Adamantite Headgear’s promising attributes, you’ll see in the table below what good uses you can further utilize.
2. Palladium
Fun fact: Palladium is Cobalt armor’s counterpart. Despite its rarity, the former is a superior choice to carry you just fine against The Destroyer (with the proper arena). The best attribute is the bonus healing capabilities, which is decent. Still, the Palladium Headgear is subject to mixing with other parts, so keep that in mind.
3. Orichalcum
It’s unsurprising that acquiring Orichalcum Bars is challenging to find, but if you have it, we recommend going for this mage armor. Also, it’s a slightly superior alternative to Mythril in overall stats. Still, because of its promising headpiece, we’ve considered adding it to our list below.
4. Jungle/ Ancient Cobalt (Pre-Hardmode)
Note: We didn’t include how to obtain the Ancient Cobalt armor set because of its identical stats to Jungle armor. Moreover, it’s not worth getting as it’ll take a lot of time.
Switch to the Jungle armor set if you don’t fancy using Space Gun or Zapinator in Terraria. While it has less damage buff, this equipment supports your critical striking chance capabilities and total mana. Pick your best magic weapon (like the Demon Scythe or Water Bolt), and you’re good to go.
5. Meteor (Pre-Hardmode)
Considering it’s Pre-Hardmode, and you can acquire this set after defeating the Brain of Cthulhu (or Eater of Worlds), this armor set is decent.
This combination can last until Wall of Flesh, although you should consider adding a significant expansion to your Underworld arena. Moreover, you must find ways to add more damage, especially if you’re using Space Gun or Zapinator. Check out our accessory guide here to jump over magic-enhancing items.
Grade C Mage armors
1. Mythril
Mythril armor is another clone of its Cobalt counterpart with no game-changing attributes. Overall, the set bonus isn’t good, although the headpiece is also subject to mixing with other parts to create a makeshift set.
If you’re playing pretty safe in harder difficulties like Master Mode, we recommend sticking to this mage armor in Terraria. But you also have the option to be risky and jump straight to high-tier ones.
2. Cobalt
If you’re in Master Mode or Expert Mode and opting for this mage armor, that’s fine. But in general, we recommend skipping the Cobalt set. Since you’re in Hardmode now, you’re back to zero, and this one’s the equivalent of spending time finding Copper or Tin-based gear. That said, the Cobalt Hat is added to a list below that may be useful for hybridizing.
Hybrid Mage Armor Build Recommendations
Following an unconventional armor build and opting out of set bonuses is sometimes reasonable in Terraria. After all, some lack attributes, which are better spent on other resources to maximize efficiency.
In this section, we’ve compiled all candidates that may be your best mage armor pick, albeit hybridized. The table below follows all pieces, stats, and what they’re known for:
Important: Refer to each armor piece to build your equipment.
Head Slot
Headpieces in Terraria could be busted or underwhelming, depending on where the individual part originates. The consideration for the game stage is present, so if you have Cobalt Hat at your disposal, find ways to maximize it.
Chest Slot
This section follows all armor for your chest. Most of the individual parts are concentrated on defense points. However, you can pick some with mixed attributes depending on your goal. For example, you can use Valhalla’s Knight Breastplate to increase your survivability in harder difficulties.
Bottom Slot/ Footwear
Most individual pieces in this section offer varying stats. While most focus on movement speed, some good ones prioritize damage and critical strike-related buffs. In general, we recommend relying on your Mount or Wings for movement.
