These items occupy a special slot.  You use them by firing a chain toward a wall or a stable surface.  Upon latching, you can pull yourself upward.  Some of these tools can send forth several hooks simultaneously.  That way, you can move between ledges without ever unhooking.

10 Best hooks in Terraria

When making this list, we focused on basic stats and features.  We also considered how easy it’s to get a certain item.  So, if a specific hook is really hard to obtain and there are similar alternatives, we would give the advantage to alternatives.

10.  Web Slinger

Web Slinger is one of the most fun items in this category.  You can get it while traversing the Spider biome from one of the Web Covered Chests.

The thing that’s unique about the tool is that it allows you to cast eight arms simultaneously.  If you’re proficient enough with it, you can quickly get out of deep chasms.  However, as it has a relatively short reach compared to other pre-Hardmode hooks, you might need some time to get used to it.

In a way, this tool combines the best qualities of Dual Hook and Ivy Whip at the cost of low range.  Although its range is somewhat acceptable on PC (22.625 tiles), it’s simply atrocious on all other platforms (15.625).  So much so that using Web Slinger might become a choir for some players.

9.     Fish Hook

The cool thing about this item is that it has a fish attached at its end.  So, when you send forth the chain, you can see this fish grabbing a surface.

The item has a cool feature that allows you to fire three lines one after another.  They spread around quickly, similar to how Web Slinger works.  However, unlike the previous entry on the list, this hook has a much longer reach making it a more viable item.

You might struggle a bit to acquire this tool.  There’s a 1.7% chance to get it after finishing one of the Angler’s quests.  This makes it a real treat for people who like to fish, but, unfortunately, most other players might never find this tool.

8.     Skeletron Hand

For a second, we were thinking of putting Bat Hook as our 8^th entry.  It’s a fantastic tool that has the best reach out of all pre-Hardmode items and is really fast.  However, as it drops at a measly 0.67% rate and is only available during the Halloween event, we decided to give Skeletron Hand an advantage.

If you take a look at its stats, the utility item doesn’t look as much.  Its reach is nothing to write home about, and it doesn’t have any special features.  The thing that separates it from the other pre-Hardmode hooks is that it has the highest velocity.  This makes Skeletron Hand a perfect item when you’re in a pinch.

Truth be told, we decided to add this tool based on our own experience.  The speed is the second-most important feature of these items, as it allows you to get out of trap pits and lava.

7.     Dual Hook

Dual Hook is probably the first thing that you’ll get during Hardmode.  It’s decently available, dropping at a 14.29% rate from Mimics.  It’s a nice upgrade over pre-Hardmode tools, at least in terms of reach.  However, there are a few low-tier items that provide better velocity.  So, you’ll have to decide which stat to prioritize.

The biggest problem with this item is not the speed, but the fact you can’t float in the air.  This makes it harder for players who are not used to the latching mechanism.  However, if you’re used to this mechanism, you’ll definitely appreciate the added range and ability to send forth two chains one after another.

6.     Worm, Tendon, and Illuminant Hook

For the most part, these items are interchangeable.  The only difference is a slightly different design and the fact that they’re available within different infectious biomes.  Speaking of the design, Illuminate Hook is the only item with a special effect, having glowing ends.

Worm and Tendon Hooks are relatively easy to acquire, having a 20% drop chance from Crimson or Corrupt Mimics.  Illuminate is slightly better in that regard, dropping from Hallowed Mimics at a 25% rate.

They are a nice but not an impressive upgrade over Dual Hook.  Still, it’s worth noting that these three items are easier to acquire. 

5.     Hook of Disonance

If you know how to use these tools, you’ll likely prefer Hook of Dissonance over the previous three entries.  Although this tool can’t cast three chains simultaneously, like the ones from the previous entry, it has an interesting feature that helps with fast traveling.

In other words, the item instantly teleports a player to where the hook latched.  As soon as you get ahold of a surface, you will appear at that exact point.  This is a great way to avoid damage and reposition yourself during clutch fights.  The teleporting feature also saves you time when traveling around the map.

4.     Spooky and Christmas Hooks

This is another set of mirror tools.  These two items are completely the same in terms of their stats.  The only difference is that the Christmas Hook has glowing ends and chains.

Overall, these are not bad tools to have around.  Their latch distance is among the best in the game, although the velocity isn’t that amazing.  You can use them to send forth three chains at the same time, which is a feature that most Hardmode hooks have.

The biggest issue with these items is that they’re not that common.  Spooky Hook is a bit better in that regard, dropping from Mourning Wood at a 2% to 20% rate.  Christmas Hook is much harder to get, having a 5.19% to 7.78% chance to drop from Everscream.

3.     Anti-Gravity Hook

This particular tool has one of the coolest features of all the items within the category.  Upon grabbing a surface, it allows you to levitate around the latch point.  You can move around freely within 12 tiles of the location.

In other words, you can use it to run circles around a block.  This is especially useful against specific flying enemies like Duke Fishron or Mothron.  By latching to a flying block with this tool, you can easily avoid deadly dash abilities.

The item is also nice when climbing smooth walls.  You grab a surface and hold up, and the character will move upwards at a fast speed.  As if all that isn’t cool enough, you can get the item from any enemy during Martian Madness events, making it one of the easiest late-game hooks to obtain.

2.     Static Hook

First off, this is probably the easiest hook to acquire in the game.  You can buy it at any time from Steampunker for just 50 gold.  In that regard, you can just purchase it at the start of the Hardmode at disregard all the other entries on the list.

Another reason why this item is at the top of our list is its enormous reach.  You can use it to grab ahold of a surface almost 40 tiles away.

Despite the fact that it has great features and stats, most people prefer using Lunar or Anti-Gravity Hook when they reach end-game content.  This is because Static Hook is much more suitable for building.  You can move a character along the chains, which makes it easier to reach high platforms and roofs.

1.     Lunar Hook

Lunar Hook is much harder to assemble than Static Hook.  You need to kill various Pillars to gather all the components necessary for this tool.  The item performs better during combat, and overall, it feels better to use.

Before we get into stats, we need to mention the item’s incredible design.  Each chain has a different color, according to its underlying component (Nebula Fragment is purple, Solar Fragment is orange, etc.) All these colors mash well together, and once you start firing chains, they will take over the entire screen.

Furthermore, there’s also an order in which you fire these chains.  Orange Solar Fragment goes first, followed by green Vortex, pink Nebula, and blue Stardust.  You can fire all of them almost simultaneously, at high speed.  Speaking of speed, this is the fastest hook in the game, both in terms of chain velocity and pulling forth the player.

It combines the functionality of several tools. You can use its ruler to measure distances between blocks. The Grand Design is also excellent for placing several wires at once or removing specific wires from an active mechanism. With actuators, you can activate or deactivate all these systems.

The Grand Design basic stats and features

Here are the item’s basic stats and effects:

The best thing about this tool is that you can get all its components from two NPCs. Goblin Tinkerer sells the Ruler, while Mechanic sells all other parts. In total, you’ll have to invest 14 gold and 10 silver to complete the recipe.

The item is not available straight away. You’ll have to finish the Goblin Army event to unlock Goblin Tinkerer, and you need to kill Skeletron for Mechanic to spawn on the map.

How do you use The Grand Design in Terraria?

If you have experience with mechanisms, this item is relatively straightforward. Like with any other tool, you should first equip it within the inventory (you don’t have to place it in equipment slots).

Once in inventory, there are two methods of using it. First off, you can hold the item in your hands and use the left-click to place pre-assigned wires. Alternatively, right-clicking while the item is equipped opens the wiring and actuator menu. The second approach is much better. Besides giving you access to the menu, it also provides the ruler function.

When you open the menu, there is a large button in the center that you can toggle on/off for placement or removal of components. There are also five smaller buttons surrounding the central button: red wire, green wire, blue wire, yellow wire, and actuators. By clicking on certain wires, you can decide which ones you want to place or remove.

The Grand Design allows you to remove certain wires while leaving the rest intact. You can also use it for precision work, given that the ruler feature is fantastic for calculating the terrain. In that regard, you can even use the tool when creating other structures.

As long as you’re carrying the item, seven new buttons will appear left of the inventory. You can toggle these features on and off to show or hide wires, actuators, and ruler on the map. Although it’s much better for them to be active so that you can see the mechanisms, some players prefer turning some of them off.

Lastly, for some of these features to be available, you’ll need to carry extra actuators and wires in your inventory. It’s also worth mentioning that the item is great for removing hostile traps and mechanisms, as it shows the wiring lines.

How does this item differ from its components?

Although The Grand Design has the same traits as its wiring tool ingredients, these features are a bit different:

• The Grand Design is much better than its processors as it allows players to create a line of wire. Previously, you had to place the mechanism piece by piece, which could be annoying. You just need to hold the attack button, move the wire abound and release the button when you’re done.
• When you use this tool for placement or removal, you can choose the direction of the line by moving the character in a certain direction. If you go to your right, the first part of the line will go upward and then horizontally toward the cursor. If you’re facing left, the mechanism travels horizontally, at first, and then turns vertically.
• The Grand Design allows you to create massive structures. You can use it to install approximately 1,000 units of wire and/or actuators during one placement. All of that can be done while moving around. This is especially important when placing long-distance mechanisms like Teleporters.
• For fast placement, you can use flying mounts like UFO.
• When using the basic mode of installment (holding the left button), the action will stop after one minute, whether you used 1,000 units or not.
• Unlike the usual wrenches, The Grand Design doesn’t care about placement range limits. In other words, you can use the item to install wires well beyond your base.
• The tool’s removal function is much better than that of Wire Cutter. When using the Cutter, a removed component will appear at the place of removal. Because of that, there are situations where you can’t retrieve material. With The Grand Design, it always appears under the character’s feet.
• This mechanical item has the same functionality as Multicolor Wrench. In other words, you can use it to install four wires simultaneously or to remove specific wires from a system.

There’s a good chance that you’ll use this item during the entire pre-Hardmode until you gain access to better mining tools. Experienced players often rush it, as it allows them to extract just about anything during the early game.

Terraria Nightmare Pickaxe stats and features

Here are the item’s basic stats and effects:

Like all items from this category, Nightmare Pickaxe is primarily used for mining. It is a major upgrade over its Silver and Tungsten counterparts and slightly better than the Gold and Platinum variant. You can use it for the entirety of pre-Hardmode without having any issues.

The item allows players to destroy crismtone and ebonstone blocks, making it easier to venture through the Crimson and the Corruption biomes. In turn, you can create passages to Crimson Hearts and Shadow Orbs, whose destruction summons Eater of The Worlds or Brain of Cthulhu.

Most importantly, Nightmare Pickaxe allows you to dig obsidian and hellstone. By combining these two materials, you can create Hellstone Bars, which are a necessary ingredient for Molten Pickaxe. Once you have this tool, you can start extracting the first Hardmode resources, that is, Cobalt and Palladium Ores.

Nightmare Pickaxe as a weapon

Like all other items from this category, you can use Nightmare Pickaxe as a melee weapon. The tool has the same damage as Silver Shortsword, although it attacks at a slower speed.

Most players use it in such a capacity when creating new mine shafts and stumbling upon random opponents. If you’re too lazy to swap gear, you can just keep swatting with the mining equipment and destroy low-tier enemies. Of course, you shouldn’t use it against bosses as this would make the fights cumbersome.

We always recommend players to first create a pickaxe when they gain access to a new ore. These tools are crucial for your progression as they allow you to mine new resources and, thus, create new armor sets and weapons. Although Nightmare’s damage cannot compare to that of Light’s Bane, it’s not a big downgrade compared to something like Golden Broadsword.

How to get the item?

To acquire this tool, you need just two components: Demonite Bar and Shadow Scale. If you know what you’re doing, you can get this item extremely quickly, almost at the start of the game.

Demonite Bar is a material that you make from Demonite Ore. This is one of the best resources pre-Hardmode that you can extract with Gold or Platinum Pickaxe. It’s found in the deep layers of the earth, close to lava level, so you’ll need to do some digging to reach it.

Before you get to the ore, you’ll get enough gold and platinum to assemble the tool required for its extraction. Once you have it, you can easily smelt the material into bars with a regular Furnace.

Getting Shadow Scale is a bit trickier. It only drops from Eater of Worlds, which you can summon by offering Worm Food at Demon Altar. You can make this item from Rotten Chunks (15) and Vile Powder (30). Alternatively, you can call forth the boss by destroying three Shadow Orbs.

Rotten Chunks drop from several Corruption enemies. Vile Powder is made from Vile Mushrooms, which are easily obtainable from the surface of the Corruption biome. To create Vile Powder, you’ll also need Placed Bottle or Alchemy Table. We suggest using Placed Bottle for assembly, as you can get it much quicker.

Rushing Nightmare Pickaxe

In theory, you can get this tool immediately, as soon as you get the first few Bombs. Going all the way to the bottom of the map to get Demonite Ore is unnecessary as you can get the material from Eater of Worlds.

To quickly access the boss, you can go immediately to the Corruption biome and grind materials for Worm Food. Alternatively, you can start exploring the Caverns below Forest and get Bombs from Chests. With explosives, you can destroy ebonstone tiles blocking the way to Shadow Orbs. Then, you can use the same items to destroy the Orbs.

If you choose to go with Bombs, you’ll need approximately 15 to 20 pieces. The number of explosives depends on your ability to hit Shadow Orbs, which are levitating in the air. After you destroy three of them, Eater of Worlds will automatically appear nearby.