Terraria arrows are a terrific way of modifying your damage. Like in other games, they are occasionally a nuisance, as you constantly have to replenish the stock. However, as you progress through the content, it becomes easier to save arrows making the ranged combat that much more exhilarating.
You can use this ammunition only for repeaters and bows. They are usually created through crafting, but you might also acquire them while venturing into the world. If you have several different arrow types in the inventory, the ones in the top left will be consumed first.
List of all Terraria arrows
1. Wooden
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Any wood and stone block assembled at Work Bench (you get 25 ammo pieces) OR Zombie and Chest drop OR Bought from Merchant for 5 copper apiece |
| Damage | 2 |
| Knockback | 2 |
| Velocity | 3 |
| Rarity | White |
| Sold for | 1 copper |
| Effects | N/A |
Wooden Arrow is the basic type of ammunition in Terraria. You can find it just about anywhere, in places such as chests and vases, and they drop from Zombies. During pre-Hardmode, players often use them as an ingredient for better types of arrows.
There is a 33.3% chance that the item won’t break upon impact. When using certain weapons, it will turn into a special projectile, only changing the visual appearance.
2. Flaming
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (10) and Torch assembled by hand (you get 10 ammo pieces) |
| Damage | 7 |
| Knockback | 2 |
| Velocity | 3.5 |
| Rarity | White |
| Sold for | 2 copper |
| Effects | On Fire! debuff |
The best thing about this item is that it leaves On Fire! debuff. In theory, if you’re quick enough, you can combine this ammunition with other items to stack the effects on enemies. However, this is hard to pull off during the game.
Flaming Arrows are a great upgrade to regular ones. You just need Torches, which are a fairly common material. They can also briefly illuminate the area when you fire them. Upon touching the surface of the water, the ammo will turn into Wooden Arrow, losing On Fire! debuff but retaining the Flaming’s base damage.
3. Unholy
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (5) and Worm Tooth assembled at Lead or Iron Anvil (you get 5 ammo pieces) OR Eye of Cthulhu drop OR Bought from Arms Dealer for 40 copper apiece (after defeating Brain of Cthulhu or Eater of Worlds) |
| Damage | 12 |
| Knockback | 3 |
| Velocity | 3.4 |
| Rarity | Blue |
| Sold for | 8 copper |
| Effects | N/A |
Unholy has a strong piercing effect allowing you to hit five enemies with one shot. This is especially useful against enemies who consist of several parts (such as Eater of Worlds).
You can only craft these arrows in Corrupt worlds because Crimson opponents don’t drop Worm Tooth. However, you can transfer the material from other playthroughs allowing you to create Unholy Arrows even in Corrupt seeds.
Although Jester has the better piercing ability, allowing you to penetrate any number of enemies, Unholy has a lower reduction per enemy. For example, Unholy loses 5% damage with each subsequent target, while Jester loses 10%.
4. Frostburn
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (10) and Ice Torch assembled by hand (you get 10 ammo pieces) |
| Damage | 9 |
| Knockback | 2.2 |
| Velocity | 3.75 |
| Rarity | White |
| Sold for | 3 copper |
| Effects | Frostburn debuff |
In many ways, Frostburn is a cold counterpart to Flaming arrows but with significantly better stats. Aside from having a bit higher damage, the ammunition has a 33% chance of leaving a 3-second Frostburn debuff. This is a DoT effect that deals more damage than On Fire! and you can’t put it out in the water.
The only issue with this effect is that it doesn’t work on all enemies. A total of 31 Terraria monsters are immune to Frostburn debuff. Luckily, only six of them are present pre-Hardmode, which is when you’ll likely use this ammunition.
5. Bone
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Bought from Skeleton Merchant for 15 copper apiece |
| Damage | 8 |
| Knockback | 2.5 |
| Velocity | 3.5 |
| Rarity | White |
| Sold for | 3 copper |
| Effects | N/A |
Bone Arrows is ammunition that is scarcely present in the game. Most people might never use it, as you can only get it from Skeleton Merchant. It doesn’t have particularly high damage compared to other ammo, nor does it have any effect. The only good thing about the item is that it pierces one enemy.
6. Jester
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (10) and Fallen Star assembled by hand (you get 10 ammo pieces) OR Gold Chest drop |
| Damage | 10 |
| Knockback | 4 |
| Velocity | 0.5 |
| Rarity | Blue |
| Sold for | 20 copper |
| Effects | N/A |
Jester Arrow is an upgrade over Unholy Arrow. It can pierce any number of enemies, which makes it one of the best ammunition types within that particular category. This effect can cause Jester to deal higher damage than some more advanced items (Hellfire, for example).
An interesting thing about this ammo is that it creates an exploding effect upon hitting an obstacle or reaching max range. You can also use it as a source of light in the dark, underground mineshafts. These two characteristics make it excellent for finding mineral veins within the walls.
Jester isn’t affected by gravity and always travels in a straight line. Unlike some other ammunition, it is affected by duration (time spent in air) and not range. So, you can boost its flight distance with Archery Potion.
7. Hellfire
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (100) and Hellstone Bar assembled at Lead or Iron Anvil (you get 10 ammo pieces) OR Shadow Chest drop OR Bought from Demolitionist for 1 silver apiece (after defeating Wall of Flesh) |
| Damage | 13 |
| Knockback | 8 |
| Velocity | 6.5 |
| Rarity | Green |
| Sold for | 20 copper |
| Effects | N/A |
Hellfire creates small expositions upon impact, although it cannot penetrate enemies. In that regard, it can be fantastic for enemies that clump up on top of each other. The item is a much higher velocity compared to objects from a similar tier.
A cool thing about Hellfire’s explosions is that they stack with specific equipment and weapons. For example, by using Tsunami or Chlorophyte Shortbow, you can deal enormous damage in an area. This item is better than some other AoE ammunition as it doesn’t harm the player.
8. Endless Quiver
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (3996) assembled at Crystal Ball |
| Damage | 5 |
| Knockback | 2 |
| Velocity | 3 |
| Rarity | Green |
| Sold for | 1 gold |
| Effects | N/A |
As the name implies, you can use Endless Quiver endlessly. You can place the accessory in the ammo slot, and it will provide an unlimited source of Wooden Arrows. By the time you get it, you’ll likely have much better ammunition for your bows and repeaters. Still, it works really well as a backup.
The accessory excels for ranged weapons that can only utilize Wooden Arrows (such as the Bee’s Knees). Endless Quiver is fantastic for players who don’t like hassling with ammo and for dealing with regular enemies.
9. Holy
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (200), Pixie Dust (3), and Unicorn Horn assembled at Orichalcum or Mythril Anvil (you get 200 ammo pieces) |
| Damage | 13 |
| Knockback | 2 |
| Velocity | 3.5 |
| Rarity | Orange |
| Sold for | 16 copper |
| Effects | Summons two falling stars upon impact |
To craft Holy, you’ll need the Hallow biome. The unique feature of this ammo is that it drops two stars on the enemy’s head upon impact. The item is especially great for larger enemies and works well with Daedalus Stormbow. The stars will also spawn when Holy hits a solid obstacle.
Ideally, you should use Holy for weapons that shoot several bolts with each arrow. Keep in mind that each bolt that connects with a target will summon its own pair of stars.
10. Cursed
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (150) and Cursed Flame assembled at Orichalcum or Mythril Anvil (you get 150 ammo pieces) |
| Damage | 17 |
| Knockback | 3 |
| Velocity | 4 |
| Rarity | Orange |
| Sold for | 8 copper |
| Effects | Cursed Inferno debuff |
Cursed Arrows are a reliable source of Cursed Inferno debuff. There is a 100% chance of applying this effect, which lasts for 7 seconds. During that time, the target will slowly lose their life. The debuff is especially great when you combine it with other DoTs.
11. Ichor
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (150) and Ichor assembled at Orichalcum or Mythril Anvil (you get 150 ammo pieces) |
| Damage | 16 |
| Knockback | 3 |
| Velocity | 4.25 |
| Rarity | Orange |
| Sold for | 8 copper |
| Effects | Ichor debuff |
Unlike Cursed Arrows, which are only built in Corrupt biomes, Ichor is common for Crimson seeds. The ammunition applies a debuff of the same name, reducing the target’s defense by 15 for 10 seconds. This is especially helpful against certain bosses. The effect is so strong that you can’t use it in PvP.
12. Venom
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Wooden Arrow (35) and Vial of Venom assembled at Orichalcum or Mythril Anvil (you get 35 ammo pieces) |
| Damage | 19 |
| Knockback | 4.2 |
| Velocity | 4.3 |
| Rarity | Orange |
| Sold for | 18 copper |
| Effects | Acid Venom debuff |
Venom is the best DoT ammunition. It always causes Acid Venom debuff, which lasts 10 seconds and gradually reduces the target’s life. Despite its high base damage and strong effect, there is more powerful ammunition in the game.
Although this is a high-tier item, you can make it rather easily. All the ingredients can be bought from merchants, which is why the arrow is available at all times. However, you’ll need to kill Plantera for Vial of Venom to become available.
13. Chlorophyte
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Chlorophyte Bar assembled at Orichalcum or Mythril Anvil (you get 150 ammo pieces) |
| Damage | 16 |
| Knockback | 3.5 |
| Velocity | 4.5 |
| Rarity | Lime |
| Sold for | 20 copper |
| Effects | Smart Bounce effect |
Like Luminite Arrows, Chlorophyte is relatively hard to acquire. The bars are rather scarce, and you’ll likely use them for other recipes. You can only get them after killing all mechanical bosses.
The thing that makes Chlorophyte Arrows interesting is the Smart Bounce effect. It allows you to fire a projectile into a wall or an obstacle, after which it’ll bounce towards an enemy. Keep in mind that the damage is reduced by 33% after the bounce, which is why it’s much better to fire the weapon directly into an opponent.
Nonetheless, this is a nice choice of ammo in situations where you can’t reach a target at a normal angle.
14. Luminite
Basic stats and effects:
| Requires | Luminite Bar assembled at Ancient Manipulator (you get 333 ammo pieces) |
| Damage | 15 |
| Knockback | 3.5 |
| Velocity | 3 |
| Rarity | Cyan |
| Sold for | 2 copper |
| Effects | N/A |
Luminite is the strongest item in this category. When you fire it from a repeater or a bow, it creates a laser effect after the initial projectile. In other words, you can hit the enemy twice with each shot (once with a bolt and once with a laser). The ammunition is instantly destroyed upon use.
Both laser and arrow can penetrate up to four enemies in a line. With each next opponent, the bolt and the laser damage are reduced by 4%. Unlike most other arrows, Luminite has a limited range making it more suitable for medium-range combat.
