Class setup
Melee class setup, every stage (1.4.5)
Melee in Terraria 1.4.5, from start to Moon Lord: begin with Night's Edge, Valor and Starfury and Molten armor before the Wall of Flesh, and finish with Zenith, Meowmere and Terrarian in Solar Flare armor. Melee is the sturdiest class: high defense, swords, yoyos and spears, and the Zenith at the very end. The table gives three weapons, an armor set and three accessories for each of the 5 stages.
| Stage | Weapons | Armor | Accessories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Hardmode |  Night's Edge 40 dmg Valor 28 dmg Starfury 25 dmg | Molten armor |  Feral Claws Shield of Cthulhu Cobalt Shield |
| Early Hardmode (pre-mechanical bosses) |  Chik 39 dmg Amarok 47 dmg Dao of Pow 100 dmg | Titanium armor |  Warrior Emblem Power Glove Cross Necklace |
| Post-mechanical bosses (pre-Plantera) |  True Excalibur 72 dmg True Night's Edge 70 dmg Yelets 60 dmg | Hallowed armor |  Avenger EmblemWarrior Emblem Berserker's Glove |
| Post-Plantera (pre-Moon Lord) |  Terra Blade 85 dmg Influx Waver 100 dmg Flairon 132 dmg | Beetle armor |  Fire Gauntlet Master Ninja Gear Celestial Shell |
| Endgame (Moon Lord and after) | Zenith 190 dmg Meowmere 200 dmg Terrarian 190 dmg | Solar Flare armor | Fire GauntletCelestial ShellMaster Ninja Gear |
Stage notes
Pre-Hardmode
From your first day to the Wall of Flesh: copper tools, the first ores, the evil biome boss, the Dungeon and the Underworld. Night's Edge is the classic pre-Hardmode melee goal; its full tree is on our crafting-tree page.
Early Hardmode (pre-mechanical bosses)
Right after the Wall of Flesh: smash altars, mine Cobalt/Palladium to Adamantite/Titanium and gear up for the three mechanical bosses. Yoyos are the safest way to hit the mechanical bosses from a distance with a melee build.
Post-mechanical bosses (pre-Plantera)
After the three mechanical bosses: Hallowed Bars, Souls of Might, Sight and Fright, and Chlorophyte. The target is Plantera. True Excalibur and True Night's Edge are also the two halves of the Terra Blade.
Post-Plantera (pre-Moon Lord)
From Plantera to the Lunatic Cultist: the Jungle Temple, Golem, Duke Fishron, the Empress of Light and the moon events. Beetle armor needs Beetle Husks from Golem; Turtle armor is the step before it.
Endgame (Moon Lord and after)
The Celestial Pillars, Moon Lord, and the gear that Luminite and the lunar fragments unlock. The Zenith needs ten swords from all over the game; see the Zenith crafting tree.
Check hit damage with the damage calculator and the bosses in order with the boss order checker.
Questions players ask
What is the best melee weapon before the Wall of Flesh?
Night's Edge is our pick, with Valor and Starfury as alternatives.
Which armor should a melee player use?
By stage: Pre-Hardmode: Molten; Early Hardmode (pre-mechanical bosses): Titanium; Post-mechanical bosses (pre-Plantera): Hallowed; Post-Plantera (pre-Moon Lord): Beetle; Endgame (Moon Lord and after): Solar Flare.
What is the best endgame melee weapon?
Zenith, followed by Meowmere and Terrarian.