Hardmode Summoner Weapons Guide: Staves & Whips for Mechanical Bosses
From Sanguine Staff to Blade Staff — 5 summon weapons full review with Boss strategy
Command minions and whips with 5 key summon weapons — auto-attack while staying mobile. The highest-freedom playstyle in Hardmode.
Class Overview
The Summoner class has the most unique playstyle in Terraria Hardmode. Your minions auto-attack while you use whips to mark targets and trigger bonus damage. This 'master + servants' combat style gives you maximum freedom of movement. This guide covers 5 core Summoner weapons (including whips) for mid-Hardmode.
Why Choose Summoner?
- Minions auto-attack, letting you focus entirely on dodging and positioning
- Whip marks cause minions to focus-fire, delivering extreme single-target DPS
- Blade Staff + Shark Tooth Necklace bypasses armor — devastating against high-defense Bosses
- The only class where you can fight without actively using a weapon — ultimate hands-free experience
Sanguine Staff
35 Damage 36 Use Time 3 Knockback 4% Crit
Summons Sanguine Bats that fly and track enemies. Fast attack speed, never gets stuck on terrain. The strongest general-purpose summon weapon in mid-Hardmode, bar none.
Blood Moon fishing → Dreadnautilus drop, 16.67% (1/6). Must fish during Blood Moon to trigger the Boss.
HardAdvantages
- Flying tracker AI is extremely smart — no terrain stuck, no path-finding issues
- Fast attack speed, highest sustained DPS among summons in this tier
- Phases through blocks to track enemies — excellent in dungeons and caves
- Devastating focus-fire speed when combined with whip marks
Caution
Requires Blood Moon fishing to trigger the Boss — involves some risk and RNG
Blade Staff
6 Damage 24 Use Time 3 Knockback 4% Crit
Summons hovering blades with extremely low base damage (6) but insane attack frequency, ignoring partial defense. With Shark Tooth Necklace, achieves 'armor bypass' effect — devastating against high-defense Bosses.
Enchanted Sword drop (2.86%) or Queen Slime drop (25%).
MediumAdvantages
- Extreme attack frequency — Shark Tooth Necklace makes each hit bypass low defense
- Devastating against high-defense Bosses like Skeletron Prime
- Every hit triggers whip mark bonuses
- DPS scales linearly with minion slots — more blades = more damage
Caution
Only 6 base damage — nearly useless without armor penetration effects; AI occasionally wanders
Spider Staff
26 Damage 36 Use Time 3 Knockback 4% Crit
Summons spiders that cling to enemies dealing continuous damage with Venom debuff. The easiest summon weapon to obtain in early Hardmode.
Crafted at Iron Anvil: Spider Fang ×16. Farm spiders in Spider Caves.
EasyAdvantages
- Only requires Spider Fangs — simplest crafting path
- Spiders cling to Bosses dealing steady damage, reliable output
- Applies Venom debuff for extra DoT
- Best early Hardmode transition summon
Caution
Ground-moving AI gets stuck on terrain easily; poor tracking against flying enemies
Cool Whip
45 Damage 25 Use Time 2 Knockback 4% Crit
Whip strikes summon a mini snowman that attacks enemies. The only whip that 'extra summons' — essentially a free minion slot.
Crafted at Mythril/Orichalcum Anvil: Snow Block ×10 + Soul of Light ×8
EasyAdvantages
- Whip strikes summon a snowman — like getting a free extra minion
- Extremely easy crafting materials
- Mark effect causes all minions to focus-fire the target
- Decent base damage (45), the whip itself hits hard
Caution
Snowman duration is short, requires repeated whipping; moderate whip range
Firecracker
14 Damage 25 Use Time 2 Knockback 4% Crit
Whip marks cause the next minion hit to explode for bonus damage. Explosion damage scales with minion base damage — insane with high-damage summons.
Crafted at Iron Anvil: Hellstone Bar ×10
EasyAdvantages
- Explosion damage scales proportionally with minion damage
- Combined with Sanguine Staff or Spider Staff, single-target burst is extreme
- Simple crafting (only Hellstone Bars)
- Whip itself deals decent damage
Caution
Short range; explosion triggers once per mark, needs repeated whipping; poor multi-target
Weapon Comparison
Summoners typically use one staff + one whip simultaneously. This comparison helps you find the best combo.
| Weapon Comparison | DPS Output | Safety | Versatility | Obtain Ease |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanguine Staff | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Blade Staff | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Spider Staff | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Cool Whip | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ |
| Firecracker | ★★★★☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ |
Best Overall: Sanguine Staff — perfect flying tracker AI, highest DPS across all scenarios
Early Pick: Spider Staff + Cool Whip — simple materials, usable immediately in Hardmode
Peak DPS: Blade Staff + Shark Tooth Necklace — armor bypass, high-defense Boss killer
Safest: Sanguine Staff + Cool Whip — auto-tracking + extra minion, just focus on dodging
Class Traits
The Summoner's core lies in the 'minion + whip' synergy system. Understanding this maximizes your DPS.
Auto Combat
Minions automatically seek and attack nearby enemies. You don't need to use a weapon at all — focus entirely on dodging and positioning.
Whip Synergy
Whip marks cause all minions to focus the marked target. Firecracker's explosion mark multiplies single-target damage. Smart mark-switching is the Summoner's core skill.
Slot Management
Minion slots determine how many summons you can maintain. Armor and accessories (like Pygmy Necklace) add slots. Mixing summons (e.g. Sanguine Bats + Blades) can outperform single-type.
Player Positioning
Minion AI judges based on your position and target position. Correct positioning dramatically improves minion attack efficiency — avoid them detour-ing or getting stuck.
Accessories
Summoner accessories focus on adding minion slots and boosting summon damage. Listed by priority.
Summoner Emblem
Core+15% summon damage. Universal damage boost for all minions, absolute priority.
Pygmy Necklace
Core+1 minion slot. One extra minion = 25-30% more DPS — extremely valuable.
Berserker Glove
Core+12% melee speed, +1 knockback. Makes whip attacks faster for more efficient marking.
Hercules Beetle
Recommended+15% summon damage, +2 knockback. One of the ultimate Summoner damage accessories.
Papyrus Scarab
Recommended+15% summon damage, +2 knockback, +1 slot. Hercules Beetle + Pygmy Necklace combined.
Shark Tooth Necklace
SituationalIgnores 5 defense. Insane with Blade Staff (every hit benefits).
Build Advice
General build: Summoner Emblem + Pygmy Necklace + Wings + Lightning Boots + Cross Necklace. With Blade Staff, swap Cross Necklace for Shark Tooth Necklace. Late-game: Papyrus Scarab replaces both Pygmy Necklace + Summoner Emblem.
Summoner Class Summary
Early Hardmode: craft Spider Staff + Cool Whip as your starter combo
During Blood Moon, prioritize fighting Dreadnautilus for Sanguine Staff — this is your endgame weapon
Blade Staff + Shark Tooth Necklace is the secret weapon against high-defense Bosses
Core accessories: Pygmy Necklace (+1 slot) and Summoner Emblem — maximize minion count and damage
Let your minion army fight for you — the Summoner's romance is 'commanding from afar, winning from a distance'!