So you’re diving into Terraria as a Mage and want to blast through the early game? You’ve come to the right place! This guide will walk you through the essential steps to get your Mage character off to a powerful start, focusing on key early-game gear and strategies. Forget the Eye of Cthulhu for now; we’re going straight for the big worm – the Eater of Worlds!
First things first, we need to venture into the Corruption biome. Your initial goal is to smash Shadow Orbs until you get your hands on the Vilethorn.
Image depicting the Vilethorn weapon in Terraria, a crucial early-game magic item for mage players.
To reach these orbs, bombs are your best friend since you can’t mine in the Corruption biome just yet. Be warned, destroying Shadow Orbs can be risky! Every third orb you shatter will summon the Eater of Worlds, so be prepared for a fight, or maybe a quick retreat if you’re not quite ready. If luck isn’t on your side and the Vilethorn doesn’t drop after destroying all the orbs in one Corruption biome, don’t despair! Explore the Corruption on the other side of your Terraria world and continue your search there.
While exploring the Corruption, keep an eye out for the Band of Starpower.
Image showcasing the Band of Starpower accessory in Terraria, enhancing mana regeneration for magic users.
This accessory is a fantastic early boost to your mana regeneration, which is vital for any aspiring Mage. Hold onto it; you’ll find it incredibly useful.
Once you’ve secured the Vilethorn, the next step is upgrading your armor. Jungle Armor is a significant step up for early-game Mages.
Image displaying the complete Jungle Armor set in Terraria, offering enhanced magic stats and defense for mages.
To craft Jungle Armor, you’ll need to venture into the Underground Jungle biome and gather the following materials:
- 10 Stingers: Farmed from Hornets and Jungle Slimes found in the Underground Jungle.
Image of a Stinger item in Terraria, a crafting material dropped by jungle creatures.
- 32 Jungle Spores: These glow in the dark and are easily spotted throughout the Underground Jungle.
Image of Jungle Spores in Terraria, a glowing plant found in the jungle biome and used for crafting magic items.
- 2 Vines: Dropped by Man Eaters, also found in the Underground Jungle.
Image of a Vine item in Terraria, a crafting material obtainable from jungle enemies.
With your Jungle Armor crafted and Vilethorn in hand, you’re ready to face the Eater of Worlds. Here’s a recommended mage loadout for this early boss fight:
Armor: Jungle Armor
Main Weapon: Vilethorn
Accessory: Band of Starpower (or any other useful accessory you might have)
Eater of Worlds Boss Fight Strategy for Mages
Image depicting the Eater of Worlds boss in Terraria, a large worm-like creature from the Corruption biome.
Before summoning the Eater of Worlds, ensure you are well-prepared. Aim for maximum mana (200) and at least 200 health.
Image of the mana meter in Terraria, indicating the player’s magic resource.
Image of the health meter in Terraria, showing the player’s current health points.
Stock up on Mana Potions and Healing Potions from the Merchant. Crafting Regeneration Potions and Ironskin Potions will also significantly boost your survivability. (For detailed potion recipes, check the Terraria Wiki: Terraria Potions).
Set up a base in the Corruption biome near where you plan to fight. Placing a few Fireplaces will increase your health regeneration during the fight.
To summon the Eater of Worlds, either destroy more Shadow Orbs or use Worm Food if you’ve already cleared the area of orbs. Worm Food can be crafted using Rotten Chunks or Vertebrae (dropped by Corruption enemies) and Vile Powder (crafted from Vile Mushrooms found in the Corruption). (Worm Food crafting details: Terraria Worm Food).
The key to defeating the Eater of Worlds as a Mage is to utilize the Vilethorn effectively. The Vilethorn pierces through multiple segments of the worm, dealing consistent damage. Focus on aiming the Vilethorn along the length of the Eater of Worlds to hit as many segments as possible. Avoid getting surrounded, and use a Hook if you get trapped to quickly reposition. Concentrate your attacks on the body segments and try not to let the worm split into too many pieces, as this can make the fight more chaotic.
Upon defeating the Eater of Worlds, you’ll receive a Treasure Bag. Opening it will give you valuable loot, including the Worm Scarf.
Image of the Worm Scarf accessory in Terraria, providing damage reduction after defeating the Eater of Worlds.
This fantastic accessory reduces damage taken by 17%, greatly increasing your survivability. You’ll also obtain Demonite Ore and Shadow Scales.
Image of Demonite Ore in Terraria, a material dropped by the Eater of Worlds used for crafting demon-themed items.
Image of Shadow Scale in Terraria, a crafting material dropped by the Eater of Worlds used for creating powerful early-game gear.
Use the Demonite Ore to craft Demonite Bars.
Image of a Demonite Bar in Terraria, crafted from Demonite Ore and used for making early-game weapons and tools.
Combine Demonite Bars and Shadow Scales to craft the Nightmare Pickaxe.
Image of the Nightmare Pickaxe in Terraria, an upgraded pickaxe crafted from Demonite Bars and Shadow Scales, capable of mining meteorite.
This pickaxe is crucial as it allows you to mine Meteorite, our next major upgrade.
Optional: King Slime
Image of the King Slime boss in Terraria, a large blue slime that can be summoned or appears randomly.
If you wish, you can challenge King Slime with the same loadout you used for the Eater of Worlds. It should be a straightforward fight at this point and can provide additional loot and practice.
Meteorite Armor and Space Gun: Mana-Free Magic
Now that you have the Nightmare Pickaxe, wait for a Meteorite to crash into your world. Once it lands, mine the Meteorite Ore using your new pickaxe and craft Meteorite Bars.
Image of a Meteorite Bar in Terraria, crafted from Meteorite Ore and used to create meteorite-themed items.
You’ll need 65 Meteorite Bars to craft the full Meteorite Armor set and the Space Gun.
Image of the complete Meteorite Armor set in Terraria, offering set bonuses that synergize with the Space Gun for mages.
Image of the Space Gun weapon in Terraria, a magic gun that becomes mana-free when used with the Meteorite Armor set.
The Meteorite Armor and Space Gun combo is incredibly powerful for early-game Mages because the set bonus of the Meteorite Armor eliminates the mana cost of using the Space Gun! This allows for continuous magic attacks without worrying about mana management.
Alternatively, if you are lucky enough to find a Gray Zapinator sold by the Traveling Merchant, grab it!
Image of the Gray Zapinator weapon in Terraria, a powerful but inaccurate magic gun sometimes sold by the Traveling Merchant.
While less accurate, the Gray Zapinator is incredibly strong against bosses and also benefits from the Meteorite Armor’s mana-free effect.
To enhance your mobility, you’ll also want to find some boots that increase movement speed. Any of the following will work as they can all be upgraded later:
Image of Hermes Boots in Terraria, an accessory that increases movement speed.
Hermes Boots (found in Underground and Cavern Chests)
Image of Flurry Boots in Terraria, an accessory that increases movement speed, found in snow biome chests.
Flurry Boots (found in underground and cavern snow biome chests)
Image of Sailfish Boots in Terraria, an accessory that increases movement speed, obtained from fishing crates.
Sailfish Boots (found in crates obtained from fishing)
Image of Dunerider Boots in Terraria, an accessory that increases movement speed, found in desert biome chests.
Dunerider Boots (found in underground and cavern desert biome chests)
Eye of Cthulhu: Your Next Challenge
Image depicting the Eye of Cthulhu boss in Terraria, a giant eyeball and one of the first bosses players encounter.
With your Meteorite Armor and Space Gun, the Eye of Cthulhu should be a relatively easy boss fight. Defeating it is worthwhile as it drops the Shield of Cthulhu.
Image of the Shield of Cthulhu accessory in Terraria, providing defense and a dash ability for improved mobility and combat.
This shield not only provides extra defense but also grants you a dash ability! Mastering the dash will significantly improve your survivability and mobility in combat.
For the Eye of Cthulhu fight, your recommended mage equipment is:
Armor: Meteorite Armor
Main Weapon: Space Gun (or Gray Zapinator if available)
Accessories: Hermes Boots (or equivalent), Worm Scarf, Band of Starpower (or another accessory of your choice)
With this setup, you’re well-equipped to continue your Terraria mage journey, taking on tougher challenges and progressing further into the game. This early game Terraria Mage Guide provides a strong foundation for your magical adventures!
