Terraria: 10 Best Hardmode Wands, Ranked

Wands remain one of the most important components of the Magic Class in Terraria, especially with their capabilities of unleashing a spellcaster’s arsenal of spells. These weapons become especially more useful in Terraria Hardmode, where opponents and bosses become more overwhelming threats to defeat.

Thankfully, choosing the right Hardmode Wand can give players quite the advantage when it comes to the game’s selection of endgame challenges. These situations become especially beneficial to players who know how to create their builds around these weapons. However, just which Wands rise to the occasion and help players adapt to more difficult Hardmode encounters?

10 Meteor Staff Damage: 50 Knockback: 4.5 Mana: 9 Critical Chance: 4% Use Time: 10 (Very Fast) Velocity: 30 Effect: Meteor

Befitting a craftable weapon in the Hardmode difficulty of a Terraria playthrough, the Meteor Staff makes its power apparent by its aesthetic: a steel staff with a small meteorite for a tip. And what better way to grace a spellcaster’s path into Hardmode success than with a weapon that spawns actual meteorites from the sky?

When activated, the Meteor Staff will release various Meteor projectiles from the sky. The meteors will begin damaging enemies as soon as they make an impact with a block. The Meteor projectiles can’t pass through most solid items but can penetrate platforms. Considering how the Meteor projectiles cause an explosion on impact, the Meteor Staff can be a pretty efficient AOE weapon in the early game.

9 Blizzard Staff Damage: 58 Knockback: 4.5 Mana: 9 Critical Chance: 4% Use Time: 10 (Very Fast) Velocity: 20 Effect: Blizzard

When players defeat the Ice Queen during Hardmode’s “Frost Moon” event, players can acquire the crystalline Blizzard Staff to supplement their spellcasters in their Terraria gameplay. Boasting a pure icicle-themed build with a snowflake on top, the Blizzard Staff is undoubtedly an ice-based weapon. When activated, the Blizzard Staff releases a rain of icicles from above. This Blizzard attack fires four projectiles across different sets, damaging enemies below.

Given the Blizzard Staff’s ceiling-based attacks, players can use the Blizzard attack more effectively in open spaces. Its projectiles may be able to pass through blocks, but there’s no guarantee that the Blizzard attacks will hit these blocks anyway.

8 Shadowbeam Staff Damage: 80 Knockback: 3.25 Mana: 7 Critical Chance: 4% Use Time: 15 (Very Fast) Velocity: 606 Effect: Shadow Beam

Unsurprisingly, the Shadowbeam Staff from the Necromancers at the Hardmode Dungeon have an exotic appearance befitting the spellcaster’s otherworldly training. However, its crystalline aesthetic is also reflective (no pun intended) of its ability: the Shadow Beam which is practically a laser.

When used, the Shadow Beam is unaffected by gravity and instantly reaches its maximum distance of 108 tiles. However, the Shadowbeam can’t pass through blocks and instead bounces off them while piercing an unlimited number of enemies, making this perfect for large and multi-part bosses. The caveat is that every enemy hit after the first will suffer 10% decreased damage, making the Shadowbeam Staff efficient in enclosed spaces.

7 Flower Of Frost Damage: 60 Knockback: 6.5 Mana: 11 Critical Chance: 4% Use Time: 20 (Very Fast) Velocity: 9 Effect: Ball of Frost, Frostbite

Players who encounter the Flower of Frost in their Terraria experience may notice its palette-swapped similarities to the Flower of Fire, which may be connected to the former’s overall effects. Acquired from the Ice Mimics in the Ice Biome, the Flower of Frost releases a Ball of Frost that ricochets around the battlefield up to seven times.

In Hardmode, getting hit by the Ball of Frost will inflict the Frostbite debuff. This debuff is the more potent version of Frostburn, causing enemies to use 25 Health per second up to 14 seconds versus Frostburn’s meager deduction of 8 Health per second up to 14 seconds. Its “burning flower” appearance references the Fire Flower in the Mario franchise.

6 Spectre Staff Damage: 65 Knockback: 6 Mana: 15 Critical Chance: 4% Use Time: 24 (Fast) Velocity: 12 Effect: Lost Soul

Compared to other Wands players can encounter in their Terraria gameplay, the Spectre Staff is perhaps the most foreboding with its appearance: a face or a skull with a handle that may be interpreted as a spine topped with a blue gem. When used, the Spectre Staff releases a white projectile that is supposed to be “lost souls” contained within them.

What makes the Spectre Staff interesting isn’t solely the rather quick nature of each Lost Soul projectile but rather its homing nature. Despite no special effects, the Spectre Staff is perhaps the highest-damaging homing Wand among the game’s magic staff offerings. When used properly, the Spectre Staff could contend with the likes of the Golem.

5 Inferno Fork Damage: 70 Knockback: 5 Mana: 18 Critical Chance: 4% Use Time: 30 (Average) Velocity: 8 Effect: Inferno Bolt/Blast, Hellfire (slowly lose life)

Should players acquire the Inferno Fork from Diabolists in the Dungeon, this Hardmode Wand makes quite a lethal magic weapon. Its 70 Damage alone can be debilitating against enemy forces and even Terraria bosses, with its Inferno Bolt and Inferno Blast attacks taking the form of a slow-moving fireball that erupts in a long-lasting blast upon impact.

However, where the Inferno Fork shines is its guaranteed Hellfire debuff, wherein enemies hit will slowly lose 15 Health per second for 2-6 seconds, making this quite the deadly upgrade to the On Fire! damage-over-time debuff. The Inferno Fork can also be used on water, and the fireball can’t pass through blocks. However, its long-lasting fire blast can pass through walls.

4 Resonance Scepter Damage: 70 Knockback: 5 Mana: 18 Critical Chance: 4% Use Time: 25 (Fast) Velocity: 10 Effect: Royal Resonance

Among Terraria weapons, the Resonance Scepter is undoubtedly more subdued in its aesthetic, reflected by its status as an NPC weapon. Wielded by the Princess, the Resonance Scepter attacks with Royal Resonance, pink energy circles that vibrate wherever the player points their cursor and damages everything around its radius.

What makes the Resonance Scepter an interesting weapon is its acquisition. Since the Princess can only be spawned with a vacant house and all other NPCs present, players need to finish Plantera first. And since weapons can’t damage NPCs in town, players should use environmental hazards such as traps and lava to kill the Princess and acquire this weapon.

3 Unholy Trident Damage: 88 Knockback: 6.5 Mana: 19 Critical Chance: 4% Use Time: 17 (Very Fast) Velocity: 13 Effect: Unholy Trident

Sporting a straightforward silver appearance, the Unholy Trident shoots blue unholy tridents quickly, capable of piercing two enemies and disappearing after hitting a third foe. Its high Mana cost is a trade-off to its 88 Damage and strong knockback.

While players can get the Unholy Trident on Shadow Chests and Obsidian Lock Boxes on the Remith and Zenith Seeds, these weapon versions have a lesser Mana cost and lower damage. Its limited piercing in a straight line is reminiscent of non-HM Gem Staves but packs a bigger punch against bosses like Duke Fishron.

2 Betsy’s Wrath Damage: 100 Knockback: 7 Mana: 14 Critical Chance: 4% Use Time: 20 (Very Fast) Velocity: 28 Effect: Betsy’s Wrath Shot, Betsy’s Curse (-40 Defense)

When players defeat Betsy the Dragon during the “Old One’s Army” event, she drops the Betsy’s Wrath staff. This Hardmode weapon is the second-most powerful Wand in terms of power. Like its namesake, Betsy’s Wrath is a Wand in the shape of Betsy’s head and a miniature throat for a body, ending with a curled tail.

Betsy’s Wrath will fire three fireballs that arc in the air when used. What makes Betsy’s Wrath extremely powerful isn’t solely its 100 Damage but rather its Betsy’s Curse which gives a -40 Defense debuff, helping players make quick work of enemies.

1 Staff Of Earth Damage: 125 Knockback: 7.5 Mana: 18 Critical Chance: 24% Use Time: 40 (Very Slow) Velocity: 24 Effect: Boulder

As appropriate with title as one of the best Wands in a player’s Terraria Hardmode gameplay, the Staff of Earth releases a Boulder that looks like a rock from the Jungle Temple. This projectile is unaffected by gravity, can roll on the floor, and bounce off tiles.

At its core, the Staff of Earth is easily the highest-damaging Wand in Hardmode and throughout the entire game. Despite being able to pierce through five enemies and breaking on the sixth, its base 125 Damage alone can bring a lot of hurt to most enemy types. However, players should note that the knockback and overall damage can differ depending on how the Boulder is thrown, with an attack from above ground being the fastest.

Terraria is playable on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, and iOS.