Summary
Bows easily become one of the strongestTerrariaweapons in a player’s arsenal, especially when gamers know how to integrate various Bow stats and Arrow effects into their gameplay. It’s this versatility of theTerrariaweapon that makes it viable for long-term use, especially against the tougher foes of Hardmode.
However, players might find their favorite Bows not always effective against the beefier and more aggressive enemies waiting for them inTerraria’s endgame difficulty mode. Thankfully, there are certain Bows that, when equipped, can drastically change a Ranged Class character’s playstyle that can dominate even the mightiest of opponents.
Updated July 29, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:Update 1.4.5 is slated to grace Terraria this 2024, giving fans of the 13-year-old game more reasons to love the sandbox on top of its slate of difficulty options, gameplay features, and unique mechanics. As the fantasy title allows players to explore a wide variety of locales, being equipped with the right armaments always makes for a more pleasant playthrough.
In the case of Bows for the game’s difficult Hardmode, players need to start with some of the more basic Bows to secure a more consistent performance in the long term. Among the more ideal mid-game Bows for Terraria’s Hardmode include flame-themed Bows, a long-ranged weapon that converts arrows into a rain of blood, and a weapon that converts projectiles into horrific bees.
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Crafted using 8 Crimtane Bars at an Iron Anvil or Lead Anvil
Similar toStardew Valleywhere bones matter in certain situations, so too does theTendon BowinTerraria. Taking on the appearance of a mound of flesh, blood, and bone, the Tendon Bow’s grisly nature is surprisingly more straightforward than other weapons. At its core, the Tendon Bow is a version of the Demon Bow, albeit obtained from the Crimson instead of the Corruption for the latter.
The Bow itself doesn’t have any special effects, although its 19 Ranged Damage is more consistent compared to most weaker Bows in the game. Players who want a consistently performing Bow at the beginning of their Hardmode playthroughs would do well with the Tendon Bow.
Wooden Arrows turn into flaming bats
Found in Shadow Chests and Obsidian Lock Boxes
Stylized as a weaponstraight out of hell itself, theHellwing BowinTerrariagameplay allows players to seemingly wield the power of the Underworld to gain an advantage. The Hellwing Bow shines not just in its appearance of a giant fire bat as the base of its arrow. Rather, it’s in its projectiles that the Hellwing can become a compatible asset to a long-ranged player’s arsenal.
When fired, the Hellwing Bow’s arrows transform into individual fire bats. The trajectory of these bats revolves around a 30-degree cone, allowing players to potentially hit foes across different vertical surfaces provided the shots are angled properly. This extra feature of the Hellwing Bow makes it suitable for players to tinker with their playstyles during Hardmode.
Dropped by Queen Bee with a 33% chance
The overall appearance ofThe Bee’s Kneesis that of a bee head as a guard while large legs extend into the main Bow’s body, resemblinggear straight out of aMonster Huntergame. However, where The Bee’s Knees shines is exactly due to this insect-inspired nature. When players shoot arrows from The Bee’s Knees, they immediately transform into a swarm of three to six bees that hit the enemy.
While the bees deal small amounts of damage when hitting foes, The Bee’s Knees shines in its strong knockback. When the bee arrows hit enemies, they are pushed hard - allowing players to create distance between them and heavy-hitting foes. This should allow players to reposition themselves or strengthen their overall defensive strategies.
Crafted using 15 Hellstone Bars at an Iron Anvil or Lead Anvil
Just like inRustwhere the survival game has all sorts of arrows, so too doesTerrariaexcel in enhancing Bows with modified projectiles. Such is the case ofMolten Fury, a lava-red Bow capable of forcing any arrow to burn through the enemy with its namesake.
In terms of the game’s technicalities, Molten Fury practically transforms all of its Wooden Arrow ammunition into Flaming Arrows. When hitting the enemy, the target suddenly becomes inflicted with the On Fire! debuff, burning them consistently for -4 Health per second. Players who want to deal more consistent damage at the start of their Hardmode journey won’t go wrong with Molten Fury.
Crafted at an Iron Anvil or Lead Anvil with 2 Molten Furies and 10 Hellstone Bars
Named after the bow of the Hindu god Vishnu,Sharangais arguably one ofTerraria’s strongest Bows, especially going into Hardmode. Being auniquely named bow, the red bow Sharanga does boast special effects for players who manage to wield them.
Shooting arrows with Sharanga immediately transforms them into Spectral Arrows, adjusting arrows to deal 16 Damage each with decent Knockback. Likewise, hitting an enemy will inflict the Cursed Inferno debuff on them, practically burning them for 24 Damage on top of a constant 6 Health burn over time.
Hellfire (stops Health regeneration, deals 15 Damage per second)
Dropped by Ogre in Old One’s Army Event
Boasting one of themost stylish visuals amongTerrariaitemsand Hardmode Bows is thePhantom Phoenix, sporting a body with one limb stylized as its namesake. Players can acquire this weapon after defeating the Ogre in the “Old One’s Army” crossover event withDungeons Defenders 2, directly referencing the weapon of the same name.
Its effects make the Phantom Phoenix a must-have Bow in Hardmode, where the Bow not only releases two projectiles at a time but also releases a flaming phoenix as a third arrow. This phoenix in particular deals double damage with unlimited pierces. When the phoenix wave hits an enemy, they also gain the Hellfire debuff that stops Health regeneration on top of a 15 Damage per second penalty.
Bonuses, Effects
Each shot fires 3 Arrows, with 1/3 chance to spawn +1 Arrow
Hallowed Mimic
Named after the genius inventor whose son died after flying too close to the sun, theDaedalus Stormbowreferences the same character with both its visuals and effects. After its acquisition from Hallowed Mimics, the Daedalus Stormbow uses one ammo to release three arrows from the sky.
The Stormbow’s effects are similar to the Meteor Staff, with the latter releasing meteors from the sky instead of shooting projectiles. This Bow also enjoys the possibility of one in three shots spawning four arrows instead of three. Due to the Stormbow’s combat style, the Bow works well with Holy Arrows that summon two stars upon firing. Regardless, the Stormbow’s high firing rate makes it efficient againstlarge foes that occupy a lot of space such as Duke Fishron.
Ice Mimic
Players enjoying their gameplay don’t always have to rely onTerrariaboss dropsfor powerful Hardmode weapons, as evidenced by theIce Bow. Dropped by Ice Mimics, players can get an ice-themed bow that transforms all arrows used into Frost Arrows that boast faster travel time.
Unlike other frost-themed weapons and even the icy Frostburn Arrows, the ice-like Frost Arrows don’t inflict the Frostburn debuff. This property makes the Ice Bow similar to the Marrow in terms of effects, making the fast-firing Ice Bow a decent “base” weapon before the more potent Marrow upgrade.
Aerial Bane: Releases 6 Arrows per 1 Arrow that has +50% Damage to airborne enemies
Betsy
Fans ofTerrariagameplay who acquireAerial Banefrom “Old One’s Army” event’s Betsy may possess one of the more efficient Bows in the game due to its effects. At its core, Aerial Bane converts any arrow into its signature Aerial Bane arrow that deals 150% base damage to aerial foes. This roughly translates to 58 Damage when using most default arrows.
However, its usage in combat makes the Aerial Bane quite flexible as a Bow. Upon hitting an enemy, Aerial Bane splits into five arrows in an equal spread all over the map that explodes (but not split) upon contact. This property makes the Aerial Bane an efficient boss killer, especially since the game considers mostbosses such as Planteraairborne.
Shadowflame: Stops Health regeneration, deals 15 Damage per second
Goblin Warlock
When players first acquire theShadowflame Bowin aHardmode “Goblin Army” event, they might think the purple weapon is rather ordinary-looking for their more difficultTerrariagameplay. However, beneath the Shadowflame Bow’s unimposing appearance is one of the strongest Hardmode Bows in the game, courtesy of Shadowflame Arrow.
In more tactical plays, players may notice that the Shadowflame Bow can pierce up to two enemies on top of an efficient debuff. When hit by a Shadowflame Arrow, they suffer the debuff of the same name. Under the influence of Shadowflame, enemies lose their health regeneration on top of taking 15 Damage per second.
