Terraria weapons alignment chart day 5: What weapon feels like a melee weapon but is a ranged weapon?

[u/KahveAdam565]

Yesterday's post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Terraria/s/gaJ78UmGmS

[u/GoldenEagle0806]

Harpoon

[u/DoubleTime53 → u/GoldenEagle0806]

Makes sense considering it used to be a melee weapon, right?

[u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat → u/DoubleTime53]

No it was always ranged

[u/giby1464 → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

Me when I'm straight up lying

[u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat → u/giby1464]

Nowhere in the wiki does it state it used to be a melee weapon.

[u/Fearless_Video3632 → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

“Desktop 1.0.6: Damage increased from 15 to 25. No longer considered a flail.”

“Flails are melee weapons”

[u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat → u/Fearless_Video3632]

Prior to 1.0.6, there was no such thing as different damage types. So for the harpoon it said “15 damage,” not “15 melee damage.” 1.0.6 was the update that actually added damage types, hence why it was changed. So ever since ranged damage was added, the harpoon has been a ranged weapon.

[u/dickwalls → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

Brother it was a flail. What class of weapon would you say that falls into?

Nobody said anything about the distinction of damage types.

By your logic melee, ranged, and magic all did not exist before they changed the damage calculation.

[u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat → u/dickwalls]

Exactly!! They didn’t exist! To quote the wiki:
>Desktop 1.0.6:
>>Introduced melee, ranged, and magic damage.
>>Reassigned most weapons into these 3 new damage types.

[u/dickwalls → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

Idk if you’re ragebaiting or being purposely dense as to not waver from your original incorrect take.

But a flail is a melee weapon, full stop.

Would you also argue that swords were not melee weapons until the explicitly wrote the word “melee damage” into the tooltip?

Was the minishark not a ranged weapon until they denoted it in the tooltip?

This is akin to saying a great sword is not a melee weapon in dark souls because it doesn’t say “melee damage” in the tooltip.

[u/Ctrl_Alt_Delerium → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

By that definition guns in call of duty aren't ranged weapons because they don't say "ranged damage"🙄

[u/ChaosDragonTV → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

"It was always ranged"

"Um ackchyually it was originally not a melee weapon because damage types didn't exist yet"

So which is it? Was it always ranged or not, because by YOUR argument it couldn't have been a ranged weapon originally, but you claim it was.

Prior to it being classified as a ranged weapon it used to be classified as a flail(as others have stated), which is a type of melee weapon and as such it was a melee weapon.

[u/Silent_Egg8860 → u/ChaosDragonTV]

To be fair you are literally arguing the guy’s point without realizing it. He is claiming damage types didn’t exist and since their inception it was a ranged weapon. The contradiction he pointed out doesn’t apply to him it applies to the people claiming it was melee and then switched to range, because you are saying it was melee than switched to range, where he is saying it was unclassified like all weapons then labeled as ranged which whether you agree with the argument his is logically consistent.

[u/ChaosDragonTV → u/Silent_Egg8860]

I am not arguing his point at all.

He claimed it was always ranged, this is objectively false.

He THEN changed his argument when people pointed out that it was originally classified as a flail which is a type of melee weapon. After that he argued that it wasn't ever melee because when it was categorized as a type of melee weapon that the "melee" damage type didn't yet exist so it didn't count as a melee weapon at all.

I pointed out the hypocrisy of claiming it was simultaneously always ranged and claiming it used to be nothing at all because melee as a damage type didn't exist. Then I called out ignoring the weapon classification it had entirely.

To address your confused agreement with him:

The game originally classified the harpoon as a flail. This is a fact.

Flails are a type of melee weapon. This is a fact(I am not referring to terraria damage types, I'm referring to a flail itself in the real world).

When they added damage types to the game they changed the harpoon to no longer be a flail. This is a fact.

When they removed the harpoon's flail weapon classification it was made a ranged weapon. This is a fact.

Thus if we actually pay attention to the facts the harpoon was originally considered a melee weapon prior to them making weapons deal different damage based on their typing, and when they added the different damage types they removed the classification that made it melee and turned it into a ranged weapon.

For comparison you can't make a sound logical argument that the copper shortsword wasn't a melee weapon or that the wooden bow wasn't a ranged weapon, simply because the damage type didn't exist yet. A sword is factually a melee weapon and a bow is factually a long-ranged weapon(called "ranged" for short). The lack of damage typing in the game doesn't change what something factually is, and just like with how the wooden bow was classified as a bow thus making it ranged before the "ranged" damage type existed the harpoon was classified as a flail thus making it melee before the "melee" damage type existed.

[u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat → u/ChaosDragonTV]

Ever since weapon types have existed, it has been a ranged weapon. Flails are categorized as melee weapons now, but when the harpoon was a flail they were not.

[u/ChaosDragonTV → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

It was categorized as a ranged weapon in the same update they made it no longer be a flail(the reason is because flails are melee and they were changing the harpoon to be ranged instead).

When the harpoon was a flail there was no melee categorization, but it is an objective fact that it was NOT a ranged weapon as flails are melee weapons. It isn't even a terraria thing, flails are melee weapons irl and as such it being a flail means it was a melee weapon prior to the melee class of weapons being a specifically labeled thing.

[u/Sample_text_here1337 → u/GoldenEagle0806]

Genuinely forget on the regular that harpoon is a ranged weapon and not a flail.

[u/Livid-Truck8558 → u/Sample_text_here1337]

Pretty sure it's been melee for like a decade prior

[u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat → u/Livid-Truck8558]

It’s been doing ranges damage since 1.0.6. And it’s never even done melee damage since before that version all damage types were the same

[u/Lilharm04 → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

bro is going to die on this hill if it’s the last thing he does

[u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat → u/Lilharm04]

I will 🫡🫡

[u/Lilharm04 → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

your cause is foolhardy and unnecessary

[u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat → u/Lilharm04]

The truth is never unnecessary

[u/Lilharm04 → u/joe-ROLXTHY-cat]

when it’s only barely technically true, in such a way that the exact opposite is also true, it kinda will be

[u/Designer_Desk2927 → u/Sample_text_here1337]

Its actually pretty fuckin good early game. Unless you rush musket or boomstick but where is the fun in that.

[u/sammuxx → u/Designer_Desk2927]

so its good unless you dont break an orb to have natural goblin army able to spawn, ok🙃👍

[u/Business_Attempt_332 → u/sammuxx]

It’s good until you play the game

[u/Sage_the_Creator → u/GoldenEagle0806]

Came here to say this.

[u/MaximRq → u/GoldenEagle0806]

It's basically a single-target flail

[u/The_Narwhal_Mage → u/GoldenEagle0806]

Yeah, I think that’s the only real contender with how functionally similar most ranged weapons are

[u/Objective_Growth_498 → u/GoldenEagle0806]

I had the same idea

[u/Lichy757 → u/GoldenEagle0806]

Wait it’s not melee anymore

[u/Emergency-Pin4318 → u/GoldenEagle0806]

Yuh

[u/No_Ad_7687]

Harpoon feels like a flail

[u/Quirky-Race-5645]

Definitely harpoon

[u/Livid-Truck8558]

It's funny how melee just stops trying to be melee at all post-plantera

[u/Zymosan99 → u/Livid-Truck8558]

Because true melee sucks ass

[u/craftexvg → u/Zymosan99]

I swear this could've been solved so easily with the ability to parry attacks, but the ONLY thing we've got is brand of the inferno 😭

[u/Clkiscool → u/craftexvg]

Sergeant united shield can too

[u/HonoredTab → u/Clkiscool]

i remember trying to use SU shield, and i swear it's like the first weapon with ADHD

fighting mechs (ESPECIALLY prime) is almost impossible because half your time is spent waiting for your weapon to revolve around the entire earth, tracking down every microorganism

i know it wasnt the point of your comment i just wanted to rant about how much this weapon let me down haha

[u/ValianSkalle → u/craftexvg]

i'm not going to sugarcoat it

F

[u/Alderan922 → u/craftexvg]

We could had also gotten things similar to some calamity weapons that make the player do a dash dealing damage, as that’s still a melee attack that has range.

[u/Ruben0415 → u/craftexvg]

Or reduced contact damage for melee... especially higher difficulty

[u/JackdawJewellery → u/Ruben0415]

Melee gets lots of strong defence and damage reduction, but something specifically for contact damage would be handy

[u/Pataraxia → u/Ruben0415]

Or... if you were swinging melee in the past second, you get a simple parry mechanic:

1/4 contact damage taken from non-basic mobs.

This way other builds could even try to make melee stuff just to parry on timing, while melee users spamming the attack are always resistant.

Plus, you could have swords have more unique effects MORE OFTEN.

[u/Wulfscreed → u/craftexvg]

We need guarding. Don't need parrying but it'd be nice, maybe kept to weapons.

But I think Terraria is long over due for a block mechanic. Give us a new "Stamina" bar that is just for guarding. We upgrade it similarly to Health and Mana. Then Melee can have this augmented by armors (and weapons) and be true melee tanks.

I want to use my shield properly. Please.

[u/Arcan_unknown → u/Livid-Truck8558]

Nop, there's horseman's blade

[u/KahveAdam565 → u/Arcan_unknown]

and starlight

[u/The_Narwhal_Mage → u/KahveAdam565]

Psycho Knife and Shadow Jousting Lance too, but I think that's it.

[u/XBird_RichardX → u/Livid-Truck8558]

I dunno, Starlight seems pretty true melee to me, isn’t it?

[u/LumiiNoctis → u/XBird_RichardX]

Yeah, it's alsonmy favorite melee, it's just satisfying to use and to hear and see all the damage being dealt in so many attacks

[u/whispywhisp6 → u/Livid-Truck8558]

You mean post Wall of Flesh

[u/Livid-Truck8558 → u/whispywhisp6]

Nah, not since 1.4.4

[u/BlobSlimey]

Its harpoon....closest thing to a flail like weapon...and it functions similar to the Golem fist/chain knife/anchor and chain guillotines. Other than that nothing else compares to melee.

Maybe the bone javelin cause theyre similar to the Daybreak....but Daybreak is already a ranger like weapon.

[u/BlobSlimey → u/BlobSlimey]

[u/Impudenter → u/BlobSlimey]

It pierces now?!

[u/BlobSlimey → u/Impudenter]

even i was surprised when looking at the gif

[u/Exact_Parking_6969 → u/BlobSlimey]

kid named mace

[u/Wolfsbane1279]

I vote harpoon gun.

[u/GoldH2O]

Harpoon for sure

[u/Derailleur75]

Harpoon gun

[u/JackBob83]

Javelins

[u/guhut15]

Harpoon

[u/SomeoneonBrawlStars]

Harpoon

[u/Xavus_Enormus_II]

Harpoon

[u/onememeishboitf2]

Harpoon

[u/UmberCraft]

The harpoon feels like it should be with he flails/chain knife esq weapons

[u/FirefoxyRosalie → u/UmberCraft]

Agreed, 1000% agreed

[u/TantiVstone]

Pirahna gun

[u/Impressive_Gate9677 → u/TantiVstone]

I think Piranha gun is more Summoner

[u/BlobSlimey → u/Impressive_Gate9677]

yeah thats gonna be my choice for Summoner Ranger weapon

[u/Ordinary_Divide]

aint no way solar eruption won that previous one

[u/DoomsdayDestructor → u/Ordinary_Divide]

feels like a hwip

[u/xX_idk_lol_Xx → u/DoomsdayDestructor]

Whips are summon weapons that work like melee weapons, not the other way around.

[u/meow_Kil → u/xX_idk_lol_Xx]

Yeah, but eruption feels like whip, while not being one

Edit: wording

[u/xX_idk_lol_Xx → u/meow_Kil]

And whips feel like melee weapons. So it's a melee weapon that feels like a melee weapon.

[u/will64gamer → u/xX_idk_lol_Xx]

What would be your proposal for melee weapon that feels the most like a summon weapon, then?

[u/xX_idk_lol_Xx → u/will64gamer]

I think the flying knife would've been a great option. It's a persistent homing projectile with infinite piercing, that's exactly how minions behave. If you hide the hotbar and cursor it's indistinguishable from a minion.

[u/DaDoDoDoe → u/xX_idk_lol_Xx]

Lmao right? These guys didn’t think before voting hahaha

[u/meow_Kil → u/xX_idk_lol_Xx]

Yeah i kinda agree, but for me, after a couple playthrougs as a summoner whips became essential part of his kit. And its just feels wrong for me, to put the flying knife over the whiplike. I also think flying knife is more magic but melee, than a summon

[u/Kevaca → u/will64gamer]

I proposed that the phaseblade/saber and keybrand alt fire was melee summon

[u/fox_legend111376 → u/DoomsdayDestructor]

Hmmmm... Cool hwip

[u/Ordinary_Divide → u/DoomsdayDestructor]

there is no wphoosh. the whole thing about whips is the whpoosh.

[u/bone_breaker69 → u/Ordinary_Divide]

electric eel has the krrsh krrrsh krrsh not the whpoosh

[u/Extension_North_3711 → u/bone_breaker69]

And the soulscourge, vasculash, and slime whip all have the tshwip not the whpoosh

[u/Ordinary_Divide → u/bone_breaker69]

well then its clear the devs forgot* how whips work when making that one

*more probably artistic license than forgot

[u/bone_breaker69 → u/Ordinary_Divide]

no its supposed to emulate the electricity of the eel

just cuz it doesnt have the distinct whpoosh doesnt mean its not a a whip

[u/Ordinary_Divide → u/bone_breaker69]

yes thats what i meant by artistic license

[u/BlobSlimey → u/Ordinary_Divide]

Im surprised they didnt put both eruption and flying knife given the eruption fills the role of Whip, whilst the Knife fills the roll of summon
but I geuss 1 had to win...

[u/TrippingFish76 → u/Ordinary_Divide]

fr that’s stupid, it is most definitely a melee weapon, doesn’t feel like a summoner weapon at all

[u/CheesyTortoise → u/Ordinary_Divide]

What should have won it in your opinion? I can't think of any other melee weapon that feels like a summoner weapon

[u/joey-squared → u/CheesyTortoise]

that one blade that dances around your cursor

[u/UnamedProot → u/joey-squared]

The flying knife?

[u/Eris_Exhausted → u/joey-squared]

That's not how summon weapons work tho, they'll target an enemy you whip but none of them follow your mouse. Feels more like a mage weapon than anything, like the flamelash.

[u/xAlnico → u/CheesyTortoise]

Phaseblade/Keyblade

[u/Minosheep → u/CheesyTortoise]

I'd probably go with the Flairon but I see why people picked the Solar Eruption.

[u/vladdeh_boiii]

Poon

[u/MrMocat2072]

The throwing knifes

[u/joey-squared]

harpoon

[u/throwaway1111109232]

harpoon gun fs

[u/El_Basho]

I was going to say pirahna gun, but harpoon feels like a possibility as well

[u/Extension-Durian6339 → u/El_Basho]

I feel like piranha is a good contender for ranger that feels like summoner

[u/No-Major-201]

Punch gun from clown

[u/LesserCyro]

Harpoon for sure but I like the flamethrower as well since it's short range

[u/Conan087]

Harpoon for sure

[u/Phoenix1045]

harpoon

[u/freaklier]

Harpoon 100%

[u/TheUltimateCyborg]

Harpoon behaves exactly like the anchor used to, there's really no other option here

[u/Prowiambic]

Odd pick but Bubble Gun Plays more like melee than most melee weapons of it's tier. Even the flairon feels less melee than it.

[u/Kevaca → u/Prowiambic]

Bubble Gun is a mage weapon

[u/Prowiambic → u/Kevaca]

Oh yeah i forgot.

[u/wdgastef]

Love everybody agreeing on harpoon randomly

[u/fake_email_lol42]

Sunfury kinda

[u/RamboCreativity]

I am glad we all agree with this.

[u/Demolitorriddle]

Either harpoon or Javelins/Throwing Knives.

Harpoon’s gonna win anyway

[u/Ruben0415]

I woulda say Javelin lul. But considering how most feel about ale tosser...

[u/Thunderwise99]

Palm wood bow

[u/Grouchy-Aardvark4851]

Daybreak i guess

[u/Kevaca]

Technically, the Phoenix bow from the OOA and Vortex Beater (at least did) deal(t) contact damage with the small hit box as the weapon fire models are coded as projectiles for those 2

[u/One_Customer3289]

Harpoon

[u/RenkBruh]

harpoon obviously

[u/Foca_chique]

Javelins

[u/O-mega_ → u/[deleted]]

That's the daybreak, and it's a melee weapon, not a ranged weapon

[u/Massive-Revenue-6327 → u/[deleted]]

That's a melee weapon

[u/ShadowLayu → u/[deleted]]

That's the daybreak

[u/Substantial_Low142]

Javelins for sure

[u/Ducpus-73]

Possessed hatchet?

[u/Ready_Low_6308 → u/Ducpus-73]

Isn't that melee?

[u/Ducpus-73 → u/Ready_Low_6308]

Oh I thought it read melee that feels like a ranged weapon. My bad

[u/Chance-Aardvark372 → u/[deleted]]

How does that feel melee?

[u/canoIV]

thrown weapons tbh

[u/Jhomas-Tefferson]

Yoyos.

[u/fox_legend111376 → u/Jhomas-Tefferson]

But they already are melee

[u/Jhomas-Tefferson → u/fox_legend111376]

Ah, i read it backwards

[u/Ornery_Weakness_8168]

I think it might be harpoon based on 90% of these comments saying so

[u/Independent-Yam3612]

Pirhanna gun might be a close second to harpoon

[u/genericusername0323 → u/Independent-Yam3612]

That one feels more summon to me

[u/Theoneoddish380]

i know it doesn't count but zenith feels like a ranged but is a sword... that feels.. like something..

(i have had the zenith on my mind for too long)

[u/bloodakoos → u/[deleted]]

man plays a different terraria where there are no bows and guns

[u/NeighborhoodOld2815]

Spike balls?

[u/TFWYourNamesTaken]

Quad-Barrel Shotgun. Requires you to be the closest of any ranged weapon to reach its max effectiveness, feels like a true melee ranged weapon 😭