Introduction
Terraria is a game renowned for its expansive world, thrilling boss battles, and, of course, its incredible arsenal of weapons. From swords and spears to magic staves and futuristic guns, players are spoiled for choice when it comes to equipping themselves for adventure. Among these many armaments, the Terraria Onyx Blaster stands out as a powerful and adaptable ranged option, capable of tearing through hordes of enemies and dealing significant damage to even the toughest bosses. This guide will delve deep into the world of the Terraria Onyx Blaster, exploring its strengths, weaknesses, crafting process, and ideal usage scenarios.
The Onyx Blaster is a valuable mid-to-late game weapon due to its high damage output, unique projectile properties, and relatively accessible crafting recipe, making it a must-have for any aspiring ranged combatant in Terraria.
Dissecting the Onyx Blaster
The Terraria Onyx Blaster is a sight to behold. It boasts a sleek, dark design, primarily black with intricate detailing that hints at the potent power contained within. It appears as a sawed-off shotgun with a distinct, otherworldly aura.
In terms of cold, hard numbers, the Onyx Blaster packs a serious punch. It delivers impressive base damage, ensuring each shot lands with significant force. Its critical hit chance is respectable, allowing for bursts of even greater damage. The use time is moderate, balancing rate of fire with power. Projectile velocity is solid, ensuring your shots reach their target quickly. Finally, it features moderate knockback, which can help keep enemies at bay.
The Onyx Blaster deals ranged damage, meaning its effectiveness is primarily determined by your skill with aiming and utilizing appropriate ammunition. You can sell the Onyx Blaster to an in-game vendor for a modest sum. Its rarity is signified by a specific color within the game, indicating its relative difficulty to obtain.
There are several distinct advantages to wielding the Onyx Blaster. Its high base damage is a clear benefit, allowing you to quickly dispatch many common enemies. Its piercing effect is invaluable, enabling you to strike multiple enemies with a single shot, making it incredibly effective against tightly packed groups. Perhaps its most defining characteristic is the explosive projectiles it fires upon impact. These explosions deal area-of-effect damage, further enhancing its crowd control capabilities.
However, no weapon is without its drawbacks. The Onyx Blaster consumes ammunition at a rapid pace, which can quickly deplete your resources if you’re not careful. Its projectile spread can also reduce accuracy at longer ranges, making it less effective against distant targets. Obtaining the necessary materials to craft the Onyx Blaster can prove challenging early in Hardmode.
Forging the Onyx Blaster
Crafting the Terraria Onyx Blaster is a rewarding experience, but it requires some preparation and resource gathering.
First, you’ll need a suitable crafting station. Both the Mythril Anvil and the Orichalcum Anvil will do the trick. These anvils are crafted from Mythril or Orichalcum Bars, respectively, which are obtained by smelting Mythril or Orichalcum Ore found in the Underground layers after defeating the Wall of Flesh.
The ingredients for the Onyx Blaster are as follows:
- A Shotgun
- Dark Shards
- Onyx Blocks
Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to crafting the Onyx Blaster:
- First, make sure you have the required crafting station.
- Open your inventory and locate the Mythril Anvil or Orichalcum Anvil. Ensure you’re standing close to it.
- Open your crafting menu. You should see the Onyx Blaster recipe listed.
- Click on the Onyx Blaster recipe. If you have all the necessary ingredients in your inventory, the craft button should be enabled.
- Click the craft button. Congratulations, you’ve successfully crafted the Terraria Onyx Blaster!
Gathering the necessary materials may require some effort. Dark Shards are found exclusively in the Underground Desert biome. They are dropped by enemies within the desert, such as Sand Poachers and Antlion Chargers. A good strategy for farming Dark Shards is to clear out a large area in the Underground Desert and then use a Water Candle or Battle Potion to increase enemy spawn rates. Be sure to bring appropriate armor and weapons to survive the desert’s dangers.
Onyx Blocks are crafted by combining Stone Blocks and Soul of Night at a Furnace. Stone Blocks are easily obtained by mining in almost any layer of the world. Souls of Night are dropped by enemies in the Underground Corruption or Underground Crimson biomes. Find a suitable area, set up a base of operations, and prepare for a fight.
The Shotgun can be purchased from the Traveling Merchant for a moderate price. The Traveling Merchant appears randomly throughout the game, so check your world frequently to see if he’s selling it. Keep an eye on social media or community forums, as players often share the Traveling Merchant’s current inventory.
Unleashing the Onyx Blaster: Ammunition and Tactics
The Terraria Onyx Blaster is a powerful weapon, but its effectiveness can be further enhanced by selecting the right ammunition and employing the appropriate combat strategies.
Different ammunition types offer varying degrees of damage, velocity, and special effects. Normal bullets are a reliable and readily available option for basic combat. Crystal Bullets are an excellent choice for crowd control, as they shatter upon impact, releasing shards that damage nearby enemies. Chlorophyte Bullets are self-guided, making them ideal for targeting fast-moving or hard-to-hit enemies. Ultimately, the best ammunition type depends on the specific situation and your personal preferences.
The Onyx Blaster is most effective at close to medium range. This allows you to maximize the impact of its projectiles and ensure that the explosive effect damages as many enemies as possible. At longer ranges, the projectile spread can significantly reduce accuracy, making it less reliable.
When facing hordes of enemies, the Onyx Blaster truly shines. Its piercing effect and explosive projectiles allow you to quickly clear out large groups, making it an invaluable tool for crowd control. When fighting bosses, focus on maintaining a consistent stream of fire and dodging their attacks. The Onyx Blaster’s high damage output can quickly whittle down their health.
To maximize the Onyx Blaster’s effectiveness, consider equipping armor sets and accessories that enhance your ranged damage and ammunition conservation. Armor sets like Shroomite Armor provide significant boosts to ranged damage and critical hit chance. Accessories like the Ranger Emblem and Magic Quiver further amplify your damage output and ammunition efficiency.
Comparing Contenders
The Terraria Onyx Blaster is a strong contender in the realm of ranged weaponry, but it’s important to consider how it stacks up against other options.
Compared to other shotguns, the Onyx Blaster stands out for its unique explosive projectiles. While weapons like the Tactical Shotgun offer higher base damage or faster fire rates, the Onyx Blaster’s area-of-effect damage provides a significant advantage in crowd control situations.
Compared to other ranged weapons available around the same point in the game, such as the Megashark or Clockwork Assault Rifle, the Onyx Blaster offers a different playstyle. The Megashark excels at sustained single-target damage, while the Clockwork Assault Rifle offers a versatile mix of speed and power. The Onyx Blaster, on the other hand, is best suited for burst damage and crowd control.
The Onyx Blaster is the ideal choice when facing groups of enemies or when you need a weapon that can quickly clear out a room. Its explosive projectiles make it particularly effective against enemies that are clustered together.
Advanced Techniques for the Terraria Onyx Blaster
To truly master the Terraria Onyx Blaster, consider implementing these advanced techniques:
Practice your aim to compensate for the projectile spread. Learn to anticipate enemy movements and adjust your aim accordingly. Experiment with different ammunition types to find the best options for various situations.
Take advantage of the explosion radius to maximize the damage you deal to enemies. Aim for the center of groups to hit as many targets as possible. Use terrain to your advantage by funneling enemies into narrow corridors, where the Onyx Blaster’s explosive projectiles can wreak havoc.
Final Verdict
The Terraria Onyx Blaster is a powerful and versatile weapon that is well worth crafting and using. Its high damage output, unique projectile properties, and relatively accessible crafting recipe make it a valuable asset for any aspiring ranged combatant. While it may not be the best choice for every situation, it excels at crowd control and burst damage, making it an invaluable tool for clearing out hordes of enemies and taking down bosses.
The Onyx Blaster is a great weapon for players who enjoy a more aggressive playstyle. It’s perfect for those who like to get up close and personal with their enemies and deal massive amounts of damage in a short amount of time. Its rapid ammunition consumption can be mitigated with proper management and the use of ammunition-conserving accessories.
In conclusion, the Terraria Onyx Blaster is a weapon that deserves a place in every Terraria player’s arsenal. Its unique combination of power, utility, and accessibility makes it a standout choice for ranged combat. So, gather your materials, craft your Onyx Blaster, and prepare to unleash its explosive fury upon the enemies of Terraria!
