- For defense mechanics, refer to Defense on the Terraria Wiki
Defense is a player statistic that determines how much damage can be taken per hit. The damage the player takes is reduced by of their defense value. Defense can be increased by equipping armor and accessories, or temporarily boosted by various buffs.
Some forms of damage are impossible to reduce through defense. Damage from health-draining debuffs like Plague or drowning in water are not reduced by defense. Damage taken from lava, however, can be reduced through defense.
Contents
Damage Reduction
- Main Article: Damage Reduction
Damage Reduction (DR) is a stat alongside defense that decreases damage that both the player and other NPCs take based on a percentage. The player can boost their damage reduction with certain accessories, although it scales diminishingly as more damage reduction is gained.
Defense Boosts
Source | Defense | Condition |
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0 to 50 | Gradually builds while submerged in liquid. |
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2 | When Well Fed buff is active. |
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2 | When Well Fed buff is active. |
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2 | When Well Fed buff is active. |
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2 | When Well Fed buff is active. |
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2 | When Polaris Boost buff is active. |
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2 +3 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
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2 +5 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
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3 | While in the Corruption. |
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3 | Always. |
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3 | While in the Crimson. |
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4 | Always. |
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4 | Always. |
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5 | Always. |
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5 | When Mushy buff is active. |
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5 | Always. |
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5 | Always. |
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5 | While in the Jungle. |
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5 | While in the Jungle. |
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5 | When Mushy buff is active. |
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5 | During the daytime when Tequila debuff is active. |
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5 +25 |
When Titan Scale buff is active. 10 seconds after a true melee strike during the buff. |
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6 | Always. |
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6 | Always. |
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6 | Always. |
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6 | Always. |
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6 | When Spirit Defense buff is active. |
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8 +16 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
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8 +15 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
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8 +40 |
Always. While Elysian Guard is active. |
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8 | Always. |
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8 | When Hallowed Defense buff is active. |
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8 | Always. |
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8 | When Yharim's Power buff is active. |
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10 +3 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
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10 | While equipped or when Afflicted buff is active |
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10 | While Underground or in the Underworld. |
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10 +20 +40 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. While Elysian Guard is active. |
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10 | When Crimson Effigy buff is active. |
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10 | While under the effects of a damaging debuff. |
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10 +15 |
Always. During night or Solar Eclipse. |
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10 | When below 25% life. |
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+10 +15 +20 +30 +50 |
When Weak debuff is active. When Darkness debuff is active. When Ichor debuff is active. When Blackout or Confused debuff is active. When Obstructed debuff is active. |
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10 | When Moonshine debuff is active. |
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10 | When 10-second shield is active. |
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10 | During the daytime when Tequila Sunrise debuff is active. |
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12 | Always. |
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12 | Always. |
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15 | While under the effects of a damaging debuff. |
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15 -15 |
At night or when submerged in water or honey. At day or when submerged in lava. |
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16 | When Draconic Surge buff is active. |
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20 | While under the effects of a damaging debuff. |
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20 | When Bloody Boost buff is active. |
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20 | While submerged in water. |
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20 +3 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
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20 | Always. |
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30 | When Grax Boost buff is active. |
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30 | When Encased buff is active. |
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30 | Always. |
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36 -18 |
Always. When under the Shell Speed Boost buff |
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+75% | While standing still. |
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-3% | When Grape Beer debuff is active. |
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-4% | During a Blood Moon when Bloody Mary debuff is active. |
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-5% | When Rum debuff is active. |
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-5% | When Vodka debuff is active. |
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-5% | When Whiskey debuff is active. |
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-6% | When Margarita debuff is active. |
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-6% | When Star Beam Rye debuff is active. |
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-6% | When White Wine debuff is active. |
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-10% | When Caribbean Rum debuff is active. |
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-10% | When Cinnamon Roll debuff is active. |
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-10% | When Fab debuff is active. |
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-30% | When Everclear debuff is active. |
Armor Penetration
Armor penetration is a statistic that reduces the defense of the player's targets. For instance, a Purple Slime normally has 6 defense. If the player has 5 Armor penetration and attacks the slime, then the slime will take damage as if it only had 1 defense instead.
Source | Armor penetration bonus | Condition |
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5 | Always. |
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5 | While Invisibility buff is active when holding a javelin. |
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5 | While Shadow buff is active when holding a javelin. |
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10 | When performing stealth strikes. |
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10 | Always. |
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15 | Always. |
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15 | Set bonus. |
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20 | When performing stealth strikes. |
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20 | When performing stealth strikes. |
Defense Reduction
Several weapons can permanently lower an enemy's defense on hit. These defense reduction effects cannot stack with themselves or each other, unless marked with the + symbol.
Source | Defense Reduction |
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+1 |
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+1 |
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+1 |
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10 |
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15 |
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25 |
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25 |
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Sets non-Boss enemy defense to 0 |
Vanilla changes
Defensive accessory modifiers now also increase damage reduction and gain more defense in Hardmode and Post-Moon Lord, with rarer defense modifiers granting a larger bonus.
- Hard provides 0.25% damage reduction; and increases 2 defense in Hardmode and 3 defense in Post-Moon Lord instead of 1.
- Guarding provides 0.5% damage reduction; and increases 3 defense in Hardmode and 4 defense in Post-Moon Lord instead of 2.
- Armored provides 0.75% damage reduction; and increases 4 defense in Hardmode and 6 defense in Post-Moon Lord instead of 3.
- Warding provides 1% damage reduction; and increases 6 defense in Hardmode and 8 defense in Post-Moon Lord instead of 4.
Several items had their defense values changed.
- A full set of Gladiator armor now provides 21 defense instead of 7.
- A full set of Obsidian armor now provides 19 defense instead of 16.
- The Hallowed Plate Mail now provides 18 defense instead of 15 and the Hallowed Greaves now provide 13 defense instead of 11.
- A full set of Solar Flare armor now provides 94 defense instead of 78.
Game mechanics | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Combat | Damage Reduction • Defense damage • Hit Sounds • Immunity frames • Lifesteal • Minions • Proficiency • Rogue | ||||||||
Environment | Biome backgrounds • Events • Music • Status messages | ||||||||
Events | Acid Rain • Boss Rush | ||||||||
Items | Alternative crafting ingredients • Charge • Consumable • Crafting stations (By Hand) • Drops • Modifiers • Rarity • Recipes • Vanilla item recipes | ||||||||
Game | AI • Boss Health Bar • Configuration options • Death Mode • Fishing • Game controls • Lore • Malice Mode • Revengeance Mode • Vanilla changes | ||||||||
Player | Adrenaline Meter • Aggro • Buffs and Debuffs • Death Prevention • Defense • Rage Meter |