- 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.
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 |
---|---|---|
Aquatic Emblem | 0 to 50 | Gradually builds while submerged in liquid. |
Baguette | 2 | When Well Fed buff is active. |
Delicious Meat | 2 | When Well Fed buff is active. |
Hadal Stew | 2 | When Well Fed buff is active. |
Utensil Poker | 2 | When Well Fed buff is active. |
Polaris Parrotfish | 2 | When Polaris Boost buff is active. |
Sea Shell | 2 +3 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
Shield of the Ocean | 2 +5 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
Corrupt Flask | 3 | While in the Corruption. |
Craw Carapace | 3 | Always. |
Crimson Flask | 3 | While in the Crimson. |
Frost Barrier | 4 | Always. |
Stress Pills | 4 | Always. |
Artemis Emblem | 5 | Always. |
Crabulon | 5 | When Mushy buff is active. |
Elemental Quiver | 5 | Always. |
Gladiator's Locket | 5 | Always. |
Honey Dew | 5 | While in the Jungle. |
Living Dew | 5 | While in the Jungle. |
Shroomerang | 5 | When Mushy buff is active. |
Tequila | 5 | During the daytime when Tequila debuff is active. |
Titan Scale Potion | 5 +25 |
When Titan Scale buff is active. 10 seconds after a true melee strike during the buff. |
Ambrosial Ampoule | 6 | Always. |
Fungal Carapace | 6 | Always. |
Giant Shell | 6 | Always. |
Regenator | 6 | Always. |
Spirit Glyph | 6 | When Spirit Defense buff is active. |
Asgard's Valor | 8 +16 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
Deep Diver | 8 +15 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
Elysian Aegis | 8 +40 |
Always. While Elysian Guard is active. |
Frigid Bulwark | 8 | Always. |
Hallowed Rune | 8 | When Hallowed Defense buff is active. |
Ornate Shield | 8 | Always. |
Yharim's Stimulants | 8 | When Yharim's Power buff is active. |
The Absorber | 10 +3 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
Affliction | 10 | While equipped or when Afflicted buff is active |
Archaic Powder | 10 | While Underground or in the Underworld. |
Asgardian Aegis | 10 +20 +40 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. While Elysian Guard is active. |
Crimson Effigy | 10 | When Crimson Effigy buff is active. |
Crown Jewel | 10 | While under the effects of a damaging debuff. |
Dark Sun Ring | 10 +15 |
Always. During night or Solar Eclipse. |
Frost Flare | 10 | When below 25% life. |
Laudanum | +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. |
Moonshine | 10 | When Moonshine debuff is active. |
Rover Drive | 10 | When 10-second shield is active. |
Tequila Sunrise | 10 | During the daytime when Tequila Sunrise debuff is active. |
Giant Tortoise Shell | 12 | Always. |
Rampart of Deities | 12 | Always. |
Celestial Jewel | 15 | While under the effects of a damaging debuff. |
Profaned Soul Crystal | 15 -15 |
At night or when submerged in water or honey. At day or when submerged in lava. |
Draconic Elixir | 16 | When Draconic Surge buff is active. |
Astral Arcanum | 20 | While under the effects of a damaging debuff. |
Blood Pact | 20 | When Bloody Boost buff is active. |
Leviathan Ambergris | 20 | While submerged in water. |
The Sponge | 20 +3 |
Always. When submerged in liquid. |
Ursa Sergeant | 20 | Always. |
Grax | 30 | When Grax Boost buff is active. |
Permafrost's Concoction | 30 | When Encased buff is active. |
Yharim's Gift | 30 | Always. |
Flame-Licked Shell | 36 -18 |
Always. When under the Shell Speed Boost buff |
Draedon's Heart | +75% | While standing still. |
Grape Beer | -3% | When Grape Beer debuff is active. |
Bloody Mary | -4% | During a Blood Moon when Bloody Mary debuff is active. |
Rum | -5% | When Rum debuff is active. |
Vodka | -5% | When Vodka debuff is active. |
Whiskey | -5% | When Whiskey debuff is active. |
Margarita | -6% | When Margarita debuff is active. |
Star Beam Rye | -6% | When Star Beam Rye debuff is active. |
White Wine | -6% | When White Wine debuff is active. |
Caribbean Rum | -10% | When Caribbean Rum debuff is active. |
Cinnamon Roll | -10% | When Cinnamon Roll debuff is active. |
Fluorescent Vodka | -10% | When Fluorescent debuff is active. |
Everclear | -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 |
---|---|---|
Badge of Bravery | 5 | Always. |
Invisibility Potion | 5 | While Invisibility buff is active when holding a javelin. |
Shadow Potion | 5 | While Shadow buff is active when holding a javelin. |
Filthy Glove | 10 | When performing stealth strikes. |
Sand Shark Tooth Necklace | 10 | Always. |
Reaper Tooth Necklace | 15 | Always. |
Omega Blue armor | 15 | Set bonus. |
Electrician's Glove | 20 | When performing stealth strikes. |
Nanotech | 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 |
---|---|
Earth | +1 |
Grand Guardian | +1 |
Majestic Guard | +1 |
Corrupted Crusher Blade | 10 |
Apoctolith | 15 |
Anti-materiel Rifle | 25 |
Skullmasher | 25 |
Grand Dad | 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 • Elemental System • Hit Sounds • Immunity frames • Lifesteal • Minions • Proficiency • Rogue • Shortstrike • Taming | ||||||||
Environment | Biome backgrounds • Events • Music • Status messages | ||||||||
Events | 22 Bullet Theory • Acid Rain • Boss Rush • Martian Madness • Mechanical Horde • Solar Eclipse • Noxus Eclipse | ||||||||
Items | Alternative crafting ingredients • Charge • Consumable • Crafting stations (By Hand) • Drops • Modifiers • Rarity • Item Classification System • Recipes • Vanilla item recipes | ||||||||
Game | AI • Boss Health Bar • Configuration options • Death Mode • Endings • Fishing • Game controls • Lore • Malice Mode • Nightmare Mode • Revengeance Mode • Vanilla changes | ||||||||
Player | Adrenaline Meter • Aggro • Buffs and Debuffs • Death Prevention • Defense • Rage Meter • Stamina Meter | ||||||||
Other | Cutscenes • Item Upgrade System • Sanity |