The first playthrough of each Terraria playthrough can be rough, especially collecting all the precious materials you will need for your journey. Since gear progression is tied to mining having the best Terraria pickaxe is a must. Depending on how far into the playthrough you are a different pickaxe will be the best. We have prepared a comprehensive list of the 10 best pickaxes you should get through your journey.
How to get a good Pickaxe in Terraria?
There are many ways to acquire a good pickaxe and replace your current one with a stronger one. Pickaxes in Terraria have different attributes that set them aside from the rest. The most important value is the Pickaxe’s power, this indicates how strong it is and which ores it can mine. While the other attribute is the speed at which it mines.
The core progression of the game will see you slowly upgrade your pickaxes as you go from one material to the next. Although, there are some ways to speed up this process by selecting only the best pickaxe in Terraria available to you at the time. Some choices may already be made for you since a few pickaxes depend on your world generation.
Countdown to the Best Pickaxe in Terraria
Here are our picks for the best pickaxes to choose in all stages of the game. The journey is long and gruesome from the first Wooden pickaxe you spawn with to the best pickaxe in Terraria. It is nonetheless, an satisfying experience that will set you up with the best gear armor, and weapons in the game.
Pre-Hardmode
Our first five picks are all pickaxes for the early stages of the game including the very best pickaxe in Terraria pre-hardmode. One of the pickaxes has a special use which can help you breeze through the early game at least in terms of pickaxe progression.
10. Cactus Pickaxe
The Cactus Pickaxe is an amazing first choice to get just as you start a new world. To get it all you need to do is run over to the nearest desert and chop down a few pickaxes. The Cactus Pickaxe has a power of 35% with a fast mining speed. By getting this pickaxe you can easily get access to gold and platinum ore. This perfectly sets you up to get gold/platinum gear within the first couple of hours.
9. Platinum/Gold Pickaxe
The Platinum and Gold Pickaxe are the pinnacle of early game pickaxes and are the best ones to get traditionally without killing any bosses. Its pickaxe power is at 55% paired with a very fast digging speed. This allows you to mine Crimtane and Demonite ore which is the second strongest ore in pre-hardmode.
8. Nightmare/Deathbringer Pickaxe
The Nightmare and Deathbringer Pickaxe are the second strongest pickaxes available to the player before defeating the Wall of Flesh. Their power is set a 65% which allows them to mine Hellstone and get the best pickaxe in Terraria pre-hardmode. These are one of the pickaxes where the world generation decides which one you will get. To craft them you will need to defeat the boss of the crimson or corruption respectively and combine their scales with the corresponding ore.
7. Reaver Shark
The Reaver Shark is one of the most game-changing pickaxes in the early game. To get one all you need to do is fish in the Ocean. Through this as a byproduct, you will get many crates that should be saved for hardmode. The Reaver Sharks’ power is 59% and a fast speed, allowing it to mine hellstone ore and obsidian. Both components are for Molten gear, which is the best available in pre-hardmode.
This essentially allows you to skip every boss up until the point where you have the best gear making most of them a breeze. Players that are looking for an easier time should make sure to do this trick. Not to mention it will also prove valuable in hardmode thanks to the crates gathered.
6. Molten Pickaxe
The Molten Pickaxe is the best pickaxe in Terraria pre-hardmode and will be the one you take into hardmode. With a mining power of 100% and a fast speed, it allows you to break the first hardcore ore to continue your progression. To get The Molten Pickaxe you need to get Hellstone Bars, obtained by combining hellstone ore and obsidian.
Hardmode and Post-Hardmode
Hardmore and post-hardmode take the game up the notch with a lot of new ores for the player to mine. The progression also becomes more important since the difference between the armor and weapons becomes more significant. By the end, you will have a stunning pickaxe that is not only the best pickaxe in Terraria but a wonder for builders. Due to the fact, it can instantly break most blocks in the game.
5. Adamantite/Titanium Pickaxe
Depending on your world generation in hardmode you will get either ademantite or titanium as a spawnable ore. Getting these pickaxes will require you to go through two previous stages of ores which will spawn once you break a demon altar. But if you have used the Reaver Shark trick you should have some crates stored up. Opening up these now, since it is hard mode, will grant you some ademantite and titanium ore. When you collect enough you can create your pickaxe with a whopping 180% power and a fast speed.
4. Pickaxe Axe
The Pickaxe Axe is the first hybrid tool on our list and it combines an axe and a pickaxe. It has a power of 200% and a fast speed, with the ability to break chlorophyte. This was once the best pickaxe in Terraria but nowadays sits near the top. To get this pickaxe the player will need to defeat all three Mechanical bosses and collect their loot. This is a pickaxe the player should not skip since chlorophyte armor is great versus a couple of bosses.
3. Shroomite Digging Claw
The Shroomite Digging Claw is a unique pickaxe since it is one of the fastest ones in the game. Its pickaxe power is 200% and it has an insanely fast speed with one caveat, a smaller range. To get this pickaxe you will need to set out and create a shroom biome above ground. This is in order to get the Truffle NPC and purchase the Autohammer from him for 1 Platinium coin.
Shroomite bars are crafted at the Autohammer and require one Chlorophyte Bar and 15 Glowing Mushrooms for each. Using these bars you can also craft great Ranger armor if you are going for that playstyle.
2. Picksaw
The Picksaw is the second-best pickaxe in the game with a pickaxe power of 210% and a very fast speed. Furthermore, it grants the user +1 range and serves as an axe as well. Players can get the Picksaw by defeating the Golem at the Jungle Temple. It is important to note that the pickaxe has a 25% drop chance so if you are unlucky you may have to kill the boss a couple of times.
1. Luminite Pickaxes
The Luminite Pickaxes are easily the best pickaxes in Terraria and can only be crafted after you defeat the final boss of the game, Moon Lord. The challenge to get them is easily rewarded since they are incredibly useful. With a pickaxe power of 225%, very fast speed, and a +4 range they easily overshadow all the other pickaxes.
Each of the Luminite Pickaxes has a unique look with the same stats so it just comes down to looks when choosing one.
