Terraria Bigger and Boulder Summoner Guide

The summoner class has received its most significant overhaul yet in Terraria's Bigger and Boulder update. With nine brand-new whips spanning every progression stage and major mechanical changes that reshape combat strategy, summoners now face both exciting opportunities and important adjustments. Whether you're starting fresh or adapting your endgame build, understanding these changes will transform your minion mastery experience.

What Changed for Summoners in Bigger and Boulder?

The most impactful change affects how you'll approach whip combat: whip stacking has been completely removed. Previously, skilled players could rapidly switch between multiple whips to stack their effects, creating devastating damage combinations. Now, hitting an enemy with any whip immediately clears effects from other whips.

Here's the thing - this isn't necessarily a nerf. The nine new whips pack significantly more individual power to compensate. You'll focus on mastering single whip effects rather than juggling multiple weapons, which actually makes summoner gameplay more accessible while maintaining depth.

Terraria Bigger and Boulder Summoner Guide

New Whip Progression System

Pro Tip: The new whip reforge system offers better stat distributions. Focus on damage and speed modifiers rather than trying to optimize for stacking.

Early Game Summoner Strategy (Pre-Hardmode)

Starting your summoner journey feels completely different with the new whip options. The Slime Whip becomes available almost immediately, giving you a proper summoner weapon from day one instead of relying on other class weapons.

Your priorities shift dramatically in the early game:

First Night Survival:

• Craft the Slime Whip using slime gel and wood
• Focus on building minion-friendly arenas rather than dodge-heavy designs
• Prioritize finding accessories that boost minion damage over personal defense

Boss Preparation: The Cobweb Whip excels against early bosses like the Eye of Cthulhu. Its web-spawning effect creates additional crowd control, perfect for handling the Servants of Cthulhu spawns.

Hardmode Progression and New Whips

Entering Hardmode unlocks the most exciting new whips. The Spider Whip variants fundamentally change how you approach group combat, while the Meteor Whips offer incredible single-target potential.

Spider Whip Mechanics

These whips spawn mini-spiders that seek out tagged enemies. What most players miss is that the spiders inherit some of your whip's damage bonuses, making them scale with your equipment. Position yourself to tag multiple enemies, then let the spiders handle cleanup while your main minions focus on priority targets.

Meteor Whip Strategy

The meteor-summoning whips work exceptionally well against slower, tankier enemies. Tag a boss or mini-boss, then focus on positioning while meteors rain down. The key here is patience - don't try to maintain constant whip contact. Tag, retreat, let meteors work, then re-engage.

Terraria Bigger and Boulder Summoner Guide

Crossover Content 

The Dead Cells and Palworld collaborations introduce unique summons that blend seamlessly into summoner progression. Pal-themed summons from the Palworld crossover offer different AI behaviors than traditional Terraria minions.

These crossover summons excel in specific situations:

• Dead Cells weapons provide alternative whip options with unique visual effects
• Palworld summons use different targeting priorities, perfect for mixed minion armies
• Hybrid loadouts combining traditional and crossover content create new strategic possibilities

Endgame Summoner Builds

Late-game summoner strategy revolves around the new Moon Lord Whips and their critical strike mechanics. These whips can grant critical hit chances to your minions - a game-changing addition that makes summoners competitive in endgame DPS.

Optimal Endgame Setup

Weapon Priority:

1. Moon Lord Whip (primary) for critical strike buffs
2. High-count minion setup (maximize your minion slots)
3. Accessories focused on minion damage and count rather than whip speed

Combat Rotation:

• Tag priority enemies with your whip to apply critical buffs
• Position for maximum minion effectiveness
• Use whip primarily for targeting and buffs, not as main damage source

Advanced Summoner Tips

Arena Design: Build platforms at different heights to maximize minion AI effectiveness. Most minions perform better with vertical space to maneuver.

Accessory Priority: Focus on minion damage percentage bonuses over flat damage increases. The percentage bonuses scale better with weapon upgrades.

Boss Strategy: Use whips primarily for applying effects and directing minion attention. Your damage comes from the minions, not whip strikes.

Terraria's Bigger and Boulder update transforms summoner gameplay from a complex juggling act into a more focused, strategic experience. While the removal of whip stacking initially seems limiting, the nine new whips and enhanced individual effects create deeper tactical decisions.

Master the new single-whip focus, experiment with crossover content, and embrace the improved quality-of-life features. The summoner class has never been more accessible to new players while maintaining the strategic depth that veterans appreciate. Your minion army awaits - time to lead them to victory.