How to Get the Star Cannon in Terraria — Crafting Guide
How to Get the Star Cannon in Terraria — Crafting Guide
⚡ QUICK ANSWER
Craft the Star Cannon at an Iron or Lead Anvil using 1 Minishark + 20 Meteorite Bars + 5 Fallen Stars. It fires Fallen Stars as ammo — the highest damage projectile in pre-Hardmode. It is extremely powerful but ammo-limited since Fallen Stars are collected manually from the sky each night.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Recipe | 1 Minishark + 20 Meteorite Bars + 5 Fallen Stars at an Iron/Lead Anvil |
| Ammo | Fallen Stars — collect from the ground each morning after falling overnight |
| Damage | ~55 ranged damage per star shot — highest raw DPS of any pre-HM ranged weapon |
| Minishark Source | Arms Dealer NPC for 35 Gold Coins |
| Meteorite Source | Mine from meteor impact site — trigger by breaking a Shadow Orb/Crimson Heart |
| Downside | Ammo is limited and must be farmed each night; not sustainable for long fights |
How to Get the Star Cannon in Terraria — Step by Step
Buy the Minishark from the Arms Dealer
The Minishark is sold by the Arms Dealer NPC for 35 Gold Coins. The Arms Dealer moves in once you have any ranged weapon and a valid house. The Minishark is used as the base for the Star Cannon recipe — it is consumed in the craft.
💰 Minishark = 35 Gold from Arms Dealer — buy a second if you use one for regular combatGet Meteorite Ore by breaking Shadow Orbs or Crimson Hearts
Meteorite Ore is required for Meteorite Bars. Break a Shadow Orb (Corruption) or Crimson Heart (Crimson) with a Nightmare/Deathbringer Pickaxe or hammer. Within 1-3 in-game days a meteor impacts — mine the crash site with a Gold Pickaxe or better. You need 60 Meteorite Ore for 20 bars.
💥 Break Shadow Orb → meteor falls → mine 60 Meteorite Ore with Gold PickaxeCollect Fallen Stars each morning
Fallen Stars fall from the sky every night and land on the surface. Collect them by walking over the glowing blue star items on the surface each morning before 4:30 AM (they disappear at dawn). You need only 5 for the recipe, but collect hundreds for ammo use during boss fights.
🌟 Stars land on surface each night — collect each morning before they vanish at dawnSmelt Meteorite Bars at any Furnace
3 Meteorite Ore → 1 Meteorite Bar at any Furnace. You need 20 bars for the Star Cannon, plus potentially 45 more for Meteor Armor if you want the Space Gun combo. Smelt all at once in one furnace session.
⚗️ 3 Ore = 1 Bar at any Furnace — smelt 20 bars minimum for Star Cannon recipeCraft the Star Cannon at an Iron Anvil
At an Iron or Lead Anvil with Minishark + 20 Meteorite Bars + 5 Fallen Stars in inventory, craft the Star Cannon. It fires Fallen Stars at extremely high velocity and deals ~55 damage per shot — significantly higher than any other pre-HM ranged weapon against a single target.
🔫 Iron Anvil: Minishark + 20 Meteorite Bars + 5 Fallen Stars = Star CannonFarm Fallen Stars to build an ammo supply
Star Cannon ammo (Fallen Stars) replenishes each night automatically. A typical night yields 20-50 stars depending on world size. Explore the surface each morning to collect them all. Stock 200+ stars before attempting a major boss fight — the Star Cannon burns through ammo quickly but deals exceptional damage for the entire fight duration.
📦 Stock 200+ Fallen Stars before boss fights — collect every morning for 3-4 nightsPro Tips
The Star Cannon is the highest-damage ranged weapon in pre-Hardmode against single targets. Use it for the Eye of Cthulhu, Eater of Worlds/Brain of Cthulhu, Skeletron, Queen Bee, and especially the Wall of Flesh.
During the Wall of Flesh fight, the Star Cannon is one of the best weapons available. Its high damage per shot works well for the run-and-gun approach of that fight.
Fallen Stars have a secondary use: they are needed for Mana Crystals (+20 max mana each) and Holy Arrows. Balance your Star supply between Star Cannon ammo and other crafting needs.
In Expert mode enemies have more HP, making the Star Cannon’s high per-shot damage even more valuable. The ammo limitation is the main downside — maximize star collection before major encounters.
After entering Hardmode, the Star Cannon falls behind quickly. Prioritize upgrading to the Megashark (after defeating The Destroyer) or other Hardmode ranged weapons as soon as possible.
The Star Cannon is a pre-Hardmode ranged weapon with endgame-level single-target DPS relative to its stage. Its ammo limitation is a real constraint, but with disciplined Fallen Star collection (collecting every morning for a week gives 200+ stars) you have enough for multiple boss attempts. It excels against the Wall of Flesh where a concentrated burst of high-damage shots quickly depletes his HP before dawn.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I craft the Star Cannon in Terraria?
Craft at an Iron or Lead Anvil using 1 Minishark (35 Gold from Arms Dealer) + 20 Meteorite Bars (3 Meteorite Ore each at Furnace) + 5 Fallen Stars. The Minishark is consumed in the craft.
What ammo does the Star Cannon use?
The Star Cannon fires Fallen Stars as ammo. Stars fall from the sky each night and land on the surface — collect them each morning before 4:30 AM. They disappear at dawn.
Is the Star Cannon the best pre-HM ranged weapon?
Yes for single-target DPS — the Star Cannon deals the highest damage per shot of any pre-Hardmode ranged weapon. The limitation is ammo supply. Against multi-segment bosses, piercing weapons may outperform it.
How many Fallen Stars do I need for the Star Cannon?
You need only 5 for crafting. For ammo, collect as many as possible — stock 200+ before boss fights. A typical night yields 20-50 stars from the surface, so 4-5 nights of collection provides a solid supply.