Turtle Armor – The Best Pre-Plantera Defense in Terraria

As a passionate Terraria player and content creator, I can definitively recommend Turtle Armor as the strongest pre-Plantera armor set due to its tremendous defense and damage reflection capabilities. Let‘s analyze the stats and abilities of Turtle Armor to see why it shines above other Hardmode armors against bosses like the Mechanical Trio.

Turtle Armor Abilities and Calculation

Crafted from 36 Chlorophyte Bars, the full Turtle Armor set provides:

• 56 Defense
• 6% Increased Melee Speed
• 12% Increased Melee Damage
• Thorns – Upon getting hit, reflects 18 / 36 damage back at the enemy

According to testing from Terraria expert Mish in his armor guide, the thorns effect reflects damage pre-mitigation. What does this mean?

Let‘s math it out:

• You have 80 defense, reducing incoming damage by 80%
• Get hit by a Plantera attack dealing 1,000 damage
• 80% of 1,000 is 800. So with your defense, you take 200 damage instead of 1000.
• But the 18 damage thorns effect reflects back 18 damage BEFORE the 80% mitigation is applied
• So you reflect back damage as if you were hit for the full 1000 damage!

In practice while fighting bosses, the damage totals rack up quickly. Terraria players on Reddit have reported the Thorns buff alone dealing over 2,000 damage per minute to Plantera. Combine this with Turtle Armor‘s high 56 defense, and melee fighters gain an unprecedented level of effective health and damage output.

Turtle Armor vs. Other Pre-Plantera Armor Sets

Let‘s see how Turtle Armor compares defensively:

From analyzing these Bonuses, it is clear that Turtle Armor‘s Thorns ability combined with the highest base defense provides melee fighters the best effective health against bosses. The sheer damage reflection itself outpaces any DPS bonuses from the Forbidden or Frost armors as well.

Set Bonuses like Frostburn may sound appealing, but expert Terraria player ChippyGaming explains the Thorns reflection triggers before debuffs apply. So frostburn stacks slowly as you still take direct damage.

Utlizing Turtle Armor Properly with Accessories and Strategies

To fully maximize Turtle Armor‘s potential, combine it with accessories and arena prep that accentuate its strengths against bosses:

• Vampire Knives – This life-stealing melee weapon synergizes perfectly with Turtle Armor by healing the gradual damage you receive during battles.
• Armored Reforge Accessories – The damage reduction further improves Turtle Armor‘s power. Consider Limited Worm Scarf, Moon/Sun Stone Celestial Shell combo and other defensive items with Armored reforges.
• Build a Large Arena – More room to dodge projectile attacks and utilize Turtle Armor‘s reflection around hazards like Plantera‘s spores is key.
• Heart Statues – Connect these statues properly to spawn life hearts for extra durability.

Combine these tips with Turtle Armor when fighting Plantera and you have a potent pre-Plantera loadout ready to dominate! Let me know if you have any other questions when gearing up to defeat Terraria bosses.