The Calamity Mod for Terraria significantly expands the game, especially in terms of summoning. With dozens of new summon weapons, minions, sentries, and even whips, it provides a rich and complex experience for players who prefer the Summoner class. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the Calamity Mod’s summoning content effectively:

Understanding Calamity’s Summoning

Calamity Mod introduces a plethora of summoning items, each with unique abilities and requirements. The mod also adds new mechanics and boosts the viability of summoners throughout the game, from early pre-Hardmode to the late post-Moon Lord phases.

Early Game

1. Victide Armor Set: This is an excellent early-game summoner set that can be crafted using Victory Shards (dropped by bosses and Sea Serpents) and other materials. It boosts your minion count and provides a good defense.
2. Starter Summons:
   • Seafood: Summons a powerful Crabulon minion, which is useful for early boss fights.
   • Vile Feeder: Available if your world spawns with Corruption. It summons a small eater minion that can pass through walls.

Pre-Hardmode

1. Armor Sets:
   • Aerospec Armor: Crafted from Aerialite Bars and Skyfringe Plumes (dropped by Harpies), this armor boosts summoner capabilities by increasing minion damage and count.
2. Summoning Weapons:
   • Herring Staff: Summons a herring that charges enemies.
   • Amidias’ Trident: Calls upon a sea urchin to fight for you.

Hardmode

1. Armor Sets:
   • Statigel Armor: This set is crafted from Purified Gel and Hellstone Bars. It helps bridge the gap into early Hardmode for summoners.
   • Daedalus Armor: Upgraded from Statigel Armor using Cryonic, Perennial, and Scoria Bars. It further increases minion count and damage.
2. Summoning Weapons:
   • Cryogenic Staff: Summons a cirrus minion that zaps enemies with ice.
   • Black Hawk Remote: Calls a black hawk drone to fight for you, which is effective in mobile combat.

Post-Plantera

1. Armor Sets:
   • Xeroc Armor: Crafted from Meld Constructs, dropped by post-Plantera enemies. It significantly increases your minion capacity and damage.
2. Summoning Weapons:
   • Entropy’s Vigil: Summons multiple chaos orbs that attack enemies with beams.

Late Game (Post-Moon Lord)

1. Armor Sets:
   • Silva Armor: Offers one of the highest minion counts and additional life regen perks. Crafted from Uelibloom Bars and Darksun Fragments.
   • God Slayer Armor: This provides tremendous overall bonuses and is particularly good for hybrid summoner setups.
2. Summoning Weapons:
   • Endogenesis: Summons a cosmic energy orb that unleashes various powerful projectiles at enemies.
   • Ethereal Subjugator: Calls upon ethereal blades that follow and slice through enemies.

Expert and Revengeance Mode Tips

• Special Items: These game modes drop unique items that can significantly enhance summoning, such as the ‘Statis’ Blessing’ and ‘Statis’ Curse’, which increase your max number of sentries and minions respectively.
• Mana Management: Many powerful summoning weapons in Calamity also consume mana. Managing your mana efficiently with accessories and Arcane modifiers can enhance your combat effectiveness.

Utilizing Summons Effectively

• Always pair your summons with appropriate accessories that boost your summon damage, speed, and critical strike chance.
• Remember that certain summons from Calamity Mod can act independently of your minion count, allowing for more strategic variety in how you deploy your minions.

Calamity Mod’s summoning options transform the Summoner into a versatile and powerful class capable of immense damage and control on the battlefield. As with any extensive mod, the key to mastering its complexities is through experimentation and learning how each component interacts within the broader game mechanics Terraria.