Guide:Class setups/Pre-Hardmode

Pre-Boss

Start as you normally would - gather materials for building, build a couple of houses, increase your maximum health, make a trip to the Corruption/Crimson for your first ranged weapon. Make sure to look for Hermes Boots or variants. If you have a Gravitation Potion, look for floating islands and Planetoids.

Class	Weapons	Armor	Accessories	Buffs/Potions/Ammo
Melee	Artery / Malaise * Burnt Sienna Depth Crusher * Falcon Blade Monstrous Knives Starfury Terragrim *	Gi*	Feral Claws Strings	Sharpened Tipsy †
Ranged	Boomstick Demon Bow / Tendon Bow ≤ Flintlock Pistol / Revolver * Harpoon Spiky Ball	Desert Prowler armor Fossil armor	Rusty Medallion	Ammo Box * Archery Potions Flash Rounds Frostburn Arrows Gel Jester's Arrows Unholy Arrows
Magic	Amber Staff / Diamond Staff ≤ Frost Bolt / Veering Wind Plasma Rod + Mana Rose * Wulfrum Prosthesis +	Diamond Robe Ω / Mystic Robe Ω * Jungle armor Magic Hat Ω */ Wizard Hat Ω *	Band of Starpower ≤ Mana Flower ≤	Lesser Mana Potions ≤ Magic Power Potions Mana Regeneration Potions Strange Brews
Summoning	Frost Blossom Staff Rusty Beacon Prototype + * Snapthorn Ω1 + * ≤ Sun Spirit Staff Wulfrum Controller Ω2	Flinx Fur Coat Wulfrum armor	Feral Claws Ω1 Rover Drive Ω2 Spirit Glyph Wulfrum Battery	Summoning Potions *
Rogue	Crystalline Iron Francisca / Lead Tomahawk Nasty Cholla Poison Pack * Sticky Spiky Ball Urchin Stinger *	Gladiator armor * Snow Ruffian armor	Coin of Deceit Raider's Talisman Scuttler's Jewel	Shadow Potions
All Classes		Ancient Shadow armor * Gold armor / Platinum armor Moon Lord Legs Silver armor	Abyssal Amulet * Amidias' Spark Cleansing Jelly Cloud in a Bottle ≤ /Fledgling Wings Frog Leg ≤ Gladiator's Locket * Hermes Boots ≤ Life Jelly Luxor's Gift * Magiluminescence Rover Drive Shark Tooth Necklace Trinket of Chi * + Unstable Granite Core * Vital Jelly	Endurance Potions Ironskin Potions Lesser Healing Potions ≤ Rage Potions / Wrath Potions Regeneration Potions Slice of Cake * Swiftness Potions Well Fed ≤

Pre-Brain of Cthulhu/Eater of Worlds

Defeating your first boss begins to vastly open your options, with defeating the Eye of Cthulhu and Desert Scourge unlocking the Giant Clam miniboss, the Acid Rain event, the Sunken Sea biome, and a plethora of weapons and accessories. Now, presumably, with your health maxed out, defeating Crabulon or the previously mentioned events can give useful gear to help prepare you for your first major step in progression.

Class	Weapons	Armor	Accessories	Buffs/Potions/Ammo
Melee	Blade of Grass Mycelial Claws Ω Riptide / Code 1 Seashine Sword Teardrop Cleaver Trimarang		Feral Claws Fungal Symbiote Ω * Strings	Mushrooms Ω Sharpened Tipsy †
Ranged	Blood Rain Bow Coral Cannon Fungicide Ω Revolver * Shellshooter † Storm Surge Toxibow	Desert Prowler armor Fossil armor	Fungal Symbiote Ω *	Ammo Box * Archery Potions Flash Rounds Frostburn Arrows Jester's Arrows Mushrooms Ω Musket Ball Ω Tungsten Bullet/Silver Bullet Unholy Arrows
Magic	Aquamarine Staff Gray Zapinator Harvest Staff Sky Glaze Veering Wind Waywasher	Diamond Robe Ω / Mystic Robe Ω * Jungle armor Magic Hat Ω */ Wizard Hat Ω *	Mana Regeneration Band ≤ Mana Flower ≤	Magic Power Potions Mana Potions Mana Regeneration Potions Strange Brews
Summoning	Brittle Star Staff Deathstare Rod Frost Blossom Staff + Polyp Launcher + † Rusty Beacon Prototype + Snapthorn + Ω	Wulfrum armor	Feral Claws Ω Fungal Clump Spirit Glyph Voltaic Jelly	Summoning Potions *
Rogue	Bouncing Eyeball Mycoroot Ω Poison Pack Sand Dollar Scourge of the Desert Seafoam Bomb Snap Clam	Gladiator armor Sulphurous armor	Coin of Deceit Fungal Symbiote Ω * Raider's Talisman Rotten Dogtooth Sand Cloak Scuttler's Jewel	Mushroom Ω Shadow Potions
All Classes		Ancient Shadow armor * Gold armor / Platinum armor Victide armor	Abyssal Amulet Aero Stone Cloud in a Balloon ≤ /Fledgling Wings Crown Jewel Frog Leg ≤ Gladiator's Locket * Hermes Boots ≤ Heart of Darkness Laudanum Magiluminescence Rover Drive Shark Tooth Necklace Shield of Cthulhu Stress Pills Unstable Granite Core * Vital Jelly	Endurance Potions Healing Potions / Honeyfins * Ironskin Potions Plenty Satisfied ≤ Rage Potions / Wrath Potions Regeneration Potions Slice of Cake Swiftness Potions

Pre-Perforators/Hive Mind

At this point, you should've already killed a few bosses, including Brain of Cthulhu/Eater of Worlds, and should be getting ready for a trip to The Underworld.

Class	Weapons	Armor	Accessories	Buffs/Potions/Ammo
Melee	Bladecrest Oathsword Flamarang Old Lord Claymore † Seashine Sword Tainted Blade Volcano	Molten armor	Feral Claws Strings	Sharpened Tipsy †
Ranged	Coral Cannon Firestorm Cannon Magna Cannon Molten Fury Shellshooter Star Cannon	Desert Prowler armor Fossil armor		Acceleration Rounds Ammo Box Archery Potions Fallen Stars Flares Flash Rounds Hellfire Arrows Jester's Arrows Superball Bullets
Magic	Aquamarine Staff Demon Scythe Flare Bolt Hellwing Staff Sky Glaze Gray Zapinator Ω2	Diamond Robe Ω1 / Mystic Robe Ω1 Jungle armor Magic Hat Ω1 / Wizard Hat Ω1 Meteor armor Ω2	Magic Cuffs ≤ Mana Flower ≤	Magic Power Potions Mana Potions Mana Regeneration Potions Strange Brews
Summoning	Brittle Star Staff Cinder Blossom Staff Deathstare Rod Polyp Launcher + Snapthorn Ω + Tavernkeep Rods + Vile Feeder	Obsidian armor Ω Wulfrum armor	Feral Claws Ω Fungal Clump Spirit Glyph Voltaic Jelly	Summoning Potions *
Rogue	Meteor Fist Mycoroot Sand Dollar Sludge Splotch Snap Clam	Sulphurous armor	Coin of Deceit Raider's Talisman Rotten Dogtooth Sand Cloak Scuttler's Jewel Silencing Sheath	Shadow Potions
All Classes	Slime Gun +	Crimson armor Shadow armor ≤ Victide armor	Aero Stone Crown Jewel Frog Leg ≤ Gladiator's Locket * Lightning Boots ≤ / Amphibian Boots /Hellfire Treads + Heart of Darkness Laudanum Magiluminescence Rover Drive Shield of Cthulhu Stress Pills White Horseshoe Balloon ≤ / Fledgling Wings Worm Scarf / Brain of Confusion	Endurance Potions Healing Potions / Honeyfins * Ironskin Potions Rage Potions / Wrath Potions Plenty Satisfied ≤ Regeneration Potions Slice of Cake Swiftness Potions

Pre-Skeletron

At this point, you should've killed The Perforators/Hive Mind and mined plenty of Aerialite to craft new gear as well as killed Queen Bee to help prepare you for Skeletron.

Class	Weapons	Armor	Accessories	Buffs/Potions/Ammo
Melee	Air Spinner / Hive-Five Bladecrest Oathsword Broken Biome Blade Gauss Dagger Old Lord Claymore Sausage Maker Wind Blade	Molten armor	Bloody Worm Tooth Feral Claws Strings	Flask of Fire / Flask of Poison Sharpened Tipsy †
Ranged	The Bee's Knees Ω Bullet-Filled Shotgun Eviscerator Galeforce Pew-matic Horn Shadethrower Taser		Hive Pack Ω	Acceleration Rounds Ammo Box Archery Potions Fallen Stars Gel Hellfire Arrows Jester's Arrows Superball Bullets Flash Rounds Wooden Arrows Ω
Magic	Bee Gun Ω Blood Bath Demon Scythe Flare Bolt Pulse Pistol Shaderain Staff + Tradewinds		Hive Pack Ω Magic Cuffs ≤ Mana Flower ≤	Magic Power Potions Mana Regeneration Potions Mana Potions Strange Brews
Summoning	Cinder Blossom Staff Deathstare Rod Hornet Staff Ω2 Imp Staff Snapthorn Ω + Tavernkeep Rods +	Bee armor Obsidian armor Ω	Feral Claws Ω Fungal Clump Hive Pack Ω2 Pygmy Necklace Spirit Glyph Voltaic Jelly	Flask of Fire Ω/ Flask of Poison Ω Summoning Potions
Rogue	Hardened Honeycomb Rot Ball Sand Dollar Sky Stabber Tooth Ball Turbulance	Sulphurous armor	Bloodstained Glove / Filthy Glove Coin of Deceit Feather Crown Raider's Talisman Scuttler's Jewel Silencing Sheath	Flask of Fire / Flask of Poison Shadow Potions
All Classes	Aestheticus + Slime Gun +	Aerospec armor Crimson armor Shadow armor ≤	Aero Stone The Bee Brain of Confusion Bundle of Horseshoe Balloons / Skyline Wings Frog Leg ≤ Frostspark Boots ≤ Heart of Darkness Honey Dew Laudanum Magiluminescence Rover Drive Shield of Cthulhu Stinger Necklace Stress Pills	Endurance Potions Ironskin Potions Healing Potions / Honeyfins Rage Potions Plenty Satisfied ≤ Regeneration Potions Slice of Cake Swiftness Potions Wrath Potions

Pre-Wall of Flesh

At this point, you should make a trip to the Abyss and haul everything you can get out of there, as said gear may be handy for defeating The Slime God and obtaining more useful gear. At this point, Potions can be made with Blood Orbs at an Alchemy Table, so there are more potions to be used at your disposal, such as Lifeforce Potions.

Class	Weapons	Armor	Accessories	Buffs/Potions/Ammo
Melee	Ball O' Fugu Bladecrest Oathsword Broken Biome Blade Gelitic Blade The God's Gambit Muramasa ≤ Old Lord Claymore	Molten armor	Bloody Worm Tooth Feral Claws Strings	Flask of Fire / Flask of Poison Sharpened Tipsy †
Ranged	Archerfish Dragoon Drizzlefish * Flurrystorm Cannon Goobow Gunk Shot Phoenix Blaster	Necro armor		Acceleration Rounds Ammo Box Archery Potions Fallen Stars Hellfire Arrows Jester's Arrows Superball Bullets
Magic	Abyssal Tome Abyss Shocker Aqua Scepter Black Anurian Eldritch Tome Flamelash / Magic Missile Pulse Pistol		Celestial Cuffs Mana Flower ≤ Mana Polarizer	Magic Power Potions Mana Potions Mana Regeneration Potions Strange Brews
Summoning	Corroslime Staff /Crimslime Staff † Eye of Night Herring Staff Slime Puppet Staff + Spinal Tap Ω + Staff of Necrosteocytes †	Bee armor Obsidian armor Ω	Feral Claws Ω Jelly-Charged Battery Pygmy Necklace Spirit Glyph	Bewitched Flask of Fire Ω/ Flask of Poison Ω Summoning Potions
Rogue	Cinquedea Enchanted Axe Gel Dart Glaive Kylie Lionfish Metal Monstrosity Shinobi Blade		Bloodstained Glove / Filthy Glove Coin of Deceit Feather Crown Mirage Mirror Silencing Sheath	Flask of Fire / Flask of Poison Shadow Potions
All Classes	Aestheticus +	Statigel armor	Aero Stone The Bee Brain of Confusion Bundle of Horseshoe Balloons / Skyline Wings Counter Scarf / Shield of Cthulhu Frog Leg ≤ Heart of Darkness Honey Dew Laudanum Magiluminescence Obsidian Shield Rover Drive Stinger Necklace Stress Pills Terraspark Boots	Endurance Potions Healing Potions / Honeyfins Ironskin Potions Lifeforce Potions Plenty Satisfied ≤ Rage Potions Regeneration Potions Slice of Cake Swiftness Potions Wrath Potions