Piranha Gun



The Piranha Gun is a Hardmode, post-Plantera ranged weapon that fires a single, returning "piranha" projectile that costs no ammunition. The piranha latches onto an enemy to do continuous damage while the button is held. If the initial target is killed and the attack button is still held, the piranha proceeds to seek out nearby enemies. It returns to the gun once no other enemies are in the vicinity; when the attack button is released; or after one minute of continuous use. The Piranha Gun is found in the Dungeon's Jungle Chest, which requires the Jungle Key to open.

The first enemy the piranha attaches to must be in direct line of sight. Once the initial enemy is dead, the piranha will then automatically home in on nearby enemies in range, regardless of line-of-sight, and will pass through blocks. The piranha attacks at a rate of 7.5 hits a second and overlapping enemies over the target can also be hit and damaged by the same rate.

Tips

 * The Piranha Gun is great for eliminating swarms of enemies as you can hide behind walls while it jumps between enemies in a wide open space. It is especially good for eliminating Paladins and teleporting enemies, since the piranha will lock onto and follow the target with each teleport and pass through solid blocks in the process. Also, since Paladins do not attack without direct line of sight, they will just receive damage and eventually be defeated if the player hides.
 * Its high attack rate, ability to remain on top of a target, and weak knockback, combine to slow or stun-lock many enemies. Certain enemies and bosses, or boss segments (like Golem's fists), cannot attack or fire while being damaged; thus, the Piranha Gun prevents them from attacking. Another example is the Paladin, against whom the Piranha Gun is best when paired with Wings or other flight accessories that allow you to dodge around while the Paladin is worn down.
 * It can be used to constantly damage bosses without having to focus on aiming or going in close for melee attacks. This can allow the player to focus on dodging and hold out for any debuffs to clear, such as Potion Sickness. However, in compensation for its homing ability, the DPS is comparatively low against bosses.
 * The Piranha Gun might even prove effective against Dungeon Guardians because of its ability to cause continuous damage while following its target, though the low damage is a downside.