Solar Flare armor is a late-game Hardmode armor set that provides melee boosts. It is currently the best melee set available on the Desktop version. This armor set also provides the most base defense. Crafting this set requires a total of 36 Luminite Bars (144 Luminite) and 45 Solar Fragments.
In total, Solar Flare armor pieces apply the following boosts:
- +17% melee critical hit chance
- +22% melee damage
- +15% melee speed
- +15% movement speed
- Significantly higher chance that enemies will target the wearer
Equipping the full set additionally provides a special set bonus that builds the longer the player avoids damage, up to 3 “charges” (similar to Beetle armor). Each takes 5 seconds to build. The charges provide a flat damage reduction of 30% regardless of the number of charges. The number of charges built are indicated by a shield that appears after the first charge, with 2 and 3 spikes appearing on the shield on the second and third charges, respectively.
Taking damage causes one charge to deplete, and discharges fire explosions around the player that can damage enemies
in the vicinity. A charge can also be discharged manually by using the shield’s special “dash” attack, activated by double-tapping ◀ Left or ▶ Right. Dashing only consumes a charge if it strikes an enemy, and upon doing so causes a similar explosion.
Each piece equipped (even if hidden by vanity items) also causes the player to emit light, with a higher light level for each additional piece equipped. Additionally, equipping the full set displays an after-image motion effect, similar to Hallowed armor.
- Taking fall damage also triggers the explosion discharge, depleting one shield charge.
- The shield can be dyed using the chest plate dye slot.
- All armors made from Luminite currently have no sell value. This is likely to change in a future patch.
- If you use the shield’s dash ability close to a wall you’ll end up going down one block.
- Holding the Psycho Knife will increase the damage of the dash.
- The Endurance Potion, Frozen Turtle Shell and Worm Scarf stack with the shield.
- Set bonus is still “Consume shield power to dash” although it no longer consumes it.
- Like all armors made from Luminite equipping solar armor makes the player give off light, in this case red. Light radius increases with amount of pieces equipped.
- Before this armor was introduced, wearing Beetle armor and using the Beetle Shell would provide the most defense, at 73. The Solar Flare armor beats this by 5 armor points.
- The dash causes the player to move at 52 miles per hour.