The best accessory modifiers in Terraria can have a massive impact on your game. Just imagine having a +4 armor boost on 5 items you’re wearing. These modifiers can provide a massive increase in defense, offense, and mobility, but unfortunately, most people tend to neglect them.
Spending some money to improve modifiers is an excellent investment. You can reforge almost every accessory in the game, thus gaining a massive boost to a specific stat or a balanced improvement to several.
Listing all modifiers
We can split all accessory modifiers into six categories: Defense, Critical Strike Chance, Damage, Movement Speed, Melee Speed, and Mana. Here is a table for each one of them:
| Defense | ||
| Modifier | Stat boost | Tier |
| Hard | +1 | +1 |
| Guarding | +2 | +1 |
| Armored | +3 | +1 |
| Warding | +4 | +1 |
| Critical Strike Chance | ||
| Modifier | Stat boost | Tier |
| Precise | +2% | +1 |
| Lucky | +4% | +2 |
| Damage | ||
| Modifier | Stat boost | Tier |
| Jagged | +1% | +1 |
| Spiked | +2% | +1 |
| Angry | +3% | +1 |
| Menacing | +4% | +1 |
| Movement Speed | ||
| Modifier | Stat boost | Tier |
| Brisk | +1% | +1 |
| Fleeting | +2% | +1 |
| Hasty | +3% | +1 |
| Quick | +4% | +2 |
| Melee Speed | ||
| Modifier | Stat boost | Tier |
| Wild | +1% | +1 |
| Rash | +2% | +1 |
| Intrepid | +3% | +1 |
| Violent | +4% | +2 |
| Mana | ||
| Modifier | Stat boost | Tier |
| Arcane | +20 | +1 |
An excellent thing about Terraria accessories is that, unlike weapons, they cannot gain negative modifiers. On the other hand, you can only get a boost to one specific stat. When adding a modifier to an item, you can increase its rarity for up to two tiers.
Approximately 25% of all accessories that drop in the game will start without a modifier. You have to place an item in an equipment slot for an accessory and its modifier to have an impact.
What are the best accessory modifiers in Terraria?
In our opinion, it is hard to determine the best accessory modifier. In most cases, it depends on the character and situation. In certain cases, you’ll need more offense. In others, you’ll want to focus on defense. The choice of modifiers might also vary depending on your base equipment.
If we were to choose just one accessory modifier, we would probably go with defense. It is the simplest, most versatile effect that all classes can benefit from. Even if you’re a ranged character, you can find some value in extra protection. In the end, as long as you’re able to survive the fight, you’ll eventually win, right?
Just to provide some extra clarity, we’ve analyzed each of these modifiers providing a few tips on how to use them. We’ve listed them based on importance, from the best to the worst modifier.
1. Defense
Unlike some other games, explaining defense in Terraria is easy. Basically, this stat reduces the incoming damage by 50% of its value. So, if you have 50 defense, it’ll reduce incoming damage by 25 points (Classic Mode). With accessory modifiers, you can gain 20 defense in total, removing 10 damage from each hit.
Although the impact of defense might not seem as important against regular enemies, it becomes more relevant against bosses. During prolonged fights, you’ll receive numerous hits. The effect tends to stack up over time, and even if you use potions, they might not be enough to survive the ordeal.
Defense is especially great if you have a source of regeneration nearby (like a Campfire). Together with potions, you can eventually overcome even the toughest enemies. Although defense is not as flashy as damage or critical strike, it ensures that you’ll always win (almost always, that is).
Another great thing about this modifier is that all classes can benefit from it. Defense is best for melee class as it makes these characters almost invulnerable. In theory, the damage is better for all ranged characters, but lack of defense can make certain fights incredibly tough.
2. Damage
Damage is another accessory modifier you can’t go wrong with. In many ways, it could be the best stat in Terraria, depending on your class. For example, when playing ranged characters, who are quite elusive, you don’t have to focus on protection. Instead, just ramp up your damage and stomp through the game.
It is worth noting that the modifier works on all sources of damage. This also includes magic spells and minion damage. It makes sense to stack up on this stat, keep your distance, and decimate opponents from afar.
In our opinion, a damage modifier is especially great for experienced players. If you understand boss patterns, you don’t have to worry about the incoming damage as much. Alternatively, if you use an old Hardmode character for a new game, the boost to damage will allow you to quickly finish the content.
3. Critical Strike Chance
Unlike damage, critical strike chance only applies to weapons. It doesn’t impact your magic spells, and it won’t affect the basic attacks of your summons. So, although not as powerful and versatile as the damage modifier, it does provide a nice value. In some cases, you should combine critical with damage for a more balanced offense.
Like in most other games, critical strike chance doubles your base damage. What’s cool about criticals in Terraria is that each of these hits will also knock the enemy back. This makes it a great choice for kiting. In fact, critical strike chance is probably a better choice for ranged characters than plain damage.
This is especially true if we consider that ranged weapons tend to have a higher critical base. In theory, you could continuously knock back opponents as they’re rushing toward you.
The knockback effect on criticals is less relevant and can even be annoying on melee characters. Furthermore, a high critical chance on melee class can work to your disadvantage. For example, it can knock back strong ranged and melee enemies giving them time to reload.
4. Movement Speed
Our main issue with movement speed modifiers is that they don’t have a real combat value. Yes, they are definitely fantastic for kiting enemies around and dodging incoming hits, but they don’t increase your offense or defense. In that sense, they won’t help you complete the game.
On the other hand, they are crucial for running around the map. If you look at things from that perspective, they might be the best modifier in the game, including weapon modifiers. The amount of time you’ll save with movement speed modifiers is ridiculous (up to 20%).
If you’re an experienced Terraria player, you should consider having one set of accessories with a movement speed bonus and one set with combat stats. The most important thing to keep in mind is that movement modifiers from accessories don’t affect your boots’ cap, thus allowing you to stack them.
Considering all these things, we’ve decided to place them in the 4th spot. Unlike some other modifiers that you might never use, there is always a place in your inventory for accessories with movement speed stat.
5. Melee Speed
Melee speed is such a niche modifier that we had to place it 5th. Although it is extremely powerful for the melee class and can also be used by summoners, the other two classes don’t benefit from it. Furthermore, one-shoting opponents with a high-damage weapon is much better than slicing them several times.
One of the reasons why you should consider using the modifier is because of its synergy with knockback. Each swing with a melee weapon will knock back an opponent, allowing you to stave off hordes of incoming enemies. By having high melee speed, you can rest assured they’ll never be close enough to cause damage.
Then again, as previously mentioned, this knockback effect can also cause some issues depending on the enemy.
6. Mana
In many ways, the mana modifier is similar to movement speed. Although it increases your overall pool, it doesn’t provide that much value in prolonged boss fights. For example, it would be much better to get straight damage. Furthermore, you can compensate for the lack of mana by taking potions.
Another issue with increasing the total mana pool is that certain high-tier spells will drain you immediately. Having that in mind, it’s much better to get items, modifiers, and effects that will boost regeneration instead. Of course, mana is only useful for the mage class, which is another reason why it ranks last on our list.
How to get better accessory modifiers?
Aside from endlessly grinding monsters and waiting for an item with the right modifier to drop, you can also reforge existing accessories. You can perform this process at Goblin Tinkerer, who becomes available at Hardmode or late pre-Hardmode.
You can reforge the existing modifier or add a modifier to an accessary without any. It is also worth noting that there’s an equal chance of getting any of the available modifiers, including the one you have currently.
The service costs 33.33% of the item’s buy value. For example, if an accessory is worth 30 gold, reforging will cost 10. You can also use Greedy Ring or Discount Card to further reduce this cost by 20%.
Interestingly enough, the price of reforging increases or drops based on the quality of your current modifiers. For example, reforging items with bad stats will be cheaper and vice versa. The prices are also affected by the NPC’s happiness.
