Terraria reforging: the five modifiers and when to switch them
Reforging is the cheapest power in Terraria, and also the easiest way to waste money. A full set of accessories with the right modifiers swings your damage or defence by roughly 28%, and it costs nothing but gold and patience. Done carelessly, it can cost more than several full bosses.
The rule that prevents most waste is simple: decide the modifier before you spend the money.
What reforging actually does
Any accessory or weapon with an affix can be reforged at the Goblin Tinkerer's Workshop. The workshop is unlocked by having the Goblin Tinkerer move in, which requires surviving a Goblin Army and rescuing him in the Cavern. You can also buy a Goggles from the Merchant to reroll an accessory's modifiers at a discount — but the Workshop is where you combine accessories, so you need it anyway.
Every reforged item keeps its base stats and gains one of five modifiers.
| Modifier | Effect | Realistic use |
|---|---|---|
| Menacing | +4% damage | The default offensive roll |
| Warding | +4 defense | The default survival roll |
| Lucky | +4% critical strike chance | Ranged and crit builds |
| Quick | +4% movement speed | Almost never worth a slot |
| Arcane | +20 max mana | Caster builds with mana problems |
The only two decisions that matter
Menacing or Warding
This is the decision, and it is a timing decision, not a strength decision.
| Your situation | Roll | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Learning a new boss | Warding | 4 defence per slot is the difference between surviving the first mistake and not |
| Running a defense build | Warding | Defence multiplies alongside armour |
| Can already win comfortably | Menacing | 4% damage per slot compounds across every weapon |
| Summoner | Menacing | Minions cannot land critical hits, so Lucky is wasted on you |
Lucky for ranged, not for summoners
Lucky gives 4% critical strike chance per slot. With five slots that is a 20% crit chance increase, which is enormous for a bow user.
It is worth exactly nothing for a summoner, because minions cannot crit. A summoner running Lucky is paying for a stat that does not apply to their damage.
What reforging costs
The Goblin Tinkerer charges roughly a third of the item's value per reroll. Two things reduce that:
- A Discount Card from the Traveling Merchant: 20% off
- A Greedy Ring: 20% off
A 20% discount still leaves a third of an expensive accessory's value per attempt, and the expected number of attempts to hit your target modifier is about 50. That is the number people forget: reforging is a fifty-roll-per-item activity.
The 28% swing, in full
With five to seven accessory slots, switching a full set from one modifier to another moves:
| Modifier | 5 slots | 7 slots |
|---|---|---|
| Menacing | +20% damage | +28% damage |
| Warding | +20 defense | +28 defense |
| Lucky | +20% crit chance | +28% crit chance |
The swing compounds with your other gear, which is why an all-Menacing endgame set feels like a different game from an all-Warding one.
A reforging checklist
- Decide the modifier before you spend. Warding while learning, Menacing when comfortable, Lucky for non-summoner crit builds.
- Buy a Discount Card or Greedy Ring first. A 20% discount on fifty rolls per item pays for itself many times over.
- Reforge one item to confirm the modifier exists on that slot before rolling a whole set.
- Stop at the cap. Once your set is Menacing across the board, further reforging does nothing.
- Never reforge for Quick unless you want it for fun.
For which accessories are worth a slot at each stage, see the best accessories guide.