Last Updated: August 23, 2026
Terraria 1.4.5.7 quietly made boomerangs much better with melee-speed builds.
The important change is easy to miss: melee attack speed now makes boomerangs return faster, at roughly 1% melee attack speed = 1.5% faster return speed. This is separate from the older interaction where melee speed already increased boomerang velocity and, therefore, effective range.
That means attack-speed bonuses can now do more than make a boomerang travel farther. They can help you maintain faster attack cycles when fighting from farther away.
Here is exactly how the new mechanic works, which boomerangs benefit most, and whether it is actually worth building melee speed for them.
📋 Table of Contents
- What Changed for Boomerangs
- How Melee Speed Affects Boomerangs
- Does Melee Speed Increase Range?
- Does It Increase DPS?
- Best Boomerangs to Use
- Light Disc and Melee Speed
- Paladin's Hammer Rework
- Other Boomerangs Worth Using
- Best Melee-Speed Accessories
- 1.4.5 vs 1.4.5.7
- Is Melee Speed Worth Building?
- FAQ
- Final Takeaway
What Changed for Boomerangs in Terraria 1.4.5.7?
The headline change is straightforward:
All boomerangs now return faster based on your melee attack speed.
The official 1.4.5.7 balance changes describe the relationship as approximately 1% melee attack speed producing 1.5% faster comeback speed.
This matters because boomerangs already had an interaction with melee speed.
Before 1.4.5.7, melee-speed bonuses could increase a boomerang's projectile velocity. Since many boomerangs travel for a period of time before turning around rather than having a simple fixed-distance range, higher velocity could effectively increase their maximum range.
The problem was that traveling farther could also mean spending longer waiting for the boomerang to come back.
Version 1.4.5.7 addresses that weakness by making the return trip faster too.
So the new interaction can be thought of as:
- Melee speed → faster outgoing velocity → greater effective range
- and now: Melee speed → faster return → better attack cycling at range
That makes attack speed considerably more useful for dedicated boomerang builds.
How Does Melee Speed Affect Boomerangs?
There are effectively two important effects to understand.
1. It can increase outgoing velocity: Melee-speed bonuses already affect boomerang velocity. A faster projectile can cover its travel distance more quickly and, for weapons whose maximum range depends on travel time, can effectively increase range. The official wiki documents this behavior on weapons such as the Light Disc and Paladin's Hammer.
2. It now increases return speed: The new 1.4.5.7 mechanic specifically makes the boomerang fly back to you faster. The approximate relationship is: 1% melee attack speed → 1.5% faster return. So if you stack melee-speed bonuses, you are not simply making the boomerang leave your character faster. You're also reducing the time spent waiting for it to come back.
Does Melee Speed Increase Boomerang Range?
Yes, but there is an important distinction.
Melee speed can increase a boomerang's velocity, which can increase its effective range. For example, the Light Disc normally travels for a period before slowing and turning around. The current wiki notes that melee-speed bonuses increase its velocity and therefore its range. The same relationship is documented for the Paladin's Hammer.
So a melee-speed build can potentially let you attack from farther away without simply accepting a proportionally longer return trip.
But don't interpret this as infinite range: Boomerangs still have their individual projectile behavior, travel duration, velocity limits and environmental interactions. Liquids can also slow boomerangs and reduce their effective range.
Does Melee Speed Increase Boomerang DPS?
It can, but don't use a simple "20% speed = 20% DPS" calculation.
Boomerang DPS is more complicated because the weapon has to: Launch, Travel toward the target, Hit enemies, Reverse direction, Return to the player, and Become available for another throw.
When you're close to an enemy, the boomerang can return quickly enough that you can approach its normal attack-rate limit. At longer distances, however, the return journey becomes much more important. That's where the 1.4.5.7 change becomes especially useful.
The practical benefit: A boomerang can now maintain a more consistent attack cycle from farther away when you stack melee speed. That doesn't mean every melee-speed percentage translates directly into the same percentage of DPS. Instead, the biggest advantage is: More range + faster return = less DPS loss from fighting at distance. This is particularly useful against bosses where standing directly next to the target is dangerous.
Best Boomerangs to Use in 1.4.5.7
Not every boomerang benefits equally from the new mechanic. The most interesting weapons are those with strong projectile behavior, multiple active projectiles, long ranges or useful secondary effects.
🥇 Light Disc: The Light Disc is one of the best examples of why the new system matters. It: Has 60 melee damage, Has a 14 use time, Can have up to six discs active, Ricochets off blocks, Has a maximum range of roughly 32.85 tiles, Gains increased projectile velocity and range from melee-speed bonuses, and 1.4.5.7 also made it cheaper to craft. Its recipe was reduced from 20 Hallowed Bars + 25 Souls of Might to 12 Hallowed Bars + 15 Souls of Might, while the Souls of Light requirement remains 15. That makes the Light Disc an especially attractive target for a dedicated Hardmode boomerang setup.
Why Light Disc Is Especially Good for Testing Melee Speed
The Light Disc has an unusual advantage: you can have up to six discs active simultaneously. That makes projectile behavior particularly important. Because the discs can remain active and ricochet, faster movement through their attack cycle can have a noticeable practical impact.
Its projectile also behaves differently during the return phase. Once it begins decelerating, it gains infinite piercing and can pass through solid tiles, allowing it to hit enemies multiple times near the end of its travel.
So the value of melee speed isn't simply: "The disc goes faster." It's more about how quickly the weapon completes its entire projectile cycle.
Paladin's Hammer Is Different After 1.4.5.7
The Paladin's Hammer deserves special attention because it wasn't merely affected by the global boomerang change. It received a substantial rework.
It now:
- Swings as a melee weapon before being thrown
- Has a larger thrown hammer
- Deals 33% increased damage on its first hit
- Uses local immunity
- Has reduced range compared with its previous version
- Still scales its range with melee speed
- Loses 10% damage when piercing multiple enemies
- Applies Broken Armor for 1.5 seconds
Its current listed stats are 100 damage, 15 use time, 9 knockback and 4% critical chance. The hammer's melee-speed interaction remains particularly relevant because increased melee speed increases its velocity and therefore its range.
Why the rework matters: Paladin's Hammer is no longer simply a long-range projectile you throw repeatedly. The initial melee swing is now part of its gameplay loop. That makes it a poor example of a "pure boomerang" and a much more interesting hybrid melee weapon.
Other Boomerangs Worth Considering
The new mechanic applies globally, so it isn't limited to the two weapons above.
Some other notable options include: Wooden Boomerang, Enchanted Boomerang, Ice Boomerang, Flamarang, Thorn Chakram, Trimarang, Bananarang, Light Disc, Sergeant United Shield, Possessed Hatchet, and Paladin's Hammer.
The current melee weapon listings include Bananarang, Sergeant United Shield, Light Disc, Paladin's Hammer and Possessed Hatchet among the game's boomerang-type weapons.
Don't overlook early-game boomerangs: The mechanic isn't only for endgame weapons. Even the Wooden Boomerang benefits from melee-speed effects on its velocity and effective range. Its current stats are 10 damage and 20 use time. That means the underlying mechanic can influence the entire progression rather than just a few endgame weapons.
Best Accessories for a Boomerang Melee-Speed Build
If you're specifically trying to exploit the 1.4.5.7 mechanic, prioritize accessories that provide melee speed.
Useful options include: Feral Claws, Titan Glove, Power Glove, Mechanical Glove, and Fire Gauntlet. The exact setup depends on your progression stage and whether you want to maximize attack speed or retain defensive/accessory utility.
Don't sacrifice everything for speed: This is important. A boomerang build still needs: Damage, Critical chance, Defense, Mobility, and Survivability. The goal isn't necessarily to stack every available melee-speed bonus. The better approach is to use enough speed to improve the boomerang's practical attack cycle while maintaining a well-rounded melee build.
Terraria 1.4.5 vs 1.4.5.7: What's Actually New?
It's important not to combine the two updates when explaining the mechanic.
Earlier boomerang behavior: Boomerangs already interacted with melee speed through projectile velocity. That could increase their effective range.
1.4.5.7: The major new change is: Boomerangs now return faster according to melee attack speed. The official balance notes specify approximately 1% melee attack speed = 1.5% faster return speed.
This distinction matters because otherwise readers may incorrectly think 1.4.5.7 introduced the entire melee-speed/boomerang relationship. It didn't. 1.4.5.7 added the faster-return component.
Is Melee Speed Worth Building for Boomerangs?
Yes—especially if you fight from medium or long range.
The biggest improvement isn't simply higher theoretical DPS. It's consistency.
Before the new return-speed interaction, increasing boomerang velocity could give you more range while leaving you with a longer practical recovery period at those distances.
Now melee speed helps both sides of the equation:
- Melee speed → Faster outgoing velocity → Greater effective range
- Faster return → Shorter recovery time → More consistent attacks at range
That's a meaningful quality-of-life and combat improvement.
Best use cases:
The effect becomes particularly valuable when you're deliberately maintaining distance from a dangerous boss.
What About Paladin's Hammer? Treat it separately. Its 1.4.5.7 rework fundamentally changes how the weapon is used. The initial swing, larger projectile, first-hit bonus and local immunity make it more than a conventional boomerang. So if you're comparing weapons for a melee progression setup, Paladin's Hammer should be evaluated as a hybrid melee/boomerang weapon rather than simply as another projectile.
Boomerang Builds in 1.4.5.7: The 1.4.5.7 change is one of those mechanics that looks tiny in the patch notes but becomes much more noticeable during actual gameplay.
The key takeaway is: Melee speed now helps boomerangs both reach farther and come back faster. That makes attack speed a much more attractive stat for players who actually enjoy the boomerang playstyle. And because the mechanic applies across boomerangs, you can take advantage of it throughout progression rather than waiting until the endgame.
If you're building a broader Terraria 1.4.5.7 melee setup, our Melee Rework guide can cover the larger weapon changes, while the Yoyo Changes guide is useful for another melee subclass with major 1.4.5.7 reworks.
Terraria 1.4.5.7 Boomerang FAQ
Does melee speed make boomerangs return faster?
Yes. In 1.4.5.7, boomerang return speed scales with melee attack speed at roughly 1% melee speed for 1.5% faster return speed.
Does melee speed increase boomerang range?
It can. Melee-speed bonuses increase boomerang velocity, which can increase effective range for weapons whose travel behavior depends on velocity.
Does 20% melee speed mean 20% more boomerang DPS?
No. DPS depends on the weapon's use time, projectile behavior, target distance, hit frequency and return cycle. The new mechanic mainly helps prevent long-range attacks from losing as much efficiency while the boomerang returns.
Is Light Disc good with melee speed?
Yes. Light Disc can have up to six discs active, ricochets, and has projectile velocity/range that benefits from melee-speed bonuses.
Was Paladin's Hammer changed in 1.4.5.7?
Yes. It was substantially reworked: it now swings before being thrown, has a larger projectile, gains a first-hit damage bonus, uses local immunity and has reduced but melee-speed-scaling range.
Is the boomerang change worth building around?
For players who use boomerangs regularly, yes. The biggest benefit is improved consistency at medium and long range rather than a simple flat DPS multiplier.
Final Takeaway
Terraria 1.4.5.7 didn't just buff boomerangs—it made melee speed a much more meaningful part of their gameplay loop.
The important formula to remember is:
1% melee attack speed ≈ 1.5% faster boomerang return
Combine that with the existing velocity interaction and you get a much better ranged-melee playstyle: more effective range, faster recovery and more consistent damage from a distance.
For a practical 1.4.5.7 progression, Light Disc is one of the most interesting weapons to build around, while Paladin's Hammer deserves separate treatment because its new melee swing fundamentally changes how it works.
Guide for Terraria 1.4.5.7
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