Best Pre-Hardmode Swords In Terraria

However, certain Swords do dominate Terraria gameplay when it comes to efficiency. When players pursue the entirety of Terraria’s offerings for the first time, the right Sword can secure victory against the game’s selection of powerful enemies. Just which Swords are must-haves for players who are still gearing up pre-Hardmode?

Updated May 15, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With Update 1.4.5 of Terraria making significant changes to Banners and Kites as well as the addition of Roller Skates, fans of the sandbox RPG may be interested in starting a new playthrough to see just how far they can take the ever-evolving game in terms of their creativity and combat prowess. For fans who want a more straightforward RPG experience, perhaps using the Sword in Pre-Hardmode can be a decent refresher to the game’s mechanics.

As such, players who want to capitalize on their Pre-Hardmode adventures should equip themselves with the most efficient Swords, which include the large variant of a metal sword, a blade made out of grass, a sword grafted from an ant’s mandible, a sword of pure ice, and even a traditional Japanese armament.

20 Platinum Broadsword

16 Damage

Should Terraria players acquire enough Platinum Bars in their world, the Platinum Broadsword is a must-have due to its base 16 Damage. Its appearance is that of a sword with the silvery-blue sheen of platinum in the game, owing to both its namesake and the title’s straightforward crafting system. This doesn’t make the Platinum Broadsword any less deadly, however, especially since it can excel in the right hands.

The arcing motion of the Platinum Broadsword makes it ideal for attacking jumping and flying enemies, especially with its extended reach. This makes the Platinum Broadsword a more effective all-rounder, at least compared to base shortswords. Its faster speed also makes it more potent than the War Axe of the Night, despite its higher 20 Damage.

19 Mandible Blade

16 Damage

Players with a taste for a macabre may appreciate some of their first Pre-Hardmode gear to have a sense of fright in them. The Mandible Blade can strike fear in the hearts of opponents, especially with its rather imposing appearance. The weapon is a rare drop from Antlion Swarmers and Creepers, making the gear a worthwhile find and starting weapon in the game’s tougher challenges.

Stats-wise, the Mandible Blade is a practical choice for players in the early game, especially up until they can acquire the Blood Butcherer, Light’s Bane, or even the Candy Cane Sword. Despite its lack of special modifications, its special appearance alone could make the Mandible Blade worth keeping until players find a more suitable armament of choice.

18 Ice Blade

17 Damage

Players enjoying their Terraria playthrough may want to add an elemental flair to their overall experience. This is where the Ice Blade comes in, as its chilling appearance gives it a characteristically deadly allure. Its unique design makes it a decent early-game weapon for players, especially since its icy katana-esque look can give it a pristine appeal.

What makes the Ice Blade interesting is its projectile. While the projectile Ice Bolt itself doesn’t have any special properties, securing a guaranteed projectile with no mana cost every 0.9s means players can technically attack from both short and long-range. This can boost the survivability of early-game players, especially those who get overwhelmed by fighting many opponents at the same time.

17 Blade Of Grass

18 Damage

Playing on the pun of a literary description associated with grass, the Blade of Grass is quite literally stylized to look like a pile of grass made to look like a blade. However, its fancy appearance hides a potent weapon in early-game Terraria experiences, especially when taking into account its slate of bonuses. Appearances-wise, the Blade of Grass is among the largest swords in the game.

However, despite its melee nature, the weapon also has a nifty projectile. When swung, the Leaf Blade auto-targets enemies and hits with 20 Armor Penetration, 4 Damage, 4.5 Knockback, and even applies Poisoned. The constant release of projectiles alongside slashes makes the Blade of Grass effective in specific stages such as the Eater of the Worlds and Eye of Cthulhu.

16 Katana

18 Damage

Players may want their Summoner to boast a more familiar weapon while their Minions protect them. In this regard, the Katana might make a fine choice with its sleek but straightforward allure as a weapon commonly associated with dutiful samurai. Obtained only from the Traveling Merchant, one might mistake this weapon for a rather weak armament due to its ordinary appearance and meager 18 Damage.

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However, players shouldn’t underestimate the Katana’as plain appearance. As an early-game sword, the Katana boasts helpful stats for melee combatants: particularly a high 19% Critical Hit chance compared to the 4% that most other swords have. Its larger size can also accommodate both jumping and flying enemies, allowing players to knock them back just before they land a hit.

15 Bone Sword

19 Damage

Similar to the design motif of the Necromancer in Diablo 4, the Bone Sword isn’t merely a sword with an ordinary skeletal aesthetic. Instead, the early-game weapon boasts a skull for a guard and a gray overall hilt, extending into a rugged blade lining a hole in the middle.

Unlike other swords, the Bone Sword has less knockback and swings much slower. However, the weapon offsets this by packing more damage, giving players a more stylish option for their early-game Terraria adventures while they build toward more powerful weapons.

14 Candy Cane Sword

19 Damage

While the appearance of the Candy Cane Sword as that of a sword-shaped candy cane does add a bit of a violent twist to the Christmas ornament, the weapon makes for a perfect addition to players who want their characters to resemble protagonists of “totally not Christmas Films” that are still loved in the holidays.

Similar to other beginner-level weapons, the Candy Cane Sword doesn’t have any remarkable effects to enhance its inherent combat potential. However, its rather wide swing range does allow players to hit up to two opponents at once when side by side in melee range, allowing them to contend with early-game threats in a more colorful fashion.

13 Exotic Scimitar

20 Damage

Despite the Exotic Scimitar of Terraria gameplay looking nowhere near the more pristine Scimitars in Baldur’s Gate 3, its straightforward appearance does pack a punch in terms of its status as a Sword. Its Very Fast speed alongside decent Damage allows it to contend with most early-game foes, although it would do players good to find a higher-level sword to replace this with as they make progress in the game.

Thankfully, the Exotic Scimitar’s acquisition does allow players to pack enough damage potential to fight more than enough foes to collect crafting materials and access more upgraded weapon variants. Among early-game swords, the Exotic Scimitar may be able to become a player’s trusted companion.

12 Tentacle Spike

20 Damage

Players enjoying their Terraria experience who want characters to feel straight from a Lovecraftian game might appreciate Tentacle Spike. Taking the appearance of a tentacle with spikes protruding at the end, players may find the weapon resembling either a hammer or an odd toothbrush. Moreover, this odd aesthetic coincides with its unique effects.

Despite its averaging 20 Damage, Tentacle Spike comes with a projectile of the same name. These projectiles embed to enemies on hit, dealing 3 Damage per second over 9 Seconds. Moreover, this effect can be stacked up up to 5 Times, allowing players to inflict as much as 15 Damage every second should they embed all Spikes onto opponents.

11 Blood Butcherer

22 Damage

The deep red aesthetic of the Blood Butcherer in Terraria gameplay introduces quite the darker visuals to players who want a blood-themed weapon that appears in other games. At its core, the curved steel of the Blood Butcherer with hints of blood already implies a grittier design motif compared to other weapons. And when equipped, players can bring a bloody welcome to opponents who try to face them.

When hitting enemies, the Blood Butcherer gives opponents the Blood Butchered Debuff. This essentially forces enemies to emit spurts of blood that indicate losing 4 Health per second. This effect lasts for 9 Seconds, although the effect can be stacked up to 5 Times. This essentially allows players to deal as much as 20 Damage per second should all stacks take effect at the same time.