Terraria Pre-Hardmode Swords - A Complete Guide

In the realm of Terraria's melee weaponry, the pinnacle resides in Pre-Hardmode Swords, divided into two main types: shortswords and broadswords. Testing them with mates is easiest on your own world: rent a Terraria server and everyone can join whenever they like.

Shortswords, with their limited range, deliver attacks by stabbing towards the cursor rather than swinging in an arc. Across Desktop, Console, and Mobile versions, shortswords take on a spear-like versatility, allowing for stabbing in multiple directions.

On the flip side, broadswords shine as they swing overhead, providing a strategic advantage in defeating airborne and jumping adversaries.

Our Top 5 Pre-Hardmode Swords

If you only want the best blades, these are our picks. Each one is covered in full further down this guide.

Night's Edge: the strongest pre-Hardmode sword. Crafted from Light's Bane, Muramasa, Blade of Grass and Volcano at a Demon or Crimson Altar.
Muramasa: a fast blade found in Locked Gold Chests and Golden Lock Boxes, and a key ingredient of Night's Edge.
Volcano: a fiery broadsword crafted from 20 Hellstone Bars.
Starfury: calls down stars as you swing. Obtained from Skyware Chests and Sky or Azure Crates.
Enchanted Sword: fires a sword beam. Found in Enchanted Sword Shrines.

Shortswords

Copper Shortsword

It features a short range and attacks with a stabbing motion towards the cursor. This entry-level sword is one of the earliest weapons available to players in the game, providing a simple means for close-quarters combat during the initial stages. While its range is limited, it serves as a fundamental tool for early-game survival and exploration.

Tin Shortsword

Similar to its copper counterpart, it has a short range and employs a stabbing motion towards the cursor. As an entry-level sword, the Tin Shortsword is one of the initial weapons available to players, offering a simple yet essential tool for close-quarters combat during the early stages of the game.

Wooden Sword

As one of the earliest weapons available, the Wooden Sword serves as an essential tool for close-quarters combat during the initial stages of the game. While modest in damage and range, it is a fundamental weapon for early-game survival and exploration.

Boreal Wood Sword

With a design similar to the basic wooden sword, it deals 8 damage compared with the Wooden Sword's 7, a small upgrade for early-game combat. It's a straightforward and essential tool for close-quarters encounters in the game's initial stages.

Iron Shortsword

It offers a straightforward and swift stabbing motion with a limited range, serving as an entry-level weapon for early-game characters. While it lacks the broader swing arc of broadswords, it provides a simple and essential tool for close-quarters combat.

Palm Wood Sword

The Palm Wood Sword serves as an alternative to the Wooden Sword, crafted from Palm Wood acquired by felling palm trees in the Ocean or Oasis biomes.

Rich Mahogany Sword

The Rich Mahogany Sword in Terraria is a melee weapon crafted from rich mahogany wood, providing a step up from basic wooden swords. It features a distinctive appearance with a reddish-brown hue and is crafted using rich mahogany wood obtained from Jungle biomes.

Cactus Sword

The Cactus Sword in Terraria is a melee weapon crafted from cactus material found in the Desert biome. It provides a basic but effective option for early-game exploration, with a unique desert-themed appearance.

Lead Shortsword

The Lead Shortsword in Terraria is a basic melee weapon crafted from lead bars. With a metallic gray appearance, it serves as an early-game option for close-quarters combat, using a stabbing motion towards the cursor. Players may consider upgrading to more powerful swords as they progress.

Silver Shortsword

The Silver Shortsword in Terraria is a basic melee weapon crafted from silver bars. With a shiny metallic appearance, it's an early-game option for close-quarters combat, featuring a stabbing motion towards the cursor. Players might consider upgrading to more powerful swords as they progress.

Ebonwood Sword

The Ebonwood Sword in Terraria is a basic melee weapon crafted from ebonwood. Crafted at a workbench, it provides an early-game option for close combat with a distinctive dark appearance.

Shadewood Sword

The Shadewood Sword in Terraria is a basic melee weapon crafted from shadewood. It serves as an early-game choice for close-quarters combat and features a shadowy appearance.

Tungsten Shortsword

The Tungsten Shortsword in Terraria is a basic melee weapon crafted from tungsten bars. It's an early-game option with a short range, delivering stabbing attacks towards the cursor.

Gold Shortsword

The Gold Shortsword in Terraria is an early-game melee weapon crafted from gold bars. With a short range, it employs a stabbing motion towards the cursor for close-quarters combat, providing a basic yet effective option for early-game encounters.

Bladed Glove

The Bladed Glove in Terraria is a melee weapon dropped by weak enemies during the Halloween event (a very rare 1/2000 chance). It is a very fast, very short-range autoswinging broadsword.

Zombie Arm

The Zombie Arm in Terraria is a melee weapon dropped by Zombies, Frozen Zombies and Raincoat Zombies (a 1/250 chance). It resembles a severed zombie arm.

Platinum Shortsword

The Platinum Shortsword in Terraria is a basic melee weapon crafted from platinum bars. Featuring a short range and a stabbing motion towards the cursor, it serves as a fundamental choice for early-game close-quarters combat.

Mandible Blade

The Mandible Blade in Terraria is a melee weapon dropped by Antlion Chargers and Antlion Swarmers in the Desert (a 1/50 chance). It features a distinctive design with a blade made from antlion mandibles.

Stylish Scissors

The Stylish Scissors serve as a melee weapon, with a 1/8 (12.5%) chance of dropping when the Stylist NPC is defeated. As town NPCs cannot be harmed by players conventionally, the Flymeal or external damage sources must be employed to obtain this item.

Ruler

The Ruler can be bought from the Goblin Tinkerer. It serves as an autoswinging shortsword available for purchase at a cost of 10 silver coins. Players can toggle the measurement lines using the "Ruler On"/"Ruler Off" button located in the upper left of the inventory.

Umbrella

The Umbrella, both a held item and melee weapon is discoverable in surface chests, wooden crates, or obtainable from the Skeleton Merchant during a waning gibbous moon. When wielded, it hovers above the character, facilitating a slower descent while held.

Breathing Reed

The Breathing Reed is a tool enhancing underwater exploration, discoverable in Water Chests and Ocean Crates. Additionally it doubles as a melee weapon.

Gladius

The Gladius in Terraria is a pre-Hardmode shortsword dropped by Hoplites (a 1/20 chance). It stabs towards the cursor, making it effective for close-quarters combat.

Bone Sword

The Bone Sword in Terraria is a melee weapon dropped by Skeletons and Spore Skeletons (a 1/200 chance). It has a skeletal design and inflicts melee damage.

Bat Bat

The Bat Bat in Terraria is a melee weapon with a chance to heal the player. Dropped by many kinds of bat (Cave Bats, Giant Bats, Jungle Bats, Ice Bats and others) at about a 1/300 chance, it features a design resembling a bat's wing.

Tentacle Spike

The Tentacle Spike in Terraria is a pre-Hardmode broadsword whose hits embed damaging spikes in enemies. It is a rare drop (about 1/525) from Eater of Souls, Devourers, Crimeras, Face Monsters and Blood Crawlers.

Candy Cane Sword

The Candy Cane Sword in Terraria is a festive melee weapon obtainable during the Christmas event. It has a holiday-inspired design resembling a red and white candy cane.

Katana

The Katana in Terraria is a fast melee weapon with a distinct design inspired by traditional Japanese swords. It can be bought from the Traveling Merchant for 5 gold coins.

Ice Blade

The Ice Blade in Terraria is a melee weapon found in Ice Chests within the Ice biome. It has a chance to shoot ice projectiles when swung.

Light's Bane

The Lights Bane in Terraria is a broadsword-style melee weapon known for consistent damage. It is crafted from 10 Demonite Bars at an Iron or Lead Anvil.

Tragic Umbrella

The Tragic Umbrella, available for purchase from the Clothier for 10 gold while in a Graveyard, serves as both a held item and a melee weapon. When held, it provides a slower descent, similar to the standard Umbrella. However, it distinguishes itself by dealing higher melee damage.

Enchanted Sword

The Enchanted Sword in Terraria is a broadsword found in Enchanted Sword Shrines and in Golden and Titanium Crates. Known for its unique projectile attack, it shoots a sparkling sword beam when swung, and its appearance is magical and ethereal.

Purple Clubberfish

The Purple Clubberfish, acquired through Corruption fishing, has a 1/10 chance with 100 Fishing Power, rising to 1/4 with 300 Fishing Power. It functions as a melee weapon, swinging like a sword, and is easily obtained in the early stages of the game.

Bee Keeper

The Bee Keeper in Terraria is a melee sword obtained by defeating the Queen Bee. It inflicts melee damage and summons bees to attack enemies upon hitting them. The sword features a unique beehive-themed hilt.

Falcon Blade

The Falcon Blade in Terraria is a melee weapon found in Iron Crates and Mythril Crates (about a 6% chance each). Landing hits stacks a damage bonus of up to 50%, and it has a stylish design resembling a falcon's wing.

Blade of Grass

The Blade of Grass in Terraria is a crafted melee broadsword with a distinctive grass blade design. It is crafted using Jungle Spores and Stingers obtained in the Jungle biome.

Volcano

The Volcano (called the Fiery Greatsword before version 1.4.4) is forged from 20 Hellstone Bars. Though it lacks autoswing and has a slow swing speed, it deals 40 damage (the same as the Night's Edge), hits with strong knockback and creates explosions that set enemies on fire.

Night's Edge

The Night's Edge in Terraria is a potent melee broadsword crafted by combining four different swords: Blade of Grass, Muramasa, Volcano (formerly the Fiery Greatsword), and Light's Bane or Blood Butcherer, at a Demon Altar or Crimson Altar. It inflicts significant damage and boasts a unique design blending features from its component swords.

Broadswords

Copper Broadsword

It has moderate damage, a standard attack speed, and a broad swinging arc. Crafted at an anvil, it serves as an essential early-game upgrade for dealing melee damage.

Lead Broadsword

The Lead Broadsword in Terraria is a melee weapon. As a basic broadsword, it delivers melee damage and can be crafted using lead bars at an Iron or Lead Anvil. With a straightforward design, it serves as an early-game melee option for players.

Silver Broadsword

The Silver Broadsword in Terraria is a melee weapon crafted from silver bars at an Iron or Lead Anvil. As a basic broadsword, it inflicts melee damage and serves as an early-game option for players. It features a simple yet effective design.

Ash Wood Sword

The Ash Wood Sword is a broadsword available in the pre-Hardmode stage. Crafted from Ash Wood, it offers an alternative to the Wooden Sword. To obtain Ash Wood, players can cut down Ash Trees in The Underworld.

Flymeal

The Flymeal is a broadsword distinguished by its unique feature of being capable of striking friendly NPCs. To obtain it, craft a platinum or gold broadsword along with 5 stinkbugs near Honey.

Tungsten Broadsword

The Tungsten Broadsword in Terraria is a melee weapon crafted from tungsten bars at an Iron or Lead Anvil. As a standard broadsword, it deals melee damage and provides a basic melee option for players in the early stages of the game. The weapon has a straightforward design and is suitable for early-game combat situations.

Gold Broadsword

The Gold Broadsword in Terraria is a mid-tier melee weapon crafted from gold bars. With a shiny metallic appearance, it provides an upgraded and more versatile melee attack compared to earlier swords.

Platinum Broadsword

The Platinum Broadsword in Terraria is a melee weapon crafted from platinum bars at an Iron or Lead Anvil. As a typical broadsword, it delivers melee damage and serves as an early-game option for players. With a standard design, it provides a reliable choice for close-quarters combat in the early stages of the game.

Muramasa

The Muramasa in Terraria is a rapid-swinging broadsword found in Dungeon Gold Chests. With a design inspired by traditional Japanese blades, it excels in close-quarters combat.

Exotic Scimitar

The Exotic Scimitar, a melee weapon, boasts a 1/8 (12.5%) drop chance from the Dye Trader and functions as a broadsword, delivering overhead swings in combat.

Phaseblade

The Phaseblade in Terraria is a crafted broadsword-style melee weapon that emits colored light. Its appearance depends on the gem used in crafting, and it has a sleek, futuristic design.

Blood Butcherer

The Blood Butcherer in Terraria is a crafted broadsword-style melee weapon with a distinctive fleshy design. It is crafted from 10 Crimtane Bars at an Iron or Lead Anvil, and it can replace Light's Bane in the Night's Edge recipe.

Starfury

The Starfury in Terraria is a unique broadsword that inflicts melee damage. It has the special ability to summon falling stars when swung, damaging enemies. Found in Skyware Chests on Floating Islands and in Sky and Azure Crates, it features a distinctive design with a star-shaped pommel.