Beam Sword vs Cutlass
The verdict
With crit factored in, Cutlass puts out 206.7 DPS against 92.7 for Beam Sword — about 123% more damage per second. Base hits are Beam Sword 52 vs Cutlass 53, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Cutlass swings faster at a 16-tick use time versus 35, so it lands on-hit debuffs like ichor, procs set bonuses, and reapplies knockback more often — an edge the flat DPS figure understates.
For crowd control, Beam Sword hits with more knockback (6.5 vs 4), keeping enemies at range while you reposition.
Both are Melee weapons, so the same armor set and class accessories buff either one — you can swap between them without rebuilding your loadout.
Stat-by-stat
computed| Stat | Beam Sword | Cutlass |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 52 | 53 |
| Use time | 35 ticks | 16 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 6.5 | 4 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 11 | 0 |
| Sells for | 60 | 3 60 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (53 vs 52).
- You prefer faster use time (16 ticks vs 35).
- Pure DPS matters most — Cutlass wins by 114 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Beam Sword or Cutlass? +
Beam Sword averages 92.7 DPS with crit. Cutlass averages 206.7 DPS with crit. Cutlass is ahead by 114.0 DPS.
Is Beam Sword or Cutlass faster to use? +
Cutlass has the shorter 16-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Beam Sword at 35 ticks.
Do Beam Sword and Cutlass use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Melee weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Beam Sword and Cutlass from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the early-hardmode tier.