Gladius

Marble cave skirmishes and triple-stab thrusts

Obtained as a rare 5% drop from Hoplite soldiers patrolling subterranean Marble Caves, the Gladius functions as an aggressive stabbing weapon. Unlike standard shortswords that execute single jabs, clicking the Gladius executes a rapid burst of three forward thrusts directed precisely at the player cursor. Each stab deals 15 melee damage with 3 knockback, stacking heavy punishment into close-range brawls. Because it aims omnidirectionally, players can fend off jumping spiders or diving harpies with targeted multi-hit flurries.

Shortsword burst dynamics and legendary reforge

Cycling through its three-strike combo across an 18 animation, the blade achieves Very fast execution that outpaces regular crafted shortswords. The concentrated burst can interrupt grounded enemies and shred early bosses like King Slime if the player dodges incoming contact hits. However, its brief reach requires steady footwork against swarming targets. Pairing it with feral claws later in progression adds autoswing, simplifying consecutive bursts. Reforging the Gladius to Legendary provides bonuses to damage, swing size, and knockback.

Trivia

• The Gladius is one of the few pre-Hardmode melee weapons to feature multi-hit burst attacks on a single activation.