Inven Global

With the introduction of daggers to Lineage Classic in the Pirate Island update, interest in weapon choice is rising once again. However, high-priced weapons enchanted to +9 or higher are not easily accessible to everyone. In reality, what most players use are affordable, budget-friendly weapons.

In this article, we compared the average DPS of five +6 one-handed swords—Katana, Damascus Sword, Silver Sword, Mail Breaker, and Rapier—against the newly introduced +6 Steel Dagger. If you are debating which weapon to equip, refer to the figures below.

All comparison targets are based on +6 enchantment. The additional +6 bonus damage from enchantment is a fixed value, while base damage rolls randomly between 1 and the maximum, so values were converted to averages for comparison.

Katana has high base damage at 10 for small targets and 12 for large targets. Damascus Sword deals 10 small / 11 large damage and features non-damaging properties. Silver Sword boasts high damage against large targets at 12 and is made of silver. Mail Breaker has low damage at 4/5, but offsets this with +10 Melee Hit and Oriharukon material. Rapier, made of Oriharukon, delivers the highest small damage at 11. Steel Dagger features 6/5 damage, with fast attack speed as its key strength.

Since it is rare to find players hunting without transformations nowadays, we calculated average total damage dealt over the same timeframe based on hit count under Stage 2 Haste combined with a Sharna Transformation Scroll. For the five one-handed swords, the hit count of Mail Breaker was applied, while Steel Dagger used its own hit count.

Against small targets, Rapier took the lead with 265.2, followed by Katana and Damascus Sword at 254.2. Against large targets, Katana and Silver Sword—both featuring 12 large damage—tied for 1st place at 276.3.

Despite its fast attack speed, Steel Dagger placed only 5th against small targets. When using a Sharna Transformation Scroll, the attack speed gap with one-handed swords narrows, causing it to fall behind even Silver Sword against small targets. Against large targets, it trailed behind Katana, Damascus Sword, and Silver Sword. This indicates that at equal +6 enchantment, the attack speed advantage alone cannot bridge the gap in base damage.

Thanks to their materials, Rapier, Silver Sword, and Mail Breaker trigger random bonus damage ranging between 1 and 20 on every attack against undead targets. Converted to an average, this adds roughly 10.5 damage per hit, nearly doubling average damage per hit at +6 enchantment.

The results differ completely from general targets. Against small undead, Rapier took 1st place with 497.3, while Silver Sword claimed 1st place against large undead with 508.3. Mail Breaker, which ranked lowest against general targets, deals roughly 1.6 times more damage against undead than Katana.

Conversely, Katana, Damascus Sword, and Steel Dagger—which lack material bonus damage—cannot keep up with the three material-based weapons against undead. This is why material property must take priority over base damage when frequently farming in undead-dense hunting grounds.

Since flat bonus damage gained from buffs and food is added to every attack, weapons with faster attack speed like Steel Dagger can theoretically narrow the gap with high base-damage weapons as flat bonus damage increases. So, how much flat bonus damage does Steel Dagger need to catch up to Katana or Damascus Sword?

The results are not encouraging. With Stage 2 Haste and a Sharna Transformation Scroll active, the attack speed gap with one-handed swords shrinks to roughly 8%. As a result, catching up to Katana and Damascus Sword against small targets requires approx. +15 flat bonus damage alone, and approx. +28–34 against large targets, making a reversal virtually impossible. Only Silver Sword against small targets comes close, requiring about +3.

Steel Dagger shows higher DPS against Rapier on large targets, and against Mail Breaker on both small and large targets. However, those two weapons are primarily used for undead hunting in the first place. When factoring in undead bonus damage, Rapier reaches 497.3 / 442.0 and Mail Breaker reaches 419.9 / 431.0, far outpacing Steel Dagger, which sits at just 227.1 / 215.1. This is why general target figures alone cannot prove Steel Dagger superior to either weapon.

The numbers shown so far represent expected values assuming every attack lands. However, in actual combat, missed attacks occur far more often than expected due to the level gap between the character and monsters. This is why Mail Breaker, which ranked lowest in general target DPS, cannot be easily dismissed.

In fact, practical tests previously conducted on Inven's Lineage Classic community board showed Mail Breaker achieving the highest efficiency. When a Level 34 Knight tested +6 Mail Breaker, Rapier, and Saulabi Longsword in the Land of the Abandoned over six 10-minute sessions per weapon, Mail Breaker's average EXP efficiency surpassed Rapier, which had the highest theoretical firepower. In an environment with frequent misses, +6 enchantment alone failed to offset the accuracy deficit from level gaps, and Mail Breaker's +10 Melee Hit made all the difference.

Granted, average character levels have risen considerably since then. However, because primary hunting zones have scaled up in level accordingly, accuracy remains just as vital today. Thus, unless a character has surpassed the Death Knight level, Mail Breaker continues to be praised as the top-performing budget weapon.

Additionally, while Damascus Sword's non-damaging merit has diminished compared to the past, it retains value for niche uses. Steel Dagger, lacking such special utility, must be chosen purely on DPS—a metric where it holds little advantage over competing weapons.

Stepping slightly outside the scope of budget weapons, elevating the benchmark to +9—which has become far more accessible—does not alter the outcome. Comparing +9 versions narrows the DPS gap between Steel Dagger and Katana from approx. 10.7% to approx. 6.8% against small targets, and from approx. 22.1% to approx. 16.3% against large targets. However, catching up to Katana and Damascus Sword still requires approx. +12 flat bonus damage against small targets and approx. +25–31 against large targets.

Ultimately, the right budget weapon depends on character level and primary hunting targets. If accuracy is lacking relative to the hunting ground's level, Mail Breaker is the most reliable choice. In particular, Land of the Abandoned—the ATS hunting zone for Levels 30–50—consists entirely of small undead monsters, and the recently added ATS zone, Shadow Temple, features all undead split evenly between small and large. For mid-level players actively grinding, Mail Breaker remains unmatched.

Once past Level 52 and accuracy feels sufficient, Rapier is ideal for zones heavy in small monsters, Katana or Silver Sword for large monsters, and Rapier or Silver Sword for undead due to material bonus damage. If minimizing maintenance is preferred, Damascus Sword is worth considering. Steel Dagger serves a purpose for experiencing a dagger's high attack speed, but holds little merit as a +6 budget weapon. Budget players unable to invest heavily should stick with their existing one-handed sword until upgrading to high-tier weapons with proven firepower, such as Crystal Dagger or Oriharukon Dagger.