Tungsten Broadsword

Tungsten is the ore that shows up in worlds that skipped silver, and the sword it makes is a small step past the copper and iron tiers rather than a different weapon. It swings the same way, and against a group the reach of the arc does more work than the numbers do.

Treat it as the blade you carry while you dig for something better. Once the Jungle opens up, or a shrine hands you a sword, this goes in a chest and stays there. Do not upgrade through every ore tier on the way. One decent sword and a strong pickaxe gets you further than three swords.