Sword

The Sword is a melee weapon usable by Garrett in the first two games and by many guards and other individuals.

Basic Info

Available in:

Constantine's Sword that Garrett uses in TDP/TG after his encounter with it in "The Sword".

• Thief: The Dark Project/Thief Gold - always, except temporarily in "A Keeper's Training" and "Escape!" (it is replaced by Constantine's Sword after "The Sword", but functions in the same manner).
• Thief II: The Metal Age - always

Cost: None

Attack:

• Slash: 2 point of damage
• Hard slash: 4 points of damage
• Overhead swing: 6 points of damage

Stealth Bonus: 5 times the damage

Areas they can be found: usually Garrett has a sword of his own

Usage

• Dealing damage to every enemy in the game to some extent.
• Distracting enemies (by striking it against objects).
• Can be used to break down wood doors. This is inadvisable because every wooden door will either have a key to it, or can be opened with Lock Picks.

Battle Mechanics

Attacking

The sword has three different attack modes:

• The Slash is a quick attack that only involves a tap of the attack key. It deals 2 points of damage and can be directed to hit from the left or right.
• The Hard Slash involves holding the attack button longer before releasing, but not long enough for an overhead swing. This deals 4 points of damage.
• The Overhead Swing is the strongest frontal attack with the sword and deals 6 damage, but takes more time to perform and slows down the player a lot. The most lethal attack is the Backstab and it requires the enemy be completely unaware of Garrett when dealing the Overhead Swing.

Blocking

Blocking is another skill available to the swordsman. It can completely repel the attack of the enemy if it's been performed correctly. The Player can block any attack by holding the sword in a block position while the enemy is attacking and directing it towards the enemy's weapon. Sometimes the block misses, resulting in the Player taking damage. An attack can also serve as a block as two weapons meeting in mid-attack will automatically parry each other.

Tactical Information

The sword is Garrett's killing melee weapon in Thief: The Dark Project/Thief Gold and Thief II: The Metal Age. In Thief: Deadly Shadows the sword is replaced with the stealthier dagger, which is used for stealth kills, but cannot be used to sword fight. The short sword is an inseparable part of Garrett's starting gear from the first mission onward. Later in Thief: The Dark Project (and Thief Gold), Garrett acquires an upgraded sword, Constantine's Sword.

The regular sword is a lot less useful for sneaking than the Blackjack as any enemy killed by it, even by a backstab, will not only scream, but also spill blood in the area where they died, both of which can alert enemies. The sword also reflects light, making the player more visible if it is drawn. While Garrett can use the sword to hold his own against an enemy, it is inadvisable to fight several at once as they can make short work of him.

The sword is still useful against inhuman enemies, as backstabbing them is effective. The sword is a valuable tool against Haunts because they cannot be knocked out due to being undead. A single backstab will finish a Haunt successfully.

Notes

Garrett's unused sword in the T3Ed.

Garrett does not use a sword in Thief: Deadly Shadows but uses a Dagger instead.