Cutlass

The Cutlass is a Rare saber that stands apart from every other melee weapon in Windrose thanks to its unique Take Aim! buff mechanic. Dealing 235 Slash damage per hit, it provides solid melee performance on its own, but the real magic happens with each successful strike: every hit applies a stack of Take Aim!, which grants +10% ranged damage per stack up to a maximum of 9 stacks. At full stacks, you gain a staggering +90% bonus to all ranged damage, making the Cutlass the premier hybrid melee-ranged synergy weapon in the entire game.

The Epic version of the Cutlass reduces attack stamina cost by 15%, which is a deceptively powerful upgrade. Lower stamina consumption means you can land more melee strikes before needing to recover, which translates directly into faster Take Aim! stack generation. This makes the Epic Cutlass significantly smoother to use in practice, as you can build to maximum stacks and still have stamina remaining for dodges, blocks, or an immediate switch to your ranged weapon. For players running Stamina-focused builds, the reduced cost stacks multiplicatively with other stamina reduction effects from gear and accessories, potentially allowing near-continuous melee combos.

Building around the Cutlass requires a dual-focus approach that invests in both melee effectiveness and ranged damage output. The ideal rotation involves engaging enemies in melee to build Take Aim! stacks, then creating distance and unleashing empowered ranged attacks for devastating burst damage. This playstyle pairs naturally with any powerful ranged weapon, as the +90% damage bonus at full stacks can turn even moderate ranged hits into lethal strikes. The Cutlass also synergizes beautifully with the Rapier of a Thousand Cuts in an alternating weapon strategy: apply Bleeding stacks with the Rapier, switch to the Cutlass to build Take Aim! while Bleeding ticks, then swap to ranged to capitalize on both damage multipliers simultaneously. For players who enjoy versatile, high-skill-ceiling gameplay that rewards weapon switching and strategic positioning, the Cutlass is an indispensable part of any optimized loadout.