Blowgun vs Tendon Bow
The verdict
With crit factored in, Blowgun puts out 48.1 DPS against 39.5 for Tendon Bow — about 22% more damage per second. Base hits are Blowgun 27 vs Tendon Bow 19, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Tendon Bow swings faster at a 30-tick use time versus 35, so it lands on-hit debuffs like ichor, procs set bonuses, and reapplies knockback more often — an edge the flat DPS figure understates.
For crowd control, Blowgun hits with more knockback (4 vs 1), keeping enemies at range while you reposition.
Both are Ranged weapons, so the same armor set and class accessories buff either one — you can swap between them without rebuilding your loadout.
Stat-by-stat
computed| Stat | Blowgun | Tendon Bow |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 27 | 19 |
| Use time | 35 ticks | 30 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 4 | 1 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 13 | 6.7 |
| Sells for | — | 36 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (27 vs 19).
- Pure DPS matters most — Blowgun wins by 8.6 DPS.
- You prefer faster use time (30 ticks vs 35).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Blowgun or Tendon Bow? +
Blowgun averages 48.1 DPS with crit. Tendon Bow averages 39.5 DPS with crit. Blowgun is ahead by 8.6 DPS.
Is Blowgun or Tendon Bow faster to use? +
Tendon Bow has the shorter 30-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Blowgun at 35 ticks.
Do Blowgun and Tendon Bow use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Ranged weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Blowgun and Tendon Bow from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.