Cursed Flames vs Ice Rod
The verdict
With crit factored in, Cursed Flames puts out 228.8 DPS against 194.1 for Ice Rod — about 18% more damage per second. Base hits are Cursed Flames 55 vs Ice Rod 28, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Ice Rod swings faster at a 9-tick use time versus 15, 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, Cursed Flames hits with more knockback (6.5 vs 2), keeping enemies at range while you reposition.
Both are Magic 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 | Cursed Flames | Ice Rod |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 55 | 28 |
| Use time | 15 ticks | 9 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 6.5 | 2 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 9 | 6 |
| Shoot speed | 10 | 12 |
| Sells for | 80 | — |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (55 vs 28).
- Pure DPS matters most — Cursed Flames wins by 34.7 DPS.
- You prefer faster use time (9 ticks vs 15).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Cursed Flames or Ice Rod? +
Cursed Flames averages 228.8 DPS with crit. Ice Rod averages 194.1 DPS with crit. Cursed Flames is ahead by 34.7 DPS.
Is Cursed Flames or Ice Rod faster to use? +
Ice Rod has the shorter 9-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Cursed Flames at 15 ticks.
Do Cursed Flames and Ice Rod use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Cursed Flames and Ice Rod from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the early-hardmode tier.