Dark Lance vs Etherian Mana
The verdict
With crit factored in, Dark Lance puts out 96.4 DPS against 62.4 for Etherian Mana — about 55% more damage per second. Base hits are Dark Lance 34 vs Etherian Mana 32, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Dark Lance swings faster at a 22-tick use time versus 32, 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, Dark Lance hits with more knockback (5 vs 4), keeping enemies at range while you reposition.
Both are Melee 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 | Dark Lance | Etherian Mana |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 34 | 32 |
| Use time | 22 ticks | 32 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 5 | 4 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 6 | 11 |
| Sells for | — | — |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (34 vs 32).
- You prefer faster use time (22 ticks vs 32).
- Pure DPS matters most — Dark Lance wins by 34.0 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Dark Lance or Etherian Mana? +
Dark Lance averages 96.4 DPS with crit. Etherian Mana averages 62.4 DPS with crit. Dark Lance is ahead by 34.0 DPS.
Is Dark Lance or Etherian Mana faster to use? +
Dark Lance has the shorter 22-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Etherian Mana at 32 ticks.
Do Dark Lance and Etherian Mana use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Melee weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Dark Lance and Etherian Mana from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.