Dark Lance vs Red Phaseblade
The verdict
With crit factored in, Dark Lance puts out 96.4 DPS against 90.1 for Red Phaseblade — about 7% more damage per second. Base hits are Dark Lance 34 vs Red Phaseblade 26, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Red Phaseblade swings faster at a 18-tick use time versus 22, 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 3), 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 | Red Phaseblade |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 34 | 26 |
| Use time | 22 ticks | 18 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 5 | 3 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 6 | 14 |
| Sells for | — | 54 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (34 vs 26).
- Pure DPS matters most — Dark Lance wins by 6.3 DPS.
- You prefer faster use time (18 ticks vs 22).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Dark Lance or Red Phaseblade? +
Dark Lance averages 96.4 DPS with crit. Red Phaseblade averages 90.1 DPS with crit. Dark Lance is ahead by 6.3 DPS.
Is Dark Lance or Red Phaseblade faster to use? +
Red Phaseblade has the shorter 18-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Dark Lance at 22 ticks.
Do Dark Lance and Red Phaseblade use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Melee weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Dark Lance and Red Phaseblade from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.