Dark Lance vs Sunfury
The verdict
With crit factored in, Dark Lance puts out 96.4 DPS against 45.7 for Sunfury — about 111% more damage per second. Base hits are Dark Lance 34 vs Sunfury 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 45, so it lands on-hit debuffs like ichor, procs set bonuses, and reapplies knockback more often — an edge the flat DPS figure understates.
Sunfury also carries the higher base crit chance (7% vs 4%), which scales further with crit-boosting armor and accessories.
For crowd control, Sunfury hits with more knockback (6.75 vs 5), 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 | Sunfury |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 34 | 32 |
| Use time | 22 ticks | 45 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 7% |
| Knockback | 5 | 6.75 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 6 | 12 |
| 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 45).
- Pure DPS matters most — Dark Lance wins by 50.8 DPS.
- You're stacking crit-chance gear (+3% over Dark Lance).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Dark Lance or Sunfury? +
Dark Lance averages 96.4 DPS with crit. Sunfury averages 45.7 DPS with crit. Dark Lance is ahead by 50.8 DPS.
Is Dark Lance or Sunfury faster to use? +
Dark Lance has the shorter 22-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Sunfury at 45 ticks.
Do Dark Lance and Sunfury use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Melee weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Dark Lance and Sunfury from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.