Dark Lance vs Volcano
The verdict
With crit factored in, Dark Lance puts out 96.4 DPS against 62.4 for Volcano — about 55% more damage per second. Base hits are Dark Lance 34 vs Volcano 40, 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 40, 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, Volcano hits with more knockback (6.5 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 | Volcano |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 34 | 40 |
| Use time | 22 ticks | 40 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 5 | 6.5 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 6 | 0 |
| Sells for | — | 54 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You prefer faster use time (22 ticks vs 40).
- Pure DPS matters most — Dark Lance wins by 34.0 DPS.
- You want higher raw damage per hit (40 vs 34).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Dark Lance or Volcano? +
Dark Lance averages 96.4 DPS with crit. Volcano averages 62.4 DPS with crit. Dark Lance is ahead by 34.0 DPS.
Is Dark Lance or Volcano faster to use? +
Dark Lance has the shorter 22-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Volcano at 40 ticks.
Do Dark Lance and Volcano use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Melee weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Dark Lance and Volcano from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.