Demon Scythe vs Magic Missile
The verdict
With crit factored in, Demon Scythe puts out 109.2 DPS against 99.3 for Magic Missile — about 10% more damage per second. Base hits are Demon Scythe 35 vs Magic Missile 35, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Demon Scythe swings faster at a 20-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, Magic Missile hits with more knockback (7.5 vs 5), 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 | Demon Scythe | Magic Missile |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 35 | 35 |
| Use time | 20 ticks | 22 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 5 | 7.5 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 14 | 14 |
| Shoot speed | 0.2 | 6 |
| Sells for | 30 | — |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You prefer faster use time (20 ticks vs 22).
- Pure DPS matters most — Demon Scythe wins by 9.9 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Demon Scythe or Magic Missile? +
Demon Scythe averages 109.2 DPS with crit. Magic Missile averages 99.3 DPS with crit. Demon Scythe is ahead by 9.9 DPS.
Is Demon Scythe or Magic Missile faster to use? +
Demon Scythe has the shorter 20-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Magic Missile at 22 ticks.
Do Demon Scythe and Magic Missile use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Demon Scythe and Magic Missile from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.