Diamond Staff vs Magic Dagger
The verdict
With crit factored in, Magic Dagger puts out 58.2 DPS against 55.2 for Diamond Staff — about 6% more damage per second. Base hits are Diamond Staff 23 vs Magic Dagger 14, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Magic Dagger swings faster at a 15-tick use time versus 26, 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, Diamond Staff hits with more knockback (5.5 vs 3.75), 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 | Diamond Staff | Magic Dagger |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 23 | 14 |
| Use time | 26 ticks | 15 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 5.5 | 3.75 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 8 | 5 |
| Shoot speed | 9.5 | 12 |
| Sells for | 60 | 10 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (23 vs 14).
- You prefer faster use time (15 ticks vs 26).
- Pure DPS matters most — Magic Dagger wins by 3.0 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Diamond Staff or Magic Dagger? +
Diamond Staff averages 55.2 DPS with crit. Magic Dagger averages 58.2 DPS with crit. Magic Dagger is ahead by 3.0 DPS.
Is Diamond Staff or Magic Dagger faster to use? +
Magic Dagger has the shorter 15-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Diamond Staff at 26 ticks.
Do Diamond Staff and Magic Dagger use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Diamond Staff and Magic Dagger from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.