Emerald Staff vs Magic Missile
The verdict
With crit factored in, Magic Missile puts out 99.3 DPS against 37.1 for Emerald Staff — about 168% more damage per second. Base hits are Emerald Staff 19 vs Magic Missile 35, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Magic Missile swings faster at a 22-tick use time versus 32, 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 4.25), 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 | Emerald Staff | Magic Missile |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 19 | 35 |
| Use time | 32 ticks | 22 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 4.25 | 7.5 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 6 | 14 |
| Shoot speed | 8 | 6 |
| Sells for | 30 | — |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (35 vs 19).
- You prefer faster use time (22 ticks vs 32).
- Pure DPS matters most — Magic Missile wins by 62.2 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Emerald Staff or Magic Missile? +
Emerald Staff averages 37.1 DPS with crit. Magic Missile averages 99.3 DPS with crit. Magic Missile is ahead by 62.2 DPS.
Is Emerald Staff or Magic Missile faster to use? +
Magic Missile has the shorter 22-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Emerald Staff at 32 ticks.
Do Emerald Staff and Magic Missile use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Emerald Staff and Magic Missile from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.