Emerald Staff vs Ruby Staff
The verdict
With crit factored in, Ruby Staff puts out 46.8 DPS against 37.1 for Emerald Staff — about 26% more damage per second. Base hits are Emerald Staff 19 vs Ruby Staff 21, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Ruby Staff swings faster at a 28-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, Ruby Staff hits with more knockback (4.75 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 | Ruby Staff |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 19 | 21 |
| Use time | 32 ticks | 28 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 4.25 | 4.75 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 6 | 7 |
| Shoot speed | 8 | 9 |
| Sells for | 30 | 40 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (21 vs 19).
- You prefer faster use time (28 ticks vs 32).
- Pure DPS matters most — Ruby Staff wins by 9.8 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Emerald Staff or Ruby Staff? +
Emerald Staff averages 37.1 DPS with crit. Ruby Staff averages 46.8 DPS with crit. Ruby Staff is ahead by 9.8 DPS.
Is Emerald Staff or Ruby Staff faster to use? +
Ruby Staff has the shorter 28-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Emerald Staff at 32 ticks.
Do Emerald Staff and Ruby Staff use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Emerald Staff and Ruby Staff from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.