Emerald Staff vs Unholy Trident
The verdict
With crit factored in, Unholy Trident puts out 154.2 DPS against 37.1 for Emerald Staff — about 316% more damage per second. Base hits are Emerald Staff 19 vs Unholy Trident 42, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Unholy Trident swings faster at a 17-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, Unholy Trident hits with more knockback (6.5 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 | Unholy Trident |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 19 | 42 |
| Use time | 32 ticks | 17 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 4.25 | 6.5 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 6 | 9 |
| Shoot speed | 8 | 13 |
| Sells for | 30 | 10 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (42 vs 19).
- You prefer faster use time (17 ticks vs 32).
- Pure DPS matters most — Unholy Trident wins by 117 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Emerald Staff or Unholy Trident? +
Emerald Staff averages 37.1 DPS with crit. Unholy Trident averages 154.2 DPS with crit. Unholy Trident is ahead by 117.1 DPS.
Is Emerald Staff or Unholy Trident faster to use? +
Unholy Trident has the shorter 17-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Emerald Staff at 32 ticks.
Do Emerald Staff and Unholy Trident use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Emerald Staff and Unholy Trident from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.