Ice Rod vs Laser Rifle
The verdict
With crit factored in, Ice Rod puts out 194.1 DPS against 150.8 for Laser Rifle — about 29% more damage per second. Base hits are Ice Rod 28 vs Laser Rifle 29, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Ice Rod swings faster at a 9-tick use time versus 12, 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, Laser Rifle hits with more knockback (2.5 vs 2), 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 | Ice Rod | Laser Rifle |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 28 | 29 |
| Use time | 9 ticks | 12 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 2 | 2.5 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 6 | 8 |
| Shoot speed | 12 | 17 |
| Sells for | — | 3 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You prefer faster use time (9 ticks vs 12).
- Pure DPS matters most — Ice Rod wins by 43.3 DPS.
- You want higher raw damage per hit (29 vs 28).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Ice Rod or Laser Rifle? +
Ice Rod averages 194.1 DPS with crit. Laser Rifle averages 150.8 DPS with crit. Ice Rod is ahead by 43.3 DPS.
Is Ice Rod or Laser Rifle faster to use? +
Ice Rod has the shorter 9-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Laser Rifle at 12 ticks.
Do Ice Rod and Laser Rifle use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Ice Rod and Laser Rifle from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the early-hardmode tier.