Magic Dagger vs Magic Missile
The verdict
With crit factored in, Magic Missile puts out 99.3 DPS against 58.2 for Magic Dagger — about 70% more damage per second. Base hits are Magic Dagger 14 vs Magic Missile 35, 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 22, 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 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 | Magic Dagger | Magic Missile |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 14 | 35 |
| Use time | 15 ticks | 22 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 3.75 | 7.5 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 5 | 14 |
| Shoot speed | 12 | 6 |
| Sells for | 10 | — |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You prefer faster use time (15 ticks vs 22).
- You want higher raw damage per hit (35 vs 14).
- Pure DPS matters most — Magic Missile wins by 41.0 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Magic Dagger or Magic Missile? +
Magic Dagger averages 58.2 DPS with crit. Magic Missile averages 99.3 DPS with crit. Magic Missile is ahead by 41.0 DPS.
Is Magic Dagger or Magic Missile faster to use? +
Magic Dagger has the shorter 15-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Magic Missile at 22 ticks.
Do Magic Dagger and Magic Missile use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Magic Dagger and Magic Missile from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.