Magic Dagger vs Ruby Staff
The verdict
With crit factored in, Magic Dagger puts out 58.2 DPS against 46.8 for Ruby Staff — about 24% more damage per second. Base hits are Magic Dagger 14 vs Ruby Staff 21, 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 28, 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 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 | Ruby Staff |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 14 | 21 |
| Use time | 15 ticks | 28 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 3.75 | 4.75 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 5 | 7 |
| Shoot speed | 12 | 9 |
| Sells for | 10 | 40 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You prefer faster use time (15 ticks vs 28).
- Pure DPS matters most — Magic Dagger wins by 11.4 DPS.
- You want higher raw damage per hit (21 vs 14).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Magic Dagger or Ruby Staff? +
Magic Dagger averages 58.2 DPS with crit. Ruby Staff averages 46.8 DPS with crit. Magic Dagger is ahead by 11.4 DPS.
Is Magic Dagger or Ruby Staff faster to use? +
Magic Dagger has the shorter 15-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Ruby Staff at 28 ticks.
Do Magic Dagger and Ruby Staff use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Magic Dagger and Ruby Staff from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.