Magic Missile vs Ruby Staff
The verdict
With crit factored in, Magic Missile puts out 99.3 DPS against 46.8 for Ruby Staff — about 112% more damage per second. Base hits are Magic Missile 35 vs Ruby Staff 21, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Magic Missile swings faster at a 22-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, Magic Missile hits with more knockback (7.5 vs 4.75), 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 Missile | Ruby Staff |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 35 | 21 |
| Use time | 22 ticks | 28 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 7.5 | 4.75 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 14 | 7 |
| Shoot speed | 6 | 9 |
| Sells for | — | 40 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (35 vs 21).
- You prefer faster use time (22 ticks vs 28).
- Pure DPS matters most — Magic Missile wins by 52.5 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Magic Missile or Ruby Staff? +
Magic Missile averages 99.3 DPS with crit. Ruby Staff averages 46.8 DPS with crit. Magic Missile is ahead by 52.5 DPS.
Is Magic Missile or Ruby Staff faster to use? +
Magic Missile has the shorter 22-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Ruby Staff at 28 ticks.
Do Magic Missile and Ruby Staff use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Magic Missile and Ruby Staff from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.