Magic Missile vs Sapphire Staff
The verdict
With crit factored in, Magic Missile puts out 99.3 DPS against 33.0 for Sapphire Staff — about 201% more damage per second. Base hits are Magic Missile 35 vs Sapphire Staff 18, 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 34, 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), 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 | Sapphire Staff |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 35 | 18 |
| Use time | 22 ticks | 34 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 7.5 | 4 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 14 | 6 |
| Shoot speed | 6 | 7.5 |
| Sells for | — | 20 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (35 vs 18).
- You prefer faster use time (22 ticks vs 34).
- Pure DPS matters most — Magic Missile wins by 66.2 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Magic Missile or Sapphire Staff? +
Magic Missile averages 99.3 DPS with crit. Sapphire Staff averages 33.0 DPS with crit. Magic Missile is ahead by 66.2 DPS.
Is Magic Missile or Sapphire Staff faster to use? +
Magic Missile has the shorter 22-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Sapphire Staff at 34 ticks.
Do Magic Missile and Sapphire Staff use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Magic Missile and Sapphire Staff from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.