Ruby Staff vs Water Bolt
The verdict
With crit factored in, Water Bolt puts out 69.7 DPS against 46.8 for Ruby Staff — about 49% more damage per second. Base hits are Ruby Staff 21 vs Water Bolt 19, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Water Bolt swings faster at a 17-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, Water Bolt hits with more knockback (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 | Ruby Staff | Water Bolt |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 21 | 19 |
| Use time | 28 ticks | 17 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 4.75 | 5 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 7 | 10 |
| Shoot speed | 9 | 4.5 |
| Sells for | 40 | 30 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (21 vs 19).
- You prefer faster use time (17 ticks vs 28).
- Pure DPS matters most — Water Bolt wins by 22.9 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Ruby Staff or Water Bolt? +
Ruby Staff averages 46.8 DPS with crit. Water Bolt averages 69.7 DPS with crit. Water Bolt is ahead by 22.9 DPS.
Is Ruby Staff or Water Bolt faster to use? +
Water Bolt has the shorter 17-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Ruby Staff at 28 ticks.
Do Ruby Staff and Water Bolt use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Ruby Staff and Water Bolt from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.