Sandgun vs Star Cannon
The verdict
With crit factored in, Star Cannon puts out 286.0 DPS against 117.0 for Sandgun — about 144% more damage per second. Base hits are Sandgun 30 vs Star Cannon 55, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Star Cannon swings faster at a 12-tick use time versus 16, 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, Sandgun hits with more knockback (5 vs 3), keeping enemies at range while you reposition.
Both are Ranged 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 | Sandgun | Star Cannon |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 30 | 55 |
| Use time | 16 ticks | 12 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 5 | 3 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 0 | 0 |
| Shoot speed | 12 | 14 |
| Sells for | 20 | 10 |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (55 vs 30).
- You prefer faster use time (12 ticks vs 16).
- Pure DPS matters most — Star Cannon wins by 169 DPS.
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Sandgun or Star Cannon? +
Sandgun averages 117.0 DPS with crit. Star Cannon averages 286.0 DPS with crit. Star Cannon is ahead by 169.0 DPS.
Is Sandgun or Star Cannon faster to use? +
Star Cannon has the shorter 12-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Sandgun at 16 ticks.
Do Sandgun and Star Cannon use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Ranged weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Sandgun and Star Cannon from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.