Sapphire Staff vs Vilethorn
The verdict
With crit factored in, Sapphire Staff puts out 33.0 DPS against 22.3 for Vilethorn — about 48% more damage per second. Base hits are Sapphire Staff 18 vs Vilethorn 10, so the gap comes as much from attack speed and crit as from raw damage.
Vilethorn swings faster at a 28-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, Sapphire Staff hits with more knockback (4 vs 1), 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 | Sapphire Staff | Vilethorn |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 18 | 10 |
| Use time | 34 ticks | 28 ticks |
| Crit chance | 4% | 4% |
| Knockback | 4 | 1 |
| Defense | 0 | 0 |
| Mana cost | 6 | 10 |
| Shoot speed | 7.5 | 32 |
| Sells for | 20 | — |
When to use which
open DPS calculator →- You want higher raw damage per hit (18 vs 10).
- Pure DPS matters most — Sapphire Staff wins by 10.7 DPS.
- You prefer faster use time (28 ticks vs 34).
Frequently asked
Which deals more DPS: Sapphire Staff or Vilethorn? +
Sapphire Staff averages 33.0 DPS with crit. Vilethorn averages 22.3 DPS with crit. Sapphire Staff is ahead by 10.7 DPS.
Is Sapphire Staff or Vilethorn faster to use? +
Vilethorn has the shorter 28-tick use time, so it attacks faster than Sapphire Staff at 34 ticks.
Do Sapphire Staff and Vilethorn use the same class build? +
Yes — both are Magic weapons and share the same armor and accessory bonuses.
Are Sapphire Staff and Vilethorn from the same progression tier? +
Yes — both belong to the pre-hardmode tier.