Ruby Staff

Gem staffs are the cheap answer to early mage play. You dig the gems up anyway, and one of these carries you until a real magic weapon turns up. The bolt punches through a single target before it stops, which matters more than the raw hit does, because early caves feed enemies at you in single file.

Ruby sits near the top of the line and the Amber version is the same weapon in a different color, so build whichever gem your world was generous with. Once the Dungeon or the first Hardmode ore opens up, these stop being worth the mana they cost.