Jousting Lance

MeleeMedievalTiers I–IV

+2/+3/+4/+5% Speed
-10/-15/-20/-25% Damage while standing still

Unlock: Available from the start
Starting weapon for: 14 characters

Community builds that use it

CryptidMelee crit build that leaves trees alive: Thief Dagger, Knife, Claw or Jousting Lance with Crit Chance and Melee Damage, capping Dodge at its 70% limit. Ranged weapons and turrets pop trees.
GladiatorCarry six different melee weapons to maximise the per-weapon Attack Speed bonus; Spear is recommended in almost every version, with Quarterstaff, Jousting Lance, swords and primitive weapons filling the rest. Buy cheap Luck early to offset the -30 Luck and keep some Dodge.
HikerNever stop moving: steps generate materials and Max HP, so remove the Speed penalty early and use Jousting Lance or Hiking Pole, both rewarding Speed. Build Dodge, as fast movement means many hits.
JackFew enemies with high health, so use high base-damage weapons such as Laser Gun and Revolver, stacking Ranged Damage, then % Damage and Crit Chance, plus Speed to evade elites. Spears, Jousting Lance, Icicle and Brick (tripled material drop) are reported alternatives.
KingRush tier-2+ weapons to avoid the tier-1 penalty; cheap high-base-damage Pistols are the most cited, with Fist, Hatchet, Spear, Spiky Shield and Javelin also viable. Luck raises the chance of higher-tier weapons.
KnightArmor converts to Melee Damage, so stack Armor with Swords (the main start) or Spears, mixing in Jousting Lances; Maces and Hammer suit the attack-speed penalty.
LoudThe extra enemies supply materials, so skip Harvesting and pick weapons that handle crowds: Spear, Jousting Lance, Lightning Shiv and Thief Dagger for melee, Double Barrel Shotgun, Shredder, SMG or Slingshot for ranged. Take items that add more enemies.
MultitaskerTwelve Sticks is the standard build because each Stick raises the others' base damage; get % Damage back to positive after filling the slots. Guns, elemental weapons with Snake and Scared Sausage, and 12-turret Engineering builds are reported alternatives.
SpeedyStack Speed, which also feeds Melee Damage; Jousting Lance scales with Speed, Shuriken with Crit Chance, and Hiking Pole builds stack Speed for Range. Expect to take hits and build Dodge.
VagabondEach weapon counts toward every weapon class you hold, so get six different melee weapons with as many classes as possible; Cacti Club, Spear, Quarterstaff and Lightning Shiv starts are recommended. Ghost weapons and chasing Luck/Harvesting are discouraged.

Stats by tier

Tier I Common
Damage
20 (+50% Melee Damage, +30% Speed)
Cooldown
1.58s
Crit
x2 (3% chance)
Range
250
Tier II Uncommon
Damage
25 (+50% Melee Damage, +35% Speed)
Cooldown
1.5s
Crit
x2 (3% chance)
Range
250
Tier III Rare
Damage
30 (+50% Melee Damage, +40% Speed)
Cooldown
1.42s
Crit
x2 (3% chance)
Range
250
Tier IV Legendary
Damage
50 (+50% Melee Damage, +50% Speed)
Cooldown
1.33s
Crit
x2 (3% chance)
Range
250

Damage in brackets is added from your stats before %Damage multiplies the total; see the damage formula or the calculator.

DPS at tier IV

38.7 DPS with no stats, 46.5 at 20 Melee Damage and 58.1 at 50 (single target, every projectile hits, crits averaged): #43 of 58 weapons that scale with Melee Damage. Full ranking or your own stats.