Riptide can be FAST - you can die in an instant, and you can kill in an instant.
Maces with riptide tridents in rain are overpowered, and so are spears. In riptide, you have both.
However, relying on your spear and mace alone won't be enough - you also have to utilise your riptide tridents,
which you have different ranges of so you have to choose the right one for your situation, you also have firework crossbows as a ranged weapon.
Hitting people while riptiding at hundereds of kilometers an hour is hard, but not impossible, so aim is key.