Currently what is better for a sorc for dps fire or lightning staff?

DragonBound

And what is a good build for having an ice staff for a little cc as secondary?

FriedEggSandwich

CosmicSoul wrote: »

And what is a good build for having an ice staff for a little cc as secondary?

Not 100% sure about the lightening/fire question as I've never actually tested it. I've always thought fire did the most flat damage but sorcs get a boost to shock damage, but don't know whether that brings fire or shock out on top. I'd be interested to know so hopefully someone can say. I doub't there's much in it though tbh.

With regards to the ice staff though, it's useful in pvp for sure; icy rage is the best version of the destro ult for choke points imo and the occasional snares/roots are handy too. The cc from ice staff is also useful in solo pve like vma, but I couldn't say whether that usefulness outweighs the extra damage from fire or shock. Ice staff has it's place in the game just maybe not in group pve.

yodased

Fire has higest dps. Lightning is aoe, which makes it undodgeablr and can proc disintegration. Ice snares and is more of a debuff set up than dps.

Mag sorc can effectively use fire and lightning, it just depends on your pwrsonal playstyle

DrkHunter86

Pretty sure lighting is best for sorcs because of aforementioned buff. But fires also good if your a dark elf sorc because the get a buff too flame damage. Too many factors too really nail down an answer for you.

IronCrystal

In PvE, usually they run shock staff on main bar and inferno staff on back bar.

TX12001rwb17_ESO

IronCrystal wrote: »

In PvE, usually they run shock staff on main bar and inferno staff on back bar.

No wonder people say they are terrible if that is what most sorcerer's run, you need a healing staff on your bar so you can use healing ward no question.

FriedEggSandwich

TX12001rwb17_ESO wrote: »

IronCrystal wrote: »

In PvE, usually they run shock staff on main bar and inferno staff on back bar.

No wonder people say they are terrible if that is what most sorcerer's run, you need a healing staff on your bar so you can use healing ward no question.

Erm, not in pve unless you're questing and haven't yet unlocked hardened ward. In solo and 4 man pve power surge is all the healing you need, and in 12 man pve your healer has all the healing you need. Healing ward is still mostly necessary in pvp though.

Lukums1

If you give solid information we can better assist you.

PVE or PVP?

You trying to do specific content?

I'll give you a full detail write up just need those questions answered.

Luke

JamieAubrey

In PvP I run both and use Lightning with fire enchant for procing Ilambris both Fire/Shock at the same time

DragonBound

Pve not pvp.

Van_0S

PvE, fire destro(both bars)
PvP, Ice and fire/lightning ( lightning is usefully, If you put more points in thaumaturge.)

X3ina

It is mostly depends on a fight type: single target - fire; aoe - lightning.
Weaving with lightning staff is easier imo, but with fire staff you can weave medium attack
#balance

Funkopotamus

Lightning all the way here.. Load up Liquid lightning/ForceP to proc Lamby shard when procd.

Lightning all the way man.

I would back bar a fire staff if you are wearing Burning spell weave!

Tyrion87

I've tested the damage on both lighting and inferno staves on my mag sorc and:

Regarding aoe dmg (when there are a lot of mobs around) you choose lighting staff. Definitely and obviously. You can get crazy dps with this.

Moreover people seem to forget that inferno staff deals higher dmg only with heavy attacks. Simply look at the tooltip of Tri Focus Rank II passive of destruction staff skill line: Fully charged heavy fire attacks deal 12% additional damage. And that is true. I've tested it and light attack with inferno staff deals the same amount of damage as lighting light attack, and higher dmg only with heavy attacks.

The only situations where inferno staff gives somewhat higher dps are:
1) Flame Clench (Destructive Touch morph) knocks back the enemy and deals more damage over time.
2) Wall of Fire (and its morphs) deals extra damage to burning enemies.
3) Flame Rage (Elemental Storm morph) increases the damage and always applies Burning.

We forget about pt 1) above since nobody even uses this, and with regard to pt 2) and 3) above, that's why most sorcerers use inferno staff as a secondary weapon and slot wall of elements and elemental rage on their back bars (inferno staff bars) while weaving with their main weapon - lighting staff.

Moreover, sorcerers have many bonuses from Storm Calling passives which increase the overall dps with lighting: Implosion (disintegration of enemies hit with shock dmg ability) and Energized (increases shock dmg).

Summing up, your choice as a sorc for higher dps and overall usefulness is lighting staff as a primary weapon and inferno staff as a secondary weapon (you slot elemental blockade, liquid lighting, power surge and elemental rage on inferno staff bar and after casting all of these abilities you swap to lighting).

code65536

The main reasons for using fire in group PvE is because the Engulfing Flames debuff applied to enemies by the magdks in your group will increase any fire damage done to them by 10% and your Blockade also does more damage if someone in the group procs the Burning status effect on them. These far outweighs any gain from the sorc passive.

PvP is a different story, however, and the lightning staff is better there.

Flameheart

code65536 wrote: »

The main reasons for using fire in group PvE is because the Engulfing Flames debuff applied to enemies by the magdks in your group will increase any fire damage done to them by 10% and your Blockade also does more damage if someone in the group procs the Burning status effect on them. These far outweighs any gain from the sorc passive.

PvP is a different story, however, and the lightning staff is better there.

Just this, at last.

Tyrion87

code65536 wrote: »

The main reasons for using fire in group PvE is because the Engulfing Flames debuff applied to enemies by the magdks in your group will increase any fire damage done to them by 10% and your Blockade also does more damage if someone in the group procs the Burning status effect on them. These far outweighs any gain from the sorc passive.

PvP is a different story, however, and the lightning staff is better there.

...provided that there is magDK in your group that uses Engulfing Flames. Personally I don't see many mDKs using this and I wouldn't rely on that when creating my own build.

MaxTM

code65536 wrote: »

The main reasons for using fire in group PvE is because the Engulfing Flames debuff applied to enemies by the magdks in your group will increase any fire damage done to them by 10% and your Blockade also does more damage if someone in the group procs the Burning status effect on them. These far outweighs any gain from the sorc passive.

PvP is a different story, however, and the lightning staff is better there.

the biggest difference between fire and lightning staff is the medium attacks you can do with a fire staff but not with a Lightning Staff. The buffs and bonusses on fire are the reason why fire > ice.

I personally run Lightning Staff on Mobgroups or fights with a lot of AoE in them. If you want to focus more on Singletarget, use a firestaff.

Take both with you at all times and play lightning until heavy single target dps is required its easy to handle and by far the best solution in raw numbers if thats what youre looking for.

lolo_01b16_ESO

Tyrion87 wrote: »

code65536 wrote: »

The main reasons for using fire in group PvE is because the Engulfing Flames debuff applied to enemies by the magdks in your group will increase any fire damage done to them by 10% and your Blockade also does more damage if someone in the group procs the Burning status effect on them. These far outweighs any gain from the sorc passive.

PvP is a different story, however, and the lightning staff is better there.

...provided that there is magDK in your group that uses Engulfing Flames. Personally I don't see many mDKs using this and I wouldn't rely on that when creating my own build.

Depends on what you want to do with your build. If you focuss on solo content or pugging dungeons you're right. But if you have some friends or a guild with whom you play most of the time, then you should adjust your builds to the others.

Pirhana7_ESO

I like lightening staff for the aoe effect on all targets. i also like to use a cold proc on it because it proc the Chilled status alot which is a snare.. Toss down the sorc lighting area effect and ae staff heavy effect and you kill alot .

Izaki

For PvE: Lightning Staff front bar and Inferno Staff back bar.

For PvP: Dual Wield.

geonsocal

great info - much appreciated...

I'm only using lightening staffs at the moment, I play mostly pvp...eventually though once my mag DK hits vet, I'll be switching to a fire stave (by then all his passives for increased fire damage will be active)...

my question is: how difficult is it to successfully target and hit folks with heavy fire attacks - they seem fairly easy to dodge?

runagate

The burning status effect is itself better than the lightning status effect except inasmuch as the shock status effect sometimes synergizes with off balance bonuses of various sorts.

alexkdd99

TX12001rwb17_ESO wrote: »

IronCrystal wrote: »

In PvE, usually they run shock staff on main bar and inferno staff on back bar.

No wonder people say they are terrible if that is what most sorcerer's run, you need a healing staff on your bar so you can use healing ward no question.

Are you being serious with that? I only run a resto if I get thrown in a pug with a healer that can't heal. Even in that situation the resto isn't for me, but for the rest of the group.

Surge and hardened/harness is all I need.

I personally use a lightning staff, but that is because it is the only vma destro I got with sharpened. Of course when I got it I had forgotten how much I enjoyed using lightning staves.
TY orsinium event!

In the end it all depends on your preference and what content you plan on playing and who your playing said content with.

OrphanHelgen

Sorc gets good benefits from lightning dmg. Maybe in maelstrom, DSA and 4 man dungeons a lightning staff would be best. But I think in 12 man raids, fire are still best. Much because of the engulfing flames from a DK.

STEVIL

i also use lightning front inferno back.
Same reasons as mentioned above.
Also, disagree that resto is needed. it can be part of a more utility focused build but not needed.

schnooty

Like most people, all my magika sorcs use lighting for aoe (trash) and fire for single target (boss).

Gargath

Lightning Staff is easier to operate, it does damage from heavy attack even before fully completing it while the flame Staff needs to chargé to full before releasing it's damaging attack, and even then it does it only to single target. Thus I love to use lightning Staff and dislike flame.

Wrecking_Blow_Spam

I thought they changed lightning staff so it only dealed AOE damage on the final tick? Instead of constant aoe dmg.

I remember people being really peed about it.

Minalan

First off: Fire staff works great in PVP. The heavy attack hits harder than the other two staves.

80% of cyrodiil magicka users are rolling stage four vampirism. Every fire attack does 20% more damage. It might not sound like much but in a close fight it does. Fire eye of the storm sends the vampire kiddies crying to these forums for an immediate nerf.

Lightning staff heavy attack hits dodge rollers and can't be reflected.

My advice? Take both and try them. Switch them out and see what works better for you.

geonsocal

Minalan wrote: »

First off: Fire staff works great in PVP. The heavy attack hits harder than the other two staves.

the lightening heavy attacks pretty much auto aim for you - how reliable are those fire stave heavy attacks from 20 meters or so away?