The_Patriarch wrote: »

I hope this is the is right place to post this. I just rolled my first magicka dps sorc and need some advice on which staff to choose, fire or lightning. There is just something about lightning that I love, but I've been reading that it's a bit nerfed in DPS, particularly when weaving. Is a lightning staff viable in end-game PvP and/or PvE?

For pure DPS no. A "medium" attack weave from an Inferno Staff will outpace your lightning staff by a fair bit.

And even then, a dual wield sorcerer who uses Overload will completely annihilate anything any staff can do.

If you just want to do daily pledges and your priority is not elite DPS, a lightning staff is fine and will get the job done. In PvP lightning staffs are OK since the combat requires more than simply weaving in basic attacks and the disintegration passive will occasionally kill an enemy player.

Joy_Division wrote: »

If you just want to do daily pledges and your priority is not elite DPS, a lightning staff is fine and will get the job done. In PvP lightning staffs are OK since the combat requires more than simply weaving in basic attacks and the disintegration passive will occasionally kill an enemy player.

This is helpful, thanks. I'm not looking for elite dps--just want to put up a good fight in PvP. Maybe what I have been reading has been written by the "elites" but they seemed to downplay the lightning staff as virtually useless end-game.

Alucardo wrote: »

While you might get a little more DPS out of an inferno staff I always used lightning because DKs and S+B users can't reflect it. It also looks cooler on a sorc.

I didn't even think about the inability to reflect. Interesting. It does look cooler, for sure.

The_Patriarch wrote: »

Joy_Division wrote: »

If you just want to do daily pledges and your priority is not elite DPS, a lightning staff is fine and will get the job done. In PvP lightning staffs are OK since the combat requires more than simply weaving in basic attacks and the disintegration passive will occasionally kill an enemy player.

This is helpful, thanks. I'm not looking for elite dps--just want to put up a good fight in PvP. Maybe what I have been reading has been written by the "elites" but they seemed to downplay the lightning staff as virtually useless end-game.

Alucardo wrote: »

While you might get a little more DPS out of an inferno staff I always used lightning because DKs and S+B users can't reflect it. It also looks cooler on a sorc.

I didn't even think about the inability to reflect. Interesting. It does look cooler, for sure.

To be fair to the "elites," it is virtually useless end-game. When "end-game" is typically referred to, that means the most challenging content in the game that will demand the maximum performance from a group raid to complete it. When we were struggling just to kill the Mantikora in the Sanctum Ophidia Trial, lightning staffs were worthless as they were not used by those raiding guilds who spent night after night trying to finish the trial, let alone complete it. If you are looking to compete for a spot on Maelstrom Arena, put down the lightning staff. It's a legit argument

Not only that, the lightning staff has several critical bugs/unannounced nerfs that prevent it from performing up to what ZoS intended. during the IC, they intended a lightning heavy attack to damage 6 nearby targets. The heavy attack does not do this. Before the IC, a lightning staff was decent in PVP because channeled attacks would hit players who dodge/blocked. Channeled attacks no longer do this (yet they still leave you immobile and defenseless). The battle spirit 50% nerf has also adversely affected low-sustained damage as an option, and that is precisely what a lightning staff attack offers. One other note of caution, a DK will reflect a light attack weave from a lightning staff, which is the most common and optimal way of using a lightning staff. The moment you channel, you are snared and lose the ability to weave in your other abilities.

I'm not saying don't use a lightning staff. I am saying if you use one to look cool, you are going to have to accept real game disadvantages for using them in the vast majority of combat situations that you will find yourself in. "End-game" typically means wanting to avoid such disadvantages.

@The_Patriarch tbh. while you're solo questing, go with whatever destruction staff you like. Be it fire, lightning or ice.... when you join group play, go with fire staff.

Any destruction staff is viable level up the skill line + skills, so you can swap between fire/lightning/ice all you want.