vMA Inferno in a bad trait or a Sharpened Aether Staff.

Izaki · September 2016

Hello everyone, I have a pretty difficult question... On my mage sorcerer I'm running 5 piece Scathing Mage, 4 Aether and 2 Nerien'eth. I'm running double destruction staff, with a flame staff on the back bar and a lightning staff on the front bar. I have a vMA Powered Inferno staff (I know right? Lucky me). My bar layout is pretty much the same as Streak One or YoloWizard. So basically, my execute is on my back bar. Should I use a sharpened Aether flame staff on the back bar so that my execute benefits from the penetration or is my vMA staff worth using? Thanks! If you could provide some maths or a parse it would be great!

PS: Trials only.

Moglijuana · September 2016

Would it be possible to move your execute to your front bar? As far as I know, VMA staves are a HUGE boost to dps regardless of their trait as long as you use their enchantment.

Izaki · September 2016

Moglijuana wrote: »

Would it be possible to move your execute to your front bar? As far as I know, VMA staves are a HUGE boost to dps regardless of their trait as long as you use their enchantment.

No its not possible to move the execute to the front bar... I'm losing out on around 2k dmg per light attack... But if I do use my powered staff I'm losing out on a crap ton of dmg on my execute... I really don't know what to do haha.

MrTarkanian48 · September 2016

@IzakiBrotheSs

Sharpened is an extremely powerful trait. I can't say that I have thoroughly tested it myself, but have read several PC players assessment. @Asayre has a very detailed explanation on his TF page here.

If I am interpreting it correctly, vMA staves are ordered in strength Sharpened greater than Precise greater than Nirnhoned. However, Sharpened is significantly better than all. I am sure it depends on your build and rotation, but it appears Sharpened is around an 11% DPS increase vs. Precise which is around 3%. The reason being that 5160 spell penetration is almost an 8% increase to all attacks. Powered is not a desirable trait as you obviously know, and would be even less than Nirnhoned.

This would lead me to believe that even a non-set Sharpened Inferno would be superior to a vMA Powered staff.

I know its frustrating, and you would like to have that extra 189 SD, but they are really only worth it in Sharpened trait. It is the one item I have not been able to have drop from vMA, so I feel your pain, but until you get it I think you would be better served with the Aether staff.

Izaki · September 2016

MrTarkanian48 wrote: »

@IzakiBrotheSs

Sharpened is an extremely powerful trait. I can't say that I have thoroughly tested it myself, but have read several PC players assessment. @Asayre has a very detailed explanation on his TF page here.

If I am interpreting it correctly, vMA staves are ordered in strength Sharpened greater than Precise greater than Nirnhoned. However, Sharpened is significantly better than all. I am sure it depends on your build and rotation, but it appears Sharpened is around an 11% DPS increase vs. Precise which is around 3%. The reason being that 5160 spell penetration is almost an 8% increase to all attacks. Powered is not a desirable trait as you obviously know, and would be even less than Nirnhoned.

This would lead me to believe that even a non-set Sharpened Inferno would be superior to a vMA Powered staff.

I know its frustrating, and you would like to have that extra 189 SD, but they are really only worth it in Sharpened trait. It is the one item I have not been able to have drop from vMA, so I feel your pain, but until you get it I think you would be better served with the Aether staff.

Yep I had already checked all that out, but thanks anyway!
Its not so much for the 189 spell damage its mostly for the vMA enchant which carries over to the front bar. Because 4/5 of a fight is spent on the front bar i was thinking that the vMA enchant would be of more benefit than the extra damage on the execute...

Armitas · September 2016

Wait so if I have a vma staff on my back bar and hit blockade and switch to my front bar my blockade will still provide the benefits of the former weapon?

Beardimus · September 2016

Pretty sure that's how it works. The stats are for the current bar. Not tested it just read it on other threads.

I have a similar problem to you so run a odd non set staff that has sharp on it just for that gain.

Brrrofski · September 2016

Armitas wrote: »

Wait so if I have a vma staff on my back bar and hit blockade and switch to my front bar my blockade will still provide the benefits of the former weapon?

Yeh. SP you back bar it then use with with spell damage enchant so you have that constant 350 spell damage (as long as you're weaving) opposed to the 189.

Armitas · September 2016

Brrrofski wrote: »

Armitas wrote: »

Wait so if I have a vma staff on my back bar and hit blockade and switch to my front bar my blockade will still provide the benefits of the former weapon?

Yeh. SP you back bar it then use with with spell damage enchant so you have that constant 350 spell damage (as long as you're weaving) opposed to the 189.

Thanks. Good to know. Especially with how unlikely it is to get the right vma weapon and trait. Sad that traits are so vastly imbalanced.

Brrrofski · September 2016

Armitas wrote: »

Brrrofski wrote: »

Armitas wrote: »

Wait so if I have a vma staff on my back bar and hit blockade and switch to my front bar my blockade will still provide the benefits of the former weapon?

Yeh. SP you back bar it then use with with spell damage enchant so you have that constant 350 spell damage (as long as you're weaving) opposed to the 189.

Thanks. Good to know. Especially with how unlikely it is to get the right vma weapon and trait. Sad that traits are so vastly imbalanced.

Yeh, I have a nirhoned on my back bar and a willpower one on the front (as well as two rings, aether necklace and two body bits, TBS for rest of body).