Comparing VMA staffs

Nolphi · April 2017

Started very late with VMA and now busy farming it (yes, before its too late, haha). I am running a dedicated vma build: 5 necro and 5 infal pet heavy attack mag sorc. I started with random sharpened staffs, one fire one lighting. Since then I found two maelstrom destro staffs: defending lighting and nirnhoned ice. I dont know how to compare staff perfomance tbh. My gut tells me to slot both maelstroms I got, ice on backbar and lighting on front bar. Front bar has both the wall of elements and its from where I would do heavy attack. Backbar is my liquid lighting dot and to activate surge. I suppose ice wall of ele is a bad idea because of lighting concussed 10% extra dmg?

Suggestions? Words of wisdom?

Magdalina · April 2017

I believe it's been tested and found that a sharpened non-MA staff is better than a non sharpened MA staff.

I cannot provide you with exact numbers though. I imagine you could just test on dps dummy and see which gets your dps higher.

SublimeSparo · April 2017

Sharpened non-set inferno/lightning outperforms, non-sharpened vma. In most cases.

Nolphi · April 2017

Well thats just horrible. You mean that sharpened outperforms the maelstrom added weapon damage? I do a ton of heavy attacking wth this build though, its my primary dps beside the pets. No other damage skills on my bar. I would expect that to heavily favor a maelstrom wall of elements at least...

Will try a dummy. Dang sharpened is OP if thats really the case

jakeedmundson · April 2017

Magdalina wrote: »

I believe it's been tested and found that a sharpened non-MA staff is better than a non sharpened MA staff.

I cannot provide you with exact numbers though. I imagine you could just test on dps dummy and see which gets your dps higher.

Not for a heavy attack build. The dps addition from the enchantment on a lightning mal staff (regardless of trait) in a heavy attack build will do similar or slightly more dps than a non set sharpened lighting staff.

To be clear...
Use the vMA lightning staff if you run a heavy attack build. no matter what trait that staff is.
Back bar a random lightning/inferno staff with spell damage enchant. Weave on your back bar to proc the enchant... switch over to main bar and do your heavy attack stuff.

Wrecking_Blow_Spam · April 2017

Maybe run double lightning, have VMA lightning backbar and a front bar sharpened lightning with Spell enchant.

Save or dismantle that ice staff in the hope of a crux.

zaria · April 2017

How would an spinner set work with non sharpened vMa?
yes you loose other bonuses compared to an julianos setup.

Nolphi · April 2017

Ok that makes sense. I will do the double lighting thing. Horrible that a maelstrom nirnhoned staff is decon fodder! Keeping it just for sentimental reasons and hoping that update 15 brings back nirnhoned in a big way