+8% AOE damage instead of +8% single target damage will benefit things like Shalks, Blastbones, and Puncturing Sweeps, as well as allowing you to do something, however minor, against dodge spammers. Plus, Master Lightning Staff with Shock Clench spam is OP, and makes for a far better (albeit shorter range) Magicka spammable than anything else that isn't class specific.

Any shock damage can proc concussion.

So yes, Lightning staff light attacks, heavy attacks, mage’s wrath, the shock component of crushing shock, boundless storm etc., all can proc concussion.

SavageChain wrote: »

The question of fire or lightning staff totally depends on the class. A class like magsorc will prefer a fire staff, since their class skills are mostly single target. Meanwhile a class like magplar with jabs has more synergy with a lightning staff, since jabs is aoe.

Normally you can list the classes and their favored staff like this:
Magsorc: Fire staff
Magplar: Lightning staff (except if you like dark flare and soul assault, but thats pretty outdated)
Magden: Can use all three staff types, with access to master staves, lightning master staff is preferred
Magcro: Fire staff except you have a master lightning staff, then take that
Magblade: Fire staff
Magdk: Fire staff

Very helpful summary. So basically most classes spec for single target except for templars whose skills are mainly aoe.

Athan1 wrote: »

SavageChain wrote: »

The question of fire or lightning staff totally depends on the class. A class like magsorc will prefer a fire staff, since their class skills are mostly single target. Meanwhile a class like magplar with jabs has more synergy with a lightning staff, since jabs is aoe.

Normally you can list the classes and their favored staff like this:
Magsorc: Fire staff
Magplar: Lightning staff (except if you like dark flare and soul assault, but thats pretty outdated)
Magden: Can use all three staff types, with access to master staves, lightning master staff is preferred
Magcro: Fire staff except you have a master lightning staff, then take that
Magblade: Fire staff
Magdk: Fire staff

Very helpful summary. So basically most classes spec for single target except for templars whose skills are mainly aoe.

This thread is necro'ed and outdated. Master staves have been changed with Greymoor and can no longer use Clench as spammable. As a result the use of master lightning staves has diminished and fire meta is reinforced. Also further nerfs to snares and addition of new items that ignore them made frost staves even less desirable.

Currently fire staves are 100% meta in end-game PvE (regardless of class) and meta for 4/6 classes in PvP (exceptions are MagWarden, MagPlar). Lightning is only used by tanks/healers in PvE and those couple of classes mentioned in PvP. Ice is not workable for damage and is exclusively used by PvE tanks and only when they don't feel safe with lightning. In PvP it's a rare alternative to s&b as a tanky backbar options.

Those passives are very badly designed and desperately need changing. It means fire staff sees about 85% use, lighting about 15% with ice staffs less than 1%. It's extremely lopsided. They should just be buffing elemental damage of their own type instead.

Idk why necros would use lightning staff, flame clench is their only viable cc

Everyone knows greatsword is the superior choice for any self-respecting magicka player.