Dual Staff?

POG4LIFE · November 2022

Hybridization has allowed the general community to play how they would like, however, one of the downfalls is that the meta for magicka and stamina based characters is that DPS builds are bottlenecked to run dual wield/2H for every build if you're wanting to hit the top numbers. Yes, melee has an added risk in some content, but the majority of trials can be handled by Stampede to close the distance without having to worry about being so close they take additional damage because the tanks (supposedly) are maintaining aggro of the bosses and adds. This means that in trials, there isn't much of a deterrent for running melee since there isn't much added incoming damage for melee. This becomes especially true because staves do not hit as hard as melee builds for top tier DPS. An example of this is the Magicka Sorcerer. It is extremely difficult to find a 100K+ parse with dual staves because everyone is working to hit the higher numbers pushing the bottlenecked top. However, when you look at the parses well over 110K you'll see tons of dual wield/2H builds.

The difference between running staves and melee isn't noticeable enough in dungeons to make up for this DPS difference in comparison to the added damage associated with being melee because the majority of adds and bosses die in short fights.

I doubt it'd be a perfect change, but it would be nice if Wall of Elements dealt more damage to better keep up with Carve and Stampede. I'm sure there are tons of other changes that could occur, but the overall idea is that running staves just seems like the logical thing to do on full magicka build.

Thank you,
POG

Squall8882 · November 2022

We should be allowed to choose while being able to hit just as high with the numbers.

Baconlad · November 2022

I run staff. It's lower damage...and needs adjustments, but I like the ranged light attacks. Plus I run oakensoul PvE so I need heavies to restore magic

WrathOfInnos · November 2022

Staves could absolutely use a buff. The whole weapon line is outdated, with many useless or redundant active and passive skills.

For example, if you would like an instant cast, direct damage, AoE spammable, you can choose:
- Force Pulse
- Shock Clench
- 3 versions of Pulsar
- 3 versions of Elemental Ring
- 3 versions of Unstable Wall

There's no need to make 11 skills that all do effectively the same thing (some better than others). Some variety would go a long way.

I love the rework of Frost Reach into a viable ice spammable, and Frost Clench into a taunt + debuff. Why not make something interesting for Fire and Lightning versions? Nobody would use the current Shock Clench over Shock/Fire Ring or Pulsar, it's just worse in every way (even with the Master Staff).

Force Pulse is almost never used over class spammables, it could use a different effect. Crushing Shock at least has a niche for interrupts and the low cost is nice.

Elemental Drain is rarely necessary now that a status effect gives magickasteal. The reworked susceptibility is pretty strong for a free support skill, but in a way it just detracts from using the other destruction staff skills by guaranteeing status effect procs (don't even need one of the passives at that point, or any of the destructive reach effects).

Wall is still useful to proc enchants, and sometimes with the maelstrom staff, but the skill damage is pitiful.

The penetration passive is completely useless due to the way it is calculated. Often giving only a couple hundred penetration to a limited list of skills, while 2h and DW mace passives give 3.3k pen to all skills.