Anyone using Staffs?

[F4lc0n]

Even with the endless spells, I feel that the charge time is way too long and the damage output is way too low. Plus, I miss a lot. Sometimes I can open combat with one spell but the wand does similar damage and has a cast time of only 0.6 seconds.

So are Staffs useless? Or is there any good spell?

Spells like meteor sound nice in theory but when you are getting swarmed with enemies, you don't have the time to prepare the charge.

[Lecalat]

I only use staff. Its op later.
2 crit bonus skills + terrorize = all enemies are stunlocked, and they die in 1-2 shots anyway.

Equip the staff with RMB->Equip from inventory.

Then to use it, press Q and start holding LMB, then release Q.
It will auto target enemy and once cast you're back to your melee.

The 50% charge time reduction is a must.

Eternal Fireball from alchemist is great, and its very good for destroying items in houses. Just tap Q, hold LMB, release Q. and blast it at the center of a house. Everything will get destroyed, even stuff upstairs.

The environmental item hits from Fireball also proc "Chain Hit" and "Mass Destruction", so you can even oneshot lvl 30 enemies if you also hit a lot of env items with the same fireball.

If you want to just keep blasting, you can hold RMB instead of LMB when releasing Q.

Also, Blood Magic + Water Aura is great. Infinite cast.

[Serrano]

Staff is strong for AoE. Acid Spit is completely disgusting making short work of lv 30 bosses in just a couple seconds, but overall wand is a more comfy weapon to use. I have both in my bar, start the fight with staff and then finish it with wand.
Using full elder set, eternal acid spit, shroud weaver and lightning wand.

[Qiox]

And it is not only end game where it can be good, if you build for it. My current level 3 character hits for 200 with fireball. That's enough to one shot most of what I'm encountering in the early game.

[dustin1280]

Staff is by far the most powerful "end game" damage archetype possible right now...
You can oneshot most things with a good staff build and eternal acid spit (fireball for everything else)

There is a skill node that decreases your charge time by 50%, it's basically mandatory

[Rufert]

Originally posted by Serrano:

Staff is strong for AoE. Acid Spit is completely disgusting making short work of lv 30 bosses in just a couple seconds, but overall wand is a more comfy weapon to use. I have both in my bar, start the fight with staff and then finish it with wand.
Using full elder set, eternal acid spit, shroud weaver and lightning wand.

I find the wand extremely irritating because it'll lock onto enemies even if you aren't using target lock. It's perfect for blowing up explosives barrels and the like in the heat of combat it not for that.

Staff also makes you take a step forward. So if you're applying severe dairy to an intolerant enemy, you may fall off a ledge.

I hope they fix these things.

[Ex-Mørtis]

Lol anyone who likes magic but dislikes staves, has not stood on a hill lobbing eternal fireballs into a city of lvl 30 mobs and watched them explode, or raced passed a building hucking a fireball into an open door and cleared a whole room of everything living. Use a staff for what it's meant to be used for, a mortar, and swap to wands when you're up close and in danger.

[AAPorterNZ]

Originally posted by EverTrek1701:

p.s. why have spell charges and mana???

their are "eternal Spells" which are infinite magic but at a constant level, the charges are level ranges which can be stronger/weaker than the eternal spells depending on the levels of them that you get.

[Tikibane]

Originally posted by dustin1280:

There is a skill node that decreases your charge time by 50%, it's basically mandatory

agreed. if you are going to use a staff you absolutely have to have the charge reduction.

As far as magic goes, it's definitely most useful for co-op play. My brothers and i run tank,archer,mage and it's a lot of fun. Feels like we are running real time DnD sessions lol.

[Rena Ichigawa]

Depends on the situation, and soell. Acid spray is insanely powerful, and has taken enemies out several times faster than i could ever hope to do with melee. The issue is getting that cast off. Great with a friend, bad solo

[Nerevar]

people who say magic needs a buff : please play trough the game first. anyone who isnt at level 25 has no right to speak up on balance matters period. you haven SEEN stuff yet. you havent accessed all your options yet. you havent used the tools and options available to you fully yet.

then you can start talking balance. as then you are actually experienced and know whats going on right now.

magic does need alot. but BUFFS aint one of these things. that is CERTAIN after some actual real testing with mage builds vs others at later game stages.

[Fryskar]

Originally posted by Qiox:

Biggest hit I've seen so far is 2800 damage with a staff at end game, compared to 1600 for biggest melee hit.

Weaponstats would go a long way.
I guess you compare a 2h mercyless strike? My average 1h regular hits (no vs effective) are ~250. They don't even end up at 1k for a mercyless strike, i even skipped it on reskilling as its not usefull enough. 47+27 leg mace.

A shroud meteor as warrior does ~600. The broken acid bite, idk 5-10k (~200 tick and puddle, stackable vs bosses). As mage with propper buffs? well, at least 50% more than that, probably 75% more. 62 power + 12 leg staff, 165 dmg acid bite.

[Lightning]

I'm using a staff with the infinite acid spray https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3152734338 works fairly well on high enemies and bosses even though bosses can't get stunned

[Lightning]

Originally posted by Rena Ichigawa:

Depends on the situation, and soell. Acid spray is insanely powerful, and has taken enemies out several times faster than i could ever hope to do with melee. The issue is getting that cast off. Great with a friend, bad solo

I'm finding its doable with the 50% staff perk but yeah have to time it just right before the enemies get to you

[Fryskar]

Originally posted by Lightning:

I'm using a staff with the infinite acid spray https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3152734338 works fairly well on high enemies and bosses even though bosses can't get stunned

No need to stun if they are nearly instant dead.

[Lightning]

For some reason it takes a bit of time to kill the lvl 30 guys though, so that stun seems like its needed even with my 20 int i can't 1 shot them