are staffs spears

[Doddery]

they dont shoot anything but swing like spears

[Rockhead Gaz]

Without the big pointy bit on the end.

[PancakeFuego]

No, they count as blunt weapons.

[Zenith]

you don't swing spears lol

[PancakeFuego]

In the game you can swing them.

[Zenith]

Originally posted by SudoKnightlyNonsense:

In the game you can swing them.

You can... but the damage from anything but thrusting is terrible.

Chitin Spear:
chop: 1-2
slash: 1-2
thrust: 5-13

I actually didn't know that the attack types made that much difference.

[Ducks]

Originally posted by gravytrain:

I actually didn't know that the attack types made that much difference.

Well, its not always as extreme as with Spears.

[Incunabulum]

Staves, in this game, are melee weapons - not fireball shooters.

[DarkNova50]

You can enchant staves with magical attacks, which you then select from the magic menu. Technically, you could do the same with swords and axes, too. Or you could enchant them so that when you hit an enemy, it triggers the magical effect.

Physically attacking with your staff does just that. And they count as blunt weapons.

(You can also activate the 'Always Use Best Attack' option in the main menu, so you're not swinging wide with your spears anymore.)

[The Synth Punk]

Sort of. They are hella more enchantable tho, which makes them very good for mages.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Some staves are almost like spears.

Wooden, steel, ebony, and daedric staff have a reach of 1.8, which is the same as a Spear and is higher than the other weapon types.

That reach can be exploited in the same way as spear, as a defense weapon by backing away from enemies and thrusting the weapon at them.

However unlike Spear, Staves have a more limited damage rating when thrusting, but staves have a much faster attack speed that might help make up for it.

[Brandybuck]

Awesome weapons. Due to a quirk in the engine, the fast thrust animation means you can jab jab jab jab faster than any other weapon.