Wand+Focus v. Staff

What are the benefits of each? From what I can see, staves look to be the better option due to the fact that they can be upgraded with heads and wrappings.

I also would like to know if the 20% casting and recharge benefits stack on the focus and wand. For instance, if it's 20% for each, would the combined benefit be a 40% chance to halve recharge and casting times?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

wand+focus = better recharge times for spells, less energy
staff = better for enchantments and more energy, normal recharge times.

Wand + focus v. staffs

Max Energy Comparison
Wand & focus = 5 + 12 = 17
Staff & insightful head = 10 + 5 = 15

Mods
Collectors ususally can get you any combination you want with the possibility of 4 different mods between wand and focus with gold items
Staffs give you a max of 4 mods if you find 2 on the staff and then add another 2 with upgrades

Drop
I find that (useable) staffs tend drop more often than 1 handed - so staffs are more readily available

Upgradibility
Wand & focus = not modifiable
Staff = up to 2 mods (head & wrap)

Other than that it's just looks of 1 + offhand over 2 handed

Staves you can upgrade as you already mentioned. Max additional energy you can get from a staff is 15 with the insightful mod.

Wands + focus, you can get an additional 17 energy that are conditional. 12 from the focus if you meet the requirement and wands have +5energy ^50% health and +5energy v50% health. If your wand and focus both have 20% half recharge/casting, it comes out to about 32% and not 40%.

If you can find a +5 energy sword, that will give you unconditional +5 energy. Also can be modded with a defense or enchantment mod. Just don't press the spacebar or whichever key you set to auto action.

The debate is MELEE WEAPON+Focus, or Staff.

Wands are gimped from the start for not having unconditional +5e, they are only used if you REALLY REALLY think you'll have to be attacking, or if you want the 15/-1 mod.

Melee Weapon+Focus is better than a Staff in most situations yes. It gives you 2 more energy than a staff (17 vs 15) and you lose NONE of the mods (you can put enchantment on the weapon just as easily as on a staff, and the focus covers the 20/20).

The only exception is when you NEED the +1 to an attribute mod. In order to get this on a melee+focus combo you have to give up the 20/20, while a staff can have 20/20 AND the +1 (but at the lose of enchantment). this really only effects one build though - Minion Master. The only popular build in the game that prefers +1 to its magic over other mods. This is why Ghial's Staff is so popular.

Ah, thank you! So THAT'S why everybody always rants and raves about how good the +5 Energy weapons that you can make after defeating Shiro are. Thank you very much, I'm off to slaughter that badboy and make me a few weapons and foci!

There are things you can do with staves you cant do with weapon/offhand. For example have 20/20 skill cast/recharge with +60 hp. But then again there are things you cant do with staves that you can with weapon/offhand. For example you can get a higher amount of energy and 20% enchanting with a +1 (20%) chance mod to an attribute.

My suggestion to you is figure out exactly what you want and try to get that.

About the dual 20%'s stacking; they only stack with casting time since the latest balance patch. Before you were able to get extremely fast recharges with two 20% recharge mods (in the chance that both of them come into effect).

SS necro anyone?

But generally offhand plus mainhand beats staves because you can recreate just about anything a stave can have with +2 energy, and often have better effects.