Wand or Staff

Ma-Deuce81

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2008

what are the pro's and con's of each?
which one do you think is better and why?
im trying to decide if im going to use staff's or wand/offhands

Tyla

Emo Goth Italics

Join Date: Sep 2006

Staves have a 20% HRT (Halved Recharge Time) effect on all skills.
Wands can use 40/40 and high-energy.

I prefer Wand/Offhand on my more offensive and less specialised guys, because I don't usually run too many attributes.
Or PvE skills.

If you're running stuff like Pain Inverter, a staff would be a better option in my opinion.

Targuil

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Oct 2007

Tampere, Finland

Keep Dreaming [Yawn]

E/

Weapon switching is the key.

the savage nornbear

the savage nornbear

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2008

The Raging Cadavers [rage]

R/

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...php?t=10265961 (staves look cooler though imho)

Chthon

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Apr 2007

With wand+focus you can get dual 20/20, which is usually ideal for most ele builds.
Only time you'd want a staff is if (a) you had key skills from off attributes that would benefit from the all-spell recharge mod, or (b) you needed a 20% longer enchant mod.

Magikarp

Magikarp

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2007

[HAWK]

imo staffs for monks in pve, and wands/offhands for everything else, except mesmers who work well generically with both in pve. (this is just in general, for all around play styles. its best to get both, a negative energy set, and a defense set too...)

mazey vorstagg

mazey vorstagg

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2006

Nodnol

Meeting of Lost Minds

E/Mo

One thing to note. Staffs can get 20% enchanting where as wands can't. If you have a build that relies on enchants then taking a staff is a wise decision.

Oukanna

Oukanna

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Apr 2007

Ancient Shaolin Guardians

E/D

I use staves all the way ^_^
I also switch to sword and shield on some builds though.

That way i can get 20% enchant.

Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

I use wands and an offhand most of the time.

Coloneh

Coloneh

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Nov 2006

D/W

10%HSR 20% enchanting spear on the primary hand
+1 attrib/20%HSR on the offhand

Just.nl

Just.nl

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2007

The Netherlands, Noord-Brabant

Mu-Tants [MU]

Me/

Hmm.. I use mostly of the time a staff/caster weapon but wands got highenergy .. and for the most of the builds you need to have a high energy weapon set.. and thats with wands/focuses. in my oppinion you need to take both

Katari

Katari

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2005

Upstate

Me/

The only reason to use a staff is the enchanting mod. For a single attunement, sitting on an enchanting swap is not ideal, since you are sacrificing a 20% recharge mod for the enchanting mod. The only builds that I would consider sitting on an enchanting staff over a 40/40 swap would be builds including 2+ enchantments, specificly ones with lower durations.

If you really must cast attunement with a 20% enchanting mod, learn to weapon swap, don't just sit on the staff.

Dual 20/20s are going to be more efficent (i.e. faster damage output) than any other combination. The enchnating mod does not add anything to your ability to dish out damage (or support spells for that matter). Manwhile, a +1(20%) mod is inferior to a half cast time mod. You'll net more DPS out of casting rodgorts in 1s a third of the time (nevermind the occasional 1/2s casts) than you will casting it at 15 fire magic a fifth of the time. Reduced cast times also means lower chances of being hit by interupts, and less time standing still.

Dr Strangelove

Dr Strangelove

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Dec 2005

Wasting away again in Margaritaville

[HOTR]

Hi. Read Me. This is the best (insert element) magic weapon set.

MasterSasori

MasterSasori

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Dec 2007

USA

[Thay]

R/Mo

Read above post and close this thread.

weretoad

weretoad

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2007

league of the elite

Me/

staff are better for specializtion, on my mezmer i run 4 diffrent green staffs, on my monk i run a divine favor off hand, and a healing or prot wand.

Katari

Katari

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2005

Upstate

Me/

Quote:
Originally Posted by weretoad
staff are better for specializtion, on my mezmer i run 4 diffrent green staffs, on my monk i run a divine favor off hand, and a healing or prot wand.
That's not the case at all. There are exactly two situations where you'd want to use a staff over a wand.Your build has a large number of enchantments, and you want the benefit of an enchanting mod without sacrificing dual 20% fast cast mods. Your build has enough PvE only skills that benefit from a 20% universal faster recharge mod that you can justify sacrificing an additional 20% recharge on your main attribute. At this point, you just swap to your enchanting staff when using PvE skills if it actually matters that much. An elementalist has no reason to use a staff full time, and a mesmer has even less of a reason. Also: most green staffs are crap.