[x] skill better with [x] staff?

This is a question Ive been asking myself for awhile now. Say I use flare on an enemy while wielding a fire staff. Will it do more dmg then if I was wielding a water staff, or do the weps have nothing to do with it?

You have to meet the requirements for the damage output, so if you have a 11-22 (req. 9 Fire) you have to have attributes in fire for the regular damage output of the weapon, but your skills themselves are not directly affected unless say for the energy bonus or the +1 (20%) attribute dealies.

There are some mods like "fire spells cast fast 20% chance" and "fire spells recharge fast 20%" which don't affect the damage but are desirable if you are focusing on one realm. Or if you use 2 realms, say earth and fire, use a wand with an earth mod and artifact with fire mods.