The staff problem

I'm playing a Vortex / Cold Snap Occultist, and the Atzoatl Temple Boss just dropped this:


I haven't checked the numbers yet, but on first glance it looks like a potential upgrade to my current setup:

And even if it isn't - the modifiers look pretty impressive.

The problem? it's a staff. And not even the cool kind of APRG Wizard Staff.

Please add some incentives to equip 2-handers in general, staves specifically, and caster staves especially.

Maybe the block oriented caster staves could have chance to block spells?

Staves suck for both casting and melee. It’s incredibly frustrating. Some uniques geared for either melee or casting sort of help (not that they’re gonna drop in SSF), but even those are inferior to 1h setups these days.

Even beyond staves PoE has a massive, massive 2h problem and I strongly urge GGG to address it as soon as possible. The game suffers immsensely when large categories of gear and content are trash everyone avoids.

This staff is garbage. Onehanders too. You don't need any buffs to staves because they are already minimum 7.5link and you can run on 200%+ ms with phase run while vaal coldsnap clears entire screen and you can chain it if you are using cheap incursion flask right.
Craft something like this.


You can use vigilant strike with jewel and get 34 second fortify if you want.
I wouldn't go back to shitty onehanders on caster anymore.

I don't see how that beyond-mirror-tier-few-years-ago Staff you linked, invalidates my point.
You can pour those quadrillion Exalts on a couple one-handers or - better still - a one hander and a shield, and get a better result.

Caster Staves need something. They need to be "Wizard staves" with QOL or implicit modifiers that enhance certain caster-specific sets of abilities.
I want a Gandalf in my character roster.

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johnKeys wrote:

You can pour those quadrillion Exalts on a couple one-handers or - better still - a one hander and a shield, and get a better result.

No matter how many exalts you pour on onehander, it wouldn't become 8link for this build. And staves can roll higher rolls, what else do you need? Shield is unnecessary - you'll still be over 11k es without it. Phase run and flame dash are good now. What else? Implicits? How 20% block is bad? Needs 100% more spell damage to become 'wizard staff'?

"100% more spell damage" is the way GGG would typically buff a staff, make it Meta for 3 months, and then nerf it back to oblivion.

A "wizard staff" needs more interesting interactions with Caster skills and play style. for example how about "gain Focus when casting a socketed spell" or a "cast a socketed spell while channeling" as an implicit on the highest tier? a real 7-link.

In Titan Quest, a Staff gave you specific projectile attacks. weren't that useful towards end-game, but still a nice QOL.
In some older games, the Staff would have a fixed number of charges of a certain spell (e.g. "Fireball" or "Magic Missiles"), and you could cast those without spending Mana.

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demon9675 wrote:

Staves suck for both casting and melee. It’s incredibly frustrating. Some uniques geared for either melee or casting sort of help (not that they’re gonna drop in SSF), but even those are inferior to 1h setups these days.

Even beyond staves PoE has a massive, massive 2h problem and I strongly urge GGG to address it as soon as possible. The game suffers immsensely when large categories of gear and content are trash everyone avoids.

I think 2-handers could use a similar "2h specific implicit" treatment. e.g. chance to deal double damage on a mace, chance to Impale or Cause Bleeding on a sword, Rampage on an axe...
But melee is horrible currently, no matter if you use a 1h or a 2h. that's a separate topic.

The only good staff was a max block Xirgil Crank Staff Occultist but it's dead now.
I rather use dual wielding or 1h+shield. I dont care about it can roll higher mods.

dual wielding wands
shade of solaris+eclipse solaris+phase acrobatic+elemental overload is strong and offer very good defense


1h+shield
because saffell's flame shield is a poor man's loreweave and elemental damage is very dangerous

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heedkid wrote:

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johnKeys wrote:

You can pour those quadrillion Exalts on a couple one-handers or - better still - a one hander and a shield, and get a better result.

No matter how many exalts you pour on onehander, it wouldn't become 8link for this build. And staves can roll higher rolls, what else do you need? Shield is unnecessary - you'll still be over 11k es without it. Phase run and flame dash are good now. What else? Implicits? How 20% block is bad? Needs 100% more spell damage to become 'wizard staff'?

You are blinded by your own build.

Staves are awful and You forget than going 1h+1h give you a 15% more damage bonus . That s pretty close to your +1 damage link.

Using shaper 1h can give you in case of sambar 32% global pen while 2h get something like 16% global pen?

Anyway I believe what you are saying is not true and 1h dual builds are superior. The only thing about 2h build is they are cheaper because getting + gems level corruption on chest is hard and rng based.

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Head_Less wrote:

Using shaper 1h can give you in case of sambar 32% global pen while 2h get something like 16% global pen?

Anyway I believe what you are saying is not true and 1h dual builds are superior. The only thing about 2h build is they are cheaper because getting + gems level corruption on chest is hard and rng based.

We are talking about cold snap/vortex build here. Damage over time is not affected by penetration, sambar is useless. Only way to get 2 6+Links setup without 2H is sketchy shaper base helmet which doesn't let you use autocast and has less affixes for good es or crafts. This and +2 corruption on chest (And you want 700+es vaal regalia, good luck getting it with needed corruption) makes it not worth a try. I'm not blinded, i compared every option and spent days in PoB, with shield you need dozens exalts to get back to 2h level of damage and provides you couple thousands es which you lose on helmet and chest. DW gives a bit better damage with stupid amounts of ex and less es because, again, you want 6l elsewhere and corruption on expensive gear.