Guild Wars 2

I’m a guardian and I know the benefits the staff can provide. Please help me understand why a guardian would have their main weapon as a staff in dungeons. Okay, the staff is a great weapon for certain scenarios such as clearing blossoms in TA. But why would a guardian use a staff as their primary weapon during the entire dungeon run? Dungeons are my favorite thing to do in GW2, they are amazing but I am constantly seeing guardians using a staff as their primary weapon. I main a GS and the damage is great. During boss fights, I see guardians spam number 1 on their staff. And I’m thinking, why not use a GS or 1 hander sword to dish out a lot more damage. Perhaps I’m missing something and if so, please explain that to me. But why would a guardian main a staff versus a GS or 1 hander sword/focus?

Thanks!
iczek

Because they play how they want! But as you also play how you want, you’re never forced to play with those subpar guardians, so don’t worry about them and just find correct/decent groups to play with.

People that staff bosses are bad players. As such, don’t expect an intelligent, well reasoned answer for why they do what the do. The best answer you’ll get is, “I’m running a staff build lolz ofcourse I use staff, you elitist!”

I know players enjoy playing support. So perhaps that is it. But I run full beserker and I feel I provide great support with my boons, reflects, etc. Maybe its the whole healing thing? They like to provide healing through their dodge roll?

You are completely right to use gs or sword as your main weapon. People who use staff 24/7 are bad players.

According to someone I ran arah path 1 with, buffing your party with 12 might every 20 seconds is better than actually dealing damage yourself. He said he likes to play efficiently and called me annoying.

Too bad you always have 25 might stacks in any decent party, making his own 12 stacks totally redundant. So he actually decreases the dps of the party.

I found one of those guardians and he told that he learned that on WvW, that in there staff is a very strong weapon to fight in zergs, specially the skill #2 does huge damage.

So i think that those guardians that say staff is a great primary weapon are WvW players who think pve is faceroll.

staff is just battle grease. stack might, lay down a symbol, pop that orb if needed and weapon swap. if you stay in staff any longer than it takes for that swap weapon cooldown you are hurting your team.

that said, as soon as might stack is available, use it again. we have no reduction in our weapon swap so at times spamming staff 1 is our only option. for 7 seconds. recognize the skills that are being utilized.

I always have a staff with me, but I don’t just sit on it. you have two weapon sets for a reason: use them.

Did some arah runs with all four newbs last night. One group was 4 guardians and a necro (I will only go with 4 new people on guardian). We get to lupi and I tell them about the stack range method. We start and two of them start auto attacking with staff. Rest assured it was a long lupi fight considering they were all support as well. Kind of fun though since it seemed surreal.

That reminds me. A while ago I ran HoTW P1. There were 2 staff guardians in the group. We were on the last boss. I said “lol 2 staff guardians”. One replied saying " that’s the only way to defeat this boss".

iczek.9628:

That reminds me. A while ago I ran HoTW P1. There were 2 staff guardians in the group. We were on the last boss. I said “lol 2 staff guardians”. One replied saying " that’s the only way to defeat this boss".

Sweet Mother Teresa on the hood of a Mercedes Benz….all that cleric-y badness and they still can’t melee the butcher….

Only situation i can think camping staff isn’t that bad is on the first boss of TA killing the elite vines and the archers room, maybe.

Nope: the only good place to play staff is in WvW.

Well, technically, there are some places in PvE where you want a staff, like in open PvE tagging parts (champion farm runs or the original scarlet events) or when you want to run to skip and your “Retreat” is on cooldown or don’t want to use it (because of the huge cooldown).

Syn Sity.5826:

According to someone I ran arah path 1 with, buffing your party with 12 might every 20 seconds is better than actually dealing damage yourself. He said he likes to play efficiently and called me annoying.

Empower swap to hammer or GS. Do damage for 20s. Swam to staff Empower switch back to main do damage, swap etc etc.

How hard is that? lol

jportell.2197:

Syn Sity.5826:

According to someone I ran arah path 1 with, buffing your party with 12 might every 20 seconds is better than actually dealing damage yourself. He said he likes to play efficiently and called me annoying.

Empower swap to hammer or GS. Do damage for 20s. Swam to staff Empower switch back to main do damage, swap etc etc.

How hard is that? lol

Because you’re stuck on useless staff in battle for 10 seconds. It’s much more efficient to use blast finishers for might. Much longer duration and you don’t have to sit on a useless weapon.

laharl.8435:

jportell.2197:

Syn Sity.5826:

According to someone I ran arah path 1 with, buffing your party with 12 might every 20 seconds is better than actually dealing damage yourself. He said he likes to play efficiently and called me annoying.

Empower swap to hammer or GS. Do damage for 20s. Swam to staff Empower switch back to main do damage, swap etc etc.

How hard is that? lol

Because you’re stuck on useless staff in battle for 10 seconds. It’s much more efficient to use blast finishers for might. Much longer duration and you don’t have to sit on a useless weapon.

Which I try to do so I don’t always have to swap to staff. However there are several times when there is only one firefield for your entire group which is usually brought by the guardian (if they are focusing on blasts.) Some eles are completely oblivious to how a blast finisher works or they sit super far away from the boss and pew pew with the staff giving you absolutely no firefields to work with besides your own.

Then we also have the annoying thing of having multiple fields down. This is why staff is still good. And if you take empowering might sure that is great too!

There is a guardian in my guild that believes STaff/scepter is the best way too go through all dungeons and pve in general.

jportell.2197:

Then we also have the annoying thing of having multiple fields down.

Don’t take staff and don’t switch to hammer.

Problem solved.

Because I need to heal people. Geez.

Go do living story, champ farm or chain events in kessex/harati for 5 minutes and you’ll see.

Staff is the safest most efficient weapon to “tag” enemies and get the credit.

And on top of that: Kasmeer’s staff.
Everytime I see a mesmer or a guardian with it I just leave the party because I know they’ll camp it non stop.

30/30/0/0/10 Gandalf build. it’s OP.
just use pro dodge skills to keep Unscathed Contender up 120% of the time all the time most of the time.

Staff is meant to be a support weapon. If you’re using it as your primary weapon in anything other than a WvW zerg, you’re doing it wrong.

Ummm… in consideration: is empower better than virtue spam for might?

ADD DAMAGE METERS TO THIS GAME

I find both to be pretty kittenty because the might only lasts for a very short time, but VoJ might is less terrible IMO because it doesn’t require you to swap to a weak weaponset (especially if you are in combat).

Also, don’t forget that Gandalf actually had a 1H sword mainhand, and only really used his staff for utility and helping his party skip bosses. He didn’t camp staff while fighting.

Maybe a better advice would be to make sure that you’re out of combat, empower→swap staff to another weapon while out of combat (not just plain weapon swap, but unequip staff and equip another weapon in place), then go to town? At least it saves the party unnecessary might stacks which can be done in combat.

guanlongwucaii.3162:

Also, don’t forget that Gandalf actually had a 1H sword mainhand, and only really used his staff for utility and helping his party skip bosses. He didn’t camp staff while fighting.

LOLOL dangit. you gots me good.

tbh, the only use i find for staff in dungeons is actually line of warding when people have trouble running through stuff.

If you refuse to be a zerker, going all in boon duration and keeping 12 stacks of might ona group which might otherwise have none permanently is actually a half decent way to go. You’ll increase everyone elses dps by like 20 percent. Assuming your group doesn’t have might anyway.

Your own dps is terrible though.

akamon.2769:

guanlongwucaii.3162:

Also, don’t forget that Gandalf actually had a 1H sword mainhand, and only really used his staff for utility and helping his party skip bosses. He didn’t camp staff while fighting.

LOLOL dangit. you gots me good.

tbh, the only use i find for staff in dungeons is actually line of warding when people have trouble running through stuff.

You shall not pass!

guanlongwucaii.3162:

I find both to be pretty kittenty because the might only lasts for a very short time, but VoJ might is less terrible IMO because it doesn’t require you to swap to a weak weaponset (especially if you are in combat).

Also, don’t forget that Gandalf actually had a 1H sword mainhand, and only really used his staff for utility and helping his party skip bosses. He didn’t camp staff while fighting.

Gandalf is an elitist exploiter!

Gandalf just had recently converted to berserker, so he wasn’t used to ~12k HP and forgot to equip his GS back after using staff to help his team skip a boss, which is why he died. Friggin’ scrub.

This is a funny op… I am always so embarrassed when i’m stuck spamming 1 on staff for those few seconds waiting for the wep swap cool down.

Staff is a pretty great utility weapon, but it’s certainly no main weapon. In a group with no might stacking, Empowering then switching to another weapon is pretty standard. And Line of Warding is a great skill for creative players.

But autoattacking with Staff is pretty terrible in dungeons.

Emanuel.9781:

Gandalf just had recently converted to berserker, so he wasn’t used to ~12k HP and forgot to equip his GS back after using staff to help his team skip a boss, which is why he died. Friggin’ scrub.

Gandalf went to solo the Balrog like a real elitist instead of letting his party fight with him. I’m pretty surprised that they didn’t kick him for being a scumbag elitist and not letting them have the champion chest as well.

Staff on guardians is very useful in wvw, but a bit pointless in dungeons. The Greatsword – Sword/Focus (or Scepter/Focus is you need ranged) are best or damage.
The only case where staff in dungeons comes in handy is the Hodgins burrow event in AC p1 – if a guardian is defending the NPC, staff s useful fro kiting lots of graveling mobs away from him. I also use it occasionally when skipping huge chunks of dungeons (Arah, SE), as it provides swiftness and Line f Warding to stop the mobs chasing you.

They think staff damage is sufficient to clear content, and don’t want to accomodate their playstyle because they think they know more than you. (A “support” guardian…)

Anyone who says Staff is more Might, I point them to Greatsword, which stacks Might just as good.

Now, this isn’t to say Staff isn’t a great weapon, but it’s more utility than damage.

Why use a staff on a Guard?

Because 1 ) the person probably just likes the style of the staff better and 2 ) because most content is forgiving enough for a group to clear it, even with very sub-optimal choices being made.

iczek.9628:

I’m a guardian and I know the benefits the staff can provide. Please help me understand why a guardian would have their main weapon as a staff in dungeons. Okay, the staff is a great weapon for certain scenarios such as clearing blossoms in TA. But why would a guardian use a staff as their primary weapon during the entire dungeon run? Dungeons are my favorite thing to do in GW2, they are amazing but I am constantly seeing guardians using a staff as their primary weapon. I main a GS and the damage is great. During boss fights, I see guardians spam number 1 on their staff. And I’m thinking, why not use a GS or 1 hander sword to dish out a lot more damage. Perhaps I’m missing something and if so, please explain that to me. But why would a guardian main a staff versus a GS or 1 hander sword/focus?

Thanks!
iczek

For 6 years I was a healer on “another” MMO. I pre-ordered and between BWE’s I’d peruse the wiki and the different classes – I gravitated toward the Guardian because I felt this would be the best “healer” eventhough there is no Holy Trinity.

I run Staff (for range/spread out support)and Mace/Focus(for stacking/melee support) I keep all the other weapons in my bag – just in case. I’m traited to heal everyone around me. I roll in Giver’s gear and Clerics Weapons/Accessories so I’ve got Power, Toughness, Healing and Boon duration coming out my ears. I do “okay” damage but I’ll tell ya what – it takes a lot to kill me, my regen lasts forever and ticks high, my support is strong and people in my groups only die due to thier own lag or stupidity – and I run, Shelter, then rez ’em so they can do it all again.

Some folks prefer to make sure the group kills the boss – they don’t want to solo it.

I have toons that support, toons that crit, toons that condition… toons that siphon health, toons that control. I like to have a toon for all reasons so I’m not stuck typecast on one toon.

No joke though – a staff is INVALUABLE in TA. Just sayin.

Heithinn.6508:

iczek.9628:

I’m a guardian and I know the benefits the staff can provide. Please help me understand why a guardian would have their main weapon as a staff in dungeons. Okay, the staff is a great weapon for certain scenarios such as clearing blossoms in TA. But why would a guardian use a staff as their primary weapon during the entire dungeon run? Dungeons are my favorite thing to do in GW2, they are amazing but I am constantly seeing guardians using a staff as their primary weapon. I main a GS and the damage is great. During boss fights, I see guardians spam number 1 on their staff. And I’m thinking, why not use a GS or 1 hander sword to dish out a lot more damage. Perhaps I’m missing something and if so, please explain that to me. But why would a guardian main a staff versus a GS or 1 hander sword/focus?

Thanks!
iczek

For 6 years I was a healer on “another” MMO. I pre-ordered and between BWE’s I’d peruse the wiki and the different classes – I gravitated toward the Guardian because I felt this would be the best “healer” eventhough there is no Holy Trinity.

I run Staff (for range/spread out support)and Mace/Focus(for stacking/melee support) I keep all the other weapons in my bag – just in case. I’m traited to heal everyone around me. I roll in Giver’s gear and Clerics Weapons/Accessories so I’ve got Power, Toughness, Healing and Boon duration coming out my ears. I do “okay” damage but I’ll tell ya what – it takes a lot to kill me, my regen lasts forever and ticks high, my support is strong and people in my groups only die due to thier own lag or stupidity – and I run, Shelter, then rez ’em so they can do it all again.

Some folks prefer to make sure the group kills the boss – they don’t want to solo it.

I have toons that support, toons that crit, toons that condition… toons that siphon health, toons that control. I like to have a toon for all reasons so I’m not stuck typecast on one toon.

No joke though – a staff is INVALUABLE in TA. Just sayin.

lol

(true facts about TA though)

swiftpaw.6397:

Not sure if serious.

No.. I am serious

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-7;4RFV10H3kFF90;9;44-4TT;729B58620-120;0QitaQitaOJGB1-c170;1Y5Z5XaXaYaW57B-2F0JV9ecX9e;9;9;9;9;9;4V1N5c

Great in WvW too.

As someone stated the staff is a support weapon. I’ve been plying this way since BWE. It’s extremely effective support. I don’t care how much damage I do – that’s not my role. Honestly the fact that I do any damage at all is just a bonus. Let the other 4 people damage while I keep them cleansed, rez them, buff them and use whatever I can to make the fight easier be it a projectile reflect or stability.

All my symbols heal and they are all huge so when I drop Symbol of Swiftness I’m giving you swiftness to get out of the way of attacks, healing you with 5 pulses and giving you a Light combo field for cleansing or retaliation – so you do more damage and receive less. Meanwhile Orb of light heals whoever it passes by and I can detonate it for more healing. Empower gives Might and a heal at the end. And if you creatively use Line of Warding you can not only stop following enemies during runs but assist kiters or protect the range camp from attacks. I heal you when I dodge, you all have my Virtue of Resolve passive heal – which is stronger and stacks with Regen as it’s a separate buff. My Mega support Elite lasts 10 seconds longer, which is a lot when you can spam Heal Area. And I have 3 group cleanses not including cleases that happen with Light Field.

Why Toughness and Boon duration? Well.. I need to be alive to heal and rez you don’t I? I already have plenty to cleanse, so Vitality is moot. With Boon Duration I get longer regen and protection. And yes I am lacking on damage, so the longer I can keep my might or fury or whatever boons are flying around the better off I am. Granted, it may take me a year to kill something, but I’ll still be standing.

As I stated, I was a healer for 6 years, this is the role I am comfortable in, it’s a role I enjoy.

So when you see a Guardian with a Staff… assume this is why.

Variant.5129:

ADD DAMAGE METERS TO THIS GAME

Would be awesome, but I don’t think they ever will. I’d like it even if just the dummies had it and got conditions so you can check your build.

They want this game to foster community. When you add a DPS meter you attract and promote Elitism and the “Looking for Ranger, Min 12kDPS” LFM posts.

I only really tend to use staff when running through trash or for might stacks (when the group isn’t capable of providing it). In other cases I tend to use sword/x.

Heithinn.6508:

I don’t care how much damage I do – that’s not my role.

Would you be okay partying with a thief who tells you, “I don’t care about using my heals to keep myself alive – that’s not my role.”?

Heithinn.6508:

swiftpaw.6397:

Not sure if serious.

No.. I am serious

I don’t care how much damage I do – that’s not my role. Honestly the fact that I do any damage at all is just a bonus. Let the other 4 people damage while I keep them cleansed, rez them, buff them and use whatever I can to make the fight easier be it a projectile reflect or stability.

Why Toughness and Boon duration? Well.. I need to be alive to heal and rez you don’t I? I already have plenty to cleanse, so Vitality is moot.

Ok! You just keep doing what you’re doing!

that’s the thing in gw2 though, i feel there are no “roles” per se. it’s every man for himself. while everyone in charge of everything. and then it’s just nice to have peeps that know how to help you augment your offensive or defensive capabilities.

forgive me as i am not an avid MMO player, with gw2 being my first, and which, afaik, not your typical MMO with dedicated roles.

and especially as a Guard, you can cleanse, res, buff, reflect, provide stability and then some, all the while doing great DPS as well. : )) which i quite enjoy i have to say.

Heithinn.6508:

swiftpaw.6397:

Not sure if serious.

No.. I am serious

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-7;4RFV10H3kFF90;9;44-4TT;729B58620-120;0QitaQitaOJGB1-c170;1Y5Z5XaXaYaW57B-2F0JV9ecX9e;9;9;9;9;9;4V1N5c

Great in WvW too.

As someone stated the staff is a support weapon. I’ve been plying this way since BWE. It’s extremely effective support. I don’t care how much damage I do – that’s not my role. Honestly the fact that I do any damage at all is just a bonus. Let the other 4 people damage while I keep them cleansed, rez them, buff them and use whatever I can to make the fight easier be it a projectile reflect or stability.

All my symbols heal and they are all huge so when I drop Symbol of Swiftness I’m giving you swiftness to get out of the way of attacks, healing you with 5 pulses and giving you a Light combo field for cleansing or retaliation – so you do more damage and receive less. Meanwhile Orb of light heals whoever it passes by and I can detonate it for more healing. Empower gives Might and a heal at the end. And if you creatively use Line of Warding you can not only stop following enemies during runs but assist kiters or protect the range camp from attacks. I heal you when I dodge, you all have my Virtue of Resolve passive heal – which is stronger and stacks with Regen as it’s a separate buff. My Mega support Elite lasts 10 seconds longer, which is a lot when you can spam Heal Area. And I have 3 group cleanses not including cleases that happen with Light Field.

Why Toughness and Boon duration? Well.. I need to be alive to heal and rez you don’t I? I already have plenty to cleanse, so Vitality is moot. With Boon Duration I get longer regen and protection. And yes I am lacking on damage, so the longer I can keep my might or fury or whatever boons are flying around the better off I am. Granted, it may take me a year to kill something, but I’ll still be standing.

As I stated, I was a healer for 6 years, this is the role I am comfortable in, it’s a role I enjoy.

So when you see a Guardian with a Staff… assume this is why.

There are so many things I want to say to you…

Syn Sity.5826:

Heithinn.6508:

swiftpaw.6397:

Not sure if serious.

No.. I am serious

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-7;4RFV10H3kFF90;9;44-4TT;729B58620-120;0QitaQitaOJGB1-c170;1Y5Z5XaXaYaW57B-2F0JV9ecX9e;9;9;9;9;9;4V1N5c

Great in WvW too.

As someone stated the staff is a support weapon. I’ve been plying this way since BWE. It’s extremely effective support. I don’t care how much damage I do – that’s not my role. Honestly the fact that I do any damage at all is just a bonus. Let the other 4 people damage while I keep them cleansed, rez them, buff them and use whatever I can to make the fight easier be it a projectile reflect or stability.

All my symbols heal and they are all huge so when I drop Symbol of Swiftness I’m giving you swiftness to get out of the way of attacks, healing you with 5 pulses and giving you a Light combo field for cleansing or retaliation – so you do more damage and receive less. Meanwhile Orb of light heals whoever it passes by and I can detonate it for more healing. Empower gives Might and a heal at the end. And if you creatively use Line of Warding you can not only stop following enemies during runs but assist kiters or protect the range camp from attacks. I heal you when I dodge, you all have my Virtue of Resolve passive heal – which is stronger and stacks with Regen as it’s a separate buff. My Mega support Elite lasts 10 seconds longer, which is a lot when you can spam Heal Area. And I have 3 group cleanses not including cleases that happen with Light Field.

Why Toughness and Boon duration? Well.. I need to be alive to heal and rez you don’t I? I already have plenty to cleanse, so Vitality is moot. With Boon Duration I get longer regen and protection. And yes I am lacking on damage, so the longer I can keep my might or fury or whatever boons are flying around the better off I am. Granted, it may take me a year to kill something, but I’ll still be standing.

As I stated, I was a healer for 6 years, this is the role I am comfortable in, it’s a role I enjoy.

So when you see a Guardian with a Staff… assume this is why.

There are so many things I want to say to you…

Shhhh just.. Just… just just just just just just… You know what kitten it.

Heithinn.6508:

swiftpaw.6397:

Not sure if serious.

No.. I am serious

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-7;4RFV10H3kFF90;9;44-4TT;729B58620-120;0QitaQitaOJGB1-c170;1Y5Z5XaXaYaW57B-2F0JV9ecX9e;9;9;9;9;9;4V1N5c

Great in WvW too.

As someone stated the staff is a support weapon. I’ve been plying this way since BWE. It’s extremely effective support. I don’t care how much damage I do – that’s not my role. Honestly the fact that I do any damage at all is just a bonus. Let the other 4 people damage while I keep them cleansed, rez them, buff them and use whatever I can to make the fight easier be it a projectile reflect or stability.

All my symbols heal and they are all huge so when I drop Symbol of Swiftness I’m giving you swiftness to get out of the way of attacks, healing you with 5 pulses and giving you a Light combo field for cleansing or retaliation – so you do more damage and receive less. Meanwhile Orb of light heals whoever it passes by and I can detonate it for more healing. Empower gives Might and a heal at the end. And if you creatively use Line of Warding you can not only stop following enemies during runs but assist kiters or protect the range camp from attacks. I heal you when I dodge, you all have my Virtue of Resolve passive heal – which is stronger and stacks with Regen as it’s a separate buff. My Mega support Elite lasts 10 seconds longer, which is a lot when you can spam Heal Area. And I have 3 group cleanses not including cleases that happen with Light Field.

Why Toughness and Boon duration? Well.. I need to be alive to heal and rez you don’t I? I already have plenty to cleanse, so Vitality is moot. With Boon Duration I get longer regen and protection. And yes I am lacking on damage, so the longer I can keep my might or fury or whatever boons are flying around the better off I am. Granted, it may take me a year to kill something, but I’ll still be standing.

As I stated, I was a healer for 6 years, this is the role I am comfortable in, it’s a role I enjoy.

So when you see a Guardian with a Staff… assume this is why.

http://z0r.de/4551

Staff guards are in for a treat tomorrow. No spoilers plz

Nike Porphyrogenita.8137:

People that staff bosses are bad players.

It will prove you wrong