Guild Wars 2

Ok. Somewhat of a stupid question, but how is the staff utilized? I’m currently using Scepter/Dagger with Staff Alt.

• This is for PVE ONLY

Realizing that the staff is for AoE, I still find it odd to use. When I’m doing an event and multiple mobs are around, do I just button punch 2-5 and then auto attack with #1?

For my typical trait setup while using Scepter Dagger is #6 Consume Condition #7 Plague Signet #8 Epidemic #9 Corrupt Boon. – Being only level 25, I don’t have an Elite skill yet.

When I switch to my Staff, which is just “on the fly” I am not switching my traits. Is that part of the issue? Should I have wells for traits when I switch over to the staff for these brief encounters?

Staffs have marks not wells. The staff traits are greater marks (highly recommended) and the 20% faster staff recharge.
I spam 2, 3 and 4 offcooldown (4 I can save for conditions but I spam anyway)
5 I save if I’m in a group for peeling (1 sec duration makes it a terrible peel) or interrupting- if not spamtown.

Sidenote, why are you using corrupt boon for PVE?

Not an expert, but since the staff 2-5 abilities are traps, you might consider setting them up before pulling so the mobs walk into them. That also allows you to open up with the scepter to begin the engagement.

I have found myself switching to staff mid fight when all the scepter/dagger stuff is on cooldown, especially for longer fights like veterans. Unfortunately I admit my use of the staff skills is less strategic than it could be (e.g. saving AoE fear for when I need to get some distance).

Firstly, you should not just be using the staff for AoE. It is excellent for utility and a few quick bleed stacks, as well. Scepter/dagger is the better weapon setup, but you shouldn’t be hanging out in it when you could use an additional condition transfer, chill or fear/interrupt. You should also be inscribing marks on choke points if you expect to have the cooldowns back up before needed. You should definitely NOT be spamming marks #2 to #5. Especially #4 and #5. In an event, spamming #4 is fine unless you expect to need the condition transfer, but it should be used as much for utility as damage otherwise.

As you say, saving utilities like Epidemic for use during the time you’re in staff mode is a good idea. Assuming you don’t have conditions to transfer or corrupt, it’s nice to stack Bleeds with scepter/dagger, switch to staff, mark Blood and then Epidemic. This gives good uptime on Epidemic conditions I find. However, you should never forget Death Shroud. Life Blast is better than Necrotic Grasp to spam for a few seconds, and you should be applying the Dark Path chill often anyways. And, of course, you can save Life Transfer for this period of time.

Basically this is how I use the staff, 1st skill is for filler while I wait on CD or to pop some combo fields. 2nd skill I try and get to pop around melee allies to grant regeneration (you may want to use it more for its bleed being a condition focused build). 3rd skill Is a 2 part, 1st part helps for kiting if you get aggro or to help someone else kite 2nd part is a combo field poison (again you will want to use it more for this). 4th skill is mostly a support skill, the blast finisher is a nice bonus and some people use it for just the blast but its second power to transfer all conditions from allies in the radius to enemies in the radius is huge, it really helps to use this in dungeons and events around the melee focused fighters. Finally the 5th skill is a low damage low duration AoE fear. I like to drop the fear mark near npc’s that need to be kept safe while they work on things or to quickly make space between a downed ally and mobs or even between me and a group of guys.

A couple of cool tricks you can pull using just Death Shroud and Marks is plant all 4 marks at your feet pull a group of guys to you and pop DS and use Life Transfer(skill4) and watch as things around you die while you are mostly safe. Another one is to start with the staff use the 3rd and 2nd skill to pull a group and swap to your S/D using the 5th dagger skill 2nd scepter skill into DS for Life Transfer and again enjoy watching as mobs melt around you.

Dibrom.6408:

Sidenote, why are you using corrupt boon for PVE?

Honestly, from lack of understanding. Likely I read about it from a PvP post and didn’t realize that is what it used for. Typically it is something that I would setup just before a transfer of conditions. But I would guess that the signet of spite might be the better option.

As for the others, I can see that I just need a better understanding of how to work the staff into a needed situation.

Spam 2, use 3 just before you use 4 for aoe weakness (combo field poison and blast finisher) and chill (enemy dps drops to like 17% while the 2 are up), use 5 each time mobs bundle up in a cone around you, Swap to Signet of Spite, Epidemic and Spectral walk for general pve leveling (or Well of suffering, Well of corruption and spectral walk if you go power/crit) since while being not even close to optimal, let you finish hearts way faster and are still ok on meta events. Staff as it is doesnt actually need traits to be good… well it actually is the only weapon that is really good even when not traited for.
Nice combo for 5 enemies: MoB, Chillblains, Putrid, swap, Grasping, Enfeeble, DS, Dark Path, Doom, Spite Signet, Epidemic, Feast

Cyndrome.7268:

Ok. Somewhat of a stupid question, but how is the staff utilized? I’m currently using Scepter/Dagger with Staff Alt.

• This is for PVE ONLY

Realizing that the staff is for AoE, I still find it odd to use. When I’m doing an event and multiple mobs are around, do I just button punch 2-5 and then auto attack with #1?

In general, I’d use 2-4 as CD permits. I save 5 for when I need a second or two of space, or I’m running from trash mobs. One thing you can do is pop 2-4, then switch to scepter/dagger, when those skills (especially 3) are on CD, flip back to staff and hit your marks again. Then repeat. Add in switching to DS, and you should be able to rotate between the three sets (staff, scepter/dagger, DS) and almost always be able to be in a mode where you are off CD.

Use Staff 1 if the mob is not difficult or weapon switch is on CD. Take Staff 1 off of autoattack.

I’d also recommend using Well of Suffering and Well of Corruption. BiP can be nice, but I find the wells more useful. As has already been said, drop Corrupt Boon. (I like Consume Conditions, WoS, WoC(or Epidemic for DEs), Signet of Undeath, and Plague.)

TheAgedGnome.7520:

I’d also recommend using Well of Suffering and Well of Corruption. BiP can be nice, but I find the wells more useful. As has already been said, drop Corrupt Boon. (I like Consume Conditions, WoS, WoC(or Epidemic for DEs), Signet of Undeath, and Plague.)

So I took everyones advise and dropped Corrupt Boon. Now running CC, WoS, WoC, Signet of Undeath. Still have a couple of levels to gain for the elite skill. So far, so good. MoBs aren’t lasting 1 solid rotation. Still have to get used to the the multiple switching.

Appreciate all of the feedback.