Guild Wars 2

Staff auto attack for necro seems much less dps than elementalist(fire attune)

Am i missing something here? maybe faster cast speed?

I have 80 elem ankittenrying out necro

Necro everything does less damage than ele anything.

Necrotic Grasp is actually an AoE linear attack that hits everything within the trajectory of your target. As a single DPS, it is somewhat weaker, but as an AoE, like the rest of the staff’s ability, it’s over all pretty decent.

As an additional bonus, every enemy hit by the necrotic grasp grants you 3% life force meaning if it pierces 3 targets, you basically get 9% life force back.

I cannot say for the elementalist equivalent, but over all, as a necromancer with a staff, I am lead to believe that I am specced out as an AoE provider rather than a burst DPS.

Hope that helps.

Well, lets go to the wiki

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Necrotic_Grasp

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Fireball

Necrotic Grasp pierces, grants 3% life force and is a combo finisher. Base damage is 246.

Fireball has an AOE when it hits its target. Base damage 314.

That is about 22% more damage with fireball. Don’t know about cast speed, they seem pretty comparable, fireball travels much faster than necrotic grasp though.

Necrotic Grasp pierces (can hit up to 2 additional targets on the way to your target) and has a 20% chance to be a combo finisher.
Fireball travels at a faster rate than NG, deals more damage, and also deals splash damage to other enemies near your target.

So yeah, in terms of damage Fireball is better. I would even say that staff Ele in general, even if just locked into Fire attunement, is far better than staff Necro even though a lot of Necros take staff (because all of our weapon skill group support seems to be stacked onto this one weapon).

On top of that, its much easier to hit multiple enemies in a circle radius than it is to hit them in a line. Double on top of that, Necrotic Grasp moves at a snails pace.

Staff for Necro is a means to an end as in Life Force and Marks that’s it! It will never be a ‘main’ weapon for any purpose.

Unfortunately right now any build other than Condition is inferior.

I think staff vs staff yes… necro staff IMO is horrible, but any other weapon / skill combination vs elementalist is far superior. I play both classes, and my necro eats anything my ele has trouble with for lunch with little problems what so ever.