Staff/Dark Build?

[TCUFROGS]

I really have been enjoying my Staff/Dark, and I usually find multiple builds for random setups, but I can't for the life of me find a decent Staff/Dark build, and I am REALLY bad at creating my own. Is this a bad set? Or does anyone have a good build for this set up? Thanks in advance!

[crkohl]

I don’t have a build handy, but Staff/Dark is a great combo both thematically and practically. Using Staff’s Form that reduces endurance costs helps while leveling the very end hungry /Dark. Plus the +Def from Guarded Spin is always welcomed on a mostly-resistance set.
 

I was considering rolling this combo on a Tanker soon to take advantage of the new AoE changes. If I get a chance later, I’ll try to make a build for a Scrapper.

[Nayeh]

I too would be interested in a build. I have a 50 Staff/Dark Scrapper I haven't touched in awhile because I never bothered to build it.

 

HIGHLY recommend Theft of the Essence Proc +Endu slotted in Dark Regeneration as soon as possible. It takes care of a lot of the Endurance issues this line has.

[oldskool]

Sometimes if I can't find information about a specific pairing I will do more narrow searches of just the primary/secondary.  I'll look over both and see if my combo can play similarly.  I'll also check out other subforums for some general slotting ideas. 

 

There are a few Staff Fighting/X and X/Dark Armor threads in this subforum.  Dark Armor/Staff Fighting has some interest in the Tanker community since the pairing is really quite sturdy. 

 

I play Staff/Dark on a Stalker.  While there is some cross over the sets are different enough I'm not sure my ideas would be of much use. 

 

Finally, the combo isn't a bad one but probably just isn't a popular one.  It's a pair that should work pretty well together.  Staff brings Guarded Spin for bonus defense, Sky Splitter for a stun that stacks with Oppressive Gloom, and forms for configuring your playstyle.  Dark Armor brings the style you need, more AoE goodies, and decent resistance to most damage.  Temper your expectations though.  Staff isn't known for its overwhelming single-target capabilities, but you can certainly make the pairing play off each other's strengths.

[Hogunn]

On 2/22/2020 at 9:19 AM, crkohl said:

I don’t have a build handy, but Staff/Dark is a great combo both thematically and practically. Using Staff’s Form that reduces endurance costs helps while leveling the very end hungry /Dark. Plus the +Def from Guarded Spin is always welcomed on a mostly-resistance set.
 

I was considering rolling this combo on a Tanker soon to take advantage of the new AoE changes. If I get a chance later, I’ll try to make a build for a Scrapper.

Don’t do it. I have a 50 Dark/Staff Tanker. IO’d out very well and Alpha slotted. Amazing survivability. It feels like I am hitting baddies with a toothpick though. Anemic damage. Rolled a Shield/Street Justice tank. Amazing defence and offence. Having said that I love the them and now am wondering if I should try the combo on a Scrapper lol. 

[AustinSmith]

Funny enough, my buddy and I are looking to improve his staff/Dark scrapper build, and this is the first post in the scrapper forum lol.

 

I don’t have experience with the set, but I can barf up an IO build with some capped numbers and see what the community thinks.

[oldskool]

On 2/24/2020 at 6:59 PM, Hogunn said:

Don’t do it. I have a 50 Dark/Staff Tanker. IO’d out very well and Alpha slotted. Amazing survivability. It feels like I am hitting baddies with a toothpick though. Anemic damage. Rolled a Shield/Street Justice tank. Amazing defence and offence. Having said that I love the them and now am wondering if I should try the combo on a Scrapper lol. 

Scrappers are certainly going to do more damage, but at the end of the day Staff Fighting is really good at AoE damage over single-target (Not to say I think it is bad there either.  It's just not as laser focused on that.).  Dark Armor just adds more AoE damage. 

The Stalker version of Staff gets a better single-target attack option (Innocuous Strikes dropped for Assassin's Staff) and the form power gets dropped for Build-Up.  Confront also dropped for Placate.  The Stalker version doesn't get an option for forms, but it does have the damage form baked into it by default. 

If you like the options that Staff Fighting brings, then yeah a Scrapper will probably be a good choice.  If you favor single target damage over AoE damage, then the Stalker will be better.  Even that said, Staff Fighting isn't exactly the most amazing Stalker set against one enemy (Again, its still quite good but not necessarily the best in the AT).  It's just stylish AF while providing some pretty good damage all around.

Edited February 26, 2020 by oldskool