Path of Exile Staves: A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Staffs in PoE
In the vast and intricate world of Path of Exile (PoE), players are constantly seeking ways to optimize their builds and dominate the challenges of Wraiclast. Among the various weapon types available, staves stand out as a popular choice for casters and melee enthusiasts alike. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a new player, understanding the nuances of staves can elevate your gameplay to the next level. This article delves into the world of Path of Exile staves, exploring their mechanics, best uses, and how to maximize their potential in your builds.
What Are Staves in Path of Exile?
Staves are a type of two-handed weapon in Path of Exile, offering a unique blend of offense and defense. They are particularly favored by spellcasters, as they provide high energy shield (ES) values and increased area of effect for spell-based builds. However, staves are not limited to casters; they can also be wielded by melee characters for their high physical damage potential and versatile modifiers.
One of the standout features of staves is their ability to scale with both strength and intelligence, making them a flexible choice for a wide range of builds. Additionally, staves often come with implicit modifiers that enhance spell damage, critical strike chance, or block chance, further solidifying their utility in various playstyles.
How to Choose the Right Staff for Your Build
With so many staff options available, selecting the right one can be overwhelming. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:
Damage Type:
If you’re building a caster, focus on staves with high energy shield, spell damage, or critical strike multiplier mods.
For melee builds, prioritize staves with high physical damage or attack speed mods.
Defensive Capabilities:
Staves often provide high block chance or armor mods, making them an excellent defensive option for characters who need to balance offense and survivability.
Corruption Mods:
If you’re lucky enough to land a corrupted staff with beneficial implicit mods, it can significantly enhance your build’s performance. Corruption mods are rare but can offer game-changing benefits like +1 to all spell skill gems or trigger a socketed spell when you use a skill.
Popular Staff Builds in Path of Exile
Staves are incredibly versatile, and their applications vary widely depending on the build. Below are some of the most popular ways to utilize staves:
1. Spellcaster Builds
Elemental Casters: Staves with high spell damage and critical strike chance are ideal for elemental casters, such as fire, cold, or lightning-based builds.
Totem Builds: Staves with increased area of effect mods are perfect for totem builds, allowing you to maximize the coverage of your totems.
Minion Builds: Staves with +1 to all minion skill gems or minion damage mods can enhance the effectiveness of your summoned allies.
2. Melee Builds
Reave/Blade Flurry: Staves with high attack speed and physical damage mods are excellent for fast-paced melee builds.
Glacial Hammer: Staves with high critical strike chance and cold damage mods can synergize perfectly with this skill.
Static Strike: Staves with high attack speed and critical multiplier mods are ideal for this skill’s high damage output.
How to Upgrade and Modify Your Staff
Upgrading your staff is crucial to ensuring your build remains competitive, especially in the later stages of the game. Here are some tips for modifying your staff:
Crafting Mods:
Use exalted orbs or chaos orbs to craft desirable mods on your staff. For example, you can craft high spell damage or critical strike multiplier mods for caster builds.
Corruption:
If you’re feeling lucky, consider corrupting your staff using a vaal orb. While the outcomes are unpredictable, a well-rolled corruption can significantly enhance your staff’s performance.
Augmenting with Essences:
Essences are a great way to guarantee specific mods on your staff. For instance, the Essence of Woe can guarantee a high spell damage mod, while the Essence of Zeal can guarantee increased