[PvE] Dual Staff vs. Dual Sword

Hi! I am currently trying to figure out what build to play. Wanted to discuss with the community and see what you think. For me, the dual staff condi build seems superior to the power dual sword chrono. Even in fractals (with random pugs) I get to survive a lot longer and do better with it. The damage seems enough and the survivability is insane. But it seems that a lot of people are praising power dual sword chrono being so good that they could solo anything. Maybe I'm missing something. What are your thoughts?

The ‘dual sword chrono’ build you’re talking about ‘solos’ by being a whole lot more offensive than what your build/playstyle suggests(?). It runs full dps gear and so its best defence is just killing things before it gets killed. Compared to other similar builds (including those across other classes), the kit is fairly versatile, with in-built active defense, self-buffing (important), some range potential, strong kiting ability, etc. It may be that this playstyle is not what you’re used to, hence why you find it ineffective compared to staff for example.

Also for instanced PvE content (e.g. fracs) players will want you to deal as much dps as possible, and afaik ‘dual sword chrono’ > any staff mesmer variant. But if you’re still in t1/t2 where no one’s healing, then you may play whatever you need to survive (but possibly at the cost of how long the frac will run, one level should take no more than 20 mins).

Put together, ‘dual sword chrono’ is an appealing build simply because it allows you to use an approved build for instanced content as well as staying (mostly) effective in open world PvE at the same time.

When you say "condi," what kind of gear are you actually running? Dire? Carrion? Viper? Trailblazer?

The value of Power Chrono is that you have big damage and some generous evade/block access (losing Distortion after that "espec tradeoffs" patch does kinda suck, though), and you can also provide some team boons, strong CC, and free boon rips (situationally very useful since removing an enemy's Protection is a ~33% damage boost for your whole party) as well. And you can use a mix of Sword/Sword, Sword/Shield, Sword/Focus, or Greatsword depending on what you need to get through a particular fight given your specific party and personal skill level. (If you're pugging with people who take forever to kill stuff, try using the Focus pull to at least gather the trash mobs together so they can cleave them down faster.)

Staff is, afaik, significantly behind both Axe and Scepter in condition output, and only falls further behind if you're investing in your Power damage with (meta) Viper gear. You can survive a lot with Phase Retreat, but the same is true if you're using Blurred Frenzy or ranging things with your Greatsword.

Try condi scepter with torch and pistol. Full survavility with range and block.

Staff is horrible for PvE condi.Axe and Sceptre are both better than Staff, and Axe in particular is leagues ahead in what they can do, both in cleave and in burst.

@zomgbuffalo.5276 said:Hi! I am currently trying to figure out what build to play. Wanted to discuss with the community and see what you think. For me, the dual staff condi build seems superior to the power dual sword chrono. Even in fractals (with random pugs) I get to survive a lot longer and do better with it. The damage seems enough and the survivability is insane. But it seems that a lot of people are praising power dual sword chrono being so good that they could solo anything. Maybe I'm missing something. What are your thoughts?

Maybe in t1. You do negative dmg and that matters in higher tiers unless you expect the other dps players to carry you. just get arc and watch your own contribution.

@Yasai.3549 said:Staff is horrible for PvE condi.lol....just lol

@mindcircus.1506 said:

@"Yasai.3549" said:Staff is horrible for PvE condi.lol....just lol

but... it is? it takes twice or thrice as long to kill normal mobs and veterans then on axe.go to new zone and escort dolyak with axe and then with staff, you will quickly realize what we meanthe only thing staff does "good" in pve is champs by running like a bish and spamming ambushes behind, but honestly if you know what you are doing you can do the same with with axe by actually dodging attacks while retaining MUCH more dps.staff is lazy weapons to do champions while half asleep

@mindcircus.1506 said:

@Yasai.3549 said:Staff is horrible for PvE condi.lol....just lol

It might surprise you but super tanky builds with self buffing capabilities like trailblazer staff mirage may shine in open world. But thats mostly due to good selfbuffing and good range. Both are not needed in fractals and power illusion chrono has better selfbuffing and way better damage.I just tested it. The SOLO power chrono can reach 25k+ dps in a 50sec fight. Solobuffs only.Not everything is a pof bounty and needs tons of sustain. Especially not fractal content.Staff on its own is not that good as the axe condi build. Its just the range and selfbuffs that make it good in open world. dont bring such builds into group content.

@mindcircus.1506 said:

@Yasai.3549 said:Staff is horrible for PvE condi.lol....just lol

For solo OW, it is a good weapon. It does okay damage, however, offers massive sustainability. But axe is usually your best option. I would never use staff in instanced PvE.

Like 90% of solo OW is making trash mobs explode immediately so you can harvest some winterberries, or killing bosses that have a very reasonable amount of hp and a very reasonable CC bar for a hero point and some map completion. With HoT champs as basically the only exception.

The beefiest OW condi builds also have amazing pulls (Call to Anguish on Rev, and the Tome and Axe pulls on Firebrand) so at least you can put all the trash mobs in one spot, bomb them, and then let them all tick to death quickly together in less than the time it takes a Power build without a really good AOE pull to cycle through several separated enemies.

@Yasai.3549 said:Staff is horrible for PvE condi.Axe and Sceptre are both better than Staff, and Axe in particular is leagues ahead in what they can do, both in cleave and in burst.

I am sorry what? Unless you speak strictly for organized fractal runs this is simply not true.