Friar weapon question - Phoenix Freeshard

There are many weapon to use with friar but I would like to reduce the choose to 3 only... So what staff do you use and vs what target?

3.0 LT
5.5 LT
5.0 with heal proc
3.0 Dot
3.5 Dot from sidi
3.3 haste proc
5.6 ablative proc

I usually use fast weapon vs shield tank, and slow weapon versus assassin... but some time I switch to fast LT versus assassin too... and do you think the haste proc from dragon is necessary or we can drop it for a 3.0 that cap the swing speed with haste potion? What your opinion please? Thank you for your help to clear my indecision

Fri 23 Apr 2021 4:26 PM by Exploder

I'm not the most experienced friar on this server by any means, but I personally always favored slower staves. I would use the 5.6 ablative staff with a 5.7(?) crafted dot proc staff as a backup. If you want to include another staff, you could use the heal proc staff situationally against classes that don't use disease. It's also worth noting that slower staves synergize much better with a Friar's kit (alacrity obviously benefits slower weapons more as does reflex attack).

In regards to procs, lifetap proc just feels like it has very little impact on a fight so I will always pass on it in favor of a DoT proc. Haste proc is only a 6% haste in reality so it also doesn't have a large enough impact on a fight to be useful IMO. I know some people on these forums would argue otherwise.

Ultimately, you should just do whatever fits your playstyle. I could understand using a quicker staff against shield tanks, but you definitely give up a considerable amount of damage using a near cap speed staff.

Sat 24 Apr 2021 12:07 PM by Hangel

Thank for your info... I hope other friar share their point of view too

Sun 25 Apr 2021 12:42 PM by gromet12

3.0 DOT to open on everything

3.0LT after proc on DWer and maybe a shield user (don’t stand in front trying to bash them imo)

5.0 with heal proc on rest

The only reason to use 3.0’s as melee ithet than a quick snare is how reflex attack works here with the speed of your weapon vs targets weapon determines the proc chance

Sun 25 Apr 2021 1:52 PM by Blitze

Reflex (RA) is tuned here so it doesn’t really matter the speed of staff as they both give same DPS...
E.g. faster staff procs RA more often but hits weaker
Slow staff Procs RA less often but hits harder.

I don’t bother with DoT proc staves. But If u want a DoT use the DoT charge on ur gloves, which is good for assassins cos disease halves Heart of Legion heal!

Slow staffs are your bread n butter due to best DPS (With self haste) and best spike damage.

Slow staffs options:

-5.0spd heal Proc (18%chance) staff is decent

-5,6spd brazen stout defender ablative proc (18%chance) is best staff against assassins (and they are the most common solo class)

-5.5 spd crafted with LT(15%chance)

All work fine.

Fast staff

My advice is unless ur super rich just craft a 3.0 or 3.3spd staff with same stats as the slow staff You’ve chosen and add a LT proc.

Fast staffs are great In some niche situations:
1.against pbt
2.when trying to get positional snares off ASAP (Peeling in grps)
3. If ur impatient and need to get counter evade snare or friars ally 3s stun reactives off so you can open up distance to heal... only works 1v1 Vs warr/hero/bm/zerk/svg/. However, u can usually do this with ur slow staff if ur patient enough.

Sun 25 Apr 2021 2:39 PM by Hangel

Thanks all for your opinion it will help me on the choose of right weapon

Tue 27 Apr 2021 10:29 PM by soremir

Yup,

My got to is always 5.6 Ablative Sidi against opponents with disease
5.0 Heal Sidi against opponents without disease (archers e.g.)

A faster staff for groups and BGs. Saw Polemo using Destiny's Bubble Breaker (Sidi Dot - 3.5 a lot). Have used the celerity 3.3 staff to reapply haste sometimes, but 30 seconds is already plenty of time, so definitely not critical imo. (Except if DoTs break snares on Phoenix - I don't remember - I use a 4.2 LT staff for this so I have not run up against this).

Also keep a faster staff around if you think they might be getting ready to run and/or kite, so you hit the positionals to keep them snared to you. I use a 3.0 LT staff for this.

Good luck!

Wed 28 Apr 2021 7:54 AM by Hangel

I was trying the 5.6 too, with the 3.5 dot and a 3.0 LT atm... if not work I will try a 3.0 dot with 5.6 ablative and 5.0 heal...

Wed 28 Apr 2021 3:25 PM by Blitze

If you have 40 to 120k feathers going spare and double the amount needed for RoGs to make a weaponless template...
Then use all the weapons In their best situations...

e.g.
5.6spd ablative staff Vs sneaks
5.5spd (LT or DD) when u need DPS
5.0spd heal for long fights without disease.
3.0spd LT for quick peeling in grps
3.5 DoT staff for long solo fights where u won’t need CC, ie to proc the DoT prior to swapping to a slow stick & using selfhaste. And u don’t want to DoT charge on gloves.
3.3spd celerity if ur Selfhaste is down and u don’t have a spare 14% pot ready.

However, all this only really gives you marginal gains which unless you are very skilled at identifying targets and swapping weapons mid fight, you probably won’t notice!

If you aren’t plat & feather rich just pick a slow staff (id recommend the ablative one as it’s best against assas, which are very common) then SC a fast staff with LT proc with the same stats for peeling!

Wed 28 Apr 2021 11:23 PM by soremir

Yeah Blitze is right. If I could keep only one nice staff as a friar, keep the 5.6 ablative sidi staff. Fight a tank with the 5.6 ablative staff, you're fine. Fight an assassin with the 5.0 heal proc staff, its tough.

Then pick up or craft a cheap 99% qual 3.0 staff for snares and BGs, and you should have a perfectly solid starter set.

Thu 29 Apr 2021 7:32 AM by Hangel

I play solo friar or small at max, I made a weaponless template with melee and heal bonus capped anyway. My haste is always up (from potion).
Now I was try the 5.6 opening with the 3.5 dot, and I have the 3.0 LT as backup if need a faster hit while self haste is down.
I wanna use only 3 weapon if possible to switch in inc... so now I will try 5.6 3.5 dot and 3.0 LT and for the next I can try 5.6 + 5.0 heal proc and 3.0 dot crafted

Thank you for your help