So in my first playthrough I'm playing a destruction mage, I've never used any kind of weapon (except for when a quest forced me to) and I was wondering if the mages among you find staffs useful?

Do you mix staffs and spells or do you just use your hands/spells?

whats the point of staffs?

No, staffs are pretty useless to me.  I usually carry one around with me, but I only use it if I'm waiting for my magicka to recharge.  Even then I'm more likely to use my Highborn power (faster magicka regen for 60 seconds), my magicka-absorbing sword, or the Ice Form shout to buy me some time.

I occasionally use Staff Of Magus to drain magicka from enemies who cast a shitload of wards and refuse to die.

@Liber: Yeah, it seems to me like that's the only staff worth using. I also don't get many staffs either... most of them are stolen. (Hm when I think about it, it feels like I'm not getting any loot that I can wear at all, which is a bit odd)

They're magicka free spells. They have their place.

They're like scrolls-on-sticks. Who wouldn't use 'em? That said, it really doesn't fit well with my Battlemage. I like to bash shit with a mace and shoot fireballs from my hands at the same time. Tell you what: if you can grow me a third in-game hand, I'll gladly use a staff.

No, not at all. The few I've come across have sounded alright but they have all been weaker than the spells I was already using. Since I'm combining a one-handed light armored warrior with a mage, I don't really spend much time worrying about not having a defense, so "using one when my magic is up" isn't something I do. It's also kind of cumbersome to switch from sword + spell to sword + staff mid-battle, though I guess I can't use that as a complaint; I keep potions stocked and often use them to get myself back up to speed, mid-battle.

I suppose if you were going for a pure mage and didn't want skill point growth in one or two-handed weapons or archery you might use a staff as your magicka-low holdout piece.

Wabbajack and Sanguine Rose are the two I use.

I use some of them in certain situations like using the staff that gives you control of enemy undead is pretty neat in some tombs. However most of the time, I prefer to just throw 2handed inferno fireballs at people's faces.

I use them sometimes but very rarely. For the most part my spells do the job just fine.

Staves

I use the Staff of Fireballs when situations get hairy. That one's a lifesaver.

Why use a Staff when it has no skill associated with it? It just feels like a waste when I could be using a better weapon or spell that needs to grow stronger and probably is stronger. By the time you start finding good staves you've already gotten your main skills so high that a staff be pretty under powered. The only time i ever use a staff is when i'm on my way to selling it, but I just feel like using it a bit because it looks kinda cool.

Sanguine Rose. Such a lovely staff.

Any staff that summons a Daedra I use at times when I am greatly outnumbered. Also really nice to summon a fire/frost atronach when fighting Dragons of the same element :)

So can you refill staffs?

I too find them useless, just use magic.

I keep the Sanguine Rose and Wabbajack with me at all times. The former is tremendously useful for crown-control, the latter for when I need a laugh.

The plural of staff is staves.

I use staffs all the time so I can conserve magic for health and buffs. I run around with a staff in my left and a bound sword in my right. Recharging staffs yes ...you need soul gems and souls to fill them. Basically I suck souls and spit hot fire.

I am not a magic person at all, I never use any kind of magic aside from restoration. So I find that having a staff is pretty useful especially in bad situations.

Staff of Paralyzation worth 3999 or something saved me dozens of times. You paralyze the target for ten seconds by shooting out some green stuff. I looted it pretty early on and used it up to yesterday at level 38 when I could cast destruction for free. I've paralyzed and soul trapped bosses with that thing. Giants...you name it.

I'm playing a mage and I've yet to use a staff. If I run out of Mana I just use a shout, a blade, or pop a potion.

@mosdl said:

So can you refill staffs?

I haven't tried it, but I assume you recharge it the same way you recharge any other enchanted weapon. ie, with a soul gem.

According to Merriam-Webster "staffs" is a perfectly acceptable plural form of staff.

Also I never use staffs. Duel wielding destruction magic works well enough for me.

the jabbajock i think its called is kinda cool having a random effect happen to a enemy when it connects

@heavyplay said:

@mosdl said:

So can you refill staffs?

I haven't tried it, but I assume you recharge it the same way you recharge any other enchanted weapon. ie, with a soul gem.

This is correct. You do it in the weapons menu when you have it highlighted.

Though conceptually a staff in one hand and a sword in the other is Gandalf-style awesomeness, it's too limiting as a pure mage. Particularly when you can dual cast and have the Impact perk which helps with crowd control.

Wabbajack is my go-to weapon when I'm feeling a bit... on edge.

@Ravenlight said:

The plural of staff is staves.

Yes, but you can use staffs and staves, both versions are correct.

@whistlebottom said:

@heavyplay said:

@mosdl said:

So can you refill staffs?

I haven't tried it, but I assume you recharge it the same way you recharge any other enchanted weapon. ie, with a soul gem.

This is correct. You do it in the weapons menu when you have it highlighted.

Yeah, that's probably the biggest problem I have with the combat using weapons, the way you have to recharge them. But I guess when you get used to it it's not that annoying anymore!? Well, I'll find out in my 2nd playthrough after I've finished the first (in a few months lol).

@project343 said:

They're like scrolls-on-sticks. Who wouldn't use 'em? That said, it really doesn't fit well with my Battlemage. I like to bash shit with a mace and shoot fireballs from my hands at the same time. Tell you what: if you can grow me a third in-game hand, I'll gladly use a staff.

I've heard alot about "third in-game hands" if you know what I mean.

Wabbajack. Always Wabbajack. In Oblivion? Wabbajack, and so too is it here.

Staff of Magnus can be useful against other spell casters, I've been able to completely stop their casting while roasting them with the other hand.

I use a staff that I got off a dragon priest occasionally when things get hairy. Can't remember the name but basically puts lightning on the ground and does 50 damage per second to that spot, so just kite enemies through it.

EDIT: Hevnoraak's staff.

The Staff of Magnus is pretty rad. takes away damage and magicka!
@mosdl: 
yes, any weapon that has a macgical property can be refilled with soul gems.

I haven't used much staffs, if I find them I use it until it's dead and then get rid of it if I don't have a soul gem filled.

Eh, I'd rather use my hands to shoot fire till the person is burned to a crisp.

all the time.

magnus/ sanguine rose the most

@whistlebottom said:

Though conceptually a staff in one hand and a sword in the other is Gandalf-style awesomeness, it's too limiting as a pure mage. Particularly when you can dual cast and have the Impact perk which helps with crowd control.

The main benefit is conserving magicka, so I was thinking staffs are usefull when you are low on magicka, out of potions and have plenty of enemies left. I really need to get that Impact perk.