Staff / Dagger PvP Build Guide
Last Updated:March 8, 2025|Changelog
Welcome to the Spellblade Staff / Dagger PvP Build Guide. Staff users are the kings of AoE. Judgment Lightning and Chain Lightning quickly cause massive AoE damage with the correct Skill Specializations. Dagger's skills complement Staff's kit while providing flat offensive stat boosts like Wrathful Edge.
You aren't just a glass cannon, though, as you have fantastic defensive options. Camouflage Cloak provides an incredible escape tool and can be used offensively for the guaranteed Crit. Shadow Walker and High Focus with the Victorious Energy Specialization offers an incredible boost to your Evasion as well.
If you choose to do so you may also consider going Endurance as the Umbral Toughness mastery allows Shadow Walker to boost your Endurance now as well.
If you're interested in PvE, check out our Staff / Dagger PvE Build Guide!
PvP Gear Progression
Acquiring Gear pieces and upgrading them is incredibly expensive and time-consuming. If you enjoy both PvE and PvP content, use these sets for PvE as well.
If you're interested in PvE Gear Progression, check out our Staff / Dagger PvE Build Guide here!
- Critical Damage Reduction, Attack Speed or Shield Block Chance Penetration
- Critical Damage Reduction counters the Critical Damage Increase from Death Set and other sources.
- Shield Block Chance Penetration counters Sword and Shield Block Chance.
- Attack Speed is self-explanatory.
Going Shield Block Chance Penetration is best if you want more overall damage to tanks. Use the Attack Speed Rune Synergy if you want more overall damage to everyone. Critical Damage Reduction reduces the damage taken when an enemy Crits. This is great for defense. You can go for any Rune Synergy that best fits your situation. EVERY SERVER META IS DIFFERENT.
- STR, PER, DEX, or WIS
- + PER should also help you hit 70 Perception if you desire. You also have the option of using Ancient Saurodoma Bracers.
- + DEX is purely an offensive Rune Synergy effect.
- + STR is helpful to hit 50 Strength or 60 Strength if needed.
Usually, players take runes depending on the stat they need to hit the necessary breakpoints.
Consider the defensive and offensive breakpoints other classes can reach when building your gear.
- Melee
- Fully built Sword and Shield users reach 2000+ base Ranged and Magic Endurance.
- The amount varies depending on Trait Resonances and Runes.
- With the Palace Guard's Plate Armor item set, they will take even less damage. If you are targeting Sword and Shields, use the Shield Block Penetration Chance Rune Synergy.
- Greatswords can reach 2500+ base Melee Hit Chance fully geared without sacrificing damage.
- Spears can reach 2000+ base Melee Hit Chance before buffs.
- Fully built Sword and Shield users reach 2000+ base Ranged and Magic Endurance.
- Ranged
- Bow / Daggers and Staff / Daggers can reach 2000+ base Ranged and Magic Evasion pre-buffed without sacrificing damage. The specific numbers depend on the Runes the player slots and the Trait Resonance they use.
- Support
- If Bow / Wands follow the builds on this site, they can reach 2000+ Ranged and Magic Endurance with 500+ Heavy Attack Evasion. As mentioned above, these numbers differ depending on the Runes and Trait Resonance.
Considering the above, it's hard to find a one-size-fits-all solution. How you gear will entirely depend on the meta of your server.
- Is your server full of high Evasion users? Do you usually target those players? If so, build more Hit Chance.
- You might also need to spec Icebound Tomb for Evasion shred.
- Is your server more Endurance-focused? Are you trying to kill those Endurance users? If so, build more Critical Hit Chance. Sniper's Sense will help against opponents Endurance as well.
- At some point, it might be wise to go 4-Piece Vanguard Leader Set if you notice you never Crit.
Active Skill Choices
- Hateful Demonic Beast: Solar Stone is used for countering high Evasion users.
- Use Chaotic Weapon of Murder: Solar Stone instead if you need more Critical Hit Chance.
Passive Skill Choices
- Greedy Mind's Eye: Lunar Stone is in my opinion the best Artifact Passive. Increasing your Skill Damage Resistance by up to 210 when you're CC'd is invaluable.
- Hateful Demonic Beast: Lunar Stone is an alternative.
Artifact Set Choices
- The 2-Piece Greedy Mind's Eye is used only for the extra Endurance. There is no point in going higher than that.
- The 2-Piece Hateful Demonic Beast offers more Hit Chance. This is mainly used when fighting Evasion users.
- You can use up to 2 or 4 Pieces from the Murderous Chaos set. You can drop Hateful Demonic Beast for the 4-Piece.
- The 2-Piece Ancient King's Armor is an uncommon option if you genuinely need the extra health.
- With the advent of new masteries and T2 gear, Endurance is a viable build allowing you to negate most Ranged and Magic Critical Hits and even Melee Critical Hits if you build for it.
- The Shadow Armor mastery allows Shadow Walker to give you 690 extra Ranged and Magic Endurance instead.
- Evasion remains a tremendous defensive tool, albeit more prone to RNG.
Important
- All pre-Talandre builds will be revamped once it releases. They will use T2 Blue gear instead.
- The ideal build to choose is heavily dependent on your server meta.
- Talandre Gear offers many different gear pieces from which you can choose.
- Use these builds as a base and swap different pieces depending on your need.
- AGS GLOBAL LOOT TABLES HAVE CHANGED. BUILDS ARE PENDING TO BE CHANGED.
- Ebon Soulwind Archstaff is a great alternative to use in specific GvG maps (Sandworm Lair) and parts of Castle Siege to mass Bind and lock down small chokes. It's used in conjunction with Apply Designated Ground Targeting Specialization on Frost Smokescreen.
T2 End Game
Triple Evasion
Triple Evasion
T2 End Game
4-Pc Transcendent
4-Pc Transcendent
T2 End Game
2-Pc Spectral
2-Pc Spectral
T2 End Game
Triple Endurance
Triple Endurance
T1 End Game
Archived Builds
Archived Builds
T2 End Game
Nebula Build (planned)
Nebula Build (planned)
T2 End Game
Archboss Build (planned)
Archboss Build (planned)
Melee Evasion Focus Staff / Dagger PvP Build
2-Pc Nether Evasion Staff / Dagger PvP Build
Stats and Gearing Logic
- These builds have a priority focus on countering Melee users.
- With the Forgotten Assassin Setand Victorious Energy, you can reach as high as 4000+ Melee Evasion.
- This is enough to achieve a 50%+ Evasion rate against the average Greatsword.
- These builds give you a decent amount of Ranged and Magic Evasion as well, but only if you have Victorious Energy and Shadow Walker all active.
- With all buffs, including the 2-Piece Forgotten Assassin Set, you reach 2600+ Ranged and Magic Evasion.
- The 2-Pc Spectral Overseer Set build will give you more overall damage at the cost of Melee Evasion. You will still reach decent levels to counter the average Spear player, but not against a geared Greatsword player.
- Accessories have the Max Mana trait to gain more Max Damage from Judge.
- Your Mana Regen is supplemented with Mana Spring.
- Feel free to slot in any Hit Chance or Skill Damage Resistance Runes based on your needs.
- Swap pieces in and out to match the server meta you are playing against.
Gear Alternatives
The great thing about Tier 2 gear is that you can swap many pieces depending on your wants.
- More DPS
- Elder's Punishment Cloth Gloves
- Bloody Shadow Contract's Gloves
- Ring of Eternal Flames
- Ancient's Blood Ring
- More Ranged and Magic Evasion
- Pitch-black Destruction Necklace
- Forest Ruler's Bracelet
Gear Sources
- Coming soon. Mouse over the items to see the item drop location.
Evasion Staff / Dagger PvP Build
Endurance Staff / Dagger PvP Build
No Field Boss Staff / Dagger PvP Build
- All items here can be acquired without Field Bosses or Material Transmutation.
High Hit Chance Staff / Dagger PvP Build
- All items here can be acquired without Field Bosses or Material Transmutation.
Stats and Gearing Logic
- You need to be able to counter high Endurance users with high Critical Hit Chance. With this set, you reach up into the 1900s.
- Bercant's Seductive Blade will also help reduce Endurance.
- You counter the average Longbow / Dagger and Staff / Dagger Hit Chance, reaching as high as 3000+ Ranged Evasion and Magic Evasion with Victorious Energy and Shadow Walker.
- Remember that a difference of 1000 lets you evade 50% of all attacks.
- There is one low point of this build, and it's that the Hit Chance is low.
- Consider replacing the Evasion cloak with Challenging Champion's Cloak.
- You can replace all your Skill Damage Resistance runes on your belt with Hit Chance runes.
- Check the high Hit Chance build for more Hit.
- The Endurance build aims to take advantage of the Shadow Armor mastery, which changes Shadow Walker to give you 690 Endurance instead. This way, you reach 2100+ Ranged and Magic Endurance.
- Feel free to slot in any Hit Chance or Skill Damage Resistance Runes based on your needs.
- Accessories have the Max Mana trait to gain more Max Damage from Judge.
- Your Mana Regen is supplemented with Mana Spring.
- Swap pieces in and out to match the server meta you are playing against.
Gear Alternatives
- More DPS
- Bloody Shadow Contract's Gloves
- Ring of Eternal Flames
- Ancient's Blood Ring
- Hit Chance
- Big Leaf Tree's Ring
- Pure Light Elemental Spirit Ring
- Challenging Champion's Cloak
- Range
- Spineflower Royal Guards Cloak
- More Ranged and Magic Evasion
- Pitch-black Destruction Necklace
- Forest Ruler's Bracelet
- Archboss Items
- Stone Cold Heart Cloak
- Fell Tree Belt
- Ice Queen's Bracelet
Gear Sources
- Coming soon. Mouse over the items to see the item drop location.
Evasion Staff / Dagger PvP Build
Endurance Staff / Dagger PvP Build
Gearing Logic
- These builds have almost the same logic as the 4-Pc Transcendent builds.
- The Evasion build aims to reach 3000+ Ranged Evasion and Magic Evasion with the 2-Pc Forgotten Assassin Set and Shadow Walker. This allows you to still use a 2-Pc Spectral Overseer Set for more Critical Hit Damage.
- The Endurance build aims to reach 2500+ Ranged and Magic Endurance with 2-Pc Vanguard Leader Set and Shadow Walker.
- 2-Pc Vanguard grants you an additional 45 Endurance per 10 Perception.
- Shadow Armor mastery changes Shadow Walker to give you 690 Endurance instead.
- Feel free to slot in any Hit Chance or Skill Damage Resistance Runes based on your needs.
- Accessories have the Max Mana trait to gain more Max Damage from Judge.
- Your Mana Regen is supplemented with Mana Spring.
- Swap pieces in and out to match the server meta you are playing against.
Transcendent vs Nether
- The 4-Pc Wing Gale Set gives you unconditional 40% Critical Hit Damage at 25-meter range, whereas the 2-Pc Spectral Overseer Set maxes out at 25% Critical Hit Damage. But the Spectral Overseer Set effect is conditional upon no enemies standing within 5 meters of you.
- In Castle Siege, it can be extremely easy to avoid having an enemy within 5 meters. But it takes good positional awareness not to have an enemy within a 5-meter range of yourself in other forms of PvP.
- Many players prefer 2-Pc Spectral Overseer Set when they can play safely from Range and because they can equip other 2-Pc set effects.
Gear Alternatives
- Read the section in the 4-Pc Transcendent tab.
Gear Sources
- Coming soon. Mouse over the items to see the item drop location.
Triple Endurance Longbow / Staff PvP Build
Stats and Gearing Logic
- This build assumes that your opponents have such high Endurance that you will not Crit often AND you face no Evasion users.
- If you don't Crit, there is no point in using the 4-Piece Wing Gale Set or the 2-Piece Spectral Overseer Set.
- Instead, you aim to Heavy Attack as much as possible.
- With 50 Fortitude, Shadow Armor mastery and Distorted Sanctuary, you reach 2400+ Melee, Ranged Endurance, and 2000+ Magic Endurance.
- No one will be able to Crit against you without first buffing themselves or debuffing you.
- With Blessed Barrier, you will have even more Endurance.
- Depending on your Trait Resonance and Rune choices, these values can be higher or lower. Constantly adjust these based on your server.
- With the 4-Piece Vanguard Leader Set item set effect, you gain 30 Base Damage.
- Accessories have the Max Mana trait to gain more Max Damage from Judge.
- Your Mana Regen is supplemented with Mana Spring.
- Swap pieces in and out to match the server meta you are playing against.
Gear Sources
- Coming soon. Mouse over the items to see the item drop location.
V1 Staff / Dagger PvP Build
V2 Staff / Dagger PvP Build
Arena Staff / Dagger PvP Build
T1 End Game
Toublek/Talus
Toublek/Talus
T1 End Game
Melee Eva
Melee Eva
Budget Staff / Dagger PvP Build
- Ancient Saurodoma Bracers is a good replacement if you want more Ranged Evasion.
70 DEX Staff / Dagger PvP Build w/ Runes
- This build goes all in to reach 70 DEX.
- You may go +3 DEX Attack Speed for your weapon Rune Synergies for more damage and swap out the Ancient Saurodoma Bracers for Bracers of the Primal King.
Full Offensive w/ 40% CDR, Atk Speed, Range
Toublek Staff / Dagger PvP Build
Defensive w/ High Evasion
Talus Staff / Dagger PvP Build
Alt: Toublek's Shattering Quarterstaff
Rune Synergy Options
- Critical Hit Damage Reduction for more defense.
- Shield Block Penetration Chance for more damage against Sword and Shield heavy comps.
- Attack Speed for more overall damage.
Budget Offensive or Defensive Builds
Without saying, your Budget build should be cheaper to trait but lacks Band of Universal Power.
The full offensive build uses a 4-Pc Shadow Harvester setup for max Base Damage, Cooldown Speed, Range, and Heavy Attack Chance.
- The 40% CDR should help immensely in prolonged engagements. Watch your Mana though.
- Swirling Essence Robe is just for more damage.
- You can swap the chest piece with Phantom Wolf Tunic for more base Evasion.
- Heroic Tunic of the Resistance is also an option if your want more Hit Chance.
The full defensive build offers much higher Evasion, reaching 2600+ Ranged and Magic Evasion with Victorious Energy, [tal-weapon-mastery-node id=941465334]Master of Evasion[/tal-weapon-mastery-node], and Shadow Walker.
- If you want to have even higher base Evasion, you can go the 70 Evasion build above, hidden in the dropdown.
Defensive and Support Runes
Defensive Runes are interchangeable depending on what you need and what your server meta is like.
- Use Ranged Evasion Runes if your server is heavy on Longbow users.
- Use Magic Evasion Runes if your server is heavy on Staff users.
- Use Max Health if your server is mostly Melee.
When you get a Rare Chaos Rune: Ring with a good stat, replace the Support Rune in your Rings.
PvP Stats and Traits
- Hit Chance, Critical Hit Chance, Heavy Attack Chance, Skill Damage Resistance, Skill Damage Boost, and Evasion are your most important traits.
- If you decide you don't need the Mana Regen trait, use Max Mana instead for Redemptive Barrier for a larger shield.
- Your accessories have the option of using either Collision Resistance or Debuff Duration. It depends on whether you get hit by Collision skills or more debuffs.
- 50%+ Buff Duration allows Victorious Energy to last ~6+ seconds longer to around 18 seconds. Shadow Walker also lasts longer.
- Victorious Energy, [tal-weapon-mastery-node id=941465334]Master of Evasion[/tal-weapon-mastery-node], and Shadow Walker lets your Ranged and Magic Evasion reach over 2000.
- This lets you evade over 50% of Ranged and Magic skills versus someone with 1000 Hit Chance.
- Unbuffed, you reach ~1000 Hit Chance with full purple gear.
- With Victorious Energy you hit 1400+ Hit Chance.
Co-Op Dungeon Sources
- Beast King's Gilded Bracers from Cave of Destruction
- Ancient Saurodoma Bracers from Tyrant's Isle
- Phantom Wolf Tunic from Island of Terror and Tyrant's Isle
- Band of the Chosen One from Island of Terror
- Swirling Essence Robe from Island of Terror
- Phantom Wolf Gloves from Voidwastes
- Also from Demonhoof Tracker in Syleus's Abyss 5F-6F
- Shadow Harvester Boots from Carmine Rage Island
- Also from Avolos Tracker in Sanctum of Desire
- Slayer's Quicksilver Pendant from Valley of Slaughter
- Reaper's Interring Pants from Torture Chamber of Secrets
Field Boss Drops
- Talus's Crystalline Staff from Talus
- Reaper's Interring Pants from Junobote
- Tycan's Bloodlust Belt from Aridus or Material Transmutation
Open World Sources
- Necklace of Cold Strength
- Arena Merchant for 9 Arena Coin
- Skillful Oppress Bracelet
- Arena Merchant for 9 Arena Coin
- Special Resistance Hawk Hood
- Black Boar in Purelight Hill
- Crown Blessed by Moonlight
- Precious Blessing Pouch
- Craft Recipe: Precious Lithograph: Heroic Hood of the Resistance.
- Phantom Wolf Gloves from Demonhoof Tracker in Syleus's Abyss 5F-6F
- Shadow Harvester Boots from Avolos Tracker in Sanctum of Desire
Budget Staff / Dagger PvP Build w/ Runes
Expensive Staff / Dagger PvP Build w/ Runes
- This build is mainly for Arena PvP and Small Scale PvP where Melee users dominate.
- With [tal-weapon-mastery-node id=941465334]Master of Evasion[/tal-weapon-mastery-node] and Victorious Energy, you reach over 2000 Melee Evasion.
- Victorious Energy, [tal-weapon-mastery-node id=941465334]Master of Evasion[/tal-weapon-mastery-node], and Shadow Walker lets your Ranged Evasion reach over 2000 as well.
Defensive and Support Runes
Most defensive runes here have Melee Evasion slotted. Feel free to use Ranged Evasion Runes if you feel you need more.
When you get a Rare Chaos Rune: Ring with a good stat, replace the Support Rune in your Rings.
Budget Gear Sources
- Visor of the Infernal Herald from Death's Abyss
- Ancient Saurodoma Bracers from Tyrant's Isle
- Ebon Roar Sabatons from Tyrant's Isle
- Collar of Decimation
- Marienne's Necklace Collection Lithograph Book
- Kowazan
- Lycan Kowazan
- Duskblood Gloves from Reptilian Lancer
- Resolute Crusader Greaves from Avolos Guardian
- Belt of Combat Prowess from Shade Wizard in Temple of Sylaveth
Expensive Gear Sources
- Talus's Resonance Staff from Talus
- Helm of the Field General from Chernobog and Valley of Slaughter
- Gauntlets of the Field General from Aridus and Voidwastes
- Shock Commander Plate Armor from Precious Epic Equipment Selection Chest: Abyss and Island of Terror
- Forbidden Sacred Chain from Carmine Rage Island
Skill Builds and Rotations
Large Scale PvP
Small Scale
Arena PvP
Arena PvP
- The skill builds below can be used with Evasion or Endurance masteries. For example:
- Skill Build 1 with Evasion Masteries
- Skill Build 1 with Endurance Masteries
- Skill Build 2 with Evasion Masteries
- Skill Build 2 with Endurance Masteries
Skill Build 1 with Evasion Masteries
Skill Build 2 with Endurance Masteries
- Always keep up Shadow Walker to either boost your Evasion or Endurance with the Shadow Armor Mastery.
- Lightning Infusion's Endurance shred effect is boosted by Extreme Bloodlust.
- Master of Assassination is a great tool to reset two key skills. Phantom Smokescreen evades procs Assassination Stance, which with the mastery will have the possibility of lowering the cooldown of Phantom Smokescreen.
- Hermit is a standard node to acquire for its defensive utility.
- Burning Smokescreen can be useful without Queen Bellandir's Hivemind Staff due to several reasons.
- Burning Smokescreen will apply both Lightning Infusion and Bercant's Seductive Blade Endurance shred.
- Extreme Bloodlust boosts Lightning Infusion Endurance shred.
- Flame Detonation allows a single kill from teammates to cascade into further kills.
Priority Buff
- Victorious Energy is necessary during engages for the extra Hit Chance and Evasion.
- Always use mobility skills like Block Blade Roll or Frost Smokescreen to proc Shadow Walker.
- You always want to upkeep high Ranged and Magic Evasion to reduce the chances of getting caught.
Melee Combo
This combo easily shuts down healers or staffs if you land the Silence on them.
- Lightning Infusion
- Shadow Strike
- 2nd cast of Lightning Infusion
- Mad Sword Dance x2
- Thunderclouds Bombing
Defensive Tools
- Frost Smokescreen is a good alternative to use to reposition yourself.
- Use Camouflage Cloak at your discretion. Only you can determine when to use it offensively or defensively.
- If you find yourself caught or in a bad position, using Phantom Smokescreen can help give you time to find a way out.
- This can give you time for your teammates to notice or for your Camouflage Cloak to come back up.
- The 1st Specialization, Improved Smokescreen, will allow you to ignore some Melee projectiles like Chain Hook. The tooltip does not reflect this.
- Evading attacks here also procs Assassination Stance.
Evasion Build
Endurance Build
- Frost Master is taken for Master of Thunder to setup Judgment Lightning and Chain Lightning.
- Burning Explosion is taken just to be taken as a Passive. Yes, it can be used as a followup to Focused Fire Bombs, but by no means is it going to be a regular combo you use. Ice Spear Bombardment will still mainly be used as a Bind.
- Time of Doom boosts your already high damage from Thundering Bomb.
Priority Buff
- Victorious Energy is necessary during engages for the extra Hit Chance and Evasion.
- Always use mobility skills like Block Blade Roll or Shadow Strike to proc Shadow Walker.
- You always want to keep high Ranged and Magic Evasion to reduce the chances of getting caught or high Endurance to reduce your chances of exploding.
Melee Combo
This combo easily shuts down healers if you land the Silence on them.
- Lightning Infusion
- Shadow Strike
- 2nd cast of Lightning Infusion
- Mad Sword Dance x2
- Thunderclouds Bombing
Lightning Combo
This combo leads with a Frost skill to activate Master of Thunder.
- Ice Spear Bombardment
- Chain Lightning
- Judgment Lightning
Other Skills
- Use Focused Fire Bombs to reduce Healing on a target.
- Phantom Smokescreen is your get out of jail free card. If you're being focused down by Ranged and Magic users, cast it to gain a brief window of time to recover and analyze your situation.
- Use Icebound Tomb to remove essential targets from the fight.
Skill Prioritization
Active Priority
Passive Priority
Guardians
Guardians are special transformations that add offensive or defensive buffs or attacks to your character for 30 seconds. These are the recommended Guardians for this class in PvE and PvP situations.
- Lady Knight Kamarshea is your best Guardian for PvP due to its defensive shield.
Summary
- Combining Staff skills with Dagger skills like Camouflage Cloak and Wrathful Edge makes you an effective nuker.
- There is an emphasis on a backline playstyle in Large Scale PvP versus an assassin playstyle in Small Scale PvP.
- Constant use of Shadow Walker by using Block Blade roll is crucial to staying alive in any form of PvP.
- The ideal stat breakpoint you should achieve is 60 Perception and 50 Strength.
Credits
Written by Yaen
Reviewed by Tenkiei and Nymphellas