For the first time since Demon’s Souls, magic is a viable option, capable of taking down every threat Elden Ring throws a player’s way. Magic in Elden Ring comes in two schools: Sorceries and Incantations. Both can grant the player the power to defeat even the toughest bosses in a matter of seconds, if they know which ones to pick. But if you want the most bang for your buck, there’s nothing better than a good Sorcery. And the best Sorceries need the best staffs.
Sorceries require but two things: a high Intelligence stat and a good staff. Staffs are more than just conduits through which a Tarnished can channel magical energy, different staffs can bestow different properties on the wielder. Some simply grant high Intelligence scaling, meaning the higher a player’s Intelligence stat, the more powerful their spells will become. Others, grant bonuses to certain spell types, making them more powerful or reducing spell cost. (The Albinauric Staff is the only staff in the game which relies on Arcane rather than Intelligence.)
A good staff is almost as important as the spells they cast. But which grant the greatest boons? Which can take a lowly Tarnished and transform them into an unstoppable mage? And which can help you finally take down Mohg? From beginner staffs to the tools of masters, this guide will help you find the very best Elden Ring staff.
Astrologer’s Staff
Despite being a staff you can start the game with if you pick the right class, the Astrologer’s Staff has the potential to carry you from your humble beginnings in Limgrave, all the way through to Elphael and the Brace of the Haligtree. Players shouldn’t discard this treasure the moment they pick up something new, as it’s surprisingly powerful and surprisingly versatile.
Requiring only a Strength of 7 and an Intelligence of 16, this is the staff every beginner sorcerer should swear by. Starting off with an Intelligence scaling of C, the Astrologer’s Staff already provides decent damage the moment it’s picked up. This makes it great for pure Intelligence magic builds, as every time the Intelligence stat is levelled up, the Sorceries cast using this staff become more powerful.
As it is a standard weapon, the Astrologer’s Staff can be upgraded to +25 at the Roundtable Hold, but only needs to reach +13 to achieve an Intelligence scaling of S. Because of this, it is worth holding on to right up until the endgame.
Where to find
The Astrologer’s Staff can be obtained immediately by choosing to start as the Astrologer Class. Or it can be purchased early on in the game from the Nomadic Merchant in Liurnia of the Lakes for 800 runes.
Just because it’s a starting weapon doesn’t mean it’s not powerful. The Astrologer’s Staff is perfect for both beginners and masters.
Demi-Human Queen’s Staff
A great choice for newcomers and late adopters of magic in Elden Ring. As the Demi-Human Queen Staff can be found incredibly early on and requires very low Intelligence to wield, it is the perfect staff for easing players down the path of spells and sorcery. Or for those who only plan to dip their toes into Sorcery every now and again.
That being said, it scales wonderfully for low-level Tarnished, making it a viable choice for all mages with an Intelligence stat between 10 and 40. This means it works well as a next step up from the Astrologer’s Staff. With a requirement of only 6 Strength and 10 Intelligence, anyone can wield it and start casting. This makes it perfect for picking off irritating flying enemies, but isn’t the kind of staff that would carry you all the way through to the Elden Beast.
As a standard weapon, it too can be upgraded to +25 in the Roundtable Hold. Starting with a base Intelligence scaling of C, after only 3 upgrades, it has a scaling of B, and at +17 it reaches a scaling of S.
Where to find
The Demi-Human Staff can be obtained by defeating the Demi-Human Queen in the Demi-Human Forest Ruins, in the middle of the Weeping Peninsula.
The Demi-Human Queen’s Staff may require low Intelligence, but it still packs a punch.
Meteorite Staff
A unique choice for the decerning spell-caster next. The Meteorite Staff is one of the most useful staffs in the entire game and one that can also be found early on. This is the staff of choice for many a powerful mage, and though it can be bested late in the game, it has no equal early on.
Requiring only 6 Strength and 18 Intelligence means dedicated sorcerers will be able to pick up and play with the Meteorite Staff with no problems. Whereas those who have previously been ignoring magic may have to put a little work in. As the name suggests, this staff increases gravitational magics – spells such as Rock Sling, Collapsing Stars, Gravity Well, and Meteorite of Astel – boosting their power by 30%.
The most unique quality of this staff is that it cannot be upgraded at all. It does, however, start with a base Intelligence scaling of S. That means, this staff will automatically increase the power of your spells with each new Intelligence level, and without you having to do anything. The only problem is, due to the fact it cannot be upgraded, it becomes less powerful at higher levels and the second half of the game. Typically dropping off around an Intelligence level of 60.
Where to find
The Meteorite Staff can be looted from a corpse found hanging from a ledge in the southwestern building of the Street of Sages Ruins, in the Aeonia Swamp.
Use it wisely, and the Meteorite Staff can carry through the entire game.
Carian Regal Scepter
If you are after the most powerful, well-balanced staff with no drawbacks, the Carian Royal Scepter is for you. This is the staff of choice for committed spell-casters. With its wonderful Intelligence scaling and minimal tradeoffs, it is arguably the best staff in the entire game.
With a requirement of 8 Strength, 10 Dexterity, and a whopping 60 Intelligence, this staff can only be wielded by the most dedicated of sorcerers. But it is well worth the investment. As a Boss weapon, it can only be upgraded to +10 at the Roundtable Hold, but each upgrade improves its damage output dramatically. With a base Intelligence scaling of B, it’s powerful the moment you get your hands on it, but that can be raised to S scaling by +5.
As it can only be wielded with an Intelligence of 60 – and by the time most players reach that level, they should have plenty of upgrade materials necessary to take it to +5 – the Carian Royal Scepter is the perfect next-step-up from the Meteorite Staff.
This staff also boosts Full Moon sorceries, (such as Ranni’s Dark Moon and Rennala’s Full Moon) but as there are so few of those, most players use the Carian Regal Scepter purely for its fantastic scaling. Similarly, it also has a unique Ash of War – Spinning Weapon, which differs from other Spinning Weapons as it projects and deals magic damage – but, again, its scaling is far more powerful.
Where to find
The Carian Royal Scepter can be obtained by defeating Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon at the Raya Lucaria Academy and taking her Remembrance of the Full Moon Queen to Enia at the Roundtable Hold.
Regal in both name and nature, the Carian Regal Scepter is arguably the best staff in the game.
Lusat’s Glintstone Staff
If you value power above all else, then Lusat’s Glintstone Staff is the one for you. While it is unbeaten in terms of sheer damage output, it does have a few major drawbacks that may put some would-be sorcerers off. Azur’s Glintstone Staff may look and feel similar, but Lusat’s one-ups it at every turn.
Requiring 6 Strength and 52 Intelligence, this staff can be wielded earlier than the Carian Royal Scepter, and can deal much greater damage. As a special weapon, it can only be upgraded to +10 in the Roundtable Hold, but that doesn’t stop it from becoming the most powerful staff in the game. With a base Intelligence scaling of B, it starts out strong, but reaches S scaling by +3, and only gets stronger from there.
What really sets Lusat’s Glintstone Staff apart from the rest is its special ability. Using this staff greatly increases the power and damage of all spells. Combined with its exceptional scaling, this makes Lusat’s Staff nigh on unstoppable. The only drawback is the fact that it also increases FP cost and consumption by 50%, meaning those with a low Mind stat will burn through their reserves in mere seconds. This, of course, can be temporarily negated by using the Cerulean Hidden Tear Wonderous Physick, which eliminates FP consumption for 15 seconds, turning the wielder into a truly unstoppable powerhouse.
Where to find
Lusat’s Glintstone Staff can be obtained by taking it from the chest located behind the Nox Swordstress and Nox Priest boss encounter in Sellia, Town of Sorcery. The boss must be defeated before the chest can be opened.
Lusat’s Glintstone Staff – for those who want power and nothing more.
Now that you have found your favourite staff, why not see some of the amazing builds you can make with them? Such as this one from Fextralife:
Or, if magic isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps you could find your favourite Strength weapon? Or even specialise further by going down the Dex build route and pick out your favourite katana?
