Elden Ring features eighteen different staves. On paper, most of them look viable. They scale with Intelligence, boost specific sorcery schools, and some even appear highly specialized.
Elden Ring Staves Tier List – Which Staff Is Actually Worth Using?
In real gameplay, however, the difference between them becomes obvious very quickly. A handful remain strong from early game to late-game bosses. Others peak too late — or never truly reach competitive damage at all.
What actually matters?
- Scaling at 60 and 80 Intelligence
- Upgrade path and material accessibility
- Whether the passive bonus translates into real damage
- Performance in PvE boss fights and long encounters
This ranking prioritizes PvE efficiency. PvP relevance only matters when it overlaps with general performance.
Bottom Tier – Elden Ring Staves
18. Rotten Crystal Staff
Scarlet Rot sounds powerful, but it only applies when physically striking enemies with the staff. Sorceries do not apply the rot effect, which removes most of its potential value.
The Crystal sorcery bonus does not compensate for weak scaling. Other staves simply deal more damage with less effort.
17. Gelmir Glintstone Staff
It scales with both Intelligence and Faith, suggesting hybrid flexibility. In practice, splitting stats reduces efficiency.
Even at higher levels, pure Intelligence staves outperform it. Farming it in Volcano Manor rarely feels rewarding.
16. Staff of the Guilty
This staff boosts Thorn sorceries and scales with Faith. Thorn spells are stylish but lack the raw damage to carry a build.
Faith builds looking for ranged damage typically gain more value from incantations instead.
15. Digger’s Staff
Boosts Rock Blaster and Shatter Earth — both situational spells.
The scaling does not justify using it long-term. Early alternatives surpass it quickly after upgrades.
14. Staff of Loss
This staff has a defined niche: Night Comet builds.
When used in the off-hand, it can provide meaningful damage boosts. As a main catalyst, however, its scaling falls behind stronger general-purpose options.
Lower Mid Tier
13. Prince of Death Staff
Scales with both Intelligence and Faith.
At moderate stat levels, the split scaling hurts performance. At extremely high stat investment, it becomes powerful — but that usually means late game or NG+ cycles.
12. Demi Human Queen’s Staff
Requires only 10 Intelligence, making it attractive early.
It performs well in early regions and hybrid builds. By Altus Plateau, stronger scaling options begin to pull ahead.
11. Glintstone Staff
This is the baseline staff. Functional but unremarkable.
Found early in Liurnia, it serves as a temporary bridge before being replaced by stronger options.
10. Meteorite Staff
One of the strongest early-game tools in Elden Ring.
- S scaling from the start
- Gravity sorcery bonus
- No upgrade requirement
Its limitation is clear: it cannot be reinforced. Once upgraded staves surpass it, its dominance fades.
Here’s our in-depth guide about Meteorite Staff.
Mid Tier
9. Azur’s Glintstone Staff
Faster casting speed makes an immediate difference in aggressive encounters.
The drawback is increased FP cost per spell. In long boss fights, FP management becomes a serious concern.
8. Albinauric Staff
Scales with Arcane alongside Intelligence.
Most sorceries do not benefit from Arcane scaling. It works best with Aberrant spells but falls behind in standard Intelligence builds.
7. Astrologer’s Staff
A starter staff that remains relevant longer than expected.
After upgrades, it delivers steady and reliable mid-game damage without specialization.
6. Carian Glintstone Staff
Boosts sword sorceries significantly.
Carian Slicer benefits heavily, making this staff ideal for close-range Intelligence builds.
Upper Mid Tier
5. Carian Glintblade Staff
Enhances Glintblade sorceries, turning Magic Glintblade into a powerful pressure tool.
Competitive scaling and strong mid-game performance make it reliable for spacing-focused builds.
4. Carian Regal Scepter
Excellent scaling at 80 Intelligence with no FP penalty.
- Boosts Full Moon sorceries
- Provides a defensive weapon skill
- Strong late-game reliability
High stat requirement, but fully justified by performance.
3. Academy Glintstone Staff
The definition of consistency.
Smooth scaling growth from mid to late game. No penalties, no unusual stat demands. It can carry a full playthrough comfortably.
Top Tier – Best Elden Ring Staves
2. Crystal Staff
The Somber Smithing Stone upgrade path gives it a major advantage.
Faster reinforcement means earlier power spikes. At 80 Intelligence, its scaling competes with the strongest pure Intelligence options.
1. Lusat’s Glintstone Staff
The highest sorcery scaling in the game.
At maximum upgrade and high Intelligence, no staff deals more raw damage.
FP costs increase, but the burst potential is unmatched. For boss deletion builds, this is the strongest option available.
Practical Build Takeaways
- Early Game: Meteorite Staff dominates due to high base scaling and zero upgrade cost.
- Mid Game: Academy Glintstone Staff and Crystal Staff offer the best long-term growth.
- Late Game: Choose Carian Regal Scepter for balanced efficiency or Lusat’s Staff for maximum burst damage.
In most cases, raw scaling outperforms small percentage bonuses tied to narrow spell categories.
Specialized staves work in focused builds. For a standard playthrough, consistent scaling and clean upgrade paths deliver the most reliable results.