Ok, I know from hearsay that Staffs are almost as hot a topic as Water and Sonic powersets, and probably on the same level as a speedster powerset. Now, before you dismiss this idea, hear me out on this:

In my understanding, it's primarily because of the fact that most staff moves are done with both hands that it has been put on hold for now. This coupled with the fact that CO allows us to create pretty much any kind of character in terms of width, height, mass and form makes such a powerset nigh impossible to practically implement.

BUT cryptic managed that puzzle with Heavy Weapons, one of the more beloved powersets currently working in CO. How? By making it Focus on one hand Bear in mind I have absolutely no idea as to how it's like coding for animation, these are just theories I've gathered and deduced on my own and might be going the wrong trail off a cliff and down into the ocean.

With staffs, this would be more difficult but not impossible, it all comes down to imagination (Conjures rainbow). Bear in mind I have absolutely no idea as to how it's like coding for animation, these are just theories I've gathered and deduced on my own and might be going the wrong trail off a cliff and down into the ocean.

So, here's what I suggest for a Staff powerset:

Passive Stance: Back straight, knees slightly bent and feet apart, holding the staff in your right hand while having it locked between armpit and upper arm.

This stance should work for all heights, widths arm lengths, provided the angle is right which shouldn't be that difficult to work out with regular math. Next comes Staff length/width, which depending on hand size of course should scale with those values, however I also suggest a slight scaling with length (As that has more significance concerning staffs than say swords) should not Hand scaling prove sufficient.

Ok, onwards to powers:

TIER 0 - Lion's Dance:

Animation: You sweep from right to left with the staff for the first strike. After this, you grab near the ends of the staff with both hands and alternate hitting your enemy with the right and left end of the staff, almost as if canooing.

I know I broke my vow the first thing I did, but combos with a staff are... very difficult using only one hand, unless you simply thrust it towards an enemy. HOWEVER I do think this is doable, because the arms do not need to cross the body for this combo to work. The simply need to work in unison, whereas one elbow bends as the opposite arm stretches out to strike. The Unison part, might need work but it works for the ranged energy builders so working from that should yield something.

Properties: Melee Crushing damage, energy generation
Range: 10ft, single target
Type: Energy builder

+ Deals Crushing damage to your target
+ Generates energy

Adv:
Dominance (2 AP): Each strike of Lion's Dance now has a 10% chance to grant you a stack of Focus if you're not already affected by it or under the effect of a form.


TIER 0 - Lion's Hunt:

Animation: Still holding the staff by the ends with both hands, you spin around in place twice, hitting the target with the left end before letting go with your left hand and sweep across the target while only holding the staff in one hand, twirling it back into the passive stance afterwards with your right hand.

Another combo (As every MA tier 0 is a combo) using both hands but still with the same principle of holding at the ends of the staff. Spinning the body is nothing new, I hope, which should make this combo relatively easy to create.

Properties: Melee Crushing AoE damage, knockdown
Range: 10ft, 120 degrees cone
Type: Combo

+ Deals Crushing damage to all targets in front of you
+ The last attack in succession STAGGER your primary target, and has a 50% chance to STAGGER any other targets

Adv:
Challenging Strikes (1 AP)
Roar of the King (2 AP): Your Primary target is now KNOCKED DOWN as well.

TIER 1 - Wild Swing:

Animation: You swing your staff with only your right hand at your enemies feet, right-to-left, twirling it back into position after the swing. The twirl would could be over the body as the player bends their back in a Limbo fashion under the twirling staff.

A simple yet stylish animation that only uses one hand, so my guess is that it shouldn't be too difficult to implement.

Properties: Melee Crushing AoE damage, knock up, snare
Range: 10ft, 120 degrees cone
Type: Close area attack, tap

+ Deals crushing damage to all affected targets
+ Knocks up all affected targets
+ STAGGERS all affected targets

Adv:
Sunder and Rule (2 AP): Enemies knocked up by Wild Swing will now also be SNARED.

TIER 1 - Form of the Conqueror:

Animation: Same as any form. No particular animation for Staffs come to mind.

Properties: Self damage buff, self energy gain
Range: Target Self
Type: Form

+ Grants you stacks of FOCUS corresponding to each rank of this power outside of battle. Each stack of FOCUS increases your melee damage by a larger amount and your ranged damage by a smaller amount. These increases scale with your dexterity.
+ Grants you a stack of FOCUS whenever you apply or consume STAGGER
+ You gain energy whenever you gain a stack of FOCUS, scaling with your dexterity
- Counts as a form. You may only have one Form active at all times
- While active, increases the cost of all your powers by 10%

Adv:
Supremacy (3 AP): The practitioner desires nothing else than complete dominance of the battlefield and thrives on an enemy's misfortune. While Form of the Conqueror is Active, all your attacks deal an additional 10% base damage against targets affected by FEAR, DISORIENT or STAGGER.

TIER 2 - Dragon's Tail:

Animation: You spin the staff overhead as you charge it, before finishing off with a Scything Blade-ish spin, striking all enemies around you.

The "Spin overhead" part might be too much, however don't tell me clipping is the issue here, cause Skullcrusher works and that's an overhead-and-back move. The scything blade animation as a finisher should work, I think. Just that you hold something longer than a sword this time around.

Properties: Melee crushing PBAoE damage, knockback
Range: 10ft sphere
Type: Close area attack, charge (2.5 sec max.)

Tap
+ Deals crushing damage to all nearby enemies.
+ KNOCKS DOWN affected targets

Charge
+ Increases the damage of the tap effect
+ On a full charge, now KNOCKS BACK all affected targets
+ On a full charge, grants the RUSH buff. RUSH grants energy over time and decreases the cost of all your melee attacks and the duration is dependant on the stacks of Focus you have.

Adv:
Ghost winds (2 AP): Increases the base damage for this power by 10% and the range from 10ft to 15ft. It will now deal the first 10ft as melee crushing damage and the last 5ft as ranged dimensional damage.

TIER 2 - Whirlwind Twirl:

Animation: Similar to Eye of the Storm, however done with a staff instead, alternating the lightning-speed twirling between the right and the left side. Powerwise it'd simply be a reskin of said power.

This one might be a no-go, I realize that. However, should it be possible a power such as this would make for a great and probably fundamental addition to a Staff powerset. The hands could possible just move in a cycling motion as the twirling takes place. If done fast enough, just two twirls on both sides would suffice.

Properties: Melee crushing PBAoE damage
Range: 10ft sphere
Type: Close area attack, Maintain (Max 4 seconds)

+ Deals crushing damage to enemies around you every 0.5 sec. Based on pulse
+ Grants a certain value of damage absorption every 0.5 sec. based on pulse.

Adv:
Violent Storms (2 AP): Every tick of this power now has a 20% chance to KNOCK DOWN targets attacking you in melee range. This chance is doubled if the target is affected by STAGGER.

TIER 3 - Eagle's Ascension:

Animation: A mix between Havoc stomp and skullcrusher/vicious descent, with a little stylish twist to it. After charging or tapping, you leap into the air, twirling the staff in your right hand before grabbing it with both hands at the peak of the jump, slamming it down into the ground like with skullcrusher. If this wouldn't be possible, you could instend just slam it down like with vicious descent, holding it with only one hand.

Properties: Melee crushing AoE damage, Knock down
Range: 10ft, 3 ft Cylinder
Type: Close Area Attack, charge (1.5 seconds max)

Tap
+ Deal crushing damage to all affected targets
+ KNOCKS DOWN all affected targets
+ Deals additional damage to all targets for each stack of STAGGER on them
Charge
+ Increases the the damage of the tap effect
+ KNOCKS DOWN affected targets
+ Consumes all stack of STAGGER on the enemy, dealing additional damage and STUNNING them.

Adv:
Conquer the Lands (3 AP): Causes Eagle's Ascension to slam down so hard that the earth gives in, causing several stalagtites to shoot up from the ground on a full charge. This causes the power to KNOCK UP all affected targets instead and increases the range to 50ft, whereas the last 40ft deals ranged crushing damage instead.

Rule the skies (3 AP): The majesty of Eagle's Ascension now causes the sky to crack, sending thunderbolts crashing down at your targets. All effected targets will now be struck with Lightning on a full charge, suffering electrical damage. This effect might chain to another nearby target and the chance of chaining is increased for each stack of STAGGER on the target.

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This might seem like very few powers, however consider that Staffs would probably be part of Martial arts and thereby have acces to shared powers such as Thunderbolt lunge, parry, bountiful chi resurgence, lightning reflexes, way of the warrior etc. I will again say that Staffs would be an excellent addition to CO.

And I leave you with that for now.

Yes, it is one set that very often gets requested. One of which I would love to see. Lets do it.

/signed

I would freakin' love this and I have toons waiting to use it. Make it so:D

/signed

If the devs could manage to get beyond the problems with animations and such, I'd love to see this set. Unfortunately, their problems are a valid concern. But if it can be done, I am all for it.

/signed in my blood
Mid-Knight NEEDS a fighting staff

As long as it isn't just a clone of the staff powerset in COH of DCUO, I'm all for this.

Maybe they make 'Call Cryptic Staff' set.
...

I would /sign this, usually. But I now, even though the devs have heard this suggestion countless times before, they won't make it real.

And another thing, did you guys hear that CoH is getting Water Blast. They have the technology.
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I would like to see this as well, provided they can make most of the attacks use 2 hands AND look right, even if you make your character have short arms - although that may be a compromise we'd have to accept in order to get even a remote chance of this becoming a reality.