Worked out · Valheim 1.0.17
Best elemental magic staffs
All Valheim elemental magic staffs ranked by damage per cast and per eitr, and the best one you can make in each biome.
Strongest staff
Lightning StrikeStaff360per cast
Most damage per eitr
13.9per eitr
First you can make
Staff of Embers258 damage at max levelMistlands
Best staff in each biome
Of the staffs you can make by then, the one that kills the biome's hostile creatures in the fewest hits, their weaknesses and resistances applied (every weapon by biome).
| Biome | Best staff | Hits | Creatures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistlands | Staff of EmbersBlunt + Fire | 29 | 6 |
| Ashlands | Staff of EmbersBlunt + Fire | 66 | 9 |
| Deep North | Lightning StrikeLightning | 49 | 9 |
All 6 ranked
| Staff | From | Per cast | Eitr | Per eitr | Projectiles | Block |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning Strike360 Lightning | Deep North | 360 | 4026.8 at 100 | 9 | 1 | 48 |
 Dundr29 Lightning | Ashlands | 348 | 2516.8 at 100 | 13.9 | 12 | 48 |
| Staff of Embers120 Blunt138 Fire | Mistlands | 258 | 3523.5 at 100 | 7.4 | 1 | 48 |
 Staff of the Wild80 Blunt80 Poison | Ashlands | 160 | 5536.8 at 100 | 2.9 | 1 | 48 |
 Staff of Fracturing12 Blunt30 Fire | Ashlands | 42 | 3020.1 at 100 | 1.4 | 1 | 48 |
 Staff of Frost36 Frost | Mistlands | 36 | 53.4 at 100 | 7.2 | stream | 48 |
Formula
Damage at max level = base + per level × (max level − 1), each damage type apart; chop and pickaxe left out of the rating (almost every creature ignores them).
Full combo = (combo hits − 1) × hit + hit × the last swing's multiplier; per stamina = combo damage ÷ (stamina × combo hits). Secondary attack = hit × its multiplier.
Stamina and eitr per attack are at skill 0; skill 100 takes a third off (× 0.67) for every weapon alike, so the order doesn't change.
ItemData.GetDamage, Attack.DoMeleeAttack / FireProjectileBurst, Attack.GetAttackStamina, HitData.ApplyResistance in the code of Valheim 1.0.17.
Assumptions
- Skill 50 in the weapon's skill, weapons at their max normal level, no stars on the creatures (a star doubles health, two stars triple it).
- Every hit lands and only the primary attack is used; no backstab, no stagger bonus, no armor set or mead bonuses.
- Area hits (staffs, sledges, atgeirs) are counted against one creature at a time.
- Bows and crossbows fire the best arrow or bolt for the target you can make by then, at full draw.
- Staffs: Dundr's twelve bolts and the Staff of Frost's stream are counted as if every projectile hits; the Staff of the Wild's damage is its roots'.