Carian Regal Scepter vs. Azur’s Glintstone Staff: Which is the Superior Sorcery Catalyst in Elden Ring?

The question of whether the Carian Regal Scepter or Azur’s Glintstone Staff is superior for sorcery builds in Elden Ring is a complex one, with no simple, universally applicable answer. The truth lies in understanding the nuances of each staff, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they align with different playstyles. Ultimately, the Carian Regal Scepter is often considered the best all-around staff, offering a balance of damage and versatility, while Azur’s Glintstone Staff excels in specific scenarios that prioritize casting speed. Choosing between the two depends on the user’s priorities.

Understanding the Carian Regal Scepter

The Carian Regal Scepter is renowned for its excellent balance of damage and versatility. It’s a late-game staff that truly shines at high Intelligence levels, where its S scaling makes it a powerhouse for any sorcery user. This scaling is particularly noticeable around the 60-65 Intelligence mark, where it begins to outpace the Meteorite Staff, a popular early-game choice.

Strengths of the Carian Regal Scepter

• High Sorcery Scaling: At higher upgrade levels and with high Intelligence, this staff delivers outstanding spell damage. Its S scaling ensures that your spells hit incredibly hard.
• Versatility: The Carian Regal Scepter is effective across a wide array of spells, making it a strong general-purpose option for any sorcerer build. It is excellent with big AoE spells like Carian Greatsword and Gavel of Haima, as well as ranged spells like Loretta’s Greatbow.
• Boost to Full Moon Sorceries: A unique perk of this staff is its 10% boost to Full Moon sorceries, including Rennala’s Full Moon and Ranni’s Dark Moon, adding a nice bump to specific spell types.
• Unique Ash of War: It boasts a unique variant of the Spinning Weapon Ash of War, offering a helpful defensive and offensive option.
• No Drawbacks: Unlike some other powerful staves, the Carian Regal Scepter doesn’t impose any trade-offs like increased FP consumption.

Limitations of the Carian Regal Scepter

• High Intelligence Requirement: It requires a minimum of 60 Intelligence to wield effectively, making it less accessible for lower-level characters or hybrid builds.
• Late-Game Acquisition: Players need to progress through the game to obtain it, which means relying on other staves in the early to mid-game.

Understanding Azur’s Glintstone Staff

Azur’s Glintstone Staff is a unique choice, known for its casting speed boost rather than raw damage output. While it still scales well with Intelligence, its main advantage lies in accelerating spell casting.

Strengths of Azur’s Glintstone Staff

• Increased Casting Speed: This staff significantly reduces casting times for sorceries and incantations, allowing players to unleash spells more quickly. This is particularly effective in PvP or when facing fast, aggressive enemies in PvE.
• Good for Specific Spells: While the staff doesn’t excel in raw power compared to others, the shorter cast times can improve the effectiveness of certain spells, especially powerful ones that need to be launched quickly to avoid interruption.
• Good scaling: It also has good scaling primarily with Intelligence, and it’s a decent staff for magic users.

Limitations of Azur’s Glintstone Staff

• Lower Damage Output: Compared to the Carian Regal Scepter and Lusat’s Glintstone Staff, Azur’s staff generally delivers less damage per cast.
• FP Inefficiency: Although casting spells faster can be beneficial, it can lead to faster FP consumption, especially for higher-cost spells, making it less efficient for long battles or exploring large areas.
• Less Versatile: The strength of Azur’s Staff is tied to specific scenarios where faster casting is a priority. It is not as well-rounded as other staffs.
• Casting Speed isn’t Uniform: The benefit from Azur’s casting speed increase isn’t uniform. Because of casting animations, some spells benefit more than others. The increase averages around 8-9%.

Which is Better: Carian Regal Scepter or Azur’s Glintstone Staff?

The Carian Regal Scepter often wins out in general use. If you seek high, consistent damage, and appreciate versatility across different spell types, the Carian Regal Scepter is the better choice, especially if you prioritize high Intelligence build.

Azur’s Glintstone Staff is best for those who prioritize speed and specific, high-impact spell usage. It’s also useful for specific builds that rely on quick casting over raw power. If you prefer an aggressive, fast-paced caster build, or if you plan to spam Comet Azur it could be worth considering. However, be mindful of its decreased overall damage and increased FP consumption.

In summary:

• Choose Carian Regal Scepter for:
  • High overall damage.
  • Versatile spellcasting.
  • Full Moon sorcery boosting.
  • Consistent performance.
• Choose Azur’s Glintstone Staff for:
  • Prioritizing casting speed.
  • Specific builds emphasizing fast spell launches.
  • Situations where high damage isn’t the main focus.
  • Shorter, more intense combat situations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can the Carian Regal Scepter be upgraded?

Yes, the Carian Regal Scepter can be upgraded using Somber Smithing Stones. It cannot be infused with Ashes of War nor enchanted with magic.

2. What is the main benefit of Azur’s Glintstone Staff?

The main benefit of Azur’s Glintstone Staff is the increased casting speed it provides for both sorceries and incantations.

3. Does Azur’s Staff affect incantations?

Yes, Azur’s Glintstone Staff increases the casting speed of incantations as well as sorceries, however the speed increase can vary depending on the specific spell.

4. At what Intelligence level does the Carian Regal Scepter outdamage the Meteorite Staff?

The Carian Regal Scepter begins to outdamage the Meteorite Staff when it’s around +6 or +7 and you have roughly 45-60 Intelligence.

5. What is the best early-game staff in Elden Ring?

The Meteorite Staff is widely regarded as the best early-game staff due to its strong initial damage scaling and accessibility.

6. How much does the Carian Regal Scepter boost Full Moon Sorceries?

The Carian Regal Scepter boosts Full Moon sorceries by 10%. This includes spells like Rennala’s Full Moon and Ranni’s Dark Moon.

7. Is the Carian Regal Scepter the best staff overall?

The Carian Regal Scepter is often considered the best all-around staff due to its blend of damage and versatility, especially at high Intelligence levels.

8. How much does casting speed increase from Azur’s staff?

The average increase in casting speed is roughly 8-9% but this can vary depending on the specific spell or incantation.

9. What is the stat requirement for the Carian Regal Scepter?

The Carian Regal Scepter requires a minimum of 60 Intelligence to use.

10. Where can I find the Carian Regal Scepter?

The Carian Regal Scepter is obtained by defeating the boss, Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon and claiming her remembrance.

11. Is Lusat’s Staff better than Azur’s Staff?

Lusat’s Staff provides more damage output but at 50% more FP cost. Azur’s Staff is more about speed, making it a trade-off. Both are good depending on what you are after.

12. What is Lusat’s staff best for?

Lusat’s staff is best for players who are looking for the highest raw damage output of any staff in the game, and are less concerned with FP consumption.

13. Can the Carian Regal Scepter be found early game?

No, the Carian Regal Scepter is a late-game item, obtained from defeating Rennala in Raya Lucaria Academy.

14. Is the Carian Regal Scepter worth upgrading?

Yes, the Carian Regal Scepter is definitely worth upgrading as it gains significant benefits from upgrades, reaching S scaling at +9.

15. Is Carian Regal Scepter better than Meteorite Staff?

Yes, the Carian Regal Scepter eventually becomes better than the Meteorite Staff when the Scepter has been upgraded and with higher Intelligence (60-65 or higher). The Meteorite Staff cannot be upgraded and is only good for early and mid-game content.