IMNSHO, the First Enchanter staff is much better than the archon staff, because the schem enables you to take advantage of great bear pelts to add some hefty Crit Chance, which for a mage with the Flashpoint skill is a VERY decisive boost. Scoring a crit also chains in nicely with Varric's skills (if he's in your party).
With my total crit chance above 30%, I'm critting all the time, resulting in numerous free recasts with no cooldowns, and with the chaotic focus and conductive current skills, I can tap my barrier (which a periodic blow of my spirit blade regenerates) to boost the crits on my Fire Mine up into the 10-12k+ damage range.
