Dont understand why we couldn't have been given a bullet, or perhaps even a decent alternative to using a damned staff. (why do we even have dagger/sword skill again?...)
There's always been a decent alternative to using a staff, it's called box step and haste samba XD
/DNC and use daggers to melee has always been very useful for haste samba/box step, if you have march you can do quite a lot of dmg yourself, plus extra dmg your pt member can do from box step/haste samba.
This update also gives new dagger with haste, according to spreadsheet, using nightmare DC as target:
Aluh+Coruscanti + Skadi head/hands/legs, Thaumas body, Sigyn feet, windbuffet belt, Rajas/epona, Rancor, Atheling mantle, suppa/brutal
is still stronger dagger combo with capped haste melee set. If you don't have Coruscanti, new haste dagger seems to beat Lux Pugio for offhand. If your fSTR is capped, that extra haste also allow you to use Wurrukatte boots for extra crit-rate and still cap haste.