Frequently Asked Questions about Combat and Combat mechanics

13

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  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,654 Guardian
    AJC_1870 said:

    I’m trying to get the skill solo milestones finished, but apparently I have no clue how to perform a heavy attack. Is it tap the right side, or tap + hold? And I’m using an iPad, is there any difference between tablets and phones?

    Holding on the right side "charges" heavy attacks, and releasing your press triggers the heavy attack.

    In theory there should be no difference between tablets and phones in terms of how the game functions, although sometimes platform specific bugs or anomalies do happen.
  • AJC_1870AJC_1870 Member Posts: 43
    DNA, I appreciate the info, thanks!
  • MrInsanityMrInsanity Member Posts: 1,539 ★★★★
    1. Hello I just saw this thread and I want to know, do critical attacks ignore resistances, and attack reduction or not?
    2. Also if a node reverses class advantage, do the champion abilities still trigger? For example, if ebony maw faces a science on reversed class advantage would guranteed crits still miss?
    3. Last question, what's the point of the armor and block penetration stats because I can't seem to find anybody who has more or less than 0.
  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,654 Guardian

    1. Hello I just saw this thread and I want to know, do critical attacks ignore resistances, and attack reduction or not?
    2. Also if a node reverses class advantage, do the champion abilities still trigger? For example, if ebony maw faces a science on reversed class advantage would guranteed crits still miss?
    3. Last question, what's the point of the armor and block penetration stats because I can't seem to find anybody who has more or less than 0.

    1. Critical damage ignores the first 20% of armor and resistance damage mitigation. In other words, if your combined armor and resistance to that type of damage is 20% or less, critical hits will land as if they are not there at all. If the combined damage mitigation is higher than 20%, the critical damage will land as if your actual damage mitigation due to armor and resistances was 20 percentage points less. So 25% total damage mitigation will behave like it is 5% for the purposes of critical damage. Note: only the critical bonus damage behaves this way, not the base damage of the attack. Critical hits deal bonus critical damage, critical hits don't change the attack's damage into critical damage.

    2. As far as I'm aware, nodes that reverse class advantage only change the actual class advantage bonuses (i.e. attack bonuses). They do not in any other way make something behave as if it is another class.

    3. Some champions do have non-zero block and armor penetration stats or abilities. For example, Doom and Mysterio (among others) have non-zero block penetration stats. Darkhawk's wing attacks have 100% armor (and resistance) penetration.
  • MrInsanityMrInsanity Member Posts: 1,539 ★★★★
    DNA3000 said:

    1. Hello I just saw this thread and I want to know, do critical attacks ignore resistances, and attack reduction or not?
    2. Also if a node reverses class advantage, do the champion abilities still trigger? For example, if ebony maw faces a science on reversed class advantage would guranteed crits still miss?
    3. Last question, what's the point of the armor and block penetration stats because I can't seem to find anybody who has more or less than 0.

    1. Critical damage ignores the first 20% of armor and resistance damage mitigation. In other words, if your combined armor and resistance to that type of damage is 20% or less, critical hits will land as if they are not there at all. If the combined damage mitigation is higher than 20%, the critical damage will land as if your actual damage mitigation due to armor and resistances was 20 percentage points less. So 25% total damage mitigation will behave like it is 5% for the purposes of critical damage. Note: only the critical bonus damage behaves this way, not the base damage of the attack. Critical hits deal bonus critical damage, critical hits don't change the attack's damage into critical damage.

    2. As far as I'm aware, nodes that reverse class advantage only change the actual class advantage bonuses (i.e. attack bonuses). They do not in any other way make something behave as if it is another class.

    3. Some champions do have non-zero block and armor penetration stats or abilities. For example, Doom and Mysterio (among others) have non-zero block penetration stats. Darkhawk's wing attacks have 100% armor (and resistance) penetration.
    Alright, thanks a bunch dude!!!
  • Latino818Latino818 Member Posts: 3
    Why am I only getting access to quick, sumner & catalyst arenas? No new champions to battle for? Can someone tell me why? Is my account glitched?
  • Draconic_12Draconic_12 Member Posts: 997 ★★★★★
    How do u have the patience to right an essay for every response.

    Well done @DNA3000 !
  • TerraTerra Member Posts: 8,435 ★★★★★
    DNA3000 said:

    1. Hello I just saw this thread and I want to know, do critical attacks ignore resistances, and attack reduction or not?
    2. Also if a node reverses class advantage, do the champion abilities still trigger? For example, if ebony maw faces a science on reversed class advantage would guranteed crits still miss?
    3. Last question, what's the point of the armor and block penetration stats because I can't seem to find anybody who has more or less than 0.

    1. Critical damage ignores the first 20% of armor and resistance damage mitigation. In other words, if your combined armor and resistance to that type of damage is 20% or less, critical hits will land as if they are not there at all. If the combined damage mitigation is higher than 20%, the critical damage will land as if your actual damage mitigation due to armor and resistances was 20 percentage points less. So 25% total damage mitigation will behave like it is 5% for the purposes of critical damage. Note: only the critical bonus damage behaves this way, not the base damage of the attack. Critical hits deal bonus critical damage, critical hits don't change the attack's damage into critical damage.

    2. As far as I'm aware, nodes that reverse class advantage only change the actual class advantage bonuses (i.e. attack bonuses). They do not in any other way make something behave as if it is another class.

    3. Some champions do have non-zero block and armor penetration stats or abilities. For example, Doom and Mysterio (among others) have non-zero block penetration stats. Darkhawk's wing attacks have 100% armor (and resistance) penetration.
    Regarding #2, doesn't facing a Electro with Class Reverse node not make you take any damage back from him?
    I seem to remember a chapter in late act 5 having one that I didn't take damage from but I can't remember 100%
  • Denslo500Denslo500 Member Posts: 905 ★★★
    Passive fury: does it benefit from fury masteries?
  • TerraTerra Member Posts: 8,435 ★★★★★
    Denslo500 said:

    Passive fury: does it benefit from fury masteries?

    No. The Fury Masteries specifically mentions Buffs:



  • Denslo500Denslo500 Member Posts: 905 ★★★
    Thank you.
    A Jason Vorhees video indicated the fury masteries would help Thing.
  • AverageDesiAverageDesi Member Posts: 5,260 ★★★★★
    Denslo500 said:

    Thank you.
    A Jason Vorhees video indicated the fury masteries would help Thing.

    The description of masteries are old. Maybe they might affect. But very low chance
  • AverageDesiAverageDesi Member Posts: 5,260 ★★★★★
    @Cat_Murdock this would be a good resource to add to the subreddit sidebar ?
  • KnordyKnordy Member Posts: 187 ★★
    Since I have started playing this game, I haven't really investigated the meaning of the differences in the Buff/Debuff icons. Just recently I learned that an active buff icon has some sort of ring around it and a passive doesn't. But there is also a third one, what does that one mean:

    Passive Prowess icon:


    Active Buff Prowess icon:


    ??? Prowess icon:


    Could not find this in the FAQ: https://help.kabamsupport.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052574431-Battle-Status-Effects
  • AverageDesiAverageDesi Member Posts: 5,260 ★★★★★
    Knordy said:

    Since I have started playing this game, I haven't really investigated the meaning of the differences in the Buff/Debuff icons. Just recently I learned that an active buff icon has some sort of ring around it and a passive doesn't. But there is also a third one, what does that one mean:

    Passive Prowess icon:


    Active Buff Prowess icon:


    ??? Prowess icon:


    Could not find this in the FAQ: https://help.kabamsupport.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052574431-Battle-Status-Effects

    To answer your question, the third one usually appears when such buffs are produced as part of a node rather than champions base kit. But has no additional effect and can be viewed just like a normal buff

    Also, active and passive are not opposites in this game. Active just means currently in effect in the game. . In your first picture, those passive prowess effects are active.

    I'm your second, prowess buffs are active. Buffs are in a sense opposite to debuffs . @Knordy
  • KnordyKnordy Member Posts: 187 ★★

    Knordy said:

    Since I have started playing this game, I haven't really investigated the meaning of the differences in the Buff/Debuff icons. Just recently I learned that an active buff icon has some sort of ring around it and a passive doesn't. But there is also a third one, what does that one mean:

    Passive Prowess icon:


    Active Buff Prowess icon:


    ??? Prowess icon:


    Could not find this in the FAQ: https://help.kabamsupport.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052574431-Battle-Status-Effects

    To answer your question, the third one usually appears when such buffs are produced as part of a node rather than champions base kit. But has no additional effect and can be viewed just like a normal buff

    Also, active and passive are not opposites in this game. Active just means currently in effect in the game. . In your first picture, those passive prowess effects are active.

    I'm your second, prowess buffs are active. Buffs are in a sense opposite to debuffs . @Knordy
    Yes I think you are right about the active term. So the complete description would be:
    Passive Prowess (active)
    Buff Prowess (active)
    Buff Prowess (node related, active)

    And there could also be a
    Passive [effect-name] (node related, active)

  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,654 Guardian

    To answer your question, the third one usually appears when such buffs are produced as part of a node rather than champions base kit. But has no additional effect and can be viewed just like a normal buff

    Most of the time they behave like buffs, but there are uncommon exceptions. For example, I do not believe all node buffs depicted with the bracketed icon can be normally nullified.

    The brackets signify the effect is coming from a external source of some kind (what players would call a node or global effect) and those *sometimes* have special rules associated with them. They sometimes behavior like passive effects, sometimes like buffs or debuffs, and sometimes like something special.
  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,654 Guardian
    https://forums.playcontestofchampions.com/en/discussion/294927/how-modifiers-work-maybe

    How modifiers (buffs, debuffs, passive effects that affect stats) work in terms of the math involved, and why.
  • magnus_xixmagnus_xix Member Posts: 2,019 ★★★★★
    Would it be correct to assume physical vulnerability will increase the damage dealt from physical hits and the damage dealt from physical DoT effects by the same amount?
  • AverageDesiAverageDesi Member Posts: 5,260 ★★★★★

    Would it be correct to assume physical vulnerability will increase the damage dealt from physical hits and the damage dealt from physical DoT effects by the same amount?

    Yes. That's the idea of s99s special 1
  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,654 Guardian

    Would it be correct to assume physical vulnerability will increase the damage dealt from physical hits and the damage dealt from physical DoT effects by the same amount?

    To amplify, physical attacks deal physical damage and physical DoT effects deal physical damage. Resistances work against the damage itself, not the vector of the damage. The effect is the same because - in this context - the damage is the same.
  • Jay_777Jay_777 Member Posts: 7
    Why is crossbone so difficult to bring down in act 6.1.5
    Seems impossible to fight him...
  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,654 Guardian
    Jay_777 said:

    Why is crossbone so difficult to bring down in act 6.1.5
    Seems impossible to fight him...

    There are a lot of guides for Act 6 and more specifically for 6.1 (to get to Cavalier) but I think the core challenge of Crossbones is he combines healing and a difficult to evade SP2. His SP2 makes people want to fight him cautiously, but if you fight too cautiously you let him heal too much, which makes the fight either too long or impossible.

    The key (in general) is to aggressively bait his SP1 so you can keep the fight moving quickly. This requires learning how his AI works, and the short answer is that *usually* you can get him to launch SP1 quickly, but this requires leaving yourself open enough for him to think he can hit you with it. Leaving yourself open enough to trick him into throwing it but not actually getting smacked in the face by it is the thing that takes practice.

    There are of course other ways to beat him, but that's the straight forward way to beat him with any champ with the correct immunities and enough damage.

    Note: there are old guides that talk about OG Crossbones: he was modified some time later and is slightly different in his nodes. In particular, he used to have the biohazard node which required a bleed immune champ to get around, but that node was changed to just a straight poison node which requires something that is either immune to poison or can deal with the poison debuff in some way.
  • NastyPhishNastyPhish Member Posts: 583 ★★★
    I understand your breakdown of resistances. But because the reduction happens after the number is calculated. 100% resistance should be 100% reduction in damage. If that’s not the case then you can poison Diablo to death with a 1hp poison and 100,000% potency. Even though he has 100% resistance. Is that what you’re saying?
  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,654 Guardian

    I understand your breakdown of resistances. But because the reduction happens after the number is calculated. 100% resistance should be 100% reduction in damage. If that’s not the case then you can poison Diablo to death with a 1hp poison and 100,000% potency. Even though he has 100% resistance. Is that what you’re saying?

    Theoretically speaking, 100% resistance to a damage effect does in fact reduce damage to zero. But that doesn't mean that effect doesn't itself have counters. 100% block will reduce block damage to zero, but block penetration attacks ignore some of that block, so you don't have 100% block mitigation anymore.

    Diablo does not have 100% resistance to poison. He has an ability that reduces the potency of poison effects by 100%. That's different. In effect, Diablo can turn the knob on the volume of poison effects all the way to the left, causing their damage magnitude to drop to zero. But someone else can come along and turn the dial back up again. You're basically fighting over the radio in the car. Poison potency is a knob that anyone can turn to the left or the right. When Diablo turns it all the way to zero, that doesn't prevent someone else from turning it back up to higher values.
  • Mr.0-8-4Mr.0-8-4 Member Posts: 489 ★★★
    edited July 2022
    Can someone explain the difference between "[Insert character name] abilities cannot be modify by outside sources" vs AW node interactions?

    For example: Mr. Negative. According to his kit, once he's maxed out on signature stones, he heals a decent amount from degeneration (he further lowers the potency of degen if his opponent has debuffs on them). This however, changes whenever I come across a node like Bane. Rather than healing, I find my health plummeting even though Mr. Negative should be healing.

    Does the healing only happen if Mr. Negative's opponent inflicts the degen (not the node itself) or is this a bug?


    This brings me to my second question: does the description "regeneration and/or power cannot be modify by outside sources" apply to nodes or characters themselves? I have a Toad that I wanted to put on Node tile 50 (AW Tier 11) that states 100% more regeneration along with safe guard (I think). If I were to place Toad on this tile, would I reap the extra regeneration benefit?

    Ikaris is another good example. According to his kit, his combat power rate cannot be modified by outside sources. Does that mean that nodes like "rich gets richer" have no affect on him?

    @DNA3000
  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,654 Guardian
    Mr.0-8-4 said:

    Can someone explain the difference between "[Insert character name] abilities cannot be modify by outside sources" vs AW node interactions?

    For example: Mr. Negative. According to his kit, once he's maxed out on signature stones, he heals a decent amount from degeneration (he further lowers the potency of degen if his opponent has debuffs on them). This however, changes whenever I come across a node like Bane. Rather than healing, I find my health plummeting even though Mr. Negative should be healing.

    Does the healing only happen if Mr. Negative's opponent inflicts the degen (not the node itself) or is this a bug?

    I'm not sure I understand the question here. Mr. Negative does not seem, within this context, to be an example of "ability cannot be modified by outside sources." Mr. Negative regenerates while under the effects of degen. But his sig ability doesn't nullify the effects of degeneration. He has an ability that reduces the damage from degen, but aside from that Negative should still take damage from the degen. If this damage is higher than his healing, his health should still go down.

    But just to be certain, I will refer this one to @BitterSteel who is currently diving into the deep end with Mr. Negative.
    Mr.0-8-4 said:

    This brings me to my second question: does the description "regeneration and/or power cannot be modify by outside sources" apply to nodes or characters themselves? I have a Toad that I wanted to put on Node tile 50 (AW Tier 11) that states 100% more regeneration along with safe guard (I think). If I were to place Toad on this tile, would I reap the extra regeneration benefit?

    I *think* the answer is no. I'm pretty sure the intent is that he shouldn't. But I have not tested that specific interaction, so I do not know if the implementation is consistent with that here.

    As far as I'm aware, "cannot be modified by outside sources" generally means cannot be modified except if the champion's abilities explicitly state some kind of modification. In other words, cannot be modified unless the champion designer explicitly put in a modification of some kind directly into their kit. In other words, Toad's regeneration rate cannot be modified by outside sources, but of course his own regeneration passive can increase it (to the specified value).
  • BitterSteelBitterSteel Member Posts: 9,264 ★★★★★
    DNA3000 said:

    Mr.0-8-4 said:

    Can someone explain the difference between "[Insert character name] abilities cannot be modify by outside sources" vs AW node interactions?

    For example: Mr. Negative. According to his kit, once he's maxed out on signature stones, he heals a decent amount from degeneration (he further lowers the potency of degen if his opponent has debuffs on them). This however, changes whenever I come across a node like Bane. Rather than healing, I find my health plummeting even though Mr. Negative should be healing.

    Does the healing only happen if Mr. Negative's opponent inflicts the degen (not the node itself) or is this a bug?

    I'm not sure I understand the question here. Mr. Negative does not seem, within this context, to be an example of "ability cannot be modified by outside sources." Mr. Negative regenerates while under the effects of degen. But his sig ability doesn't nullify the effects of degeneration. He has an ability that reduces the damage from degen, but aside from that Negative should still take damage from the degen. If this damage is higher than his healing, his health should still go down.

    But just to be certain, I will refer this one to @BitterSteel who is currently diving into the deep end with Mr. Negative.
    @DNA3000 @Mr.0-8-4

    The issue with bane is a pretty simple one, but it I don’t blame you for getting it mixed up.

    Mr Negative only heals or reduces the potency of degeneration, that can be literally any degeneration applied by literally any ability. However, Bane is not a degeneration.

    If you check its description, Bane says it is direct damage. You see, about 5 years ago Kabam went through and changed a fair few nodes, Flare, Bane, Dismay, brute force etc all used to be degeneration, but they were changed to direct damage. However, their in fight description tag (or the little call out when they’re applied - yknow the “bleed” or “parry” callout when an effect is applied) was never updated itself.

    That’s why Negative will only seem to heal from an odd set of degeneration nodes.

    But the answer is all in the description of the nodes




    You see how one has degeneration written in it, and one has direct damage. Direct damage won’t interact with Negative’s specific degeneration abilities.

    If you ever need to check whether negative will counter a node, here is a resource to do so https://auntm.ai/nodes/

    There are quite a few degeneration nodes, If you search degeneration you’ll see how much he still counters. Things like special delivery, Icarus, no retreat, star burst, aspect of genesis etc. Not to mention all the champ abilities.

    In the meantime, it would be great if Bane and the others lost their “degeneration” call out in fight, as it does cause confusion every so often
  • Mr.0-8-4Mr.0-8-4 Member Posts: 489 ★★★
    edited July 2022
    @DNA3000 @BitterSteel

    Thank you ladies or gentlemen for your response! It was really insightful. Apologies if my examples were a little confusing.

    @DNA: Just to be certain that I understood your point right, should I refrain from placing Toad on Tile 50 (the safe guard + 100% more regen) node?

    I would assume Ikirus would be the same regarding nodes like "Rich get richer" or "Aspect of Evolution" (which increases combat rate everytime you get a bar of power)?
  • DNA3000DNA3000 Member, Guardian Posts: 19,654 Guardian
    Mr.0-8-4 said:

    @DNA3000 @BitterSteel

    Thank you ladies or gentlemen for your response! It was really insightful. Apologies if my examples were a little confusing.

    @DNA: Just to be certain that I understood your point right, should I refrain from placing Toad on Tile 50 (the safe guard + 100% more regen) node?

    I would assume Ikirus would be the same regarding nodes like "Rich get richer" or "Aspect of Evolution" (which increases combat rate everytime you get a bar of power)?

    When it comes to war interactions, I would prefer if someone with direct experience answer this question. The issue here is that nodes often behave in unexpected ways, that only direct experience can be certain of. I don't *think* it will have the beneficial effect you're thinking of, but nodes in AQ and AW sometimes break the normal rules by being implemented in non-standard ways.
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