The Ultimate Guide to Damage Over Time (DoT) in Honkai: Star Rail
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Welcome to this comprehensive guide to understanding Damage Over Time (DoT) in Honkai: Star Rail.
Whether you're a veteran player or a newcomer intrigued by the introduction of Kafka, this guide will walk you through the intricate mechanics of DoT.
Let's explore everything from basic concepts to advanced strategies!
The Ultimate Guide to Damage Over Time (DoT) in Honkai: Star Rail
Understanding DoT: The Mechanics & Standard Debuffs
Defining DoT: What Is It?
Damage Over Time, or DoT, is a fascinating mechanic where damage is inflicted on an enemy over a series of turns, rather than all at once.
It is an ongoing effect that causes damage every time an enemy with a DoT debuff takes an action.
So, does DoT count as debuff? Yes it does, and it triggers all relic, skill and light cone passives that rely on enemy debuffs.
Categories of DoT: Standard Debuffs
In Honkai: Star Rail, four standard debuffs represent DoT effects:
- Shock: Associated with lightning, shock inflicts regular damage during its effect duration.
- Burn: Related to fire, it operates similarly to shock but deals fire damage.
- Wind Shear: A wind-based DoT, it has the unique ability to stack, multiplying the damage based on the number of stacks applied to the enemy.
- Bleed: A physical DoT that calculates part of its base damage depending on 8% of the target's max HP. Hence, enemies with larger HP pools will receive higher damage from bleed.
It's worth noting that some effects might appear to be DoTs but aren't classified as such in the game's mechanics. Freeze, Entanglement, and Imprisonment are not considered DoT effects.
Complexities of Wind Shear and Bleed
Wind Shear and Bleed are more complex than Shock and Burn:
- Wind Shear: It can accumulate itself, and the damage dealt is proportional to the number of stacks on the enemy. You can check the stacks by going through the enemy details in battle.
- Bleed: Its uniqueness lies in its connection to the target's Max HP, making it variable in effect. That's why Bleed will do more damage to high HP bosses.
The Exception to the Rule: Modifying DoTs
There are unique scenarios where DoTs can be modified or extended.
For example, the Direwolf can inflict 10 stacks of bleed. Expect the game to introduce more such exceptions as it evolves.
Understanding Normal and Break DoTs in Honkai: Star Rail
Normal DoTs: The Basics
Normal DoTs are applied through abilities, effects, or attacks that have a chance of inflicting a DoT of a specific element for a certain duration.
Here's what you need to know about them:
- Application: Some characters have abilities to inflict DoTs. For example, Sampo's talent enables him to inflict Wind Shear and stack it up to five times.
- Enhancement through Eidolons and Traces: Characters can gain additional ways to apply DoTs through Eidolons and unlockable traces. Asta's Ascension 2 passive allows her basic attack to apply burn.
- Special Cases: There are unique sources of DoT, such as blessings from the Simulated Universe that can provide an extra DoT source, broadening the synergy possibilities.
Factors Influencing Normal DoTs
- Application Chance: The likelihood of a DoT sticking to an enemy depends on the base chance and can be influenced by the Effect Hit Rate Stat (EHR). Enemies can have their debuff resistance stats, which can reduce this chance.
- Base Damage Multiplier: Typically scales with the unit's attack value.
- Damage Boosts: Normal DoTs are affected by specific damage boost types, such as elemental damage bonuses specific to the DoT's element, DoT-exclusive damage bonuses, and universal damage bonuses.
Break DoTs: A Different Approach
Break DoTs are distinct from normal DoTs in a few ways:
- Application through Breaking: Unlike normal DoTs, a break DoT can only be applied by breaking an enemy's toughness with a specific DoT element. Even characters without inherent DoT abilities can apply a DoT by breaking an enemy.
- Coexistence with Normal DoTs: Both normal and break DoTs from the same unit can coexist on an enemy. For example, if Sampo's Wind Shear is used to break a wind-weak enemy, both the normal and break Wind Shear will apply.
Factors Influencing Break DoTs
- Character Level: Determines the base damage of the DoT, with higher levels leading to higher base damage.
- Special Properties: Break DoTs have unique properties, such as break shock having a x2 multiplier for base damage, and break wind shear being able to apply multiple stacks.
- Break Effect Stats: These specifically affect DoTs coming from breaking the enemy's toughness and do not impact normal DoTs. The greater the break effect, the more damage the break DoT will do.
Common Factors for Both Normal and Break DoTs
- Enemy Defense and Resistance: The enemy's defense and elemental resistance stats are factored into calculating DoT damage. Applying debuffs that reduce these stats can amplify both non-DoT and DoT damage.
- Damage Vulnerability Effects: Certain debuffs can increase the damage received by the enemy, affecting both normal and break DoTs.
- Broken Multiplier: If an enemy is broken, it increases the damage dealt, affecting all forms of DoT. Unbroken enemies receive less damage overall.
- Enemy Level: Higher-level enemies usually have better stats, reducing the damage dealt to them. To counter this, players should ensure their units have higher levels, trace levels, and better-quality gear to match the enemy's stats.
- Non-Critical Nature of DoT: Unlike regular attack forms, all types of DoT, whether normal or break, cannot land critical hits. This distinctive trait sets DoT apart from other damage sources.
The Application Chance & The Effect Hit Rate (EHR) Stat
Let's explore more deeply the concepts of Base Chance, Effect Hit Rate (EHR), and Effect Resistance (Effect RES) in the context of Damage over Time (DoT) in Honkai: Star Rail.
These elements play a crucial role in determining whether a DoT effect will successfully apply to an enemy.
Base Chance
Base Chance refers to the likelihood that a particular DoT effect will stick to an enemy when applied. It is the starting point before other factors like EHR and Effect RES are taken into consideration.
Understanding the Base Chance of a DoT effect is essential as it gives players an initial idea of how likely a DoT is to apply. It sets the foundation for further modifications through other stats like EHR.
Effect Hit Rate (EHR)
EHR is a character's stat that represents the ability to successfully apply a DoT or other debuff to an enemy. It works in conjunction with Base Chance to determine the real chance of applying a DoT.
EHR increases the Base Chance of applying a DoT. A higher EHR means a higher likelihood that the DoT will stick to the enemy.
You should be mindful of the EHR when building a DoT-centric team. If the EHR is too low, DoT application may fail more often, reducing the effectiveness of DoT strategies.
Effect Resistance (Effect RES)
Effect RES is a stat possessed by enemies that represents their ability to resist DoT effects and other debuffs. It works in opposition to the Base Chance and EHR of the player's character.
Effect RES reduces the chance of a DoT being applied. The higher the enemy's Effect RES, the more difficult it becomes to apply DoTs to that enemy.
The final chance to apply a DoT is a calculated combination of Base Chance, EHR, and Effect RES. While Base Chance and EHR work to increase the likelihood of applying a DoT, Effect RES works to decrease it.
Conclusion: A Delicate Balance
The successful application of DoTs in Honkai: Star Rail depends on a careful balance between Base Chance, EHR, and Effect RES.
Players must understand how these factors interact to optimize their DoT strategies.
- Base Chance sets the groundwork for how likely a DoT is to apply.
- EHR can enhance this chance, making it a valuable stat for characters focused on applying DoTs.
- Effect RES represents the enemy's defense against these effects and can diminish the chance of successful application.
Breaking New Ground: The Potential of DoT Teams
The landscape of Damage over Time (DoT) teams in Honkai: Star Rail is entering an exciting new era with the introduction of Kafka and Luka.
These characters are a major step forward in expanding the potential of DoT strategies.
Strategic Considerations for Building DoT Units
- Evaluating Crit Importance: While building a DoT character, players must evaluate the importance of crit stats. If a unit's raw attacks are a significant damage source alongside DoT, crit stats might be valuable.
- Balancing Act: Players must find a balance between optimizing DoT effectiveness and maximizing the potential of other attacks that can crit. This may require a better understanding of the unit's abilities and potential playstyles.
- Crit as a Secondary Priority: Since crit doesn't affect DoT, it may become a secondary priority for pure DoT-focused units. Instead, you should focus other stats like attack or break effect that directly boost DoT performance.
Check out our Kafka and Luka guides for more info regarding team building with them!
Conclusion: Embrace the DoT Life!
DoT in Honkai: Star Rail is an exciting and complex game mechanic with immense potential.
Understanding the nuances can lead to successful strategies and an enhanced gaming experience.
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