Critical hit

File:Critical Hit effect.jpg

A critical hit

A critical hit is a successful attack that deals additional damage, by negating 20 points of armor rating. In addition, player characters deal maximum damage with their weapons. Some skills, notably those with the keyword "critical" or "keen", improve the chances of criticals or depend on crits to trigger additional effects. Critical hits are especially important to Assassins, whose primary attribute, Critical Strikes increases both the chances and the benefits of critical hits.

A critical hit is indicated by a distinct hit sound and larger numbers in the graphical display. A lethal critical hit can be indicated by an even more menacing sound.

Game mechanics

Scoring a critical hit

The chance of scoring a critical hit depends on these factors:

• The target's level compared to the attacker's level.
• For martial weapons, the attacker's rank in the weapon's attribute.
• For assassins, their rank in Critical Strikes.
• Skills and active effects can improve or reduce the likelihood.
• For animal companions, the owner's Beast Mastery rank is the only factor.
• Moving targets always suffer critical hits when attacked from behind by a melee weapon.
• Spirit attacks can cause critical hits, but they don't deal extra damage. This is relevant for skills like Turtle Shell.

Damage

• As noted in the introduction, critical hits by players using weapons always deal maximum damage, making axes and hammers especially deadly. In addition, critical hits also do additional damage due to armor penetration. The exact formula is:

[maximum damage] * 1.414

Scythes do less damage (about [maximum damage] * 1.09).

Anomaly.Critical hits do not cause Animal companions and minions to hit for maximum damage, but they do get the same bonus factor (1.414...).

Comparison of combined effects

Critical hit chance is additive between skills, but multiplicative between the effects of base crit rate, Critical Strikes rank, and the combined effect of skills. The base crit rate depends on the weapon's mastery attribute and the levels of both the attacker and defender. This relationship is complicated, but if the attacker is level 20, base crit rate is always higher than the weapon's mastery attribute. If the defender is at least level 20, this rate roughly equals the weapon's mastery attribute (within 1).

Critical hit chance in % from Critical Strikes rank, Critical Eye, Way of the Assassin (WotA) and Way of the Master (WotM), ignoring base crit rate

Progression
Critical Strikes Critical Eye * Critical Strikes WotA * Critical Strikes (Critical Eye + WotA) * Critical Strikes WotM * Critical Strikes (Critical Eye + WotM) * Critical Strikes	0 3 5 8 3 6 1 5 8 11 6 9 2 6 10 15 8 13 3 8 13 18 11 16 4 10 16 21 14 19 5 11 18 25 16 23 6 13 21 28 19 26 7 15 24 31 22 29 8 16 26 34 24 33 9 18 29 38 27 36 10 20 32 41 30 39 11 21 34 44 32 43 12 23 37 48 35 46 13 24 39 51 38 49 14 26 42 54 40 52 15 28 45 58 43 56 16 29 47 61 46 59 17 31 50 64 48 62 18 33 53 67 51 66 19 34 55 71 54 69 20 36 58 74 56 72

Skills that cause criticals

Icon	Name	Description						Prof.	Attribute	Campaign
File:"Fear Me!".jpg	"Fear Me!"	Shout. (1...12...15 second[s].) You have +5...25...30% chance of a critical hit with melee attacks against stationary foes. Initial effect: nearby foes lose 2...5...6 Energy.	4	0	0	0044		warriora	TacticsZ	Prophecies
File:"Go for the Eyes!".jpg	"Go for the Eyes!"	Shout. (10 seconds.) Allies in earshot have +30...86...100% to land a critical hit with their next attack.	4	0	0	0		paragona	CommandZ	Nightfall
File:"Go for the Eyes!" (PvP).jpg	"Go for the Eyes!" (PvP)	Shout. (10 seconds.) Allies in earshot have +30...66...75% to land a critical hit with their next attack.	4	0	0	0044		paragona	CommandZ	Nightfall
File:Critical Eye.jpg	Critical Eye	Skill. (10...30...35 seconds.) You have +3...13...15% chance to land a critical hit. You gain 1 Energy whenever you land a critical hit.	0	055	0	03030		assassina	Critical StrikesZ	Factions
File:Critical Strike.jpg	Critical Strike	Dual Attack. Deals +10...26...30 damage. Automatic critical hit. You gain 1...3...3 Energy. Must follow an off-hand attack.	0	055	0	0066		assassina	Critical StrikesZ	Factions
File:Decapitate.jpg	Decapitate	Elite Axe Attack. Deals +5...65...80 damage. Inflicts Deep Wound condition (5...17...20 seconds). Automatic critical hit. If foe is killed, nearby foes are Weakened (8 seconds). You lose all adrenaline and Energy.	7	0	0	0		warriora	Axe MasteryZ	Nightfall

Related skills

Skills that increase the chance of critical hits

• File:"Fear Me!".jpg "Fear Me!" — (shout) +5...25...30% melee attacks on non-moving targets
• File:Critical Eye.jpg Critical Eye — (skill) +3...13...15%
• File:Siphon Strength.jpg Siphon Strength — (hex) +50% on target
• File:Way of the Assassin.jpg Way of the Assassin — (stance) +5...29...35%, if wielding daggers
• File:Way of the Master.jpg Way of the Master — (enchant) +3...27...33%, if wielding a non-dagger weapon
• File:"Go for the Eyes!".jpg "Go for the Eyes!" — (shout) +30...86...100%, (PvP) +30...66...75%

Skills that prevent critical hits

• Stoneflesh Aura — to user (does not prevent extra effects from 'on critical hit' skills)
• Stone Sheath — to user and target ally
• File:Armor of Unfeeling.jpg Armor of Unfeeling — to controlled spirits
• File:Dulled Weapon.jpg Dulled Weapon — from foe

Skills that benefit from critical hits

• Critical Chop — interrupt
• File:Disrupting Accuracy.jpg Disrupting Accuracy — interrupt, if using a bow
• File:Keen Arrow.jpg Keen Arrow — +5...21...25 damage
• File:Critical Agility.jpg Critical Agility — reapplies itself
• File:Critical Defenses.jpg Critical Defenses — reapplies itself
• File:Critical Eye.jpg Critical Eye — gain 1 energy
• File:Dark Apostasy.jpg Dark Apostasy — remove enchantment
• File:Way of Perfection.jpg Way of Perfection — gain 10...34...40 health
• File:Vicious Attack.jpg Vicious Attack — Deep Wound for 5...13...15 seconds
• File:"Find Their Weakness!" (PvP).jpg "Find Their Weakness!" (PvP) — Deep Wound
• Monster File:Stun on Critical Hit.jpg Stun on Critical Hit — Knock down

Other

• File:Balanced Stance.jpg Balanced Stance — prevents extra damage from critical hits

Notes

• Isaiah Cartwright posted an excel formula for base critical hits on his talk page.
  • The bonus factor of 1.414 is based on the square root of two, which is the amount of extra damage done by lowering armor by 20 points.
• Since melee attack hits to the back while moving always result in a critical, it is important to kite; simply running away can result in more damage than staying put.
• Critical hits do not target any specific armor piece, contrary to some users' belief.
• The Armor of Salvation consumable provides immunity to 50% of critical hits.
• The Holy Staff offered by the collector Saba Blackstone is the only weapon that decreases critical hit chance, by 5%.

See also

• Damage calculation