Skill Damage Equation[]
For skills based on DEF or SPD or MAX HP or what-have-you, replace "TotalAttack * Multiplier" with the appropriate Multiplier damage term as seen in the monster's page.
Also remember there are leader bonuses, glory buildings, buffs, debuffs; and that this equation yields the maximum amount of raw damage capable of being dealt. In most cases, it will be reduced by the target's defense; and sometimes modified by other effects such as the branding debuff, damage reduction passive abilities, etc.
Here is proof that the skill up damage is in the same term as the critical damage. Yes, it's weird.
Defense Damage Reduction Equation[]
This yields a value between 0 and 1; the raw damage dealt is multiplied by this factor to find actual damage received.
Displaying the value this way makes it easy for us to think about it, "my monster will only receive xx% of the damage dealt."
Here is data. Also, note that for Ignore Defense attacks, defense = 0, damage is still reduced down to about 87.7%. Yes, it's weird.
Weighted Stats Constant[]
For example, every natural 3-star monster has stats which add up to 1812. (Rounded off.)
HP/15 is also referred to as CON, or Constitution, for example in the datamined PvE Unit Info.
For proof, see this table of monster stats.
Balance between Attack Power, Crit Rate, and Crit Damage[]
Critical Rate versus Critical Damage[]
What should you rune on slot 4? CR or CD? For your average, normal, boring, attack-type unit, you've got to Crit before you can deal Crit Damage! It doesn't make much sense to have only 15% Crit Rate but a whopping 180% Crit Damage, right? Or massive 98% Crit Rate but a measly 50% Crit Damage? Where's the balance point?
In the long run (PvE), average damage is given by the combination of critical and non critical hits (for the sake of simplicity, discounting glancing and crushing hits).
Substituting, and making that more concise,
So at what point will raising Crit Rate by 1% raise the average damage more than raising Crit Damage by 1%? It's when d(dmg)/d(cr) = d(dmg)/d(cd), or in this case,
CD = CR
Therefore, average damage will be highest when they are equal. Whichever is lower, raise that one. Since Crit Damage starts at 50% already, you need to attain 50% Crit Rate first before you should consider raising Crit Damage. If you can get good Crit Rate from substats and Blade rune sets, well and good. If you need to use Crit Rate on slot 4, then do that. (Also remember Crit Rate rune goes up to 58% but Crit Damage goes to 80%.)
Since Crit Rate caps at 100% (remember to account for leader skills, buffs, attribute advantage, and whether or not you're comfortable relying on those things), once you attain 100% Crit Rate, then you can feel good about raising Crit Damage beyond 100% also.
You've got to Crit in order to deal Crit Damage! :)
Attack Power versus Critical Rate[]
Is it better to raise Attack Power, or Critical Rate?
For damage dealers, it's always Crit Rate. Always Crit Rate. Always, until you reach 100% CR. Proof involves the same simple calculus as in the previous section, but is left as an exercise for the reader.
For healers that heal based on Attack Power, or attackers that plant Bombs, go ahead and prioritize Attack Power. Some monsters, like Seara, get benefit from both Crit Rate (skill one) and Attack Power (bomb from skill two). Use your best judgment.
Attack Power versus Critical Damage[]
Once you've reached Crit Rate = 100%, or close enough that you're satisfied with ignoring non-crits; then to attain the maximum damage dealt by a Critical Hit, Attack Power and Critical Damage values should be equal.
For example, if your runes & towers & whatnot have raised your Attack Power by 140% over base value, and Critical Damage is also 140%, that will give more damage on a Critical Hit compared to 120% ATK and 160% CD values.
If the monster's skills include damage increases, those should be added to the CD value. For example, Lushen's skill three: Amputation Magic improves by 30% with skill ups, then his balance would change from, in the previous example, 140% ATK and 140% CD, to ideally 155% ATK and 125% CD.
For proof, see this reddit article entitled Guide: ATK or CD for your substats.
Attack Bar, Attack Speed, and clock ticks[]
- Main article: Attack Bar
For each clock tick, every monster's Attack Bar rises by 7% of its Attack Speed.