Enemy Critical Hit Rate

[Septimus]

Sorta related question, but can you surpass the 50% DMG reduction cap with Phalanx II? Like if you already have exactly -50% from gear, can Phalanx II take it to -70%?

Phalanx isn't a % so it will stack fine. Phalanx is just a set number.

A set number as in it reduces damage taken by a flat number N? If so, that might not be as useful as I thought against these bosses. Taking 20 damage off of 550 attack is kind of useless.

All mobs say "Mob scores a critical hit!" when they crit against you. Are you implying Nidhogg doesn't? If so, that's news to me.

Phalanx = (Enhancing magic skill / 10) - 2

Phalanx II = (Enhancing magic/25) +1 + (3 x MeritLv)

Current absolute maximum of Phalanx is 30 damage reduction. Current absolute maximum of Phalanx II is 22 damage reduction. Most people do not have the gear to get those kinds of numbers, so 27 and 21 are more reasonable estimates.

[Raineer]

Sorta related question, but can you surpass the 50% DMG reduction cap with Phalanx II? Like if you already have exactly -50% from gear, can Phalanx II take it to -70%?

Phalanx isn't a % so it will stack fine. Phalanx is just a set number.

A set number as in it reduces damage taken by a flat number N? If so, that might not be as useful as I thought against these bosses. Taking 20 damage off of 550 attack is kind of useless.

All mobs say "Mob scores a critical hit!" when they crit against you. Are you implying Nidhogg doesn't? If so, that's news to me.

Yes, Nidhogg does not. When he lifts his wings for mighty strikes, he just hits for critical numbers but it doesn't say crit in the log.

Sorry if I was wrong on Tiamat, like I said way too long since I seen a battle log.

Yeah Phalanx is best on MNK-type mobs/bosses. If it hits slow for large amounts it's not nearly as effective. I think I remember Phalanx II capping around 18, whereas the self-cast version can hit 30ish.

[Tordall]

My understanding is that Phalanx II is that it caps out at 25 hp off an attack, and that most rdms that you see using it will be reducing by more like 15 per attack.

Helps a ton with monk and pup type mobs, not so much for other things.

Someone did a nice calculation of how crit hit works (wish I bookmarked it).

The way it seems to go, is if the Atk/Def ratio is low, a critical hit can more than double your damage, but as your (or the mob hitting you) atk/def ratio gets better the added damage from a crit hit stays about the same.

E.g. a crit hit adds a lot more damage if the atk rating is low relative to the def of the target. If the atk is really high relative to the def of the target, it does almost nothing.

My guess is that for tiamat or other grand wyrms, crit hits won't add much damage over what he'ld hit you for anyway (maybe if you're at 999 def).

[cassiraa]

Does your parser have a "Defensive" parse in it yet? I would gladly parse on it and tell you, if you can add in filters for damage taken, crits taken, average damage taken, % hits blinked, all that fun stuff. It'd be nice to see some comparisons with other PLDs too.

[divisortheory]

Not yet, but soon.

[aurik]

Sorta related question, but can you surpass the 50% DMG reduction cap with Phalanx II? Like if you already have exactly -50% from gear, can Phalanx II take it to -70%?

Phalanx isn't a % so it will stack fine. Phalanx is just a set number.

A set number as in it reduces damage taken by a flat number N? If so, that might not be as useful as I thought against these bosses. Taking 20 damage off of 550 attack is kind of useless.

All mobs say "Mob scores a critical hit!" when they crit against you. Are you implying Nidhogg doesn't? If so, that's news to me.

Yes, Nidhogg does not. When he lifts his wings for mighty strikes, he just hits for critical numbers but it doesn't say crit in the log.

This indicates that he may not have the same mechanics for mighty strikes as normal crit. For example, perhaps his base damage is doubled instead of forcing a crit.

[Jeryhn]

Sorta related question, but can you surpass the 50% DMG reduction cap with Phalanx II? Like if you already have exactly -50% from gear, can Phalanx II take it to -70%?

Phalanx isn't a % so it will stack fine. Phalanx is just a set number.

A set number as in it reduces damage taken by a flat number N? If so, that might not be as useful as I thought against these bosses. Taking 20 damage off of 550 attack is kind of useless.

All mobs say "Mob scores a critical hit!" when they crit against you. Are you implying Nidhogg doesn't? If so, that's news to me.

Yes, Nidhogg does not. When he lifts his wings for mighty strikes, he just hits for critical numbers but it doesn't say crit in the log.

This indicates that he may not have the same mechanics for mighty strikes as normal crit. For example, perhaps his base damage is doubled instead of forcing a crit.

This is pretty much the conclusion I came to. His physical and magical attack power is probably just increasing and people call it "Mighty Strikes" because it does more damage and has a 2HR animation.

Animations don't really mean anything in this game, other than the fact that something is "happening". Good example: Titan and Ramuh have Bloodpacts that are both called Stone II and Thunder II, but they're not casting black magic, and both Bloodpacts are equal in power instead of doing tiered damage. Garuda's Aero II also has an animation for one of the Aeroga spells.

[cassiraa]

Sorta related question, but can you surpass the 50% DMG reduction cap with Phalanx II? Like if you already have exactly -50% from gear, can Phalanx II take it to -70%?

Phalanx isn't a % so it will stack fine. Phalanx is just a set number.

A set number as in it reduces damage taken by a flat number N? If so, that might not be as useful as I thought against these bosses. Taking 20 damage off of 550 attack is kind of useless.

All mobs say "Mob scores a critical hit!" when they crit against you. Are you implying Nidhogg doesn't? If so, that's news to me.

Yes, Nidhogg does not. When he lifts his wings for mighty strikes, he just hits for critical numbers but it doesn't say crit in the log.

This indicates that he may not have the same mechanics for mighty strikes as normal crit. For example, perhaps his base damage is doubled instead of forcing a crit.

Which begs the question: has he ever had a REAL crit during his wing-up stance?

And if you get hit for 200 a hit, Phalanx II is still like giving the PLD a Defending Ring. Still very useful.

[Kaylia]

Which begs the question: has he ever had a REAL crit during his wing-up stance?

And if you get hit for 200 a hit, Phalanx II is still like giving the PLD a Defending Ring. Still very useful.

I'm almost certain it can still crit over its "cheated" crit.

[Moochi]

Nidhoggs defence like doubles too when he 2hs. You hit for shit.

[Kalendor]

Phalanx II = (Enhancing magic/25) +1 + (3 x MeritLv)

Current absolute maximum of Phalanx is 30 damage reduction. Current absolute maximum of Phalanx II is 22 damage reduction. Most people do not have the gear to get those kinds of numbers, so 27 and 21 are more reasonable estimates.

I'm confused, how do you get 21 from this formula (unless RDM reach 500 enhancing magic O.o)

I'm assuming they get about 250 enhancing magic, so that would be 12 total with one merit?

[Swatt]

275 enhance sounds about right

275/25 + 1 + (3 x 3) = 21

[Kalendor]

Definitely worth to merit that one to max O.O

I misunderstood what Sept meant before (and my math was wrong too lol)

[Suiram]

My understanding for what goes on in Nidhogg's wings-up mode is that all his base attributes--STR, VIT, etc--are increased. Perhaps stuff like Attack and Defense and Evasion are increased as well, or it could just be the side-effect of an increase in the corresponding attribute, I'm not sure. It's definitely not a true Mighty Strikes, and I don't think it even says "Nidhogg uses Mighty Strikes", just that it's what people have come to call it.

[Septimus]

[quote=cassiraa]

Sorta related question, but can you surpass the 50% DMG reduction cap with Phalanx II? Like if you already have exactly -50% from gear, can Phalanx II take it to -70%?

Phalanx isn't a % so it will stack fine. Phalanx is just a set number.

A set number as in it reduces damage taken by a flat number N? If so, that might not be as useful as I thought against these bosses. Taking 20 damage off of 550 attack is kind of useless.

All mobs say "Mob scores a critical hit!" when they crit against you. Are you implying Nidhogg doesn't? If so, that's news to me.

Yes, Nidhogg does not. When he lifts his wings for mighty strikes, he just hits for critical numbers but it doesn't say crit in the log.

This indicates that he may not have the same mechanics for mighty strikes as normal crit. For example, perhaps his base damage is doubled instead of forcing a crit.

Which begs the question: has he ever had a REAL crit during his wing-up stance?

And if you get hit for 200 a hit, Phalanx II is still like giving the PLD a Defending Ring. Still very useful.[/quote:3ba7b]

Useful, maybe. But not always MP efficient.

[divisortheory]

It's definitely not a true Mighty Strikes, and I don't think it even says "Nidhogg uses Mighty Strikes", just that it's what people have come to call it.

I was just about to ask this lol. I've always wondered why people said Nidhogg uses Mighty Strikes, I've done this fight oodles of times and never seen the message. I guess that clears it up, he doesn't use Mighty Strikes at all, just goes into a strong mode.

[Raineer]

It's definitely not a true Mighty Strikes, and I don't think it even says "Nidhogg uses Mighty Strikes", just that it's what people have come to call it.

I was just about to ask this lol. I've always wondered why people said Nidhogg uses Mighty Strikes, I've done this fight oodles of times and never seen the message. I guess that clears it up, he doesn't use Mighty Strikes at all, just goes into a strong mode.

Not debating that but we always assumed it was MS since the tanks in my old shell would tell me every swing was a crit since they never actually got crit during wings-up-mode, ever (back in PLD/WAR days, you would know)

Definately his stats go up though, since nuking is reduced as well as melee accuracy.

[Kirschy]

He uses SP animation, but there's no text in the log. He just puts wings up and gains a resistance to melee/magical attacks, while gaining a considerable boost to attacks. PLD in my ls relates it to the effect of boost. (ie; Yorva.)

[Khamsin]

Sorta related question, but can you surpass the 50% DMG reduction cap with Phalanx II? Like if you already have exactly -50% from gear, can Phalanx II take it to -70%?

Yes, but only in a very specific situation.

If you are taking 105 damage (unmodified) per hit, and the RDM has 275 enhancing skill, and you have the cap of -50% damage reduction, then yes... Phalanx II will take it to -70%.

[divisortheory]

Sorta related question, but can you surpass the 50% DMG reduction cap with Phalanx II? Like if you already have exactly -50% from gear, can Phalanx II take it to -70%?

Yes, but only in a very specific situation.

If you are taking 105 damage (unmodified) per hit, and the RDM has 275 enhancing skill, and you have the cap of -50% damage reduction, then yes... Phalanx II will take it to -70%.

lol. Sorry, that was before I knew Phalanx was a flat number.