DAMAGE FORMULA
Complete Guide to Multipliers, Inflictions & DPS Optimization
Last updated: 2026-02-18
Understanding Damage Calculation
Damage in Arknights Endfield follows a multiplicative formula rather than additive. This means stacking different types of multipliers is far more effective than stacking the same type. Understanding this system is crucial for maximizing your team's damage output.
Damage = ATK × BaseMultiplier × MultiplierGroup × Critical × Amp × Stagger × Finisher × Link × Weaken × Susceptibility × IncreasedDMGTaken × DMGReduction × Protection × Defense × Resistance
01 Attack Calculation
Your character's Attack stat forms the foundation of all damage. The formula accounts for base attack, weapon attack, percentage bonuses, flat bonuses, and attribute scaling.
Complete Attack Formula
ATK = ((OperatorATK + WeaponATK) × %Bonuses + FlatBonuses + SpecialBonuses) × AttributeBonus
Attribute Scaling Bonus
Your primary and secondary attributes provide additional Attack bonuses through the AttributeBonus formula:
AttributeBonus = 1 + (0.005 × Primary) + (0.002 × Secondary)
- Primary Attribute: Grants 0.5% bonus per point
- Secondary Attribute: Grants 0.2% bonus per point
Attack Bonus Types
- Percentage Bonuses: Scale with base ATK, more valuable in late game
- Fixed/Flat Bonuses: Add a static amount regardless of base ATK
- Special Bonuses: From specific talents or effects
02 Complete Damage Formula
The complete damage formula multiplies all factors together. Understanding each component helps you optimize your team composition and gear choices.
Damage = ATK × BaseMultiplier × MultiplierGroup × CriticalMultiplier × AmpMultiplier × StaggerMultiplier × FinisherMultiplier × LinkMultiplier × WeakenMultiplier × SusceptibilityMultiplier × IncreasedDMGTakenMultiplier × DMGReductionMultiplier × ProtectionMultiplier × DefenseMultiplier × ResistanceMultiplier
Base Multiplier
From skill nodes and status effects. Includes modifiers for Physical statuses (Crush, Breach, Lift, Knock Down), Arts Burst, and Arts Reactions. Also includes a HiddenMultiplier based on operator level.
Multiplier Group
1 + Σ DamageBonuses. Anything listed as "DMG Bonus" or "DMG Dealt" from gear, weapons, and talents. This is typically your largest source of additive multipliers.
Critical Multiplier
1 + CritDMG if critical, otherwise 1. Base CRate is 5%, base CDMG is 50%. Note: DoT (Damage over Time) cannot crit.
Amp Multiplier
1 + Σ AmpBonuses. Anything listed as "Amp" (Heat Amp, Electric Amp, Cryo Amp, Nature Amp). Note: Physical teams don't have access to Amp.
Stagger Multiplier
1.3x if target is staggered, 1x otherwise. Attacks against staggered enemies deal significantly more damage—save your burst skills for stagger windows.
Finisher Multiplier
Based on enemy tier: 1x (Common), 1.25x (Advanced), 1.5x (Elite/Alpha), 1.75x (Boss). Only one Finisher can trigger per Stagger.
Link Multiplier
1 + LinkBonus if Link is active. Link stacks up to 4 times: Battle Skills grant 30/45/60/75%, Ultimates grant 20/30/40/50%.
Weaken Multiplier
∏ (1 − WeakenEffect). A debuff effect that reduces damage dealt by the affected enemy. Currently only accessible through Catcher and some talents.
Susceptibility Multiplier
1 + Σ SusceptibilityEffects. Debuffs that increase damage taken by the enemy. Extremely valuable for team composition.
Increased DMG Taken
1 + Σ IncreasedDMGTakenMultiplier. Anything that increases damage the enemy takes. Most accessible through Electrification, Breach, and operator talents.
DMG Reduction
∏ (1 − DMGReductionEffects). Multiplicative reduction from debuffs on the enemy. Does not stack additively.
Protection
1 − max(ProtectionEffect). Buff that reduces damage taken. Doesn't stack—only the strongest effect applies.
03 Elemental Amplification
Each Arts element (Heat, Electric, Cryo, Nature) has its own amplification multiplier. These are among the strongest multipliers in the game but require specific team compositions to utilize.
| Element | Amp Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heat | Heat Amp | Increases Combustion damage and Heat damage |
| Electric | Electric Amp | Boosts Electrification reaction damage |
| Cryo | Cryo Amp | Enhances Solidification and Freeze damage |
| Nature | Nature Amp | Powers Corrosion damage over time |
Arts Intensity Multiplier
Arts Intensity directly multiplies your Arts Reaction damage. Found on weapons and some gear.
ArtsIntensityMultiplier = 1 + (ArtsIntensity / 100)
At 100 Arts Intensity, your Reactions deal double damage (2x multiplier). This stat is particularly valuable for teams that rely on frequent elemental reactions.
04 Arts Inflictions
Arts Inflictions are elemental stacks that enemies accumulate. Understanding how to apply and maintain these stacks is fundamental to Arts team damage.
How Inflictions Work
- Each element can stack up to 4 times on an enemy
- Infliction stacks appear next to the enemy's health bar
- Applying the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stack triggers an Arts Burst
- Arts Bursts deal additional damage of the corresponding element
Common Infliction Sources
Arts Bursts
Every Infliction stack past the first triggers an Arts Burst - an extra hit of damage. This is separate from Reactions and happens automatically. Some equipment can buff Arts Burst damage, making characters who apply multiple stacks quickly even more valuable.
05 Arts Reactions
Arts Reactions occur when you apply a different element to an enemy that already has an Arts Infliction. These are the core of Arts team damage.
Combustion (Heat Reaction)
Triggered by applying Heat to an enemy with Cryo, Electric, or Nature Infliction. Deals initial burst damage plus damage over time for 10 seconds. The DOT does not snapshot and scales dynamically with buffs.
Corrosion (Nature Reaction)
Triggered by applying Nature to an enemy with another Infliction. Applies a powerful damage over time effect that can stack. Gilberta is a key character for enabling this reaction.
Electrification (Electric Reaction)
Triggered by applying Electric to an enemy with a different Infliction. Chains damage to nearby enemies and provides utility through interrupt potential. Perlica is the primary enabler.
Solidification (Cryo Reaction)
Triggered by applying Cryo to an enemy with another Infliction. Freezes smaller enemies and slows larger ones. Some characters gain bonuses when attacking Frozen targets.
Shatter
Occurs when hitting a Solidification-frozen enemy with Physical damage. Deals burst Physical damage and breaks the frozen state. Combines well with Physical teams that can apply Cryo first.
06 Physical Status System & Base Multipliers
Physical damage operates on a different system than Arts, focusing on Vulnerable stacks and status effects. Each status effect has a specific BaseMultiplier formula.
Base Multiplier Formulas
Lift/Knock Down: 1.2
Crush: 1.5 + 1.5 × VulnerableStacks
Breach: 0.5 + 0.5 × VulnerableStacks
Arts Burst: 1.6
Arts Reaction: 0.8 + 0.8 × InflictionStacks
Shatter: 1.2 + 1.2 × CryoInflictionStacks
Combustion (DoT): 0.12 + 0.12 × HeatInflictionStacks
Hidden Multiplier
An additional multiplier based on operator level that applies to Physical Status, Arts Burst, and Arts Reactions:
Physical: 1 + ((Level − 1) / 392)
Arts Burst/Reaction: 1 + ((Level − 1) / 196)
Vulnerable Stacks
Physical attacks apply Vulnerable stacks (max 4). These stacks are consumed by status effects to trigger their effects. More stacks = stronger effects.
Crush
Formula: (1.5 + 1.5 × VulnerableStacks) × HiddenMultiplier
Consumes ALL Vulnerable stacks for high Physical burst damage. At 4 stacks: 7.5x base multiplier. Best for immediate burst against single targets.
Breach
Formula: (0.5 + 0.5 × VulnerableStacks) × HiddenMultiplier
Consumes ALL Vulnerable stacks to reduce the enemy's Physical defense. While it doesn't deal immediate damage, the defense reduction benefits your entire team's Physical damage output.
Lift
Formula: 1.2 × HiddenMultiplier
Applies another Vulnerable stack, deals Physical damage, and lifts smaller enemies into the air. Great for crowd control and building stacks quickly.
Knock Down
Formula: 1.2 × HiddenMultiplier
Similar to Lift but knocks enemies down instead. Provides crowd control while building Vulnerable stacks for your team to consume.
07 Link & Susceptibility
These multipliers come from team support and debuffs, providing significant damage amplification.
Link Multiplier
Some characters (like Lifeng) can apply Link to enemies. When linked, damage dealt by the linked character to the enemy is amplified. Link is particularly powerful in coordinated team rotations but only applies to one attack per use, making it more niche for burst teams.
Battle Skills: 30/45/60/75% (1-4 stacks)
Ultimates: 20/30/40/50% (1-4 stacks)
Susceptibility (Increased Damage Taken)
Debuffs like Arts Susceptibility or Physical Susceptibility increase the damage the enemy takes from those sources. Ardelia can apply both, making her invaluable for any team composition.
Weaken
Reduces the damage dealt by the affected enemy. Currently only accessible through Catcher and some operator talents. Very valuable for content where enemy attacks are threatening.
Corrosion
Applied by Gilberta or other Nature sources, Corrosion increases damage the enemy takes. It works synergistically with other debuffs to maximize damage amplification.
08 Defense & Resistance
Defense and Resistance reduce incoming damage. Understanding these mechanics is crucial for optimizing damage against different enemy types.
Defense Multiplier
When DEF >= 0: 100 / (DEF + 100)
When DEF is less than 0: 2 - (0.99^-DEF)
All Operators have 0 base Defense. All enemies have 100 base Defense. Negative Defense (from Breach) significantly increases damage taken.
Resistance Multiplier - Operators
Physical: 100 − (100 / (AGI × 0.001 + 1))
Arts: 100 − (100 / (INT × 0.001 + 1))
Higher AGI reduces Physical damage taken, higher INT reduces Arts damage taken.
Resistance Multiplier - Enemies
Enemy resistance is listed as letter grades in the database:
- D: 1.0x (full damage)
- C: 0.8x (20% reduction)
- B: 0.5x (50% reduction)
Corrosion can reduce enemy Resistance: ResistanceMultiplier = Base + CorrosionEffect / 100
Corrosion Formula
CorrosionEffect = Base × (1 + (2 × ArtsIntensity) / (ArtsIntensity + 300))
Base values: 3.6–12 (1 stack), 4.8–16 (2 stacks), 6.0–20 (3 stacks), 7.2–24 (4 stacks). Base increases gradually over 10 seconds to maximum. Duration is 15 seconds and can be refreshed without overriding current value.
09 Practical Optimization Tips
For Physical Teams
- Stack Vulnerable quickly with characters like Chen Qianyu
- Use Crush for burst, Breach for sustained damage
- Combine with Cryo for Shatter potential
- Focus on finishers during Stagger windows
For Arts Teams
- Apply Inflictions before Reactions for maximum damage
- Build Arts Intensity for stronger Reactions
- Use Electric for AoE, Nature for DoT
- Layer multiple debuffs for multiplicative gains
General Tips
- Different multiplier types multiply together
- Same multiplier types add then multiply
- Finishers are huge damage spikes - build around them
- Save burst skills for Stagger windows
Stat Priorities
- ATK% for general damage scaling
- Elemental Amp for Arts teams
- Crit Rate + Crit Damage for consistent DPS
- Arts Intensity for Reaction-focused teams
10 Video Sources
The following YouTube videos were used as reference material for compiling this guide:
-
How to Maximize Your Damage in Arknights Endfield
Covers the complete damage formula including multiplier groups, base multipliers, crit multipliers, elemental amps, stagger multipliers, link multipliers, and susceptibility mechanics.
-
The BEST Guide to Elements & Damage in Arknights: Endfield
Comprehensive breakdown of Arts Inflictions, Arts Reactions (Combustion, Corrosion, Electrification, Solidification), Physical Statuses (Vulnerable, Crush, Breach, Lift, Knock Down), and Shatter mechanics.
Note: This guide compiles information from community sources. Game mechanics may change with updates.