Does Death’s Dance Reduce True Damage? A Deep Dive
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The short answer is no, Death’s Dance does not directly reduce true damage. True damage, by its very definition in League of Legends, bypasses all forms of mitigation, including armor, magic resistance, and damage reduction. However, Death’s Dance interacts with true damage in a unique and complex way due to its passive effects. While it doesn’t lessen the amount of true damage you take initially, it can delay a portion of it, potentially giving you a window to survive or even turn the tide of a fight.
Death’s Dance’s primary function is to store a percentage of the damage you receive as a delayed true damage effect. This means that instead of taking all the damage upfront, a portion of it (30% for melee champions, 10% for ranged) is converted into a “bleed” that occurs over 3 seconds. This doesn’t reduce the total damage you eventually take, but it spreads it out, which can be crucial in many scenarios.
The key is understanding the difference between damage reduction and damage delaying. Death’s Dance doesn’t offer damage reduction against true damage, it alters when the damage is applied. This distinction is important for understanding the item’s strengths and weaknesses.
This delayed damage can synergize well with healing, shielding, and regeneration. Because the true damage is applied over time, you have more opportunities to heal it back up, effectively increasing your survivability. However, it also means that effects that trigger on taking damage, such as Sterak’s Gage or Gargoyle Stoneplate, might be less effective, as the initial hit doesn’t represent the full extent of the incoming damage.
Now, let’s explore some frequently asked questions to further clarify the interaction between Death’s Dance and true damage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Death’s Dance completely negate true damage?
No, Death’s Dance does not negate true damage. It only delays a portion of the post-mitigation damage you take, converting it into a true damage bleed over time. You will still eventually take the full amount of true damage.
If true damage bypasses armor, what does “post-mitigation” mean in Death’s Dance’s description?
The phrase “post-mitigation” refers to damage after any reductions applied before the damage becomes true damage. For example, if you have damage reduction from an ability or item, that will be applied before Death’s Dance stores its portion. True damage itself cannot be mitigated.
Does Death’s Dance’s heal work on the true damage it deals to me?
No, the heal on Death’s Dance (which triggers when an enemy champion dies shortly after you damage them) heals based on your bonus AD. It’s not directly related to the true damage that Death’s Dance applies to you.
How does Death’s Dance interact with shields against true damage?
Shields can absorb the true damage bleed applied by Death’s Dance if they are “regular” shields, meaning shields that absorb all types of damage. Magic and physical damage shields cannot block true damage bleed.
If building health is a counter to true damage, does Death’s Dance make building health more effective?
Yes, because Death’s Dance spreads the damage over time, it allows your health pool to be more effective. You have more time to regenerate or heal the damage back, making stacking health a better defensive strategy against burst true damage when you have Death’s Dance.
Does Death’s Dance work well against champions who deal consistent true damage?
Death’s Dance is less effective against champions who deal consistent true damage over a long period. The delayed damage is still helpful, but the item shines more against burst damage, as it gives you a window to react and potentially survive an otherwise lethal attack.
Does Death’s Dance’s damage storage affect damage calculations for other items?
Yes, the delayed damage can affect calculations for items that trigger based on damage taken, such as Sterak’s Gage. The item will not proc until the initial hit, plus any subsequent true damage over the next 3 seconds exceeds the threshold of 75% of your health.
Does the Death’s Dance passive stack if I buy multiple copies of the item?
No, item passives with the same name do not stack. Buying multiple Death’s Dances will not increase the amount of damage stored or the duration of the bleed.
Can the true damage bleed from Death’s Dance be cleansed or removed?
No, the true damage bleed cannot be cleansed or removed by most abilities or summoner spells. It is a persistent effect that will run its course over the 3-second duration.
Does Death’s Dance’s interaction with true damage change based on whether I’m a melee or ranged champion?
Yes, the percentage of damage stored differs. Melee champions store 30% of the damage taken, while ranged champions only store 10%. This is to balance the item’s effectiveness based on the increased risk melee champions face in close-quarters combat.
How does Death’s Dance interact with other sources of damage reduction?
Death’s Dance stores damage after other forms of damage reduction have been applied. For example, if you have 20% damage reduction from an ability, that reduction will be applied first, and then Death’s Dance will store a percentage of the remaining damage.
Is Death’s Dance a good item to build against a team with a lot of true damage?
It can be helpful, but it’s not a direct counter. Building health and focusing on sustain (healing and regeneration) are generally more effective strategies against true damage. Death’s Dance can complement these strategies by spreading out the damage and providing an opportunity to heal back the true damage over time.
Does Death’s Dance mitigate damage from true damage over time effects like Ignite?
No, it does not “mitigate” damage. Death’s Dance converts post-mitigation damage to a true damage bleed over time. Ignite already deals true damage, so there’s nothing to store and convert.
How does Death’s Dance affect Grit generation on Sett?
Each tick of true damage bleed from Death’s Dance is treated as separate instances of damage. This results in many small instances of grit generation for Sett.
What is the dance of death used for?
While this is related to the name of the item, the real-world “Dance of Death” is an allegorical concept. If you would like to know more about Games Learning Society, please visit the GamesLearningSociety.org website.