Does Foetracer Stack with Surges in Destiny 2? A Deep Dive
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No, Foetracer’s damage bonus does not directly stack with surge mods like Solar Surge, Arc Surge, Void Surge, Stasis Surge, and Strand Surge in Destiny 2. While both Foetracer and surge mods increase your damage output, they operate independently, and their effects are calculated multiplicatively rather than additively.
Understanding Damage Stacking in Destiny 2
The world of Destiny 2 combat revolves around maximizing damage output. Understanding how different buffs and debuffs interact is crucial for optimizing your builds and conquering challenging content. Let’s delve into the nuances of damage stacking.
Additive vs. Multiplicative Damage Bonuses
The key to understanding whether Foetracer stacks with surges lies in differentiating between additive and multiplicative damage bonuses.
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Additive bonuses: These bonuses are added together before being applied to your base damage. For example, if you have two buffs that each provide a 10% additive damage bonus, the total bonus would be 20%.
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Multiplicative bonuses: These bonuses are multiplied together to determine the overall damage increase. If you have two buffs that each provide a 10% multiplicative damage bonus, the total bonus would be 1.1 * 1.1 = 1.21, resulting in a 21% damage increase.
Destiny 2’s damage calculation prioritizes multiplicative stacking. This means that different categories of buffs generally stack multiplicatively, resulting in more significant damage boosts than if they were added together. Foetracer and surge mods fall into different categories and thus interact multiplicatively.
How Foetracer Works
Foetracer is an exotic Hunter helmet that provides a damage bonus against targets that you have recently damaged with your abilities. This damage bonus is specifically a damage amplification buff. When you damage an enemy with your abilities, Foetracer marks that enemy and grants you increased weapon damage against the marked target. The magnitude of this bonus is around 10%, and it lasts for a short duration.
How Surge Mods Work
Surge mods, such as Solar Surge, Arc Surge, Void Surge, Stasis Surge, and Strand Surge, increase the damage of weapons that match your subclass element. These mods are applied to your armor and provide a damage buff for your weapons. The bonus provided by Surge mods stacks with other damage buffs but it is capped at 25% with 3 mods equipped.
The Interaction: Multiplicative, Not Additive
Since Foetracer provides a damage amplification bonus against marked targets and surge mods provide a damage buff to weapons matching your subclass element, they exist in distinct categories. Therefore, their damage bonuses stack multiplicatively, not additively. This is why Foetracer works very well with Surge mods. The Surge mods increase the base weapon damage, and Foetracer amplifies the damage against targets hit with abilities.
An Example Scenario
Let’s consider a scenario to illustrate this point:
- You are a Solar Hunter using Solar Surge mods on your legs, granting you a 25% damage bonus to Solar weapons.
- You damage an enemy with your Solar grenade, activating Foetracer and granting you a 10% damage amplification bonus against the marked target.
In this case, your Solar weapon damage would first be increased by 25% due to the Solar Surge mods. Then, against the marked target, the damage would be further amplified by 10% due to Foetracer. The total damage increase would be (1.25 * 1.10) = 1.375, resulting in a 37.5% increase in damage against the marked target.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Foetracer worth using with Surge mods?
Yes, absolutely! Although they don’t stack additively, the multiplicative interaction provides a significant damage boost, particularly against high-priority targets marked by Foetracer.
2. Which surge mod should I use with Foetracer?
The best surge mod to use depends on your subclass. If you use Arc subclass then you will need to use the Arc Surge Mod. Using a Surge mod that does not match your subclass will not provide any bonuses.
3. Does Foetracer’s damage bonus apply to all weapon types?
Yes, Foetracer’s damage bonus applies to all weapon types as long as the target is marked by your abilities.
4. How long does Foetracer’s damage bonus last?
The duration of Foetracer’s damage bonus is relatively short, but it’s enough to deal increased damage during critical moments in combat. The actual length is around 5-6 seconds and has a hidden cooldown.
5. Does Foetracer work in PvP?
Yes, Foetracer works in PvP, providing a damage bonus against opponents you’ve recently hit with your abilities. This can be useful for finishing off weakened enemies or gaining an edge in duels.
6. Does Foetracer work against bosses?
Yes, Foetracer works against bosses, making it a valuable exotic for increasing your damage output during boss encounters. The damage bonus can contribute to faster boss takedowns.
7. Can I stack multiple instances of Foetracer’s damage bonus by repeatedly hitting the same target with abilities?
No, Foetracer’s damage bonus does not stack with itself. The damage bonus is applied once when you damage an enemy with your abilities and refreshes the duration with each subsequent ability hit.
8. Are there any limitations to Foetracer’s damage bonus?
Foetracer’s damage bonus is primarily limited by its short duration and the need to consistently hit enemies with abilities to maintain the effect. Positioning yourself to effectively utilize the damage bonus against marked targets is crucial.
9. How does Foetracer compare to other damage-boosting exotics?
Foetracer is a consistent damage-boosting exotic that is easy to use with many builds. It does not have any complex activation requirements, and it also does not need the user to get a kill to activate it.
10. What abilities are best for proccing Foetracer?
Abilities with a wide area of effect or those that can quickly recharge are ideal for proccing Foetracer. This ensures that you can consistently apply the damage bonus to multiple targets.
11. How does the resilience stat interact with Foetracer?
Resilience helps reduce damage taken, allowing you to survive longer and consistently apply Foetracer’s damage bonus to marked targets. It doesn’t directly affect the damage output from Foetracer.
12. Does Foetracer work with weapon perks that increase damage?
Yes, Foetracer’s damage bonus stacks multiplicatively with weapon perks that increase damage, such as Rampage, Kill Clip, and Frenzy. This can lead to even higher damage output against marked targets.
13. Does Foetracer affect damage dealt by allies?
No, Foetracer’s damage bonus only applies to the damage dealt by the player wearing the exotic. It does not affect the damage output of allies.
14. Can Foetracer mark multiple targets simultaneously?
Foetracer can mark multiple targets simultaneously if you hit multiple enemies with your abilities. This can be useful for dealing increased damage to groups of enemies.
15. How can I optimize my build to make the most of Foetracer?
To optimize your build for Foetracer, focus on using abilities with high uptime and AoE, synergizing with your subclass and weapon element to maximize damage, and maintaining good positioning to consistently hit marked targets. Use mods that increase your ability regeneration to proc the exotic more often.