Decoding Damage in League of Legends: A Comprehensive Guide

Damage in League of Legends is the primary mechanic by which champions interact offensively, reducing each other’s health points (HP). When a champion’s HP reaches zero, they are defeated, unless a specific ability or effect prevents it. Damage comes in three main types: physical, magical, and true, each interacting differently with a champion’s defensive stats. Understanding these interactions is crucial for maximizing your effectiveness and outplaying your opponents.

The Three Pillars of Pain: Damage Types Explained

Physical Damage

Physical damage is the most common damage type, primarily inflicted by auto attacks and certain abilities. It’s mitigated by the target’s armor. The more armor a champion has, the less physical damage they take.

• Armor and Damage Reduction: The relationship between armor and damage reduction isn’t linear. As armor increases, the percentage of physical damage reduced decreases. A champion with 100 armor doesn’t reduce physical damage by 100%; instead, the reduction is calculated as Armor / (Armor + 100).

• Armor Penetration: Several items and abilities grant armor penetration, which reduces the effective armor of the target. Armor penetration can come in two forms: flat armor penetration (reducing a fixed amount of armor) and percentage armor penetration (reducing a percentage of the target’s armor). Percentage armor penetration is applied before flat armor penetration.

Magical Damage

Magical damage is primarily inflicted by champion abilities and is mitigated by the target’s magic resistance. Similar to armor, magic resistance reduces incoming magical damage, with the same diminishing returns.

• Magic Resistance and Damage Reduction: Magic resistance and damage reduction follow the same formula as armor: Magic Resistance / (Magic Resistance + 100).

• Magic Penetration: Similar to armor penetration, magic penetration reduces the effective magic resistance of the target. It also comes in flat and percentage forms, with percentage penetration being applied before flat penetration.

True Damage

True damage is the purest form of damage in League of Legends. It ignores armor and magic resistance, dealing a fixed amount of damage directly to the target’s HP. It is affected only by Damage Amplification and Reduction, which are relatively rare.

• The Power of Ignoring Defenses: True damage is exceptionally potent against tanky champions with high armor and magic resistance, as it bypasses their defenses entirely. However, it is also effective against squishy champions.

• Sources of True Damage: Common sources of true damage include champion abilities, summoner spells (like Ignite), and certain item passives (like the Guinsoo’s Rageblade on-hit effect).

Damage Calculations: Putting It All Together

Calculating damage in League of Legends can seem daunting, but the core principles are relatively straightforward. Here’s a simplified overview:

1. Base Damage: Abilities typically have a base damage value.
2. Scaling: Abilities often scale with champion stats like attack damage (AD), ability power (AP), or bonus health.
3. Damage Type Determination: Each ability deals either physical, magical, or true damage.
4. Defensive Calculations: Physical and magical damage are reduced by the target’s armor and magic resistance, respectively. True damage bypasses these resistances.
5. Damage Amplification and Reduction: Certain abilities or items may amplify or reduce the damage dealt.

The Strategic Importance of Damage

Understanding damage types and calculations is crucial for several strategic aspects of League of Legends:

• Champion Selection: Choosing champions with different damage profiles (physical, magical, true) can provide a balanced team composition and make it harder for the enemy to build effective defenses.
• Itemization: Building items that grant armor penetration or magic penetration allows you to cut through enemy defenses and maximize your damage output.
• Target Prioritization: Focusing on targets with low resistances can be a good way to maximize damage output.

Damage is a core aspect of League of Legends, and understanding how it works is essential for mastering the game. By learning about the different damage types, defensive stats, and damage calculations, you can make informed decisions that will help you win more games.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does “Last Stand” increase true damage?

No, Last Stand does not increase true damage. True damage ignores incoming damage reduction (e.g., Exhaust) and incoming damage amplification (e.g., Last Stand) unless specifically stated otherwise.

2. Do shields block true damage?

Yes, shields can absorb true damage. Shields effectively act as extra health and will absorb any type of damage, including true damage, until the shield’s capacity is depleted.

3. How do buffs work in League of Legends?

Buffs in League of Legends enhance various champion attributes, such as health, mana, attack damage, and ability power. Most buffs are temporary and can be lost upon death. They can significantly impact a champion’s effectiveness.

4. What is the most impactful role in League of Legends?

While opinions vary, the jungle is often considered the most impactful role. A skilled jungler controls the map, secures objectives, and influences lanes through ganks, making them a key determinant of success.

5. What is the difference between true damage and physical damage?

Physical damage is mitigated by the target’s armor, while true damage ignores armor and magic resistance entirely. This makes true damage especially effective against heavily armored targets.

6. Does armor reduce tower damage?

Yes, armor affects turret damage. Turrets have some armor penetration, but a champion’s armor will still reduce the damage they take from turret attacks.

7. Who takes towers the fastest in League of Legends?

Champions like Nasus, Veigar, Jax, and Tryndamere are known for their tower-taking ability. Nasus and Veigar’s scaling damage buffs from abilities combined with auto attacks leads to very fast tower taking. Jax and Tryndamere are both known for their consistent auto attack and ability to withstand damage.

8. Does red buff slow in League?

Yes, the red buff applies a debuff that slows the target’s movement speed and deals bonus true damage over time. The slow is more potent for melee champions compared to ranged champions.

9. How much damage does red buff do in League of Legends?

The red buff applies bonus true damage over time, specifically dealing 8 + (2 * champion level) damage per tick, twice over three seconds.

10. What is the most toxic rank in League of Legends?

The most toxic rank in League of Legends is often cited as Gold 1, where players are close to reaching Platinum and may become frustrated, leading to increased toxicity.

11. What is the top weak side in League of Legends?

The “weak side” is often the top lane, where the jungler spends less time ganking. Top laners on the weak side must often fend for themselves and play more defensively.

12. Why do League tanks do so much damage?

Tanks can deal significant damage due to their extended survivability, allowing them to stay in fights longer and continuously deal damage. Some tank items also provide damage scaling.

13. Who is strongest level 1 in League of Legends?

Darius is one of the strongest champions at level 1 due to his ability to quickly stack Hemorrhage on opponents, inflicting damage, and his Apprehend (E), which allows for pulling targets in close and slowing them.

14. How to beat true damage in League of Legends?

While true damage cannot be directly mitigated, you can increase your maximum health to reduce the percentage of your health lost per instance of true damage. Shields also effectively negate true damage.

15. What is dmg in League of Legends?

DMG stands for damage, referring to the reduction of a unit’s health as a result of an offensive interaction or damage event. It’s displayed as a red section on a champion’s health bar.

If you are interested in learning more about the intersection of games and education, be sure to visit Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. Damage is a core mechanic in League of Legends, and understanding its nuances is key to success. Mastery of damage leads to more victories on the Rift.