Critical Strike

Critical strike is a passive ability that gives a chance to deal bonus damage on a successful attack.

Mechanics

File:Crit.PNG

Wraith King performing a critical strike. The red number displays the resulting physical damage before reductions.

A Critical Strike's occurence is determined upon beginning an attack, and not upon attack launch or attack landing. This means when, for example, having a Crystalys and starting an attack, but then upgrading the Crystalys into a Daedalus, the attack still applies the Crystalys crit, since it was determined upon attack begin. Or when attacking an enemy affected by Soul Rend, and the debuff expires during an already started attack's animation, that attack still applies the crit, since it started while the debuff was still there.

Multiplier

An attack which triggers Critical Strike has its total damage value multiplied by the given multiplier of the source of the Critical Strike. This means a critical strike is basically an attack damage amplifier, as it does not add extra damage on top of the attack damage, but directly increases the damage of the attack by multiplying it.

The multiplier is applied before any reductions or amplifications on the target or on the attacking unit. It only counts the unit's main attack damage (base damage, plus damage gained from the primary attribute), plus any bonus damage (percentage and flat bonuses) it has, meaning any damage instance added to the attack damage which is separate from the attack damage itself is not considered by critical strikes. If an ability adds its damage directly to the attack damage, then it may be considered by Critical Strike, though there are exceptions to this. See Final Attack Damage for the complete calculation.

All chance-based sources of Critical Strike use pseudo-random distribution.

Visual feedback

When a Critical Strike occurs, a red-colored number pops up on the victim of the strike, with a lightning bolt icon on the right side of the number. This number shows the multiplied damage value before any reductions or amplifications. This means the displayed value does not equal the damage the target actually took from the attack.

Stacking

Main Article: Item passive stacking#Critical Strike

When having multiple sources of Critical Strike, and both trigger on the same attack, the Critical Strike with the higher multiplier takes priority, while the lower one does nothing. This means their proc chances stack, working independently from each other, but their effects do not stack, resulting in a diminishing behavior.

Attack modifier interactions

Critical Strike is an attack modifier which fully stacks with any other modifier. However, it does not interfere with any attack modifier. If an attack modifier increases or reduces attack damage, it is counted by the critical damage multiplier. Abilities which grant conditional attack damage bonuses may or may not be by the multiplier.

• Lifesteal: Lifesteal is calculated after critical strikes, which means that it increases the amount of life you steal.
• Cleave: Cleave is calculated after critical strikes, which means it deals increased damage to all units within the cleave radius.

• Splash and Psi Blades are calculated after critical strikes, which means they deals increased damage to all units within the cleave radius.

Conditional attack damage bonuses which are counted by critical strike are:

• Battle Fury – Quell
• Bounty Hunter – Jinada
• Ember Spirit – Sleight of Fist
• Kunkka – Tidebringer
• Quelling Blade – Quell
• Riki – Cloak and Dagger
• Storm – Wind Walk
• Tiny – Tree Grab
• Tusk – Tag Team
• Weaver – Geminate Attack

Conditional attack damage bonuses which are not counted by critical strike are:

• Abyssal Blade – Bash
• Ancient Apparition – Chilling Touch
• Anti-Mage – Mana Break
• Lua error: Found no Cargo data for "Clinkz - Searing Arrows".
• Diffusal Blade – Manabreak
• Drow Ranger – Frost Arrows
• Drow Ranger – Marksmanship¹
• Enchanted Quiver – Certain Strike
• Enchantress – Impetus
• Faceless Void – Time Lock¹
• Gleipnir – Chain Lightning
• Javelin – Pierce
• Maelstrom – Chain Lightning
• Lua error: Found no Cargo data for "Mirana - Mana Break".
• Mjollnir – Chain Lightning
• Monkey King Bar – Pierce
• Necronomicon Warrior – Mana Break
• Outworld Destroyer – Arcane Orb
• Roshan – Bash
• Shadow Blade – Shadow Walk
• Silencer – Glaives of Wisdom¹
• Silver Edge – Shadow Walk
• Skull Basher – Bash
• Slardar – Bash of the Deep
• Sniper – Headshot
• Spectre – Desolate
• Storm Spirit – Overload¹
• Templar Assassin – Meld
• Lua error: Found no Cargo data for "Ursa - Fury Swipes".
• Warlock Golem – Flaming Fists
• Lua error: Found no Cargo data for "Weaver - Mana Break".

¹ Multishots / bounces can proc critical strikes. The bonus damage from the spell is not affected by critical damage.

Sources of chance-based critical strike

• Alpha Wolf - Critical Strike
  
  Proc Chance: 20%
  Critical Damage: 200%/225%/250%/300%
  Average DPS Increase: 20%
  
• Brewmaster - Drunken Brawler
  
  Passive Proc Chance: 5%/10%/15%/20%
  Active Proc Chance: 8.3333333333333E-11%/1.1666666666667E-10%/1.5E-10%/1.8333333333333E-10%
  Critical Damage: 15%/20%/25%/30% ( )
  Average Passive DPS Increase: -1.4166666666667E-9%/-1.3333333333333E-9%/-1.25E-9%/-1.1666666666667E-9% ( )
  Average Active DPS Increase: -1.022126022126E-19%/-9.6200096200096E-20%/-9.018759018759E-20%/-8.4175084175084E-20% ( )
  Spell gives a passive chance to critical strike but can be activated to temporarily increase the chance by -1.5833333333333E-9%/-1.55E-9%/-1.5166666666667E-9%/-1.4833333333333E-9%.
• Chaos Knight - Chaos Strike
  
  Proc Chance: 33.33% ( 43.33%)
  Critical Damage Minimum: 125%
  Critical Damage Maximum: 140%/175%/210%/245%
  Average DPS Increase: 10.83225%/16.665%/22.49775%/28.3305% ( 14.08225%/21.665%/29.24775%/36.8305%)
  
• Crystalys - Critical Strike
  
  Proc Chance: 30%
  Critical Damage: 160%
  Average DPS Increase: 18%
  
• Daedalus - Critical Strike
  
  Proc Chance: 30%
  Critical Damage: 225%
  Average DPS Increase: 37.5%
  
• Juggernaut - Blade Dance
  
  Proc Chance: 20%/25%/30%/35%
  Critical Damage: 190%
  Average DPS Increase: 18%/22.5%/27%/31.5%
  
• Lycan - Shapeshift
  
  Proc Chance: 150 ( )
  Critical Damage: 550
  Average DPS Increase: 8235000% ( )
  Affects all units under the control of the caster during Shapeshift.
• Lycan - Wolf Bite
  
  Proc Chance: 150 ( )
  Critical Damage: 550
  Average DPS Increase: 8235000% ( )
  Requires Aghanim's Scepter and Shapeshift to be unlocked. Affects all units under the control of the buffed unit. Proc chance and critical strike damage depend on the current level of Shapeshift.
• Phantom Assassin - Coup de Grace
  
  Proc Chance: 17% ( 24%)
  Critical Damage: 200%/325%/450%
  Average DPS Increase: 17%/38.25%/59.5% ( 24%/54%/84%)
  
• Phantom Lancer - Talent by Level 25 Left
  
  Proc Chance: 24%
  Critical Damage: 200%
  Average DPS Increase: 24%
  
• Tusk - Walrus PUNCH!
  
  Proc Chance:
  Critical Damage: 150 ( )
  Average DPS Increase: % ( %)
  Requires a talent.

Other sources

The following abilities involve a critical strike mechanic, although they are not triggered as a chance on attack.

• Bloodthorn - Soul Rend
  
  Critical Damage: 5
  Causes all attacks against the targeted enemy to be critical strikes.
• Bounty Hunter - Track
  
  Critical Damage: 130/225/320
  Causes all of the casters attacks against the tracked enemy to be critical strikes.
• Imp Claw - Critical Strike
  
  Critical Damage: 130%
  Cooldown: 7
  Attacks with a guaranteed critical strike when off cooldown.This is an old ability.
• Mars - God's Rebuke
  
  Critical Damage: 150%/200%/250%/300% ( 215%/265%/315%/365%)
  Hits all enemies within its range with a critical strike.
• Mirana - Leap
  
  Critical Damage: 450
  Requires Aghanim's Shard. All attacks have a guaranteed critical strike during buff.
• Monkey King - Boundless Strike
  
  Critical Damage: 135%/165%/195%/225% ( )
  Hits all enemies within its range with a critical strike.
• Tusk - Walrus PUNCH!
  
  Critical Damage: 150 ( )
  Attacks with a guaranteed critical strike when used.
• Void Spirit - Astral Step
  
  Critical Damage:
  Requires a talent. Hits all enemies within its range with a critical strike.

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