Critical hit

Critical hit.

A critical hit, also known as a critical strike, critical, or crit, is a mechanic that multiplies the direct damage of an attack. The chance of a critical hit is determined by the precision attribute and any bonuses to critical chance such as from fury or from certain skills and traits. Critical hits deal 150% damage by default, and this multiplier, known as critical damage, can be increased by the ferocity attribute. Some effects trigger specifically after a critical strike, including some from traits, sigils, or runes as listed below. Critical hit damage is displayed in larger text than ordinary damage and is highlighted with a red splash.

Only direct damage, not Condition Damage, can be a critical hit.

Formula

The expected average damage output is determined by the following formula:

Average damage = Base damage * ( 1 - Critical Chance ) + Base damage * ( Critical Chance * Critical Damage )

Re-factored, this simplifies to:

Average damage = Base damage * ( 1 + Critical Chance * ( Critical Damage - 1 ) )

Example: given a critical chance of 25% and critical damage of 180%, average damage output is 20% greater than normal.

Average damage = base * ( 1 + 0.25 * ( 1.8 - 1 ) ) 
               = base * ( 1 + 0.25 * 0.8 )
               = base * 1.2

Related skills

Healing skills that cause critical damage

•   Arcane Brilliance — Arcane. Blast the area, hitting foes with critical damage and healing yourself. Healing effectiveness is increased per target hit.

Utility skills that cause critical damage

•   Arcane Blast — Arcane. Blast your foe with energy for critical damage.
•   Arcane Power — Arcane. You and nearby allies do critical damage with your next few attacks. Each stack of Arcane Power grants bonus ferocity.
•   Arcane Wave — Arcane. Blast foes in the target area with an energy wave for critical damage.

Skills with special conditions that cause critical damage

•   Holographic Shockwave — Create a deadly holographic shockwave that launches foes upward. This attack always deals a critical hit. (from Photon Forge)

Related traits

See also: Critical Chance#Related traits, Critical Damage#Related traits

Traits that trigger on critical hits

•  Empowering Might — Grant might to nearby allies when you critically strike.
•  Radiant Fire — Gain Zealot's Flame when you critically hit an enemy. Burning you inflict has increased duration, and your torch skills gain reduced recharge.
•  Vigorous Precision — Gain vigor when you critically strike.
•  Ambush Commander — When you critically strike, or attack your enemies from behind or their flanks, you'll inspire yourself with Kalla's fervor. Gain access to Citadel Order abilities.
•  Endless Enmity — Gain fury when you critically strike a foe below the health threshold.
•  Axe Mastery — Gain ferocity. Gain additional ferocity for each axe you are wielding. Axe skills gain reduced recharge and grant adrenaline when critically striking.
•  Forceful Greatsword — Gain power and a chance to gain might on critical strike. Double these bonuses while wielding a greatsword or spear. Greatsword and spear skills recharge faster.
•  Furious — Critical hits grant bonus adrenaline and gain a stacking condition damage effect.
•  Sundering Burst — Burst skills inflict vulnerability if they hit and inflict additional vulnerability if the attack is a critical hit. Can only occur once per interval per target for multihit burst skills.
•  Bloodlust — You have a chance to inflict bleeding on critical hits, and bleeds that you apply last longer.
•  King of Fires — Increase the duration of burning you apply. Gain fire aura when you critically hit an enemy. Berserker skills detonate fire aura, damaging and burning nearby foes.
•  Bunker Down — Create a proximity mine and med kit at your location when you critically hit with an attack.
•  Incendiary Powder — Burning you inflict lasts longer, and your critical hits inflict burning.
•  No Scope — Critical hits on foes within the range threshold have a chance to grant fury. Fury grants you ferocity.
•  Sharpshooter — Critical hits have a chance to cause bleeding.
•  Potent Ally — You and your pet each grant might to the other when critically striking a foe.
•  Sharpened Edges — You and your pet have a chance to cause bleeding on critical hits.
•  Invigorating Precision — You are healed for a percentage of outgoing critical-hit damage. This healing is increased while you are under the effects of fury.
•  No Quarter — Landing a critical hit while under the effects of fury increases the duration of fury. Gain increased ferocity while under the effects of fury.
•  Arcane Precision — Your critical strikes have a chance to inflict a condition based on your attunement.
•  Burning Precision — Burning you inflict has increased duration and your critical hits gain a chance to inflict burning.
•  Fresh Air — Recharge air attunement on a critical hit. Gain a ferocity boost when attuning to air.
•  Renewing Stamina — Gain vigor when you critically strike a foe.
•  Raging Storm — Critically striking a foe grants fury. Gain ferocity while under the effects of fury.
•  Critical Infusion — Gain vigor when delivering a critical hit.
•  Sharper Images — Illusions inflict bleeding on critical hits.
•  Barbed Precision — Critical hits have a chance to cause bleeding. Increases bleed duration.
•  Weakening Shroud — Cast Lesser Enfeeble when entering shroud. Critical hits inflict weakness.
•  Chilling Nova — Critical hits against chilled foes cause an explosion that chills adjacent foes.

Traits with effects that cannot score critical hits

•  Glacial Heart — Mighty Blow becomes Glacial Blow. Chill and damage foes that you disable. Disables include stun, daze, knockback, pull, knockdown, sink, float, launch, taunt, and fear.
•  Shattered Aegis — When an aegis you applied blocks an attack, it unleashes a Mystic Rebuke.
•  Loss Aversion — Removing boons from a foe deals damage and gives you adrenaline.
•  Thermal Release Valve — Dodge rolling vents heat as an attack against nearby foes. (Attack will not occur without heat.)
•  Mug — Deal damage and gain life when stealing. This attack cannot critically hit enemies.
•  Impacting Disruption — Enemies that you interrupt suffer a pulmonary impact. This trait can only affect enemies with defiance bars once per interval.
•  Earthen Blast — Damage and cripple nearby foes when attuning to earth. Also triggers on overload skills.
•  Sunspot — Gain a fire aura, and damage nearby foes when you attune to fire. Also triggers on overload skills.
•  Power Block — Interrupts deal damage and inflict weakness. Enemy skills that you interrupt have an increased cooldown. Cannot increase recharge of skills with no recharge or skills on creatures with defiance bars. This trait can only damage enemies with defiance bars once per interval.
•  Weakening Shroud — Cast Lesser Enfeeble when entering shroud. Critical hits inflict weakness.
•  Chill of Death — Cast Lesser Spinal Shivers on a foe when attacking them while their health is below the threshold.
•  Spiteful Spirit — Strike around you when entering shroud.
•  Chilling Nova — Critical hits against chilled foes cause an explosion that chills adjacent foes.

Traits that trigger when critically hit

•  Spiked Armor — Gain retaliation when you block or are struck by a critical hit. Retaliation gives you damage reduction.
•  Soothing Ice — Gain regeneration and frost aura when critically hit.

Traits that nullify critical hits on yourself

•  Stone Heart — You cannot be critically hit while attuned to earth.

Related upgrade components

Upgrade components that trigger effects on critical hits

• Sigil of Air — cause a Lightning Strike
• Sigil of Blood — cause life stealing
• Sigil of Earth — cause  Bleeding
• Sigil of Fire — cause a Flame Blast for AoE Damage
• Sigil of Generosity — transfer a condition
• Sigil of Strength — gain  Might
• Superior Sigil of Blight — cause an area poison attack
• Superior Sigil of Nullification — remove a Boon
• Superior Sigil of Rage — gain  Quickness
• Superior Sigil of Torment — apply AoE torment
• Superior Sigil of Water — heal allies around you

Average damage increase

The table below shows the average increase in damage from critical hits based on the chance to hit critically (rows) and the bonus Critical Damage from that attribute (columns). For example: if your critical chance is 20% and your critical damage is 155%, the 1.110 means that, over time, you will end up doing 11% more damage than if both attributes were zero.

Critical Damage → Critical Chance ↓	150	155	160	165	170	175	180	185	190	195	200	205	210	215	220	225	230	235	240	245	250
5%	1.025	1.028	1.030	1.033	1.035	1.038	1.040	1.043	1.045	1.048	1.050	1.053	1.055	1.058	1.060	1.063	1.065	1.068	1.070	1.073	1.075
10%	1.050	1.055	1.060	1.065	1.070	1.075	1.080	1.085	1.090	1.095	1.100	1.105	1.110	1.115	1.120	1.125	1.130	1.135	1.140	1.145	1.150
15%	1.075	1.083	1.090	1.098	1.105	1.113	1.120	1.128	1.135	1.143	1.150	1.158	1.165	1.173	1.180	1.188	1.195	1.203	1.210	1.218	1.225
20%	1.100	1.110	1.120	1.130	1.140	1.150	1.160	1.170	1.180	1.190	1.200	1.210	1.220	1.230	1.240	1.250	1.260	1.270	1.280	1.290	1.300
25%	1.125	1.138	1.150	1.163	1.175	1.188	1.200	1.213	1.225	1.238	1.250	1.263	1.275	1.288	1.300	1.313	1.325	1.338	1.350	1.363	1.375
30%	1.150	1.165	1.180	1.195	1.210	1.225	1.240	1.255	1.270	1.285	1.300	1.315	1.330	1.345	1.360	1.375	1.390	1.405	1.420	1.435	1.450
35%	1.175	1.193	1.210	1.228	1.245	1.263	1.280	1.298	1.315	1.333	1.350	1.368	1.385	1.403	1.420	1.438	1.455	1.473	1.490	1.508	1.525
40%	1.200	1.220	1.240	1.260	1.280	1.300	1.320	1.340	1.360	1.380	1.400	1.420	1.440	1.460	1.480	1.500	1.520	1.540	1.560	1.580	1.600
45%	1.225	1.248	1.270	1.293	1.315	1.338	1.360	1.383	1.405	1.428	1.450	1.473	1.495	1.517	1.540	1.563	1.585	1.608	1.630	1.653	1.675
50%	1.250	1.275	1.300	1.325	1.350	1.375	1.400	1.425	1.450	1.475	1.500	1.525	1.550	1.575	1.600	1.625	1.650	1.675	1.700	1.725	1.750
55%	1.275	1.303	1.330	1.358	1.385	1.413	1.440	1.468	1.495	1.523	1.550	1.578	1.605	1.633	1.660	1.688	1.715	1.743	1.770	1.798	1.825
60%	1.300	1.330	1.360	1.390	1.420	1.450	1.480	1.510	1.540	1.570	1.600	1.630	1.660	1.690	1.720	1.750	1.780	1.810	1.840	1.870	1.900
65%	1.325	1.358	1.390	1.423	1.455	1.488	1.520	1.553	1.585	1.618	1.650	1.683	1.715	1.748	1.780	1.813	1.845	1.878	1.910	1.943	1.975
70%	1.350	1.385	1.420	1.455	1.490	1.525	1.560	1.595	1.630	1.665	1.700	1.735	1.770	1.805	1.840	1.875	1.910	1.945	1.980	2.015	2.050
75%	1.375	1.413	1.450	1.488	1.525	1.563	1.600	1.638	1.675	1.713	1.750	1.788	1.825	1.863	1.900	1.938	1.975	2.013	2.050	2.088	2.125
80%	1.400	1.440	1.480	1.520	1.560	1.600	1.640	1.680	1.720	1.760	1.800	1.840	1.880	1.920	1.960	2.000	2.040	2.080	2.120	2.160	2.200
85%	1.425	1.468	1.510	1.553	1.595	1.638	1.680	1.723	1.765	1.808	1.850	1.893	1.935	1.978	2.020	2.063	2.105	2.148	2.190	2.233	2.275
90%	1.450	1.495	1.540	1.585	1.630	1.675	1.720	1.765	1.810	1.855	1.900	1.945	1.990	2.035	2.080	2.125	2.170	2.215	2.260	2.305	2.350
95%	1.475	1.523	1.570	1.618	1.665	1.713	1.760	1.808	1.855	1.903	1.950	1.998	2.045	2.093	2.140	2.188	2.235	2.283	2.330	2.378	2.425
100%	1.500	1.550	1.600	1.650	1.700	1.750	1.800	1.850	1.900	1.950	2.000	2.050	2.100	2.150	2.200	2.250	2.300	2.350	2.400	2.450	2.500

Player chatter

When a character hits a foe with a critical hit, they will occasionally shout out one of the following lines, depending on their race and gender.

Race	Gender
	Male	Female
Asura	I've beaten you, but you don't know it yet. For the record: you've been struck!	How does that feel? Excruciating? Maximum pain! I've got a lesson to teach you.
Charr	Oh, that had to hurt.	Feel the pain! Did that hurt?
Human	There's one to remember me by. Oh, that had to hurt.	Hurts, doesn't it? You'll be feeling that one for days. BAM!
Norn	HAH! Extra damage!
Sylvari	Take that!	Give up yet?

Anomaly:

Characters will sometimes shout upon receiving a critical hit from an enemy.

Notes

• As stated above, Condition Damage cannot critically strike.
  • Consequently, condition damage gains no benefit from precision or critical damage modifiers.
• A character's chance of critical cannot become higher than 100%.

See also

• Fury
• Critical Chance
• Precision
• Critical Damage
• Glancing
• Miss

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Attributes

Primary	Power	Precision Critical Chance
	Toughness Armor	Vitality Health
Secondary	Concentration Boon Duration	Condition Damage	Expertise Condition Duration
	Ferocity Critical Damage	Healing Power
Profession	Guardian	Warrior
	Engineer	Ranger	Thief
	Elementalist	Mesmer	Necromancer
Special	Agony Resistance	Gold Find	Karma Gain
	Magic Find	XP Gain