Ever wondered how do relics effects synergizes with weapon upgrades or why daggers takedown ability is not affected by heavy crit% ?
Intro & General Case
As you may already know, relics are divided in 6 categories (Paths), each line representing a Path (small tip : if you want to recognize relics effects a bit more quickly, notice that they are themed for each Path, Honor [Inner Fire] being rocks and gems for example). Then it is divided in three main columns :
- Action relics, that requires doing attacks to trigger them
- Boost relics, that boosts the unique effect of its category (you need to have one relic from said category to be able to roll them)
- Duo relics, that will allow to trigger a unique effect from a second category (you need to have one relic from both categories)
We’ll only talk about action relics here, the other ones being pretty straightforward.
These action relics are functioning on Attack instances, and they can only be triggered once per instance, no matter how many times you hit the same enemy or how many enemies you hit within the same Attack instance (exception for Path of Malice [Critical Hits], which apply to every damage done by said Attack instance).
There are 4 types of Attack instances :
- Light Attacks
- Heavy Attacks
- Ability Attacks
- Special Attacks
Attack instances are not Damage instances, dealing heavy damage does not mean there has been an Heavy Attack instance ! For example, Abilities are NOT Light/Heavy Attack instances despite dealing light or heavy damage.
Specials Attacks are attacks that we’ll rarely encounter, usually triggered by weapon upgrades, and that do not belong to the other 3 categories, but triggers 4th column relics effects (see below).
Action relics are divided in 4 columns :
- 1st column of relics only work on the next successful instance of attack
- 2nd column relics only applies to Light Attack instances
- 3rd column relics only applies to Heavy Attack instances
- 4th column relics are triggered by using the Ability, applies to the succeeding Ability Attack instance (if there is one), and any other Attack instance for the next 3s
On this last column, inner fire and %chance of dropping orbs states “up to”, meaning there’s some (shady) ratio applied to each different instance of Attack (upgrades doesn’t seem to affect the ratios)
Quick Example :
Let’s say i’m using staff with scattering + bouncing orbs, with epic thorn of martyr (Light Attacks have 24% chance to spawn coop power orb on hit).
When using a Light Attack, the game will first roll if yes or no this attack will drop a coop orb, then if one of my orbs from this attack hits an enemy (may i fail to hit with 11 of my 12 orbs), it will drop the coop orb.
If i am using crit chance on Light Attacks, all of my orbs will be able to crit.
In this case where weapon upgrades does not create new Attack instances but inherits from the characteristics of the attack that triggered it, we’ll say it extends the Attack (which is the case for most upgrades)
Weapon & Upgrades specificities
- Bow
- Recalling arrows is NOT an extension of any attack (unaffected by 2nd and 3rd column), but an Ability Attack instance (only one, no matter the number of arrows recalled).
- Auto Recall follow this rule, but doesn’t trigger the activation of 4th column relics per se. Each automatically recalled arrow is a new instance of Ability Attack (meaning that you might want to cast your ability every 3s if using any 4th col relic, and potentially cancel its animation with a dash)
- Double Shot and Piercing Arrows extend Heavy Attacks
- Sword
- Shockwave is a Special Attack instance
- Successful parry is an Ability Attack, not a Heavy Attack
- Daggers
- Reminder that Takedown is NOT a Heavy Attack, it also does not work with Mortal Slashes upgrade
- Staff
- Scattered and Bouncing orbs extends attacks
- Outburst is not a Heavy Attack instance
- Lethargy DoT is not an instance, nor part of one
- Crossbows
- Each shot from the light attack is an Attack Instance
- Heavy Attack chain is considered as multiple Heavy Attack instances (with very low ratio on 4th column relics if any), meaning 1st column relics will work only on initial hit, even though it is considered a single attack for Dash Combo
- Every upgrade extends attacks
- Hooks
- Riposte IS a Heavy Attack instance
- Famished IS a Heavy Attack instance (only one, not three)
- Scepter
- Ability DoT is not an instance nor part of one
- Gust of Spheres is 3 Light Attack instances (yes, this synergizes extremely well with action relics) – except for blast and missiles
- Radiating Echo is an Ability Attack instance per wave held
- Astronomical Sphere extends Heavy Attack, but reverted (will only proc “on hit” when released)
- Endless Blindness, Fissured Spheres extend Attacks
- Glaive
- Master of Flow extends Light Attack
- Measured is an Ability Attack