About Attack Type and Damage Type

[Kuberr24]

I understand the different types of Attack Type, but the only thing I don't see is how "spell" and "magic" is any different. Is it basicly the same, regarding you do not temper with any gameplay constant? Or does Spell dmg does no damage to spell immune targets where as magic damage does?

Then, about the "damage type"; there's over 20 types of damage but they don't really seem to do anything, what do they do?


What happens when you use weird combinations like siege - poison? is it siege, is it poison, will the unit be slowed/damaged over time?

Also the combination, "magic - pure". magic gets reduced by some armors, but pure doesn't. what happens then?

Thx!

 

[Nexor]

I think damage types would be a not finished project of blizzard to make things complicated( like some damagetypes will be better against some enemies)

 

[Sajberhippie]

I understand the different types of Attack Type, but the only thing I don't see is how "spell" and "magic" is any different. Is it basicly the same, regarding you do not temper with any gameplay constant? Or does Spell dmg does no damage to spell immune targets where as magic damage does?

Both magic and spell damage is stopped by spell immunity. One very easily seen difference though, is that the graphics on the UI of spell attacks is the same as for "normal" attack (the sword) and I think it's tied to it even with custom interface. The magic attack is the blue missile icon.
Also, I think they might treat ethereality different, and maybe "spell damage reduction". I think the Magic Defense skill or whatever it's called (it's like Defend but against magic attacks) doesn't work with spell attacks.

Then, about the "damage type"; there's over 20 types of damage but they don't really seem to do anything, what do they do?

What happens when you use weird combinations like siege - poison? is it siege, is it poison, will the unit be slowed/damaged over time?

Also the combination, "magic - pure". magic gets reduced by some armors, but pure doesn't. what happens then?

Thx!

I think they do nothing unless there's some way of using them in triggers. I don't think they take armor into consideration at all.

 

[Jimpy]

Its a rock-paper scissors effect where piercing does bonus dmg to some types (unarmored), reduced to others (Heavy, hero, fortified/building). All of the types do more or less damage to some targets, or are unable to hit others.

Some of the types have similarities like magic attack type, and magic as in spell damage. The difference is certain abilities/items/armor classes give different resistances to both.

For example heroes are not effected by spells durations for as long as regular units, and ethereal units take bonus damage from spells, and magic damage types. (Pretty sure on the ethereal bit there, but I might be wrong)


As for double attack types, take the night elf Dryad units attack. Its piercing, but has a poison effect - it counts as both essentially. However if it is attacking a building/magic immune unit/non-organic unit, the poison is not effective, and it just counts as straight piercing.

Its not really both, it just has a second option in case the first type doesn't hit properly.



Also in some units cases like the Chimaera, it has two attacks, with different attack types. (Seige and magic)

 

[Undead Me]

Spell and Magic are different. Spell damage is what spells do. E.G. flamestrike does spell damage every second. Meanwhile Magic is simply an attack type, like pierce. E.G. Sorceress attacks for 9 magic damage.

I believe that spell does full damage to all armor types, but about 70% to heroes, 10% to divine, and 166% to Ethereal.

Magic as I recall is like 150% (Or maybe even more) to Large, 80% (Or less) to Medium, Higher than 100% to Light, about 100% to Unarmored, about 70% to heroes, 50% or less to fortified, 10% to Divine, and 166% to ethereal.

Both are blocked by Spell Immunity in most cases. However, most ultimate spells and a few others ignore Spell Immunity. And Magic can be specially set to.

Pure damage is, as its name suggests, free from all that stuff. It just does the damage you tell it to, no ifs, ands, or buts

By damage types do you mean things like Missile, Instant, Missile Splash, Missile Line, Artillery? Those determine a few other things about your attack. For example choosing either Missile Splash or Artillery will enable the splash damage stats of an attack to take effect, however Artillery also gives you the Attack Ground option. Instant basically ignores projectile travel time. Understanding that, I think the rest is pretty simple.


No matter what your attack type, passive spells like slow poison will work in my experience. HOWEVER, some damage types are incompatible with some buff placer / orb effects. For example, a unit dealing Splash damage may not poison, even if it is supposed to. On the other hand, it can still bash its primary target.