Can someone please explain how a +attack buff actually affects combat?

[noobsqoou]

All the official wiki says is that it affects the amount of damage you do, but it doesn’t explain HOW it affects it. I want to know where exactly within the damage calculation it falls.

 

[Bawby]

Like food? I assumed it added the amount of damage to the minimum and maximum of the weapon. Like, a sword does 20-25 damage, with food it does like 23-28.
Rings would take the percentage of that weapon and add to the weapon's base damage.
Again, that's an assumption. Ones like @imnvs and @FilthyGorilla are good with numbers and knowledgeable with the ins and outs of things like this, so I'd be interested in hearing from them or anyone else if I'm wrong.

 

[noobsqoou]

Like food? I assumed it added the amount of damage to the minimum and maximum of the weapon. Like, a sword does 20-25 damage, with food it does like 23-28.
Rings would take the percentage of that weapon and add to the weapon's base damage.
Again, that's an assumption. Ones like @imnvs and @FilthyGorilla are good with numbers and knowledgeable with the ins and outs of things like this, so I'd be interested in hearing from them or anyone else if I'm wrong.

Yeah I would normally assume just a straight damage bonus but that seems weird, considering it would have a diminishing contribution the more base damage your weapon deals. If it’s anything like what food bonuses do for fishing, then I would assume it increases your combat level, but I’m not even sure what it means to have combat 3 vs combat 8 (aside from the lvl5 and lvl10 skill options and all the unlocks).

 

[Bawby]

From what I gather, combat level is not affected by buffs.
According to the Wiki every combat level is 5 more HP, only levels 5 and 10 boosts HP further.

 

[MogBeoulve]

According to Salmence's combat video, each +1 attack buff from food adds 3 damage to each hit. I have not tested this or seen anyone else cite this relationship; maybe someone can do some testing?

 

[Albino Chipmunk]

The attack buff adds a flat amount of damage to your weapon. Each level adds 3 damage to the total damage. So magic rock candy would add a flat 15 damage since it provides 5 levels of attack.

If you're wondering how this is added. It's added after damage rings are calculated.

Lets use bone sword as an example and we deal the max damage possible. We would have two iridium bands along with the buff from magic rock candy and the fighter > brute profession route.
Max damage of bone sword is 30.
Two iridium bands increase damage by 20% and is multiplicative.
Fighter and brute increase damage by 10% and 15% similar to iridium bands. Both are calculated separately
Magic rock candy adds a flat 15 damage since it provides 5 attack levels.

---------

Rings go first We have iridium bands which increase damage by 20%. Calculated as 30 * 1.2 = 36

Then attack buff from magic rock candy is added. 36 + 15 = 51

Fighter goes in. 51 * 1.1 = 56.1 (Truncated to 56)

Brute is calculated last. 56 * 1.15 = 64.4 (truncated down to 64)

Total damage dealt is 64

 

[Bawby]

The attack buff adds a flat amount of damage to your weapon. Each level adds 3 damage to the total damage. So magic rock candy would add a flat 15 damage since it provides 5 levels of attack.

If you're wondering how this is added. It's added after damage rings are calculated.

Lets use bone sword as an example and we deal the max damage possible. We would have two iridium bands along with the buff from magic rock candy and the fighter > brute profession route.
Max damage of bone sword is 30.
Two iridium bands increase damage by 20% and is multiplicative.
Fighter and brute increase damage by 10% and 15% similar to iridium bands. Both are calculated separately
Magic rock candy adds a flat 15 damage since it provides 5 attack levels.

---------

Rings go first We have iridium bands which increase damage by 20%. Calculated as 30 * 1.2 = 36

Then attack buff from magic rock candy is added. 36 + 15 = 51

Fighter goes in. 51 * 1.1 = 56.1 (Truncated to 56)

Brute is calculated last. 56 * 1.15 = 64.4 (truncated down to 64)

Total damage dealt is 64

Nice! Critical chance was analyzed similarly to what you did in the Wiki, but I could never find anything about numbers on damage. Thanks!

 

[FilthyGorilla]

Nice! Critical chance was analyzed similarly to what you did in the Wiki, but I could never find anything about numbers on damage. Thanks!

Damage related stuff generally goes rings->everything else like forges/buffs->professions

 

[noobsqoou]

The attack buff adds a flat amount of damage to your weapon. Each level adds 3 damage to the total damage. So magic rock candy would add a flat 15 damage since it provides 5 levels of attack.

If you're wondering how this is added. It's added after damage rings are calculated.

Lets use bone sword as an example and we deal the max damage possible. We would have two iridium bands along with the buff from magic rock candy and the fighter > brute profession route.
Max damage of bone sword is 30.
Two iridium bands increase damage by 20% and is multiplicative.
Fighter and brute increase damage by 10% and 15% similar to iridium bands. Both are calculated separately
Magic rock candy adds a flat 15 damage since it provides 5 attack levels.

---------

Rings go first We have iridium bands which increase damage by 20%. Calculated as 30 * 1.2 = 36

Then attack buff from magic rock candy is added. 36 + 15 = 51

Fighter goes in. 51 * 1.1 = 56.1 (Truncated to 56)

Brute is calculated last. 56 * 1.15 = 64.4 (truncated down to 64)

Total damage dealt is 64

Thanks a ton for the in-depth explanation!

Unfortunately, this seems to confirm my fear: it’s a decent buff for early game combat but basically a complete waste for anything beyond that. I’d love to see it redone to add something like +5% damage per +1 attack, so it naturally scales with the player’s progress.