Lethality & Combat Stats Guide: Damage Formula, Stat Caps & Priority Calculator
Quick Summary: Lethality is the most misunderstood stat in Kingshot. It's NOT the same as Attack — it directly increases kill rate per hit. This guide breaks down how all combat stats interact, which ones have diminishing returns, and the optimal stat priority for every game mode.
Most Kingshot guides say "Lethality is important" without explaining WHY or HOW it compares to other combat stats. This guide provides the actual math behind how damage works, so you can make informed investment decisions instead of blindly following tier lists.
The Five Core Combat Stats
| Stat | What It Does | Source | Scalability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attack (ATK) | Increases damage dealt per hit | Gear, research, heroes | Linear |
| Defense (DEF) | Reduces incoming damage per hit | Gear, research, charms | Diminishing |
| Health (HP) | Total damage a troop can absorb | Charms, research, pets | Linear |
| Lethality | Increases KILLS per engagement (penetrates DEF) | Gear, research, widgets | Multiplicative |
| March Speed | Movement speed on the map | Research, heroes, items | Situational |
How Damage Actually Works
The combat damage formula in Kingshot follows this simplified model:
Effective Damage = (ATK × Troop Count × Skill Multiplier) - (DEF × Reduction Factor)
Kills per Round = (Effective Damage × Lethality Factor) / Enemy HP per Troop
Lethality Factor = 1 + (Lethality% / 100)
What this means in practice:
- ATK and troop count multiply together — more troops × more ATK = more damage
- DEF subtracts from incoming damage (with diminishing returns at high values)
- Lethality multiplies your KILL output, not your raw damage number
- HP determines how long your troops survive, giving them more rounds to deal damage
This formula is simplified. The actual in-game calculation involves hidden modifiers, skill interactions, and troop-type advantages. These numbers approximate behavior observed through testing but are not exact server-side values.
ATK vs Lethality: Why Lethality Wins
The critical distinction that most guides miss:
Attack (ATK): Increases damage dealt per hit. But damage alone doesn't kill troops — overkill damage is wasted. If your ATK deals 1000 damage to a troop with 500 HP, the extra 500 is wasted.
Lethality: Increases the number of troops killed per engagement. Lethality helps ensure that your damage is spread across MORE enemy troops, turning overkill into actual kills.
Example:
- 100% more ATK with 0% Lethality = bigger hits, but same kill pattern (overkill waste)
- 0% more ATK with 100% Lethality = same hit size, but kills significantly more troops per round
Result: Lethality has a multiplicative relationship with ATK. Equal percentage increases in Lethality produce MORE kills than equal percentage increases in ATK because ATK suffers from overkill waste.
Stat Priority by Game Mode
Different modes prioritize different stats:
| Game Mode | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Hunt | Lethality | ATK | March Speed | — | Pure DPS race, no defense needed |
| Rally Hosting | Lethality | ATK | HP | DEF | Kill speed determines rally success |
| Rally Joining | ATK | Lethality | — | — | Only troops + 1st hero skill contribute |
| KvK Open Field | HP | Lethality | ATK | DEF | Survival first, then kill speed |
| Garrison Defense | HP | DEF | ATK | Lethality | Survive the rally, outlast attackers |
| Arena PvP | Lethality | ATK | HP | DEF | Auto-battle — burst kills win |
| Mystic Trial | Varies by dungeon | — | — | — | See individual dungeon guides |
Defense: Diminishing Returns
Defense has a critical property that other stats don't: diminishing returns at high values.
| DEF Level | Damage Reduction | Marginal Gain |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | 0% reduction | — |
| +50% | ~33% reduction | High (★★★★★) |
| +100% | ~50% reduction | Good (★★★★☆) |
| +200% | ~67% reduction | Moderate (★★★☆☆) |
| +300% | ~75% reduction | Low (★★☆☆☆) |
| +500% | ~83% reduction | Minimal (★☆☆☆☆) |
Values are approximate based on observed combat behavior
Practical implication: Going from 0% to +100% DEF is huge (halves incoming damage). Going from +300% to +400% DEF barely changes anything. Once DEF hits ~200%, shift further investment to HP instead.
HP vs DEF: When to Invest
Understanding the HP-DEF relationship saves you from misallocating stats:
Invest in DEF when:
- Current DEF is below ~200% (still in the high-ROI range)
- You're building for garrison defense
- You're in Crystal Cave (charm DEF matters)
Invest in HP when:
- DEF is already above ~200% (diminishing returns)
- You're building for open-field PvP (need to survive burst)
- You want a universal improvement (HP has no diminishing returns)
Rule of thumb: Below 200% DEF, prioritize DEF over HP. Above 200% DEF, prioritize HP.
Stat Sources & Where to Get Them
| Stat | #1 Source | #2 Source | #3 Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATK | Hero Gear | Research | Hero Skills |
| DEF | Research | Governor Charms | Hero Gear |
| HP | Governor Charms | Research | Pets |
| Lethality | Hero Gear | Research | Widgets |
| March Speed | Research | Heroes (passive) | Items (temporary) |
Key insight: Lethality is hardest to get because fewer systems provide it. This scarcity is exactly why it's so valuable — every point of Lethality has outsized impact.
Practical Applications
Bear Hunt Stat Optimization
For Bear Hunt specifically:
- Stack Lethality on gear, research, and hero widgets
- ATK is secondary but still valuable
- DEF and HP are irrelevant (bear doesn't fight back)
- March Speed helps you rejoin rallies faster
See our Bear Hunt Guide for specific hero and formation recommendations.
KvK Stat Balance
For KvK open-field combat:
- Balance HP and DEF for survival (HP > DEF if DEF is above 200%)
- Lethality determines how many troops you kill per exchange
- ATK supplements Lethality for raw damage
- March Speed matters for reinforcement timing
See our KvK Preparation Playbook for complete KvK strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Lethality increases kills per engagement — it's multiplicative with ATK, not additive
- ATK suffers from overkill waste — damage beyond killing a troop is wasted
- Defense has diminishing returns above ~200% — shift to HP after that threshold
- Lethality is the scarcest stat — prioritize it because every point matters more
- Game mode determines priority order — Bear Hunt wants pure Lethality, garrison wants HP/DEF
- HP has no diminishing returns — it's the safest universal investment
For gear with Lethality stats, see our Gear Guide. For Lethality-boosting hero widgets, check our Widget System Guide.