Arknights Endfield How to Read Combat Logs and Damage Numbers Effectively
Damage numbers in Arknights Endfield are a live readout of how well your team, elements, and stagger windows are working, and the combat log helps you see why hits do what they do. If you know what to look for, you can fix low damage and optimize builds quickly instead of guessing.
Understanding Damage Colors and Types
Endfield uses different colors and visual styles for Physical and Arts damage, plus extra effects when enemies are staggered or hit by reactions. Physical hits build Vulnerable stacks, while Heat, Electric, Cryo, and Nature apply Arts Inflictions that can trigger Combustion, Electrification, Corrosion, or Solidification for bonus numbers.
Staggered or debuffed enemies take more damage, which shows up as higher numbers during that window compared to your baseline hits. When you see sudden spikes, that usually means you hit during Stagger, triggered a reaction, or consumed Vulnerable stacks with a finisher.
Basics of What Affects Your Damage Numbers
Each damage instance is shaped by your skill multiplier, total attack, enemy defense and resistance, and “damage taken” bonuses like Stagger and debuffs. Elements also layer on hidden multipliers through Art Bursts and reactions, meaning two hits with the same ATK can show different numbers depending on the reaction state.
Community testing has found that staggered enemies take about 30% more damage, and enemy resistance grades (like D, C, B) change how much of your damage gets through. This is why you’ll see dramatically lower numbers on some tanky targets until you stack debuffs or break their Stagger bar.
How to Read the Combat Log for Real Insight
When available, the combat log (or damage breakdown in guides and recordings) tells you which skills and elements are actually carrying fights. Look for patterns like which operator has the highest total damage, which skills show the biggest single hits, and when damage spikes line up with Stagger or reactions.
Practical ways to use logs:
- Compare damage before and after Stagger
If your numbers barely increase when enemies are staggered, you might be mistiming skills or not landing finishers properly. - Track which element or skill hits hardest
Use logs to see whether Heat, Electric, Cryo, or Nature skills are producing your best spikes on a given enemy type. - Watch for wasted overheal or overkill
If huge hits finish enemies with tons of HP “wasted,” consider redirecting big cooldowns to tankier targets for better efficiency.
Using Numbers to Fix “Low Damage” Problems
If enemies feel tanky and your damage numbers look small, the log and floating text tell you what’s wrong. Start by checking whether you’re bursting during Stagger, whether you’re triggering the right reactions, and if your main DPS’s stats are high enough for the content level.
Common fixes:
- Learn “break Stagger, then burst”
Build Stagger with basic/heavy attacks, then dump skills when the bar breaks; guide writers call this the core rule of Endfield combat. - Exploit reactions and Vulnerable
Stack Inflictions to trigger Combustion, Electrification, Corrosion, or Solidification, and use Physical hits to Shatter frozen targets for big numbers. - Rebalance team stats
If your support or off-element units are out-damaging your supposed carry in the log, reallocate gear and upgrades until your main DPS is actually on top.
Useful outbound resources for deeper combat and damage understanding:
- Stats and how they affect damage: https://www.thegamer.com/arknights-endfield-stats-explained-what-each-stat-does/
- Elements, Inflictions, and reaction damage (Combustion, Electrification, Corrosion, Solidification, Shatter): https://www.icy-veins.com/arknights-endfield/elements-and-arts-reactions
- Elements, reactions, and damage flow overview: https://endfield.gg/arknights-endfield-all-elements-and-reactions-guide/
- Stagger, finishers, and combat flow fundamentals: https://ldshop.gg/blog/arknights-endfield-gp/day-one-starter-guide.html
- Beginner checklist with emphasis on Stagger and burst timing: https://outputlag.com/guides/arknights-endfield-beginner-guide-day-one-checklist-build-tips-and-common-mistakes/
- Community testing on stats, damage components, and stagger multipliers: https://www.reddit.com/r/Endfield/comments/1ps1n62/stats_theorycrafting_and_some_damage_mechanics/
