Diablo 4 Lucky Hit Explained (with Examples)


"Lucky Hit" in Diablo 4 influences the outcome of your attacks. Unlike a critical hit, which has a predetermined chance of occurring and deals extra damage, a "Lucky Hit" has a more complex calculation behind it. The stat can affect various aspects of your attacks, such as damage, healing, or even the chance of applying a status effect.

The "Lucky Hit" mechanic is not as straightforward as other stats like "Critical Hit Chance" or "Attack Speed." It involves a series of calculations that take into account:

  1. Base Chance: The initial likelihood of a "Lucky Hit" occurring.
  2. Modifiers: Any buffs, debuffs, or equipment that can alter the "Lucky Hit" chance.
  3. Skill Multipliers: Specific skills may have their own multipliers that affect "Lucky Hit."

Lucky Hit Calculation

Lucky Hit chance is calculated using a formula that takes into account a base chance, various modifiers, and skill multipliers. The formula of Lucky Hit Chance is Base Chance × (1+Modifiers) × Skill Multipliers. The base chance is the initial likelihood of a "Lucky Hit" occurring, modifiers can include buffs, debuffs, or equipment stats, and skill multipliers are specific to the abilities you use.

Here is an example with a skill that has a base "Lucky Hit Chance" of 60%. You still have the weapon that provides a "Lucky Hit Chance Bonus" of 50%. Now, you have an armor piece that has an effect with a 25% chance of activating on a "Lucky Hit". Using the formula:

  • 0.6(Lucky Hit Chance)×1.5(Lucky Hit Chance Bonus)×0.25(Lucky Hit Effect Chance)=0.225 or 22.5
  • In this scenario, there's a 22.5% chance for the armor's effect to activate on any given attack.

Below are more examples:


Example 1: Barbarian Whirlwind

Scenario:

  • Base Chance: 10%
  • Modifiers: +5% from equipment, +2% from a temporary buff
  • Skill Multiplier: "Whirlwind" has a 1.2x multiplier for "Lucky Hit"

Calculation:

Lucky Hit Chance=10%×(1+0.05+0.02)×1.2=10%×1.07×1.2=12.84%

Interpretation:

When the Barbarian uses "Whirlwind," they have a 12.84% chance of landing a "Lucky Hit."


Example 2: Necromancer Bone Spear

Scenario:

  • Base Chance: 10%
  • Modifiers: +6% from a passive skill, +1% from a unique amulet
  • Skill Multiplier: "Bone Spear" has a 1.25x multiplier for "Lucky Hit"

Calculation:

Lucky Hit Chance=10%×(1+0.06+0.01)×1.25=10%×1.07×1.25=13.38%

Interpretation:

When the Necromancer casts "Bone Spear," they have a 13.38% chance of landing a "Lucky Hit."


Example 3: Rogue Twisting Blades

Scenario:

  • Base Chance: 10%
  • Modifiers: +4% from equipment, +3% from a temporary buff
  • Skill Multiplier: "Twisting Blades" has a 1.3x multiplier for "Lucky Hit"

Calculation:

Lucky Hit Chance=10%×(1+0.04+0.03)×1.3=10%×1.07×1.3=13.91%

Interpretation:

When the Rogue uses "Twisting Blades," they have a 13.91% chance of landing a "Lucky Hit."

When is Lucky Hit Needed

Unlike standalone stats like critical hits, Lucky Hits are potent only when paired with specific bonuses on weapons or passives. For instance, a build that combines multiple Lucky Hit bonuses—such as healing, resource refunding, and the Pressure Point passive—can trigger a powerful cascade of effects with a single skill use, like Hammer of the Ancients. This makes Lucky Hits vital for certain builds that synergize well with these bonuses, while other builds may not utilize the Lucky Hit mechanic at all.

Impact on Damage

  1. Variable Damage: Lucky Hit can result in a range of damage output, from minimal to significantly higher than average. This variability adds an element of unpredictability to combat.
  2. Skill Synergy: Certain skills may have enhanced effects or additional damage when a Lucky Hit occurs, making skill selection and timing crucial for maximizing this stat.

Impact on Healing

  1. Survive: Builds that focus on self-healing can benefit enormously from Lucky Hit, as it can trigger additional healing effects.
  2. Support: In group settings, a Lucky Hit could mean the difference between a teammate's survival and defeat, especially if it triggers a group healing effect.

Impact on Buff & Debuff

  1. Buff: Lucky Hit can amplify the effects of buffs, making your character temporarily stronger or more resilient.
  2. Debuff: Some builds may rely on Lucky Hit to apply debuffs or status effects on enemies. A successful Lucky Hit can make crowd control more effective.

Impact on Resource Management

  1. Resource Regeneration: Some builds may rely on Lucky Hit to regenerate Mana, Energy, or other resources, allowing for more frequent use of skills and abilities.
  2. Cooldown Reduction: In some cases, a Lucky Hit might reduce the cooldown of certain abilities, allowing for faster skill rotations.

Lucky Hit Advantage in PVE

In dungeons, boss fights, and general questing, Lucky Hit can have a significant impact on your gameplay. Here are some examples:

  1. Boss Fights: Imagine you're up against a challenging boss with high resistance to status effects. A Lucky Hit could be the difference between applying a critical debuff on the boss or not, thereby making the fight considerably easier.
  2. Resource Management: Some builds might rely on Lucky Hit to regenerate resources like Mana or Energy. In a long dungeon crawl, this can mean the difference between having to retreat and being able to press on.
  3. Healing: If your build has a chance to trigger a healing effect on a Lucky Hit, this can significantly improve your sustainability in PvE scenarios, reducing the need for healing potions or support from teammates.

Lucky Hit Advantage in PVP

In PvP, the stakes are even higher, and the impact of Lucky Hit can be game-changing. Here are some examples:

  1. Burst Damage: In a PvP duel, both players might be at low health. A Lucky Hit triggering a critical damage multiplier could be the deciding factor in who wins the duel.
  2. CC: Imagine you're in a team-based PvP scenario. Your Lucky Hit has a chance to stun or freeze the opponent. Landing a Lucky Hit could disable a key enemy player at a crucial moment, allowing your team to capitalize and win the engagement.
  3. Counter: Knowing that your opponent relies heavily on Lucky Hit for their build allows you to strategize differently, perhaps focusing on stats or abilities that can negate or reduce the effectiveness of a Lucky Hit.

Summary: What is Lucky Hit in Diablo 4?

"Lucky Hit" serves as a gateway for various other effects to occur during an attack. These effects are determined by your skills and equipment, allowing for a more diverse range of outcomes. This makes "Lucky Hit" a versatile and strategic element in the game, offering players a unique way to optimize their builds and gameplay.

For instance, Barbarian's Pressure Point passive skill and the Hammer of the Ancients active skill. Pressure Point provides up to a 30% chance to make enemies Vulnerable, but this isn't a flat 30% chance every time you strike. Instead, you have to factor in the "Lucky Hit" chance of the skill you're using.

When using Hammer of the Ancients, which has a 50% "Lucky Hit" chance, you'll land a "Lucky Hit" half of the time you hit an enemy. If you're also using Pressure Point, you'll make the enemy Vulnerable 30% of the times you achieve a "Lucky Hit." Therefore, the combined chance of making an enemy Vulnerable with Pressure Point while using Hammer of the Ancients is 15%.

The same principle applies to item attributes that offer remarkable "Lucky Hit" bonuses. The percentage indicated on the item isn't the final word; you have to multiply it by the "Lucky Hit" chance of the skill you're using. The result of this multiplication gives you the actual likelihood of the bonus effect taking place.


Ethan Akins

Ethan is the write for Gamer Amplify and he is all about the grind and the glory that comes with it. Ethan is a long time TF2 player, but also got a soft spot for RPGs like WoW and RTS games like SC2. On gaming forums and in articles, Ethan is the go-to for straight talk on game mechanics and strategies.

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