Quick and Dirty Damage Mechanics (not actually quick or dirty) Fire Emblem Heroes

I was kind of curious to see how the damage specials stacked against each other, so...

Assuming:
a = your attack
d = opponents def/res
r = your own def/res

Astra = 2.5(a - d) = 2.5a -2.5d
Glimmer and 1.5xAOE Specials = 1.5(a - d) = 1.5a - 1.5d
1xAOE Specials = a - d
Draconic Aura = (a - d) + 0.3a = 1.3a - d
Dragon Fang = (a - d) + 0.5a = 1.5a - d
Moonbow = (a - d) + 0.3d = a - 0.7d
Luna = (a - d) + 0.5d = a - 0.5d
Iceberg/Bonfire = (a - d) + 0.5r = a - d + 0.5r
Glacies/Ignis = (a - d) + 0.8r = a - d +0.8r

Comparing specials based off attack:
Astra vs. Dragon Fang: Astra is better when a > 3d. (To put it into perspective, if you have a middling 45 Atk, your opponent needs 15 Def or less to make it better... So they're probably dead anyways. Also Astra has an extra charge)
Glimmer vs. Draconic Aura: Glimmer is better when 2a > 5d. (basically when you have 45 Atk, your opponent needs 18 Def or less to make it better)
This doesn't take WTA into consideration, as it affects Astra/Glimmer moreso than Dragon skills.

Comparing Attack-Boosting to Defense-Piercing:
Draconic Aura vs. Moonbow: Draconic Aura is better when a > d. Which is pretty often, though it has an extra charge.
Dragon Fang vs. Luna: Same thing. Pretty self-explanatory.

Comparing Defense-Piercing to Defense-Boosting:
Moonbow vs. Bonfire/Iceberg: Moonbow is better when 3d > 5r, or 0.6d > r. Basically when your opponent is much tankier than you. Though it is one less charge.
Luna vs. Ignis/Glacies: Luna is better when 5d > 8r, or 0.625d > r.

Comparing Attack-Boosting to Defense-Boosting:
Draconic Aura vs. Bonfire/Iceberg: Draconic Aura is better when 3a > 5r, or 0.6a > r. So with 45 Atk, when your Def/Res is 27.
Dragon Fang vs. Ignis/Glacies: Luna is better when 5a > 8r, or 0.625a > r. 48 Atk, when your Def/Res is 30.

Even the AOE specials aren't terrible with the right positioning IMO. At worst it's a free WTN attack on everything in range... just that long charge so it'll only be used in PVE. But I digress...

This is very niche fluff, but for the record, in case anyone wanted to use the AOE specials-- because they don't have aether i mean what-- on their dragons, the AOE refined breaths will still hit the weaker defense on 2 range units. This includes the other units caught in the AOE as well, not just the one your dragon is attacking.

Posting it here just to keep it easily accessible.

so like, if 4 units, 2 melee and 2 range, get caught in the aoe special of a dragon with refined breath. The 2 ranged unit will get hit on the weaker of def/res, while the 2 melee get hit on the res?

Does it matter who the main target of the breath is?

Primum_Mobile posted...

so like, if 4 units, 2 melee and 2 range, get caught in the aoe special of a dragon with refined breath. The 2 ranged unit will get hit on the weaker of def/res, while the 2 melee get hit on the res?

Does it matter who the main target of the breath is?

I've discovered how hard it is to get mixed type enemies to line up in story mode, god, much less find melees with lower def than res to see a difference. Anyway.

Case 1: initiating on 1 range unit

https://i.imgur.com/cxTk3iL.png
Fae will be initiating on this guy, who is on a defense tile (so 1.3x to his def/res putting him at effectively 49/32):
https://i.imgur.com/MaKalyg.png
and tag these two with the AOE, which has a 1.5x mod.
https://i.imgur.com/LZXbzaM.png https://i.imgur.com/tPOwula.png

The result?
https://i.imgur.com/FHfdbeU.png
Deals 25 untyped damage to Clive, 36 damage to Masked Man, and 16 damage to Mathilda.

Fae is clearly targeting res on Clive ( [49-32]*1.5 = 17*1.5 = 25.5 I'm going to be shortcutting my normal damage calcs it doesn't matter here as long as you remember to round down since everything's a multiple of 0.5 ), defense on Masked Man ( [49-25]*1.5 = 24*1.5 = 36, if it hit res it would've only done 31 damage instead), and res on Mathilda ( [49-38]*1.5 = 11*1.5 = 16.5, if it hit her defense it should've done 33 damage instead). This is on initiation against a melee unit, but it's still hitting def on Masked Man here.

Case 2: initiating on 2 range unit

https://i.imgur.com/DQDiky9.png
Fae, who is now at 52 bc she got Axura buffed, initiates on Masked Man (25/28) and tags Mathilda (27/38) with Blazing Thunder. Clive had to die to set up the situation where I could do this, whoops, his space was needed.
https://i.imgur.com/7XOMwY0.png
Deals 40 untyped damage to Masked Man, and 21 damage to Mathilda. Still targeting defense on Masked Man and res on Mathilda. I couldn't get the screenshot this time of the actual damage numbers popping up, sorry, and then Mathilda suicided on EP so just take my word for it with Mathilda.

So yeah, main target doesn't matter. Melees will receive damage to res either way, and rangeds will take it to lower of def/res.

It's worth mentioning that in case 2 she was receiving 2 extra attack during battle from her S support with Nowi next to her, but as the AoE specials happen pre-battle no such in battle bonuses take effect when the special is actually activating. Thus you're not going to get extra damage out of an AoE special with Death Blow or the like. Or in Masked Man's case, he's not getting anything out of Close Def. Turn buffs like Axura's Urthr or Hones/Rallies/Fortifies still apply since they're universal.

My raven attacked Tharja and dealt 10 less damage then I expected. Does anyone have any idea what the cause for this might be?
<a href="https://ibb.co/eP4ijc"><img src="https://preview.ibb.co/ekUuqH/Wtf_raven.png" alt="Wtf_raven" border="0"></a><br /><a target='_blank' href='https://sv.imgbb.com/'>foto online</a><br />
So as you can see, the Tharja doesn't posses any skills that affect the weapon triangle, nor are there any allies nearby providing buffs and my raven is not under the effect of panic ploy. I just don't understand what is happening at all.

Defense terrain.
39*.3=~11

Also raven’s atk is 52 after modifier. The decimal is dropped on 64*.2=~12 => 64-12=52
52-39-11=2

Who posted?

Nice guide.