The damage rule
When an effect hits a weakness, that effect's damage is increased by 50%. When it hits a resistance, the effect's damage is reduced by 95%, and the effect then deals the damage it can inside a few seconds. Only one instance of each effect can sit on an enemy at once.
Some enemies, including Roach, Glitch, and Demise, are fully immune to effects. Do not stack a second burn hero to bypass that.
The type index describes 20 types: five elemental (Fire, Ice, Electric, Radioactive, Poison), five enemy roles (Boss, Escort, Invisible, Immune, Golden), and ten others (Defense, Target, Return, Summoner, circling Summoner, Random, Mana, Slow, Explosive, Segmented).
Effects you can actually apply
| Effect | What it does | Heroes named for it |
|---|---|---|
| Burn | Damage over time | Dumpster Child levels 1 to 3, Voca level 2, Slime King fire slimes levels 3 to 4, Jester levels 2 to 5 |
| Radioactive | Stronger damage over time | Dumpster Child level 4, Jester levels 4 to 5 |
| Crucifix | Percent damage and a temporary trap, then a temporary immunity | El Goblino ability |
| Honey | Listed on Stinger: every 10 seconds, nearby heroes have their firerate doubled | Boss aura, not a hero you place |
Dumpster Child level 2 burn is listed at 30 damage. Voca level 2 burn is listed at 100. The effect name is the same. The number is not. Dumpster Child levels 3, 4, and 5 do not overwrite each other's burn, so mixed levels can stack in a way a single effect normally cannot. Fire-type enemies take less damage from Burn and Incinerate.
Hidden enemies
Detection is required for ghosts and spirits. These heroes detect at every level: Maitake, Fracture, Lure, Oddport, El Goblino, Soda Pop, Slime King, and Kart Kid. Every other hero needs level 2 or higher. A level-1 Wizard does not see a ghost.
Fracture is the cheap answer on ghost lanes because detection is on from level 1, including the melee levels 1 and 2. Levels 3 to 5 switch Fracture to crystal shots.
Exploders and segmented bosses
Explosive enemies detonate on death, stun heroes, and damage summons. Cupcake is the exception that does not stun heroes. Bombie and Bomb Egg die on their own if they are burning. Segmented enemies such as Sandworm move to the next body part when the current one dies. Killing the front once is not the clear.
A loadout check before you queue
If the map index shows ghosts, bring a level-1 detector or plan the mana for level 2 on everyone else. If the lane is a swarm, bring burn or splash and accept that a second burn of the same effect will not stack. If the boss is segmented or explosive, keep summons off the detonation.