Summary
Dragon’s Dogma 2is, at its heart, an RPG. As with most RPGs, there are a variety of stats that underlie the moment to moment gameplay, be iteither turn-basedor real-time action. The Dragon’s Dogma series, which was originally created by Hideaki Itsuno ofDevil May Cryfame, is firmly in the latter camp.
These statistics impact every aspect of the game, from your abilities to the frequency with which you’ll be able to use them. Most importantly, there are a set of damage types that impact the amount of damage you’ll be able to do to enemies. These effects have different uses in different situations and against different foes, so wield them wisely.
8Lightning
Use Against: Cyclops, Wet Enemies
When facing down larger foes, it’s not a bad idea to pack a little lightning damage. Enemies like the cyclops are particularly weak to this effect, along with any enemies who are currently wet.
This makes lightning a particularly strategic choice, as the environment, along with your own planning, can greatly boost the efficacy of this damage type. Whenever you want to do a little more damage, simply find a way to get the enemy wet first and then unleash the pain. With a little imagination, the opportunities for such an approach are limitless.
7Holy
Use Against: Undead
When delving into the many crypts and dungeons that litter the landscape and wind far beneath the earth, it’s an inevitability that you’ll eventually run into the undead. These enemies, such as your garden variety skeletons and zombies, are most directly countered with the use of holy damage.
This is their direct counter, and will greatly aid in the dispatch of the living dead. As these enemies have a tendency to attack in large swarms, any advantage you may have over their hordes is appreciated.
6Magick
Use Against: Most Enemies
Magick damage can, in a sense, be considered the magical equivalent of straightforward strength-based damage. This means that it’s more flatly applicable in a larger variety of situations than other types of more situational magic-based damage, such as fire, ice, or lightning.
5Strike
Use Against: Armored Foes, Golems
Strike damage, a type of physical damage, is most commonly effectiveagainst armored foes. This means bandits, who will be an ever-present obstacle in your journey. Any time you’re facing down human enemies, there’s an almost certain chance that they’ll be armored and thus susceptible to strike damage.
Not only that, strike damage is also useful against foes such as golems and skeletons, meaning that hammers and maces are the ideal tools for dealing with enemies of these types.
4Slash
Use Against: Unarmored Foes
When facing down bandits who aren’t as heavily armored as their companions, slash is the ideal type of damage to choose. For most other types of enemies for whom armor is a rarity, slash is the perfect counter.
Anything with unprotected flesh is vulnerable to this type of attack, meaning the already versatile sword is even more widely applicable in a large variety of situations. This means monsters, or any type of enemy that forgoes the use of armor save for golems and other naturally hard creatures.
3Ice
Use Against: Saurians, Drakes
As one might expect from the name, draconic or otherwise reptilian enemies are a core focus in Dragon’s Dogma. Ice is the perfect damage type to use against these foes, who range from powerful drakes to the more abundant saurians that can be found near riverbanks and other sources of water.
Ice has the added benefit of freezing enemies solid once enough of this type of damage has been applied, giving you time to breathe and go on to shatter afflicted enemies at your leisure.
2Strength
Unless you’re playing what is strictly a magic-casting character, most combat and, therefore, most damage you’ll be dishing out will be dealt through the use of physical weapons, such as swords, axes, and daggers. This is useful against virtually all enemies to some degree, barring a few more rare exceptions.
While this means that it doesn’t have the same niche uses as more specific types of damage, it does mean that you’ll be setting yourself up to deal with the greatest variety of situations to the greatest degree of efficacy.
1Fire
Use Against: Goblins, Wolves, Flying Enemies
Most commonly encountered enemies you’ll stumble across will be, unsurprisingly, weak to fire. These include low-level foes such as goblins, wolves, and zombies. Of particular note are flying enemies, such as harpies and griffons, to which fire is a particularly useful countertactic.
Enough fire will damage their wings, rendering their flying abilities greatly reduced. This makes fire the perfect tool for grounding otherwise obnoxious enemies who can tend to stay out of reach, or retreat from combat altogether. That is, if you may get to them in the first place.
