Is Critical Element Worth It In Monster Hunter World? Analyzing Damage Boosts
Critical Element is a skill in Monster Hunter World that increases your elemental damage on critical hits. But is investing in the skill and equipment to activate it really worth it? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll analyze whether Critical Element provides enough of a damage boost to be a priority armor skill for elemental weapon builds.
If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: Critical Element can provide around a 5-10% damage increase on elemental builds when activated, making it a nice damage boost but not completely essential.
It is worth slotting in if you have room in your build, but skills like Critical Boost tend to be higher priority for damage.
How Critical Element Works
Critical Element is a skill in Monster Hunter World that can greatly enhance your damage output. It is especially useful for hunters who rely on elemental damage to take down their prey. This skill boosts the damage dealt by critical hits that are based on your weapon’s elemental properties.
Let’s take a closer look at how Critical Element works and how it can benefit you in your hunts.
Description of Skill
The Critical Element skill allows your weapon’s elemental damage to be increased when you land a critical hit. This means that if you have a weapon with high elemental damage and you manage to hit a monster’s weak spot, the damage inflicted will be even greater.
It’s important to note that Critical Element only affects elemental damage and not raw damage. So if your weapon has low elemental damage but high raw damage, Critical Element may not be as beneficial for you.
Activating Critical Element
To activate the Critical Element skill, you need to have armor pieces or decorations that have the skill. These pieces of equipment will have the Critical Element skill listed in their description. By equipping them, you can activate the skill and start benefiting from the damage boost it provides.
It’s worth noting that not all armor sets or decorations have Critical Element, so you may need to do some hunting and gathering to find the right pieces with this skill.
Elemental Damage Calculation
When it comes to calculating elemental damage with Critical Element, it’s important to understand how it works. The formula for calculating elemental damage is:
Elemental Damage = (Elemental Value / 10) * Hitzone Value * Sharpness Modifier * Affinity Modifier
The Critical Element skill affects the Affinity Modifier in this formula. Affinity is a value that represents the chance of landing a critical hit. With Critical Element, the Affinity Modifier is increased, resulting in a higher chance of dealing critical hits and therefore increasing the elemental damage inflicted.
This can make a significant difference in your overall damage output, especially against monsters weak to your weapon’s element.
Critical Element Damage Boost
In Monster Hunter World, the Critical Element skill has become a popular choice among hunters looking to maximize their damage output. This skill enhances the elemental damage of critical hits, making it a valuable asset for those who rely on elemental weapons.
Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of this skill and how it compares to other damage-boosting skills.
Measuring Damage Increase
When it comes to measuring the damage increase brought by Critical Element, the numbers don’t lie. Studies have shown that when a critical hit occurs with an elemental weapon, the damage output can be significantly higher compared to non-critical hits.
This is especially true for hunters who specialize in certain elements, as the boost provided by Critical Element can amplify their elemental damage to impressive levels.
Comparing to Other Skills
When comparing Critical Element to other damage-boosting skills, it’s important to consider the weapon type and playstyle of the hunter. While skills like Weakness Exploit and Critical Boost provide general damage increases, Critical Element specifically enhances elemental damage.
Therefore, if a hunter primarily relies on elemental weapons, Critical Element can provide a greater damage boost compared to other skills.
However, it’s worth noting that the effectiveness of Critical Element can vary depending on the monster being hunted. Some monsters may have higher elemental resistance, making non-elemental damage skills more viable in those situations.
It’s always important to consider the monster’s weaknesses and adjust your skillset accordingly.
When Damage Boost Shines
There are certain scenarios where the damage boost provided by Critical Element truly shines. For example, when facing monsters with elemental weaknesses, utilizing Critical Element can result in a significant increase in damage output.
Additionally, for hunters who enjoy playing with a group, Critical Element can synergize well with other hunters who specialize in different elements, creating a devastating combination of elemental damage.
Furthermore, certain weapon types, such as bows or dual blades, are inherently more suited for elemental damage. In these cases, incorporating Critical Element into your build can greatly enhance your overall damage potential and make you a formidable force in the hunt.
Is Critical Element Worth It?
When it comes to maximizing damage in Monster Hunter World, players often find themselves faced with the question of whether or not to invest in the Critical Element skill. This skill, which is available through certain armor pieces and decorations, enhances the elemental damage of critical hits.
To determine whether or not it’s worth the investment, several factors need to be considered.
Considering Skill Investment
One of the first things to take into account is the skill investment required to obtain Critical Element. Depending on the armor pieces available, players may need to sacrifice other valuable skills in order to make room for Critical Element.
This decision should be based on the weapon type being used and the player’s overall playstyle. For example, a bow user who heavily relies on elemental damage may find Critical Element to be a worthwhile investment, while a hammer user who primarily focuses on raw damage may not see as much benefit.
Examining Priority Armor Skills
Another aspect to consider is the importance of other armor skills that may take precedence over Critical Element. Skills like Weakness Exploit, Critical Boost, and Attack Boost are often regarded as top priorities for damage-focused builds.
These skills directly increase overall damage output and should be given priority over Critical Element if players have limited skill slots available. However, if a player already has these skills covered and has room for additional ones, Critical Element can be a valuable addition to their build.
Build Options and Playstyle Priorities
Lastly, the decision to invest in Critical Element should be based on individual build options and playstyle priorities. Some weapons naturally benefit more from elemental damage, such as dual blades or bows, while others rely more on raw damage, like greatswords or hammers.
Additionally, certain monsters may have higher elemental weaknesses, making Critical Element more effective against them. It’s important for players to experiment with different builds and playstyles to determine if Critical Element enhances their overall damage output against their preferred targets.
Critical Element Alternatives
While Critical Element is a popular choice among Monster Hunter World players for its damage-boosting capabilities, there are some alternatives that can be just as effective in certain situations. This section will explore three alternatives: True Critical Element, Element Attack Boost, and Elemental Airborne.
True Critical Element
True Critical Element is an upgraded version of the standard Critical Element skill. It is only available to players who have reached Master Rank 100. This skill enhances the critical hit element damage even further, making it a great choice for players who rely heavily on elemental damage.
True Critical Element can provide a significant damage boost, especially when paired with high affinity weapons.
Element Attack Boost
Element Attack Boost is a skill that directly increases the elemental damage of your weapon. It can be a viable alternative to Critical Element for players who prioritize maximizing elemental damage over critical hits.
This skill is particularly effective when using weapons with high elemental values, as it further amplifies the damage output. It’s important to note that Element Attack Boost works best when paired with weapons that have a high affinity, as critical hits can still greatly enhance overall damage.
Elemental Airborne
Elemental Airborne is a skill that enhances the elemental damage of aerial attacks. While it may not be as versatile as Critical Element or the other alternatives mentioned, it can be a fantastic choice for players who prefer an airborne playstyle.
This skill is especially beneficial for weapons like the Insect Glaive or the Bow, which rely heavily on aerial attacks. With Elemental Airborne, players can deal impressive elemental damage while maintaining a high level of mobility.
Ultimately, the choice between Critical Element and its alternatives depends on a player’s preferred playstyle and the weapon they are using. Experimenting with different skills and finding the one that suits your gameplay the best is the key to maximizing your damage output in Monster Hunter World.
Conclusion
While the damage increase from Critical Element may not be game-changing, the skill can provide a nice boost to elemental build damage when activated. It’s most impactful on fast attacking weapon types that apply element rapidly.
Critical Element is worth fitting into your build if you have room, but skills like Critical Boost, element attack, and affinity boosting tend to take higher priority. Critical Element is a good luxury skill, but not 100% essential on all elemental builds.
