Whiteout Survival Support conversation about Damage

WoS Support Chats - JP35
Last message 5/10/2025 19:30EST

Me:
Can you please provide me an explanation of how damage is calculated? For example, Level 9 marksmen says attack is 9 and level 9 infantry says defense is 12. When a marksman attacks an infantry troop, how is damage calculated?

Them:
Dear Chief,

Thank you for reaching out with your question! We’re happy to explain how damage is calculated in Whiteout Survival.

In Whiteout Survival, the damage calculation is influenced by various factors, including the attack value of the attacking unit and the defense value of the defending unit. In your example, where a Marksman (Level 9) with 9 attack faces an Infantry (Level 9) with 12 defense, the basic damage formula would be:

Damage = Marksman Attack - Infantry Defense
So, Damage = 9 - 12, resulting in a minimal or no damage since the defense exceeds the attack.

However, keep in mind that there are additional factors at play, such as troop composition, hero skills, and buffs or debuffs that can alter the final damage dealt. For a more accurate calculation, it’s always important to consider these variables.

For further clarification, you may refer to the game’s official FAQ or community resources for more insights into combat mechanics, but the basic principle is based on the comparison between attack and defense.
🔹 X: https://x.com/WOS_Global
🔹 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteoutSurvival
🔹 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whiteoutsurvival/
🔹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhiteoutSurvivalOfficial
🔹 Discord: https://discord.gg/whiteoutsurvival

If you need more information or have further questions, feel free to reach out!

Kind regards,
Whiteout Survival CS Team

Me
Thank you very much for your reply! Can you please explain how lethality factors into that damage calculation?

Them

Dear Chief,

Thank you for your follow-up question! Lethality plays a crucial role in damage calculation by allowing a troop to bypass enemy defense and deal damage directly to their health. This makes it particularly useful against high-defense opponents.

Both attack and lethality are components of the damage calculation formula:
"Lethality primarily affects HP damage, while attack is more focused on reducing enemies’ defense."
(https://www.whiteoutsurvival.wiki/faq/faq/)

This means that lethality increases the likelihood of dealing damage directly to the enemy's health, bypassing their defense, while attack reduces the effectiveness of the enemy's defense, allowing more damage to be dealt.

Understanding the interplay between these stats is crucial for optimizing your troops' effectiveness in battle. If you have further questions or need assistance with specific scenarios, feel free to ask!

Kind regards,
Whiteout Survival CS Team

Me
Thank you for your reply! Can you please clarify what you mean when you say “likelihood of dealing damage directly to the enemies health”?

Is there a randomness or probability involved?

Them
Dear Chief,

Thank you for your follow-up question!

To clarify: when we say “likelihood of dealing damage directly to the enemy’s health,” we do not mean there is a random or probability-based mechanic involved.

In Whiteout Survival, Lethality is a fixed stat — not a chance-based effect. It directly affects how much damage your troops can deal to the enemy’s HP, bypassing or minimizing the effect of their Defense. The higher your Lethality, the more effectively your troops will reduce the enemy's health during combat.

“Lethality and attack are both components of the damage calculation formula. Lethality primarily affects HP damage, while attack is more focused on reducing enemies’ defense.” This confirms that Lethality consistently influences battle outcomes through the game's internal combat calculations — not through chance or randomness.

To enhance your troops’ Lethality, you can:
・Invest in research that increases Lethality
・Upgrade gear and equipment
・Use heroes or buffs that specifically boost this stat

We hope this clears things up! If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out. We're always here to help.😊

Best regards,
Whiteout Survival CS Team

Me
Thank you again for your reply!

You say that “it directly affects how much damage your troops can deal to the enemy’s HP, bypassing or minimizing the effect of their Defense.”

Can you please clarify what “bypassing or minimizing the effect of their Defense” means?

Does lethality apply directly to health, ignoring defense? So the total damage calculation (ignoring buffs) of a single troop attack be: (Attack - Defense) + Lethatlity

Additionally, in the Bear Trap event, the Bear has no defense. In that situation, are attack and lethality the same?

Them
Dear Chief,

Thank you again for your thoughtful follow-up!

Let’s clarify the mechanics further:
1. Lethality vs. Defense:
When we say Lethality “bypasses or minimizes the effect of Defense,” we mean that it helps ensure more of your troop’s raw attack power translates into actual HP damage dealt to the enemy. While Defense reduces incoming damage, Lethality counteracts this by making your attacks more “lethal,” allowing you to inflict more HP damage even when Defense is high.

2. Damage Calculation (Simplified):
The exact formula is not publicly disclosed, but it is not simply:
(Attack - Defense) + Lethality.

Rather, Lethality works alongside Attack in a multiplicative or layered way, rather than being a flat additive bonus. It increases effective damage done to HP after accounting for defenses, making it more impactful in fights against tankier enemies.

3. Bear Trap Event Clarification:
Yes — in events like the Bear Trap where the enemy (the Bear) has no Defense, Attack and Lethality both directly contribute to the damage output. In that case, since there’s no Defense to reduce your damage, Lethality effectively becomes another form of raw damage booster — making it particularly valuable for such events.

We hope this helps clear up the confusion! If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out anytime.

Best regards,
Whiteout Survival CS Team

Me:
I have another question - you said that part of the damage calculation is determined by troop composition. Can you explain how that factors in to the damage determination?

Them:
Dear Chief,

Thank you for your kind message! We're happy to further clarify your question.

Yes, troop composition plays a key role in determining overall damage output in battle. Here's how it works:
1. Troop Type Counters: Each troop type (Infantry, Lancer, Marksman) has a strength and weakness. For example, Lancers are strong against Marksmen but weak against Infantry. Using the right mix based on the enemy’s composition can boost your effectiveness.

2. Stat Distribution: Different troop types have varying base stats (Attack, Defense, Health, Lethality). Combining troops with high Attack and Lethality, for instance, can result in stronger hits, while others may provide better durability through high Defense and Health.

3. Hero and Tech Synergy: Some heroes boost specific troop types or stats (e.g., Lancer Lethality or Infantry Health). Aligning your composition with your hero buffs and research will enhance the performance of those troops in battle.

So, even with identical Attack values, a composition optimized for type advantage and stat synergy can significantly impact the damage outcome.

We hope this helps! Please let us know if you’d like examples or more detail on a specific troop type.

Best regards,
Whiteout Survival CS Team

Me:
Can you please clarify what is meant by the statement: “Lancers are strong against Marksmen but weak against infantry”? Is there an attack/damage modifier based on the troop matchup? Is it like rock paper scissors? I’m guessing infantry are strong against lancers and weak against marksmen, and marksmen are weak against lancer but strong against infantry. Can you confirm that?

My question is specifically asking if the “matchup” modifiers are the effect of the stat differences or if they are a separate attribute entirely of the damage calculation

Them:
<no response yet>