For those of you who are interested in exhaustive testing and analysis, Apple Pie directed me to a great Japanese website that lists the results of several years of testing concerning Weapon Skill damage. Keep in mind much of this is still in development, and there are still some unknown factors, but this may clear up some misconceptions players may have. Also, due to the difficult nature of testing WS with several hits, many of the high-hit WS’ damage modifiers are still unknown at this time.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-Part/6371/memo.htmlHere is what I have translated so far of this site. Many thanks to Apple Pie for translating several of the formulae for me and explaining some of the other intricacies of the calculations. There are still a few formulae that I have not successfully fully translated yet, such as the cap of damage if WS criticals, or added damage with Sneak Attack. Note that there are a few added notes on the JP site that include very minute corrections on the formulae, but they do not affect the basic damage equation very much.
I also changed some incorrect data in this site (for certain weapons that were not tested extensively such as Katana and Great Katana). Plus, I included how additional TP affects certain WS that have a set damage modifier (accuracy up, crit rate higher, etc).
Magic WS Damage Calculation: WSC : Secondary attribute modifier fINT : difference between your INT and target’s INT (caps at 24) fTP : Multiplier (Please see chart below) MDIF : (your MATK/target’s MDEF) ELM : Elemental influence... i.e. is target weak or strong to the element? Damage = ((WSC * fTP) + fINT/2 + 8) * MDIF * ELM Magic Chart : fTP multiplier Burning Blade 1.00 2.00 2.50 Fire STR_20%, INT_20% Red Lotus Blade 1.00 2.375 3.00 Fire STR_30%, INT_20% Frostbite 1.00 2.00 2.50 Ice STR_20%, INT_20% Freezebite 1.00 1.50 3.00 Ice STR_30%, INT_20% Gust Slash 1.00 2.00 2.50 Wind DEX, INT Cyclone 1.00 2.50 3.00 Wind DEX, INT Rock Crusher 1.00 2.00 2.50 Earth INT Earth Crusher 1.00 2.25 3.50 Earth STR, INT Thunder Thrust 1.50 2.00 2.50 Thunder INT Raiden Thrust 1.00 2.00 3.00 Thunder STR, INT Shining Blade 1.00 2.00 2.50 Light MND Seraph Blade 1.00 2.50 3.00 Light STR, MND Shining Strike .875 1.75 2.50 Light MND Seraph Strike .875 2.00 3.00 Light STR, MND Dark Harvest 1.00 2.00 2.50 Darkness INT Shadow of Death 1.00 2.50 3.00 Darkness STR, INT Starburst .875 1.625 2.00 Light/Dark MND or INT Sunburst .875 2.00 3.125 Light/Dark MND or INT Blade: Teki 1.00 1.00 1.00 Water ???_30% Blade: To 1.00 1.00 1.00 Ice ???_30% Blade: Chi ??? ??? ??? Earth ???_??% 2hits Blade: Ei ??? ??? ??? Darkness ???_??% Tachi: Goten 1.00 ??? ??? Thunder STR_30% Tachi: Kagero 1.00 ??? ??? Fire STR_50% Tachi: Jinpu 1.00 ??? ??? Wind STR_30% 2hits Tachi: Koki 1.00 ??? ??? Light STR_??% Physical WS Damage Calculation: WD: Base damage of your WS D: Base damage of your weapon (e.g., Espadon = 43) fSTR: difference between your STR and target's VIT WSC: Secondary attribute like STR_30 (30% of your STR). fTP: Multiplier (Please see chart below). PDIF: (your ATK/target’s DEF) WSC = integer(any secondary attributes) x @ Level @ Lv75... 0.83 Lv74... 0.83 Lv73... 0.84 Lv72... 0.84 Lv67... 0.86 or 0.87 (perhaps 0.87) Lv60... 0.90 or 0.91 (perhaps 0.90) Lv40... 0.94 Lv37... 0.94 – 0.99 Lv31... 0.94 - 0.99 For example, suppose you have 100 STR and 100 MND and use use Swift Blade (STR_30, MND_30). WSC = integer[(100 x 0.3) + (100 x 0.3)] x @ = integer(60) x @ = 60 x @ @ is 0.86 - 0.87 at LV67 but it's going to decrease as your level is going up. It's 0.83 at LV75 WD = (D + fSTR + WSC) * fTP I’m not 100% positive, but I think for Sneak Attack with THF main, this is the calculation: WD = (D + fSTR + WSC) * fTP + DEX + AGI Actual Damage of WS is then calculated in this way. Damage = WD * PDIF = ((D + fSTR + WSC) * fTP) * PDIF Phsyical Chart : fTP multiplier (non-damage related TP modifier in last column) Grapple WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Combo 1.00 1.50 2.00 x3 STR_20%, DEX_20% Shoulder Tackle 1.00 x2 VIT_30% More stun One Inch Blow 1.00 x2 VIT_40% Ignore more DEF Backhand Blow 1.00 x2 STR_30%, VIT_30% Crit Rate Raging Fists ??? ??? ??? x5 STR_??? Spinning Attack 1.00 x2 STR_35% Attack Radius Howling Fist 1.50 2.00 3.00 x2 STR_20%, VIT_50% Dragon Kick 2.00 2.50 3.00 x2 STR_50%, VIT_50% Asuran Fists 1.00 x8 STR_50% or VIT_50% Accuracy Dagger WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Wasp Sting 1.00 x1 More poison Shadowstitch 1.00 x1 CHR_30% More bind Viper Bite 1.00 x1 ATKx2 More poison Dancing Edge 1.00 x5 DEX_??%, CHR_??% Accuracy Shark Bite 2.00 ??? 3.00 x2 DEX_50% Evisceration 1.00 ??? 2.00 x5 DEX_30% 1H Sword WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Fast Blade 1.00 1.50 2.00 x2 STR_20%, DEX_20% Flat Blade 1.00 x1 STR_30% More stun Circle Blade 1.00 x1 STR_35% Attack Radius Spirits Within 4/32 6/32 15/32 x1 Current HPx Vorpal Blade 1.00 x4 STR_30% Crit Rate Swift Blade 1.50 x3 STR_30%, MND_30% Accuracy Savage Blade 1.00 1.75 3.50 x2 STR_30%, MND_50% 2H Sword WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Hard Slash 1.50 1.75 2.00 1x STR_30% Power Slash 1.00 1x STR_20%, VIT_20% Crit Rate Shockwave 1.00 1x STR_30%, MND_30% More sleep Crescent Moon 1.00 1.75 2.50 1x STR_35% Sickle Moon ??? ??? ??? 2x STR_??% Spinning Slash 2.50 3.00 3.50 1x STR_30%, INT_30% Ground Strike 1.50 1.75 3.00 1x STR_50%, INT_50% Scythe WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Slice 1.50 1.75 2.00 1x STR_30% Nightmare Scythe 1.00 1x MND_30% More Blind Spinning Scythe 1.00 1x STR_30% Attack Radius Vorpal Scythe 1.00 1x STR_35% Crit Ratio Guillotine ??? ??? ??? 4x STR_??% More Silence Cross Reaper 2.00 2.25 2.50 2x STR_30%, MND_30% Spiral Hell 1.375 1.875 3.625 1x STR_50%, INT_50% Polearm WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Double Thrust 1.00 1.50 2.00 2x STR_30% Leg Sweep 1.00 1x STR_30% More stun Penta Thrust 0.75 1.00 2.25 5x STR_20%, DEX_20% Vorpal Thrust 1.00 1x STR_20%, AGI_20% Crit Rate Skewer 1.00 3x STR_35% Accuracy Wheeling Thrust 1.00 1x STR_50% Ignore more DEF Impulse Drive 1.00 1.50 2.50 2x STR_50% 1H Axe WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Raging Axe 1.00 1.50 2.00 2x STR_30% Smash Axe 1.00 1x STR_30% More stun Gale Axe 1.50 2.00 2.50 1x STR_30% More choke Avalanche Axe 2.00 2.50 3.00 1x STR_35% Spinning Axe 1.00 1x STR_30% Rampage 0.50 5x STR_30% Crit Chance Calamity 2.50 3.00 3.50 1x STR_50% Mistral Axe 1.00 1.50 4.00 1x STR_32%, VIT_32% Decimation 1.00 3x STR_50% Accuracy Great Axe WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Shield Break 1.00 1x STR_20%, VIT_20% More Evade Down Iron Tempest 1.00 1x STR_30% Sturmwind 1.00 2x STR_30% Armor Break 1.00 1x STR_20%, VIT_20% More Def Down Keen Edge 1.00 1x STR_35% Crit Rate Weapon Break 1.00 1x STR_32%, VIT_32% More ATK Down Raging Rush 1.00 1.50 2.50 3x STR_35% Full Break 1.00 1x STR_50%, VIT_50% More Stat Down Steel Cyclone 1.50 1.75 3.00 1x STR_50%, VIT_50% Club WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Brainshaker 1.00 1x STR_30% More stun Skullbreaker 1.00 1x STR_35% More INT down True Strike 1.00 1x STR_50% Crit Rate Judgment 2.00 2.50 4.00 1x STR_32%, MND_32% Hexastrike ??? 6x STR_??% Crit Rate Black Halo 1.50 2.50 3.00 2x STR_30%, MND_50% Staff WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Heavy Swing 1.00 1.25 2.25 1x STR_30% Shell Crusher 1.00 1x STR_35% More DEFDown Full Swing 1.00 3.00 5.00 1x STR_50% Spirit Taker 1.00 1.50 2.00 1x INT_50%, MND_50% Retribution 2.00 2.50 3.00 1x STR_30%, MND_50% Katana WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Blade: Rin 1.00 1x ???_30% Crit Rate Blade: Retsu 1.00 2x ???_30% More paralysis Blade: Jin 1.00 3x STR_30%, DEX_30% Crit Rate Blade: Ten 2.50 2.75 3.00 1x STR_30%, DEX_30% Blade: Ku 1.00 5x (random)_20% Accuracy Great Katana WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Tachi: Enpi 1.00 1.50 2.00 2x STR_30% Tachi: Hobaku 1.00 1x STR_30% More Stun Tachi: Yukikaze 1.50 2.00 2.50 1x STR_75% Tachi: Gekko 1.50 2.00 2.50 1x STR_75% Tachi: Kasha 1.50 2.00 2.50 1x STR_75% Archery WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Flaming Arrow 1.00 1.00 1.00 1x STR_16%, AGI_25% Piercing Arrow 1.00 1x STR_16%, AGI_25% Def Down Dulling Arrow 1.00 1x STR_16%, AGI_25% Crit Rate Sidewinder 5.00 1x STR_16%, AGI_25% Accuracy Blast Arrow 2.00 1x STR_16%, AGI_25% Accuracy Arching Arrow 3.50 1x STR_16%, AGI_25% Crit Rate Empyrial Arrow 2.50 2.75 3.00 1x STR_16%, AGI_25% Marksmanship WS 100% 200% 300% #Hits Secondary Attribute TP Adjustment Hot Shot 1.00 1.00 1.00 1x AGI_30% Split Shot 1.00 1x AGI_30% Def Down Sniper Shot 1.00 1x AGI_30% Crit Rate Slug Shot 5.00 1x AGI_30% Accuracy Blast Shot 2.00 1x AGI_30% Accuracy Heavy Shot 3.50 1x AGI_30% Crit Rate Detonator 2.50 2.75 3.00 1x AGI_30% --Rugal