What is Critical Strike?

Critical Strikes are a way to deal bonus damage to enemies in Diablo 4 (D4). Read on to find out what critical strikes are, how they work, and which stats and skills affect Critical Strikes!

List of Contents

What is Critical Strike?
List of Skills that Affect Critical Strikes
Related Guides

An Attack that Deals Extra Damage

Each attack you make in Diablo 4 has a chance to become a Critical Strike. When a Critical Strike occurs, the attack will deal significantly more damage than normal.

Bonus Damage Depends on Critical Strike Damage

A character's Critical Strike Damage stat determines how much bonus damage a Critical Strike does. All classes have a baseline of 50% bonus damage on Critical Strikes. Critical Strike Damage can be increased with equipment such as weapons and rings.

Stat Guide: All Stats Explained

Frequency Depends on Critical Strike Chance

The frequency of Critical Strikes depends on a character's Critical Strike Chance stat. All classes have a baseline of 5% Critical Strike Chance. Depending on the class, this increases for each point of either Dexterity or Intelligence. You can also increase your Critical Strike Chance with equipment, such as gloves and rings.

Can Only Be Triggered with Direct Damage

There are two damage types in Diablo 4, direct damage and damage over time. Direct damage happens immediately when a skill is activated on a target enemy. Damage over time, on the other hand, occurs when a status effect is applied to an enemy that continuously depletes their health.

Critical Strikes only trigger with Direct Damage. Damage-Over-Time effects such as Burning, Bleeding, or Poison cannot trigger a Critical Strike.

List of Skills that Affect Critical Strikes

List of Classes
Barbarian	Rogue	Sorcerer
Druid	Necromancer	-

Barbarian Skills

Skill	Effect
Heavy Handed	While using Two-Handed weapons you deal XX% increased Critical Strike Damage.
Gushing Wounds	When causing an enemy to Bleed, you have a chance equal to your Critical Strike Chance to increase the Bleed amount by 100% of your Critical Strike Damage bonus. Overpowering a Bleeding enemy creates an explosion that inflicts 11% Bleeding damage over 5 seconds.
No Mercy	You have XX% increased Critical Strike chance against Immobilized, Stunned, or Slowed enemies.

Rogue Skills

Skill	Effect
Puncture	Throw blades a short distance, dealing XX% damage. Every 3rd cast Slows enemies by 20% for 2 seconds. Critical Strikes will always Slow.
Heartseeker	Fire an arrow that seeks an enemy, dealing XX% damage and increasing your Critical Strike Chance against them by 5% for 4 seconds, up to 15%
Weapon Mastery	Gain a bonus when attacking based on weapon type: Daggers: XX% increased damage to Healthy enemies. Swords: YY% increase damage. Bows: ZZ% increased damage to Vulnerable enemies. Crossbows: XX% increased Critical Strike Damage.
Trap Mastery	When Poison Trap or Death Trap activates, you gain XX% increased Critical Strike Chance against Vulnerable and Crowd Controlled enemies for 4 seconds.
Precision	Critical Strikes with Marksman Skills grant you Precision. You gain 4% increased Critical Strike Damage per stack of Precision, up to a maximum of 20%. When you reach maximum Precision, your next Marksman Skill is a guaranteed Critical Strike that deals 40% increased Critical Strike Damage, then consumes all stacks of Precision.
Concussive	After Knocking Back or Knocking Down an enemy, you gain XX% increased Critical Strike Chance against them for 3 seconds.
Precision Imbuement	Imbued Skills gain XX% increased Critical Strike Chance.
Siphoning Strikes	Lucky HIt: Critical Strikes against Close Enemies have up to a 75% chance to Heal for XX% of your Maximum Life

Sorcerer Skills

Skill	Effect
Elemental Attunement	Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes have a XX% chance to reset the Cooldown of one of your Defensive Skills. Can only happen once every 10 seconds.
Devouring Blaze	You deal XX% increased Critical Strike Damage against Burning enemies. If they are also Immobilized, this bonus is increased to YY%.
Static Discharge	Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes with Shock Skills have up to a XX% chance to form a Crackling Energy.
Coursing Currents	Hitting enemies with Shock Skills increases your Critical Strike Chance by X%. Resets upon getting a Critical Strike.
Conduction	Critical Strikes with Shock Skills increase your Movement Speed by XX% for 3 seconds.
Vyr's Mastery	Close enemies take 10% increased damage from Shock Skills and deal 20% less damage to you. Critical Strikes increase these bonuses by 25% for 3 seconds.
Esu's Ferocity	Your Fire Critical Strike Damage is increased by 25% against enemies above 50% Life. Your Fire Critical Strike Chance is increased by 5% against enemies below 50% Life. Killing an enemy with a Critical Strike grants both bonuses against all enemies for 3 seconds.

Druid Skills

Skill	Effect
Petrify	Encase all Nearby enemies in stone, Stunning them for 3 seconds. You deal 30% increased Critical Strike Damage to enemies affected by Petrify. Against Bosses, the Critical Strike Damage bonus is increased to 50% and its duration is increased to 6 seconds.
Earthen Might	Lucky Hit: Damaging enemies with Earth Skills has up to a 5% chance to: • Restore all of your Spirit • Cause your attacks to be guaranteed Critical Strikes for 5 seconds. This chance is increased by: • 10% for Critical Strikes • 10% if the target is Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Back.
Lupine Ferocity	Every 6th Werewolf Skill hit Critically Strikes and deals 70% increased damage. The guaranteed Critical Strike's bonus damage is increased to 140% against Injured enemies.
Predatory Instinct	Critical Strike Chance against Close enemies is increased by XX%.
Envenom	Poisoned enemies take XX% additional Critical Strike Damage.
Safeguard	Critical Strikes with Earth Skills Fortify you for XX% Maximum life.
Toxic Claws	Critical Strikes with Werewolf Skills deal XX% of their Base damage as Poisoning damage over 4 seconds.

Necromancer Skills

Skill	Effect
Serration	Your Bone Skills have a XX% increased Critical Strike Chance for each 10 Essence you have upon cast.
Evulsion	Your Bone Skills deal XX% increased Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable enemies.

Diablo 4 Related Guides

Glossary: List of Diablo Terms

Glossary Term Guides

All Glossary Term Guides
Item Power and Breakpoints	What is Critical Strike?
What is Crowd Control?	What is Overpower Damage?
What is Lucky Hit Chance?	What is Unstoppable?
How to Go Berserk	What Does Vulnerable Do?
What are Thorns?	What is Crackling Energy?
What Does Fortify Do?	Is There Magic Find?
What is Barrier and Barrier Generation?	What is Stun?
What is Chilled?	What is Bleed?
What is Control Impaired?	What is Darkness?
What is Dazed?	What is Fear?
What is Frozen?	What is Immobilized?
What is Immune?	What is Knocked Back?
What is Knocked Down?	What is Poisoned?
What is Stealth?	What is Slowed?
What is Taunted?	What is Tethered?
What is Non-Physical Damage?	What is Attack Speed?

What is Critical Strike? | Diablo 4 (D4)｜Game8 (2024)