Damage Formula & Combat Mechanics Explained (With Examples)
Updated 2026-09-16
TRADESMAN never shows you its damage math, but the community reverse-engineered it. Knowing the formula changes how you pick mercenaries — flat "balanced" stats are usually worse than stacked multipliers.
The formula
Y = Z1 * (X + (X*Z2/100) + (X*F1/100) + F2)
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| X | Base damage |
| Y | Resulting average damage |
| U | Attack speed (multiplies separately for DPS) |
| Z1 | Damage multiplier (e.g. 2.00 on a critical hit) |
| Z2 | Crit chance % |
| F1 | Bonus damage % (e.g. +30% base) |
| F2 | Flat bonus damage |
Worked example
A mercenary with 20 base damage, 0.40 attack speed, 25% crit chance, 2.00 crit multiplier, and +30% base damage:
- Crit contribution:
20 * 25 / 100 = 5 - Percentage bonus:
20 * 30 / 100 = 6 - Inside the brackets:
20 + 5 + 6 = 31 - Apply the multiplier:
2 * 31 = 62
Result: 62 average damage per hit — more than triple the base 20, before attack speed even enters the picture.
What this means for your party
- Multipliers beat balance. Because crit chance (Z2) and bonus % (F1) both scale off base damage inside the same bracket, a mercenary with one stacked trait out-damages a "well-rounded" one. Pick mercenaries whose traits reinforce each other instead of spreading stats thin.
- Crit scales twice. Crit chance adds flat effective damage inside the bracket, and the crit multiplier (Z1) then multiplies the entire bracket — including your percentage and flat bonuses. Late-game crit stacking snowballs hard.
- Flat bonuses (F2) fall off. F2 is added after percentage scaling but still gets multiplied by Z1, so it stays relevant on crits — just don't prioritize it over F1.
Why am I dying?
The same formula runs against you. Enemies with high multipliers punish parties that stack offense and skip survivability — if road fights scale with your cargo's danger level, a wagon full of armor and ore is effectively raising enemy X and Z1 every leg. Keep the wagon lean, or bring a party that can absorb multiplied hits. See our goods demand guide for which cargo is the most dangerous to haul.
Sources
- Steam guide: How to play (Gosloto, EN) — the damage formula, variable definitions, and worked example
Community-verified as of September 2026. Formula per the current build; may shift with balance patches.
Related Guides
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The four demand types in TRADESMAN — domestic, industrial, military, neutral — with colors, full goods lists, and which cargo is the hardest to haul.
All Legendary Mercenaries: Where to Find Them & How to Unlock
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