Six 60-second Mage tests
Penetration vs Critical: where did the damage actually improve?
The six trials point to a performance band rather than one stat to maximise. The strongest results kept Penetration and Crit productive together; moving too far toward either edge reduced damage.
THE SHORT ANSWER
The winning zone sat between the two extremes.
The highest result was 253M total damage and 4.21M DPS with 13,166 Penetration and 9,605 Crit. The balanced package followed at 4.18M, and the Crit-leaning follow-up reached 4.15M.
Those three results are separated by only 0.06M DPS—about 1.4% from highest to lowest—despite different Penetration and Crit mixes. The pattern supports a broad working band, not one perfect ratio.
- Best recorded DPS
- 4.21M
- Penetration at best
- 13,166
- Crit at best
- 9,605
- Top-result band
- 4.15–4.21M
THE SIX TRIALS
The highest stat did not produce the highest damage.
Each capture changed a complete package of raw and bonus stats, so the result should be read as a build comparison—not a one-stat formula.
Attack-heavy
- Attack
- 24,214
- Crit
- 10,336
- Penetration
- 11,485
Crit-heavy
- Attack
- 23,827
- Crit
- 11,433
- Penetration
- 10,645
Crit-leaning follow-up
- Attack
- 23,914
- Crit
- 11,504
- Penetration
- 11,206
Penetration-heavy
- Attack
- 23,440
- Crit
- 9,605
- Penetration
- 13,166
Maximum Penetration
- Attack
- 23,440
- Crit
- 9,015
- Penetration
- 14,006
Balanced build
- Attack
- 23,444
- Crit
- 10,258
- Penetration
- 12,330
Evidence boundary: these packages changed several raw and bonus stats together. They compare complete builds; they do not isolate one stat or reveal a universal Penetration cap or hidden damage formula.
THE LOWER EDGE
The result changed sharply between 10.6K and 11.2K Penetration.
The 10,645-Penetration package managed 3.59M DPS. At 11,206 Penetration with slightly more Crit, damage rose to 4.15M DPS. The full bonus package also changed, so this identifies a useful region rather than an exact threshold.
THE UPPER EDGE
The best result came before maximum Penetration.
The 13,166-Penetration package reached the test-high 4.21M DPS. Increasing Penetration to 14,006 while Crit fell to 9,015 reduced the complete package to 3.33M DPS.
THE WORKING BAND
Three different balances produced almost the same top damage.
From 11,206 to 13,166 Penetration—and 11,504 down to 9,605 Crit—the three leading packages stayed between 4.15M and 4.21M DPS.
Balanced run breakdown
Every major source stayed involved.
The gain did not depend on one isolated lucky hit. Frostspread and Lightning Lash supplied 61% together, while Snowstorm and Concentrated Exploding Star added another 37%.
THE STAT SHEET IS NOT THE WHOLE FIGHT
T5 adds a timed Penetration and Crit window.
Mage T5 Awakening Bonus 2 at level 3 grants 11.25% Penetration Boost and 6.75% Crit Boost for 10 seconds after a tactical skill, with a 15-second cooldown.
Triggered as soon as it is ready, the buff can cover about 40 seconds of a one-minute test. That is a maximum 66.7% uptime, so resting stats alone do not show the full in-combat balance.
CURRENT WORKING RANGE
A tested target for this Mage—not a universal cap.
Against this training target, the evidence supports keeping Penetration high enough to work without sacrificing the Crit that converts it into damage.
All three packages in this range reached 4.15M–4.21M DPS.
Crit and Penetration traded places inside the top band; neither extreme won.
The 24.2K Attack-heavy package did not outperform the better-balanced mixes.
WHAT TO TEST NEXT
Repeat each of the three leading packages twice more.
Keep the target, position, Auto setting and start sequence identical. Compare three-run averages for the 11.2K, 12.3K and 13.2K Penetration packages, then check whether their source breakdowns stay stable.