Damage Formula
How melee damage is calculated in Space Marine 2, from base value to final output.
The Formula
Damage = Base × (Variant + Additive Bonuses) × Motion Value × Strike Type Pool × (Parry + Enemy-Type Bonuses) × Block Charges × Sanctified Wrath × Perk Multipliers × Scan × Enemy Sensitivity
Formula Terms
| Term | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Base | The standard damage value of the weapon type. Examples: Chainsword 9.5, Power Axe 11, Thunder Hammer 14, Combat Knife 8, Omnissian Axe 14. |
| Variant | Multiplier from the selected weapon variant. Standard-Issue = 1.0, Heroic variants reach 2.0–2.5+. |
| Additive Bonuses | Sum of all +% perk bonuses, added to the variant multiplier before multiplication. Includes weapon perks (Perpetual Strength, Armoured Strength) and some class perks. All +% bonuses are summed together in this slot. |
| Motion Value | Per-attack multiplier — each attack has a different value. Light 1 is typically 1.0; heavy charged attacks can reach 10.0+. See individual weapon pages for values. |
| Strike Type Pool | Separate multiplicative layer for bonuses that apply to a specific subgroup of attacks (sprint, ground-pound, held/charged). Examples: Overcharge (+25% to held/charged), Winged Fury (×2 to sprint attacks). Only applies to matching attack types. |
| Parry | +50% when parry bonus is active. Stacks additively with enemy-type bonuses, not as a separate multiplier. |
| Enemy-Type Bonuses | Sum of all bonuses targeting a specific enemy tier: Slayer perks (e.g. Extremis Slayer +15%), class perks (e.g. Knowledge of the Enemy), team perks (e.g. Strategic Strikes). Combined with the Parry slot as (1 + Parry + EnemyBonuses). |
| Block Charges | ×1.3 with one block charge, ×1.9 with two. Only Block-defense variants can accumulate charges. Each is a true multiplicative layer. |
| Sanctified Wrath | ×1.35 when active. Equipment buff available to any class. True multiplicative layer. |
| Perk Multipliers | True multiplicative bonuses from specific perks. Examples: Riposte (×2 on Overhead Strikes out of Power Backstep), Proven Efficiency (×1.3 on gunstrikes). |
| Scan | Auspex Scan bonus from ability or Battle Focus parry. Both Auspex Ability Scan and Battle Focus together apply the greater of the two bonuses. All Scan Ability perks (except Battle Focus) are summed before multiplying. |
| Enemy Sensitivity | Damage-type multiplier absorbed into enemy HP. Most enemies: ×1.0. Trygon Prime: melee ×1.5. Mutalith Vortex Beast: melee ×1.5. See the enemy database for all sensitivity values. |
Damage Bonus Types
Perk badges in the calculator indicate how each bonus is applied:
| Badge | Type | How It Stacks |
|---|---|---|
| +10% | Additive (+%) | Added to the variant multiplier in the (Variant + Additive Bonuses) slot. All +% bonuses from weapon perks are summed together before multiplying. |
| ×20% | Multiplicative (×%) | Applied as (1 + sum of all ×% bonuses) in the Parry + Enemy-Type slot. Parry (+50%), Slayer perks, and class perks like Melee Mastery all stack additively with each other here. |
| ×2 | True Multiplicative (×#) | Each one multiplies total damage independently. Examples: Block Charges (×1.3 / ×1.9), Sanctified Wrath (×1.35), Riposte (×2). These do not stack additively with each other. |
| +Attack | Additional Attack | The perk grants a new attack row; either a brand new attack (Shadow Stab), damage added to a non-attack mechanic (Wings of Flame), or an extra damage instance on an existing attack (Discharge). See difficulty-scaled attacks for flat damage values. |
| C+25% | Conditional (C) | Same as +% or ×% but only active when a condition is met (e.g. after a gunstrike) while ability is in cooldown, or while armour is remaining. |
| +N% | Stacking (N) | Variable bonus that accumulates over time (e.g. +3% per consecutive hit) up to 30%. |