I know this sounds dumb, but what is the difference between physical and special damage?

"UdalCuain;c-2236421" wrote:

"CT_Waxer_7777;c-2236420" wrote:
Yeah but what’s the actual difference? Is special damage better?

Neither is better.

They are based on different stats though. You have physical offence and special offence.

Until they start doing something stupid like "this character is immune to physical damage" don't worry about it.

This.

Yeah, + offense and + offense % boost both, but at relic levels some particular attackers have massive special damage attacks that scale much nicer from offense %.

Also, the attacks from special damage generally seem to be from force-related power. GMY's AOE, Talzin's attacks, so on.

If you guys go to swgoh.gg, under character stats -> offensive, then click "Special Damage" you might be surprised at how many non-force sensitive characters utilize special damage (like Resistance Hero Poe and Kuill).

@CT_Waxer_7777, there are characters that can utilize both physical and special damage. Count Dooku deals physical damage on his basic and special damage on his force lightning ability. His special damage is higher though. Echo uses physical damage on his basic and special damage on his EMP grenade ability. Mace Windu and Eeth Koth have physical basics and special-attacking specials. Grand Master Yoda actually used to be a mixed attacker like this, but when he was reworked back in June 2018, they changed his kit to use special damage only.

It is really simple, like someone already mentioned resistance reduces damage from special damage attacks, and armor reduces the damage from physical damage abilities. On the other hand, special damage tends to benefit more from +offense%, while physical damage prefers plain +offense if it makes any sence. While you're on it remember that their crit chance percentages differ aswell and can be found in damage type sector of characters stats menu

"BioHazard;c-2236448" wrote:
If you guys go to swgoh.gg, under character stats -> offensive, then click "Special Damage" you might be surprised at how many non-force sensitive characters utilize special damage (like Resistance Hero Poe and Kuill).

@CT_Waxer_7777, there are characters that can utilize both physical and special damage. Count Dooku deals physical damage on his basic and special damage on his force lightning ability. His special damage is higher though. Echo uses physical damage on his basic and special damage on his EMP grenade ability. Mace Windu and Eeth Koth have physical basics and special-attacking specials. Grand Master Yoda actually used to be a mixed attacker like this, but when he was reworked back in June 2018, they changed his kit to use special damage only.

Yeah, I don't know if I used the words "tends to" or "usually", but that was my intent with special damage being from force-related stuff. I think this was an intent very early on, but they scrapped it and went to something like special = not direct physical damage. No why an EMP grenade versus a thermal detonator would be physical versus special? Coin-toss by the kit-makers?

I honestly couldn't tell you; for some characters it might be completely different. For some, it looks like physical with basic, special with special, but it isn't really a pattern anymore, at least not with the more recent characters. For the resistance heroes, I can see why the devs would use special damage; they were designed when the 501st were meta and 5s has a much higher defense than resistance, so special damage would be more effective in in defeating him. Galactic Legend Rey uses physical damage, but she often isn't actually attacking, and when she is, she is using sudden whirlwind, so armor is irrelevant at that point.