HP Burn vs Poison in Raid Shadow Legends: Where to use them
How Poison works in raid
Poison Damage Explained
Poison places a debuff that deals damage at the start of an enemy’s turn. Each stack deals a fixed amount based on the enemy’s MAX HP.
Most champions apply either 2.5% or 5% Poison debuffs. These can stack up to 10 debuffs on a single target, which leads to very high damage over time.
Champions like Frozen Banshee and Kael build damage through stacking multiple Poisons quickly.
Why Poison Is Strong Against Bosses
Poison works best in single-target boss fights.
Clan Boss and Dragon both allow you to stack many debuffs. This means you can reach the cap of 10 Poison stacks and deal huge damage each turn.
Champions like Occult Brawler and Teodor the Savant excel in these fights.
They keep Poison active at all times, which leads to consistent damage across long battles.
How HP Burn works in raid
HP Burn Damage Explained
HP Burn places a debuff that deals damage each time the enemy takes a turn.
The damage scales from the enemy’s MAX HP, similar to Poison, but it does not stack in the same way. Each enemy can only have one HP Burn debuff at a time.
Champions like Geomancer and Artak apply HP Burn and build damage through repeated triggers.
Why HP Burn Is Strong Against Groups of Enemies
HP Burn becomes very strong when multiple enemies take turns.
In fights like Spider, many enemies act in sequence. Each one triggers HP Burn damage, which quickly adds up.
Champions like Mordecai and Sicia Flametongue apply HP Burn across all enemies.
This creates a large amount of damage without needing high attack stats.
Key Differences Between Poison & HP Burn
Damage Scaling
Poison scales through stacking. If you reach 10 stacks, you deal high damage to a single target. This makes Poison the stronger option in focused boss fights.
HP Burn scales through enemy turns. Each enemy triggers damage, so fights with many targets increase total output. This makes HP Burn stronger in multi-target battles.
Debuff Slot Usage
Debuff slots limit how many effects you can place on an enemy.
Poison uses one slot per stack. If you stack many Poisons, you can fill the debuff bar quickly and block other important debuffs.
HP Burn uses only one slot per enemy. This leaves space for effects like Decrease DEF or Weaken.
This difference matters in advanced teams where debuff space is limited.
Champions That Use Poison
Kael
Dark Kael
Dark Kael focuses on consistent Poison damage. His A3 places three 5% Poison debuffs along with Poison Sensitivity on a short cooldown. This skill does not rely on hits, so it works across all affinities. His A1 can trigger existing Poison debuffs for burst damage, and he adds Decrease ATK and debuff extension to keep Poisons active for longer.
Teodor the Savant
Teodor the Savant brings AoE Poison, HP Burn, and activation effects, along with Speed control. His key strength lies in extending the duration of both Poison and HP Burn before triggering them. This allows him to maintain steady damage over time instead of consuming debuffs too quickly.
Nell Blackteeth
Nell Blackteeth is the only mythical champion built around Poison. She performs best in PvP, where her passive can apply large amounts of unblockable Poisons against buff-heavy teams. She needs setup with Lethal Dose and Arachnelixir to reach full power. She works well in Mercurial gear, but she struggles against enemies using the same set.
Champions That Use HP Burn
Coffin Smasher
Coffin Smasher is a strong budget option. He places HP Burn on a single target and applies Decrease ATK. He also reduces incoming AoE damage for your team, which makes him a solid pick for Demon Lord teams in early progression.
Geomancer
Geomancer is one of the strongest epics in the game. He places a single-target HP Burn with Weaken on a 3-turn cooldown and duration. His passive deals repeated Enemy MAX HP damage whenever enemies attack your team under Burn. He also adds damage reduction and extra debuffs, which increases his overall value.
Sulfuryion
Sulfuryion excels at applying and activating HP Burn in one skill. This ability works across affinities, which makes him very strong against bosses like Spider. He also counters Stoneskin teams in PvP. His kit includes a full team revive, strong shields, and Turn Meter boosts.
Ash’nar Dragonsoul
Ash’nar Dragonsoul offers a unique take on HP Burn. While he is active, Burn debuffs on your team heal instead of deal damage. This turns dangerous fights into sustain opportunities. He boosts damage based on active Burns and brings strong utility. His alternate form deals high damage, with increased output against enemies under Burn.
When Poison is the better strategy
Clan Boss
Clan Boss is the best example of Poison value.
The fight allows full debuff stacking, and the boss has a large HP pool. Poison builds damage over many turns and becomes your main damage source.
Champions like Fayne and Occult Brawler perform well here.
If you want a full breakdown, see our Best Poison Champions guide.
Dragon Dungeon
Dragon also favours Poison.
The boss has high HP and allows multiple debuffs. This lets Poison stacks reach full value.
Champions like Frozen Banshee and Teodor clear this dungeon quickly with strong Poison uptime.
You can learn more in the Dragon Dungeon Guide.
When HP Burn is the better strategy
Spider Dungeon
Spider is where HP Burn dominates.
Spiderlings take many turns, and each one triggers HP Burn damage. This melts the boss faster than most direct damage builds.
Champions like Mordecai and Sicia are top picks for this strategy.
You can explore more setups in the Spider Dungeon Guide.
Hydra Boss
Hydra fights include multiple heads that take turns often.
HP Burn deals damage across all heads at once. This creates steady damage and scales well over time.
Champions like Geomancer and Tyrant Ixlimor perform well here.
For more details, check the Hydra Boss Guide.