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Published On: December 2, 2021
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Buffs, Debuffs and Instant Effects

Updated for December 2021

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Within Raid: Shadow Legends, champions and bosses can apply a number of buffs, debuffs and instant effects that impact your champion’s ability to perform their role. There are 3 main effects:

  1. Buffs – Effects you can place on your allies to improve their abilities
  2. Debuff – Effects you place on your enemies to reduce their abilities and for them to take more damage
  3. Instants – Effects you can activate instantly on your allies or enemies i.e. a Heal or Buff Removal

Remember: to place any effect on an enemy champion, you will need to ensure your champion has enough accuracy to beat the opponents Resistance value. Likewise if you want to resist an enemy effect you need to have enough resistance. You can use our Raid Stages Tool (free account required) to view every opponents stats and make a decision on how much Accuracy or Resistance you need.

Understanding each effect will be vital in building your champions correctly and also which champions are better suited for each encounter. Below is a complete list of the effects you will face in the game.

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Buffs

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Ally Protection:
The caster champion takes 25/50% of damage inflicted upon the target champion (calculated before any buff/multiplication on the damage). Self-inflicted damage and Poison do not trigger this effect. Each champion uses their respective DEF values for damage mitigation.


Block Damage:
Depending on the champion being used for block damage, either the champion casting the ability becomes immune to all forms of damage, OR the team on the field becomes immune for the set number of turns indicated on the champion casters skills.


Block Debuffs:

The casting champion (depending on whether this ability is for the whole team or just this individual champion) becomes immune to all Debuffs. Instant negative effects such as Decrease turn meter are not affected and work as normal.


Continuous Heal:
A continuous heal ability will buff an ally which activates every time they take a turn. The heal will be proportional to their Maximum HP with 7.5% or 15% depending on the strength of the buff. This is a good heal over time ability but relies on you staying alive to activate it. Spot heals are stronger if you need to boost an ally fast!


Counterattack:
When attacked, the champion(s) with this buff will attack back at their attacker using their default skill. This attack only deals 75% of normal damage from the default skill. This does not count as a turn and does not affect the turn meter. When attacked with a multi-hit skill; the champion with this buff will only return the attack once.


Increase Accuracy:
Increase accuracy boosts your allies’ accuracy by either 25% or 50% depending on the skill level. This makes it dramatically easier for your team to land their respective debuffs on the enemies and therefore beat your enemy foes. Accuracy is needed to combat resistance when landing a debuff on your enemy and is required for any ability that manipulates turn meter too.


Increase Attack:
Increases the champions battle ATK / current ATK value by 25/50%. Certain champions enable this across all your champions on the field.


Increase C.RATE (Crit Rate):
Increase the champions C.RATE by 15/30%. Certain champions enable this across all your champions on the field.


Increase DEF (Defense):
Increases the champions battle DEF by 30/60%. Certain champions enable this across all your champions on the field.


Increase SPD (Speed):
Increases the champion’s speed by 15/30%. Certain champions enable this across all your champions on the field.


Reflect Damage:
Any champions that are attacked when this buff is active will reflect a proportion of the damage back at the attacker for 15/30% of the damage inflicted (depending on whether they have a minor or major reflect damage buff on them).


Revive on Death:
Revive on death is a skill in Raid Shadow Legends that can revive either you or your allies upon being killed by enemies. This buff will revive you with 30% HP and 0% Turn Meter.


Shield:
The champions HP bar is reinforced with a shield effect. Damage is calculated normally but is applied to the shield first rather than the champion’s HP bar (unless the attack ignores shields). When the buff expires the shield is removed from the champion and further damage applies as normal.


Unkillable:
The champion that applies this buff becomes immune from death throughout the duration of the skill. The HP bar will NOT go below 1HP until this buff is removed/expires. Further damage once this buff is removed is calculated as normal. Depending on the champion casting the buff, this can be applied to several champions or just him/herself.


Strengthen:
Depending on the champion casting this buff, it can decrease incoming damage between 15% to 25%. This buff can be applied to one or several champions, depending on the champion casting the ability.

Veil / Perfect Veil:
Any champion with a Veil or Perfect Veil Buff will be hidden from view from your enemies and therefore un-targetable. If all of your team has this Buff the enemy can again select their champion of choice. Any AOE damage will still register. Veil also reduces the damage you take by 7.5% and Perfect Veil will reduce the damage you take by 15%.

strong increase critical damage buff

Increase C.DMG (Critical damage)
When Increase C.DMG is applied, the champion attacking will have their critical damage increased between 15-30% depending on the champion used to cast the Debuff. Some champions within the game are capable of applying this Buff to all enemies on the opposing side.

Stone Skin
When placed, Removes all debuffs from the Target, makes them immune to all other debuffs except for Bombs and reduces incoming damage by 85%. Bombs will deal 300% increased damage.

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Debuffs

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Block Buffs:

All buffs applied to the champion with this Debuff active are automatically blocked and have no effect.


Block Active skills:
Prevents the champion with this Debuff from using their active skills (only when this Debuff is active). The champion can only use their default or passive skills for the duration of the Debuff.


Block Passive skills:
Prevents the champion with this Debuff from using their passive skills (only when this Debuff is active). The champion can only use their default or active skills for the duration of the Debuff.


Heal Reduction:
Any healing received by the champion with this Debuff active is reduced between 50% or 100% depending on the champion’s skill description.


Block Revive:
Block revive is an effect that prevents an enemy from being revived by their allies. This is particularly strong against the Ice Golem Dungeon where the boss is able to revive his fallen allies and in the Arena where often we face a team with champions that can revive their allies.


Bomb:
When this Debuff is placed it is seen as a countdown when this Debuff expires the affected champion suffers direct damage that ignores their DEF value. The damage inflicted by the bomb scales in accordance with the Stat indicated within the champion’s skill description.


Decrease ACC (Accuracy):
When this Debuff is applied, it reduces the champion’s battle accuracy by 25 to 50% dependant on the champion used to apply. This is in accordance with the champion’s skill description.


Decrease ATK (Attack):
When this Debuff is applied, it reduces the champion’s battle ATK by 25 to 50%. (dependant on the champion used to apply). This is in accordance with the champion’s skill description.


Decrease DEF (Defence):
When this Debuff is applied, it reduces the champion’s battle DEF by 30 to 60% (dependant on the champion used to apply). This is in accordance with the champion’s skill description.


Decrease SPD (Speed):
When this Debuff is applied, it reduces the champion’s battle total speed by 15 to 30% (dependant on the champion used to apply). This is in accordance with the champion’s skill description.


Freeze:
When this Debuff is applied, the affected champion(s) will be unable to move until the Debuff expires. Champions receive 75% of Normal damage whilst under this Debuff. Cooldowns do not refresh whilst the affected champion(s) is under this Debuff.


HP Burn:
While the Debuff is active, at the start of the affected champions turn, they and all their allies take damage equal to 3% of their respective MAX HP. There can only be one HP burn Debuff active on one champion at a time.

hex
Hex:
This is a special debuff in that it doesn’t have impact on the champion with the debuff until another champion interacts with it. The impact of Hex champions is normally significant and can lead to powerful damage.


Leech:
Any champion that attacks a champion with this Debuff active heals for 18% of inflicted damage.


Poison:

Damages the target champions by 2.5/5% of their MAX HP at the beginning of their turn. Damage scales in accordance with the target champion’s MAX HP. Buffs like block damage will ignore the incoming damage. If a shield is active on the target champion the Poison will be applied to the shield first.


Poison Sensitivity:
When this Debuff is applied, Poison damage taken by the recipient is increased by 25%/50% depending on the champion used to apply this Debuff.


Provoke:

The champion with this Debuff can only attack the champion that applied the Debuff for the indicated amount of turns under the champion’s skill description. ONLY the default skill will be used throughout the duration.


Sleep:
The champion with this Debuff applied is unable to act/ take their turn until the Debuff expires. Cooldowns are not refreshed while sleep is active. If a champion is attacked whilst asleep, that attack WILL wake them up and their Turn Meter will continue as if they had never been asleep.


Stun:
The champion with this Debuff is unable to act/ take their turn until the Debuff expires. Cooldowns are not refreshed whilst this Debuff is active.


Weaken:
When this Debuff is applied, the champion that this has been applied to receives increased damage by 15/25% depending on the skill description of the champion who applied the Debuff.


Fear / True Fear:
When the Fear Debuff is applied, the enemy champion will have a 50% chance on their turn to skip their turn without their ability activating.
True Fear is an enhanced version of Fear, when an enemy with True Fear attempts to use a skill there is a 50% chance of the skill not activating, and if successful that skill will also go on cooldown!

strong decrease critical damage debuff
Decrease C.DMG (Critical Damage)
When Decrease C.DMG is applied, the opposing champion being attacked will have their critical damage reduced by either 15% or 25% depending on the champion used to cast the Debuff. This effect is multiplicative (i.e. 200% Critical Damage will be 150% when debuffed by 25% debuff)


Decrease C.RATE (Critical Rate)
When Decrease C.RATE is applied, the opposing champion being attacked will have their critical rate reduced by either 15% or 30% depending on the champion used to cast the Debuff. This effect is additive (i.e. 70% Critical Rate becomes 40% when debuffed with 30% debuff)

Petrification
When placed, removes all buffs from the target Champion and blocks any other buffs from being applied while the debuff is active. Enemies under petrification will skip their turn and their skills cooldown will remain the same whilst the debuff is active. Additionally, damage is reduced by 60% for petrified enemies except for damage dealt by Bombs which are increased by 300%.

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Instants

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Boss Effects

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There are a number of unique effects that a boss will place. Below we list them in one location but check our guides on each boss to learn more about the encounters.

Buffs

Life Barrier – Hydra Head
When placed, Life Barrier creates a Shield on the target for a number of turns. This Barrier will receive incoming damage before any other shield effect or the target’s HP. If the Barrier is depleted the target is stunned for 1 turn. If the Barrier is not depleted, the target is fully healed.

Poison Cloud – Hydra Head
When placed, Poison Cloud blocks all damage from Poison Debuffs and converts all incoming attacks to weak hits. If the target of the buff is under the effects of HP Burn, then both effects are neutralised.

Vengeance – Hydra Head
When placed, increases the target’s damage by 300% for 1 turn and triggers an immediate AoE attack.

Serpent’s Will – Hydra Head
When a new Hydra Head is grown, this head will receive this buff reducing all incoming damage by 75%

Digesting – Hydra Head
This hydra head has recently devoured an enemy champion. The head receives additional HP. If the head is not defeated by the time this buff expires then the devoured champion is removed from the battle (cannot be revived or returned to your team). If the head is defeated, the champion is returned to your team.

Debuffs

Pain Link – Hydra Head
Target’s an enemy champion creating a link with the Hydra Head of Suffering. 15% of the damage received by the Head is taken as damage by the target champion.

Instants

Mark of the Hydra – Hydra Head
Marks a champion for devouring. After the counter is reduced to 0 the champion is devoured by a head and the head receives the Digesting Buff. Champions who are devoured are no longer part of your team, cannot attack or take turns.

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ObscureDeath
ObscureDeath
1 year ago

This is still missing the info for decrease resistande debuff.

Ugghhh
Ugghhh
1 year ago
Reply to  ObscureDeath

and increase Resistance, eg, Boragar the Elder.

Stampede
Stampede
1 year ago

I’m looking for an explanation surrounding Poison Cloud and Life Barrier… We don’t have a search option on the site here and it’s not listed here either, so I’d really like to know where the best place would be to find in depth analysis of Boss skills and how to counter or prevent them

Stampede
Stampede
1 year ago
Reply to  Stampede

Well Boss skills. I’ve found some Faction Wars info on one site, and some CB info on another… Then I found some Doom Tower stuff on a totally different site again… Is there no common place where bosses and boss skills are discussed in detail anywhere?

Stampede
Stampede
1 year ago
Reply to  Stampede

Okay, nevermind, sorry guys, it is right here, I just missed it because it has no icon haha… Hey, I love this site, and the layout is fairly easy to navigate, yet, I think I struggle to find section now and then because there is no site search button (maybe I’m missing that also) and sometimes I think some sections can be marked a little more

Thanks ou’s sorry for putting my foot in my mouth

Miguel Valtierra Martínez
Miguel Valtierra Martínez
8 months ago
Reply to  Stampede

Acabo de instalar este pedazo de programa.
Tiene muy buena pinta.

DarkWildfang
DarkWildfang
1 year ago

What drives me up the wall with your site is THERE ARE NO SEARCH areas. All I want to do is find something and I have to jump through 11 hoops to find it. Then there’s no guarantees. A search button on every page………..that’s all I ask. Otherwise, fantastic site.

SS2020user
SS2020user
1 year ago
Reply to  DarkWildfang

ctr f?

Ugghhh
Ugghhh
1 year ago
Reply to  DarkWildfang

The temporary tags on article headings were really helpful but they’ve disappeared. You could click on say Hydra and all articles regarding Hydra were listed. Without that type of link or an equivalent search bar, older articles become obsolete.

CosmicWarrior7
CosmicWarrior7
1 year ago

I don’t know what Ironbrand does can we get it in here?

stxjim
stxjim
1 year ago

A lot of info I didn’t know. Thanks !

Samwise
Samwise
1 year ago

Is there any list that show what buff/debuffs a champion has? Would be very helpful in locating champions to improve or use for different battles,

Boruhavok
Boruhavok
9 months ago
Reply to  Samwise

At the bottom (on mobile, right on PC) of each page is a selection for buffs, debuffs, instants, and auras. HP Burn one is here: https://hellhades.com/hp-burn-debuff-raid-shadow-legends/

Samwise
Samwise
1 year ago

Would be nice to search champions based on buff/debuff. Example: find all Rare Epic/Legendary champions with a HPBURN debuff,

Sean McAvaney
Sean McAvaney
1 year ago

Why is it sometimes when attacking a hydra head it attacks a different head that I didn’t target?

GapDragon
GapDragon
1 year ago
Reply to  Sean McAvaney

The head of mischief does that every time.

Sean McAvaney
Sean McAvaney
1 year ago

Oh and your website and content if very helpful. Thank you for your time and energy put into the maddening amount of mechanics in raid..

FLINGSHOT
FLINGSHOT
1 year ago

If a debuff from gear lands, does it do so before or after the debuff from the champion’s attack? For example, if Vizier was wearing stun gear, and attacked with his a3 (debuff spread). Could he potentially land the stun and have it spread from that same attack?

Yunboi
Yunboi
1 year ago

what does the taunt buff do that the provocation debuff dosen’t do? The difference?

Saphyrra
Admin
Saphyrra
1 year ago
Reply to  Yunboi

Taunt forces the enemy to use skills on you but they can use any ability. Provoke is a debuff meaning your champion needs accuracy to place the debuff and ensure nothing is immune to provoke and they do not have block debuffs. Taunt is a buff on your champion so no such issues.

WileyMan
WileyMan
5 months ago

There are a few updates needed for this page. Stoneskin, Taunt, Hex changes, etc.