PvP Stat Scaling, Crit vs ATK & Build Priorities

PvP in Star Savior works very differently from PvE when it comes to stats. The game doesn't just change the enemy stats -- it scales down your unit stats by a factor of 10, while leaving rate stats like Crit Rate and Crit Damage completely untouched. This creates a fundamentally different stat economy that changes which builds are optimal. This guide builds on the PvE Damage Formula & Stat Optimization Guide.

How PvP Stat Scaling Works

In PvP, your stats are processed through a StatScaleFactorBundle -- a set of per-provider multipliers that reduce certain stat sources:

// Default (PvE) scales -- everything at 100%
public static readonly StatScaleFactorBundle DEFAULT =
    new StatScaleFactorBundle(GameMode.Default,
        StatScale:      10000,  // 100%
        TacticsScale:  10000,  // 100%
        StarLinkScale: 10000,  // 100%
        StellarScale:  10000,  // 100%
        EquipScale:    10000   // 100%
    );

// PvP hardcoded scales
public static readonly StatScaleFactorBundle PVP =
    new StatScaleFactorBundle(GameMode.Pvp,
        StatScale:      1000,  // 10%  -- base stats heavily reduced
        TacticsScale:     0,   // 0%   -- tactics completely removed!
        StarLinkScale:    0,   // 0%   -- star link completely removed!
        StellarScale:   1000,  // 10%
        EquipScale:     1000   // 10%
    );

These values are loaded from the game's const templet at runtime:

"PvpBattle": {
    "PvpDefenceConst": 300,     // PvP DEF constant (vs 3000 in PvE)
    "StatScale": 1000,          // Base stats scaled to 10%
    "TacticsScale": 500,         // Tactics scaled to 5%
    "StarLinkScale": 500         // Star link scaled to 5%
}

What Gets Scaled

The critical detail is that the scale factors only apply to flat stats (ATK, HP, DEF). Rate stats pass through untouched. Here is the proof from the scale method implementation:

// StatScale: returns scale for HP, ATK, DEF only
public int GetStatScale(NST_StatType stat)
{
    // Only NST_HP, NST_ATK, NST_DEF get scaled
    // Everything else returns 10000 (no change)
    if (stat == NST_HP || stat is NST_ATK or NST_DEF)
    {
        return this.StatScale;
    }
    return 10000;  // <-- Rate stats unaffected!
}

// TacticsScale: same pattern, only HP/ATK/DEF
public int GetTacticsScale(NST_StatType stat)
{
    if (stat != NST_HP && stat is not (NST_ATK or NST_DEF))
    {
        if (GameMode is Pvp or PvpRank)
            return 0;  // Non-HP/ATK/DEF stats get ZERO in PvP
        return 10000;
    }
    return this.TacticsScale;
}

// StarLinkScale: identical pattern
public int GetStarLinkScale(NST_StatType stat)
{
    if (stat != NST_HP && stat is not (NST_ATK or NST_DEF))
    {
        if (GameMode is Pvp or PvpRank)
            return 0;
        return 10000;
    }
    return this.StarLinkScale;
}

Full Stat Impact Table

Stat	PvE	PvP	Change
ATK	6,000	~600	Scaled to 10%
HP	34,000	~3,400	Scaled to 10%
DEF	2,700	~270	Scaled to 10%
Crit Rate	45%	45%	Unchanged
Crit Damage	150%	150%	Unchanged
Effect Hit	100%	100%	Unchanged
Effect Effect RES	0%	0%	Unchanged
Turn Speed	140	140	Unchanged
Tactics Stats	Full	0	Completely removed
Star Link Stats	Full	0	Completely removed

PvP Defense Constant

The PvP DEF constant is 300 (vs 3,000 in PvE). This means:

// PvE: DEF / (DEF + 3000)
// PvP: DEF / (DEF + 300)
// The formula is identical -- only the constant changes

result = defStat / (defStat + isPvpBattle
    ? PvpDefenceConst   // 300
    : DefenceConst);     // 3000

DEF (PvP)	Reduction	Enemy Keeps
150	33.3%	66.7%
270	47.4%	52.6%
300	50.0%	50.0%
500	62.5%	37.5%

Because DEF is also scaled to 10%, typical PvP units have ~200-300 DEF, which puts them right at the 40-50% reduction sweet spot. The proportional balance between ATK and DEF stays roughly the same as PvE.

ATK Build vs Crit Build in PvP

Here is the core comparison. Does investing in Crit outperform raw ATK when both are scaled to 10%? For the gear sets referenced below, see the Equipment System Guide.

5000 ATK + Full Crit vs 7000 ATK + No Crit

Expected Damage = ATK * (1 + CritRate * CritDamage)

// Build A (Crit focus): 5000 ATK, 45% CR, 150% CD
A_PvE = 5000 * (1 + 0.45 * 1.50) = 5000 * 1.675 = 8,375
A_PvP =  500 * (1 + 0.45 * 1.50) =  500 * 1.675 =   838

// Build B (ATK focus): 7000 ATK, 10% CR, 50% CD
B_PvE = 7000 * (1 + 0.10 * 0.50) = 7000 * 1.050 = 7,350
B_PvP =  700 * (1 + 0.10 * 0.50) =  700 * 1.050 =   735

// Crit build wins by 14% in BOTH PvE and PvP
// The ratio is identical -- scaling doesn't change the comparison

The PvP scaling doesn't change the ATK vs Crit comparison at all. Both builds get scaled by the same 10%, so the ratio between them stays identical. Crit still wins by the same 14% on average.

With Set Bonuses

Build	Setup	Avg Damage (PvE)	Advantage
Crit (Destruction)	5000 ATK, 45% CR, 190% CD	9,275	+10.4%
ATK (Attack)	8400 ATK, 10% CR, 50% CD	8,820	Baseline
Crit (Insight)	5000 ATK, 75% CR, 150% CD	10,625	+26.5%
Speed (Speed)	5000 ATK, 45% CR, 150% CD, 170 SPD	9,275 + turns	Tactical

The Consistency Problem

The average damage favors crit. But individual hits don't care about averages:

// Build A (Crit): 45% CR, 190% CD
//   55% of the time: 5,000 damage (NO crit)
//   45% of the time: 14,500 damage (CRIT)

// Build B (ATK): 10% CR, 50% CD
//   90% of the time: 7,000 damage (no crit)
//   10% of the time: 10,500 damage (crit)

Build A has a 55% chance of dealing LESS damage than Build B on any given hit. Over many hits, the average favors Build A. But in PvP, where battles last 5-7 turns and every skill matters, the consistency of Build B can be more valuable.

Crit Probability Over a Short Fight

Hits	Chance of 0 Crits (45% CR)	Chance of At Least 1 Crit
1	55%	45%
3	17%	83%
5	5%	95%
7	1.5%	98.5%

Over a full PvP match (7+ actions), you're very likely to crit at least a few times. The crit build's higher ceiling compounds over multiple turns. But on any single clutch skill (like a Nova Burst), there's a 55% chance you don't crit. Check Character Builds for PvP-ready team compositions.

PvP Build Recommendations

If building specifically for PvP

1. ATK set (+20% ATK) is the safe choice -- consistent damage, no RNG, works on every hit
2. Speed is extremely valuable -- Turn Speed is NOT scaled in PvP. 170 SPD gives you the same turn denial as in PvE
3. Effect Hit is at full value -- debuffs land just as easily as in PvE
4. Tactics and Star Link stats are worthless in PvP -- don't invest in these for PvP teams

If building for general content (PvE + PvP)

1. Crit build is fine -- it wins on average in both modes by ~10-14%
2. Accept the variance -- you will have fights where you lose the crit rolls
3. Speed set (+15 SPD) might be the best PvP compromise -- gives tactical advantage without relying on RNG

What NOT to invest in for PvP

• Tactics stats -- scaled to 0%, completely disabled
• Star Link stats -- scaled to 0%, completely disabled
• Excessive DEF -- the PvP DEF constant is low enough that you get diminishing returns quickly at ~300 DEF
• Flat HP stacking -- scaled to 10%, so HP-focused substats give minimal value

Summary

PvP doesn't change the ATK vs Crit math -- both get scaled equally. The real PvP-specific insights are: (1) Speed, Crit Rate, and Crit Damage are your most efficient stats because they aren't reduced, (2) Tactics and Star Link investments are wasted in PvP, and (3) the short fight length makes consistency more valuable than ceiling damage, which slightly favors ATK builds for clutch PvP moments.

Source Code References

• NKM.decompiled.cs -- StatScaleFactorBundle (lines 18688-18760), damage formula, DEF reduction
• NKM.Templets.decompiled.cs -- Stat type classification (line 29156), OBF_2137 rate stat check
• Star.Templets.decompiled.cs -- PvP stat scale templet loading (line 22426)
• CLIENT_CONST_TEMPLET.json -- PvpBattle config values

Full decompiled and deobfuscated source: github.com/boring877/star-savior-decompiled