After submitting testing results showing seemingly strange effects of defense skill on crushing blows, Blizzard officially responded to the results. Block (a Blizzard poster) kindly gave an expanded description of defense that includes how defense works for crushing blows. His initial word was that only mobs 3 levels higher than you would land crushing blows.
Then we collected and parsed a lot of data suggestting that crushing blows happen when the difference in the mob's weapon skill and player's (level x 5) is 15 or more, and is not entirely based on level difference as explained by Block. For example, level 35 mages and hunters with very underdeveloped defense skills take crushing blows from same level mobs. What I'm thinking happened is that his explanation implied "if your defense is at level maximum". We didn't pick up on that detail, so our understanding was flawed. That's also where the old "15% rule" came from, which is long since disproved.
Here's what we understand about crushing blows now:
- Crushing blows hit for 150% damage
- Players never land crushing blows
- Only white damage (autoattacks) can be crushing blows. Spells and specials like Mortal Strike or Mighty Smash cannot be crushing blows
- Your chance to take a crushing blow is always checked against your level maximum of (5 x level) (from here: WoW-Europe.com Forums -> 20/04/05 Agility, Strength, Defense and AP)
- If your defense skill is at your level maximum, then mobs 3 or more levels above your level can land crushing blows with a basic 15% chance to do so.
- The level 72 Hellfire Warders (trash in Magtheridon's Lair) will land crushing blows on a level 70 with 350+ defense. They are the only known mobs to date that can do this. Most likely, they have a higher weapon skill than their level would otherwise give them.
- For every point of defense skill (not defense rating!) you are under 5 times your level, the chance of a crushing blow increases by 2%. (This has the side effect of having crushing blows landing even from same-level mobs if your defense score is much lower than your level maximum.)
- While the Anticipation talent shows as an increase your natural maximum defense in the skills window, it does not reduce your chance to take a crushing blow
- Defense from gear ONLY affects your chance to receive crushing blows if your defense skill is lower than 5 times your level (but it always gives all the benefits of increased dodge, parry, block, as well as reduction in chance to be critically hit)
- Defense skill added by gear does not affect your chance to receive crushing blows past 5 x level - you have the same chance to receive a crushing blow at 500 defense as you do at 350 defense (unless, of course, you have enough total avoidance to push crushing blows off the combat table.)
- Shield Block ability helps to remove crushing blows from the combat table. Also here and here!
Some examples:
- A level 70 with 350 defense and no gear with defense rating on it has a 15% chance of getting a crushing blow from a level 73 mob
- A level 70 with 350 defense and gear with 200 defense rating on it has a 15% chance of getting a crushing blow from a level 73 mob
- A level 65 with 325 defense and no gear with defense rating on it has a 15% chance of getting a crushing blow from a level 68 mob
- A level 60 with 299 defense and no gear with defense rating on it has a 17% chance of getting a crushing blow from a level 63 mob
- A level 70 with 339 defense and gear with 24 defense rating on it has a 17% chance of getting a crushing blow from a level 73 mob
- A level 70 with 330 defense and gear with 200 defense rating on it has a 15% chance of getting a crushing blow from a level 73 mob
For warriors, who have their defense at maximum for level more or less immediately, the important bits are:
- Defense from gear does not reduce your chance to take crushing blows
- Nor does the Anticipation talent
- And read here
