[Patch 1.0.0.153: Preseason Balance Update 1] GD - Page 38

Old DFG there were essentially only two variables which affected its raw damage, the opponent's current health and your AP. If you assume you always use it on a full health target then it's pretty easy to assess its damage potential.

Enemy Maximum Health * (15% + 5%/100 AP * Your AP) = Raw Damage

New DFG is slightly more complicated because its effectiveness is based on the base damage and AP ratios of all magic damage abilities and items you can cram into the four second amplification period, in addition to the target's maximum health.

Enemy Maximum Health * 15% + (Base Damage + Your AP * Ratios) * 20% = Raw Damage

However, we can simplify the comparison because both items share Enemy Maximum Health * 15%. The equations to solve are therefore:

Enemy Maximum Health * 5%/100 AP * Your AP = Old DFG
(Base Damage + Your AP * Ratios) * 20% = New DFG

Now we're obviously going to have to make a lot of assumptions here as we have a lot of unknown variables. For the sake of this argument let's assume a 3000 Health target and 400 AP (a number which came up earlier in the thread). That leaves Base Damage and Ratios to be determined. There are going to vary wildly from champion to champion, so it's hard to know exactly what to put there. However, in general the total damage potential of a single AP carry's rotation is around 3.0. Thus we can solve for the necessary base damage to match old DFG.

3000 * 5%/100 AP * 400 AP = (Base Damage + 400 AP * 3.0) * 20%
3000 * 20% = (Base Damage + 1200) * 20%
3000 = Base Damage + 1200
1800 = Base Damage

So against a tank that's actually a lot of base damage. Some AP carries have that much base damage (e.g. Syndra, Veigar, LeBlanc) but not all.

However, we've intentionally ignored some differences between the two iterations of DFG. For one, how often did carries use old DFG on tanks at full health? Generally such a use would be wasteful as the tanks were rarely the critical target that needed to be burst down. Second, old DFG was a part of Season 2, where Magic Resistance was more plentiful and Force of Nature existed. The environment surrounding new DFG is different and plays to its favor. Finally, new DFG amplifying any incidental or focused damage on a target, which can amount to a significant amount depending on team composition.

The post of new DFG is blatantly obvious when you look past a scenario where you attempt to solo burst a tank at full health. Targeting a squishy, a tank or bruiser whose already taken damage, or working alongside an ally with magic damage will all thrust new DFG way ahead. A Leona without any AP brings enough magic damage to account for almost all of that seemingly difficult to reach 1800 Base Damage value by herself. Even an enemy carry with 2000 Health only requires 800 Base Damage for new DFG to match the old, a number pretty much every respectable AP carry easily surpasses by themselves. It only becomes easier if your champion makes use of items such as Gunblade or Lich Bane.