Scratch Damage vs Direct Damage - What Scratch Damage Does

Scratch versus direct is the math gate behind every fight: SMGs paint blue bars, handguns and grenades cash them in. This page is the dedicated answer for “what is scratch damage?”—the rest of the combat loop lives in /guides/battle-system-explained/.

What is the difference at a glance?

The Combat 3: Scratch Damage tutorial (included in the 4K/HD tutorial menu) defines direct damage as “standard damage, dealt directly to the target’s HP,” and scratch as damage that becomes direct once direct damage is sustained. It also notes direct is shown in red, scratch in blue.

How do I apply scratch damage?

1. Equip a machine gun on the active hunter (Zephyr and Leanne often carry SMGs in tutorials).
2. Use normal attacks or Hero Actions to build charge, then fire.
3. Watch the enemy HP bar fill with blue. Multiple SMG hits stack scratch faster than single taps.
4. Avoid switching targets until scratch is wide enough to justify a detonation.

Steam guide author Erickdesu warns that high-level enemies may regenerate scratch if you delay—especially when scratch is small compared to their green HP. Break shield segments (Gauge Break) to split the bar into smaller chunks that scratch can chew through.

How do I convert scratch to direct damage?

1. Swap to a handgun or thrown weapon hunter (Vashyron commonly uses handguns in tutorials).
2. Aim at the same target with scratch already applied.
3. Fire a charged shot or grenade. Direct damage numbers appear in orange/red, and the blue segment collapses into real HP loss.
4. Repeat until green HP reaches zero.

Combat 3 classifies thrown weapons with handguns as direct damage dealers. threetimes’ FAQ still notes grenades can stun, break gauges, and scratch or kill depending on elemental ammo—handguns remain the reliable scratch detonator in early fights.

/bosses/tar-man/ is the first fight that punishes slow scratch conversion: break the oil pit, scratch with a machine gun, then finish with handgun direct damage before scratch heals.

When should I scratch first versus shoot direct immediately?

Scratch first when:

• The enemy has full green HP and high level (SMG scratch unlocks faster kills).
• You need time to break shield plates with spread fire or gauge breaks.
• You are setting up a Tri-Attack lap to scratch multiple targets before a handgun finisher.

Go direct first when:

• The target already has low green HP and scratch would regenerate.
• You need an HP gauge break on the main body (handgun direct hits can crack the gauge per Combat 13; Tips 6 ties extra breaks to handgun charge bonuses).
• You are finishing a scratched target before it heals.

How do weapons and Bezels tie in?

Weapon roles are fixed by type—see /weapons/weapon-types-explained/ and /weapons/weapon-customization-guide/ for modding charge speed. Bezels do not change scratch math; they only gate Hero Actions that deliver scratch safely. If your gauge is empty, you still scratch from standing shots, but you lose the mobility that keeps scratch from healing. Read /guides/bezels-and-bezel-shards/ for gauge recovery.

Pair hunters using /weapons/best-gun-setup/ so you always have at least one SMG and one handgun online. Hero Action routing for scratch → detonate loops is in /guides/hero-action-guide/.

Sources

• Erickdesu — Basic Beginner guide (Steam Community)
• threetimes — Resonance of Fate FAQ / walkthrough (Combat 3 / grenade notes)
• Wikipedia — Resonance of Fate gameplay (damage types)
• Xorbius — Resonance Of Fate 4K/HD Edition (PC) 4K Tutorials (YouTube, video ID eA6D7sVDh3I)
• Footage frames: Xorbius — Resonance Of Fate 4K/HD Edition (PC) 4K Tutorials (YouTube)
• Footage frames: NickOfFord — Resonance of fate (PS5) - [Hard] Prologue (YouTube, video ID BZvjTOYnyTA)

Last verified: 2026-10-31