Damage-over-Time, usually shortened to DoT, is one of the main Effect categories in Anime Expeditions. A DoT application starts from the applying unit’s damage, multiplies it by the Effect’s factor, and distributes that total across a number of ticks during a set duration. That makes factor, tick count and duration different fields: factor describes the total scaling, while the other two describe delivery.
The community wiki currently documents five DoT names: Black Fire, Bleed, Burn, Austere Flames and Mana Burn. These values were checked July 28, 2026 against the Effect overview and each linked entity page. They are useful for comparison, but every page says that a unit can override the default properties.
DoT comparison
Calculate one application
Use the factor once for the entire application. If a source unit has 10,000 damage and applies a documented 0.5x Effect, the starting total is 5,000. A four-tick version would divide that into four 1,250-damage events before any unit-specific rule, enemy defense, modifier or live rounding behavior.
Black Fire’s 2x default would start from 20,000 total on the same 10,000-damage example, then distribute it across 12 ticks. This example explains the reference formula; it is not a promise that the live unit card, upgrades or enemy defenses will produce the same final number.
Record the damage shown immediately before application, the number of visible ticks and the total completed damage. If the target dies before the duration ends, the full listed factor may not matter. That is why a shorter four-second Effect can still be practical on normal waves even when a longer Effect has a larger total factor.
Stacking, refreshes and multiple appliers
The Effect overview says a DoT cannot stack on itself from the same applier. Separate applicants can stack their own applications. That wording makes unit identity important: one unit repeatedly attacking may refresh or replace its own application, while another copy or a different applicant can create a separate stack.
The public pages do not fully establish whether evolved and base forms count as separate applicants, whether two copies of the same unit count separately, or how refresh timing handles the remaining ticks. Those are the key live-test fields. Use one target and add the second applier only after recording the first.
Do not multiply factor by tick count. The ticks divide the total. Also avoid comparing only the first tick, because two Effects with the same apparent tick damage can have different durations or tick counts.
Which DoT fits a team?
Black Fire is documented as Crow’s long 12-second application. It is easier to use when a durable enemy remains alive and in the stage long enough to receive the full sequence. Open the Crow (Black Fire) guide to connect the Effect to the unit’s broader kit.
Bleed has the widest documented applicant list among the five reference pages, including Crimson, Cursed Student, Greed and Bounty Hunter forms. That gives more potential team-building routes, but it does not prove that every form applies the same default factor at the same upgrade.
Burn and Austere Flames both use four ticks over four seconds in the snapshot. Burn cannot be ranked reliably by factor until its conflicting pages are reconciled. Austere Flames has a consistent 0.75x default across the checked overview and entity page.
Mana Burn uses eight ticks over eight seconds and is attached to Elf Mage forms in the reference. Its name does not mean that it drains a player resource; the documented function is Damage-over-Time.
Practical DoT test route
- Pick a repeatable stage with an enemy that survives the full application.
- Remove other DoT units, marks and damage amplifiers from the first run.
- Record the applying unit’s damage immediately before the hit.
- Count ticks, duration and completed total.
- Repeat with a second applicant to test the separate-applicant rule.
- Repeat against the target type you actually care about, especially a boss.
Keep attack upgrades and placement identical. If the unit’s damage changes during the application, note whether later ticks use the original snapshot or the new current value. The public pages do not settle snapshot-versus-dynamic scaling.
Common DoT mistakes
- Treating the factor as damage per tick instead of total application scaling.
- Ranking by total factor while normal enemies die before all ticks land.
- Assuming two copies or two forms always count as separate applicants.
- Comparing Burn using only one of the two conflicting community-wiki values.
- Changing trait, equipment, support and Effect applier in the same test.
- Assuming Mana Burn removes mana because of its name.
- Ignoring stage or enemy modifiers that may reduce, cleanse or block an Effect.
Damage-over-Time FAQ
Which Effect has the largest documented default factor?
Black Fire is listed at 2x in the current reference snapshot. Unit-specific values can override defaults, and a target must survive long enough for all 12 ticks to land.
Does Bleed stack?
The general DoT rule says separate applicants can stack, while the same applier cannot stack the Effect on itself. The exact behavior of duplicate copies requires an in-game test.
Is Burn 0.5x or 1x?
The reference currently publishes both: 0.5x on Effect revision 7567 and 1x on Burn revision 7283. Use the live applying unit text until the pages agree.
Where can I compare control and marks?
Return to the interactive Effects index, or open Crowd-Control Effects and Mark Effects.