Defense is the total physical defense that is factored upon physical damage, which is generally based on ATK as whole or partially. However, there are exceptions.

The descriptions used here refer to Hard and Soft DEF. These names are used for clarity. The vast majority of players do not use these terms in general conversation, and instead refer Armor Def (hard) and VIT Def (soft). Hard DEF works as a relative reduction, whereas Soft DEF is a subtractive reduction.

To obtain the final damage,apply Hard DEF first and then apply soft DEF.

It is shown as A + B in the Status Window, where A represents the Soft DEF and B represents the Hard DEF.

Hard defense, also known as "armor" or "equipment" defense reduces, incoming physical damage multiplicatively.

• Damage after Hard DEF = Damage × [(4000 + HardDEF) ÷ (4000 + HardDEF × 10)]

For example, a player with a Hard DEF of 275 will have incoming damage reduced by about ⅓, and a player with a Hard DEF of 500 will have incoming damage reduced by half.

Being attacked by more than two monsters decreases Hard Defense and Soft Defense by 5% per every additional monster. When attacked by more than 21 monsters at once, both defense value is reduced by 100%.

Hard defense has a base value of 0, and is increased by equipment, some skills, and items.

• Equipment bonus to DEF: +1 per point
• Armor upgrades = Floor[(3 + UpgradeLv) ÷ 4]

Item/Skill	Max Modifier	Additional notes
Agav Card	-10	Armor.
Alicel Card	-5	Armor.
Ambernite Card	+2	Armor.
Arclouze Card	+2	Shield. Extra +2 if refined to +5 or lower.
Argiope Card	+1	Armor. Enchant armor with Poison property.
Argos Card	+1	Shield.
Assumptio	+250	(SkillLv x 50)
Broad Sword	+5
Cardo	Var	+Floor(UpgradeLv ÷ 2)
Coco Card	+1	Headgear.
Cornutus Card	+1	Armor. Makes armor unbreakable.
Cowardice Blade	+5
Cutlus	+1
Dokebi Card	+1	Armor. Endows armor with Wind property.
Evil Druid Card	+1	Armor. Endows armor with Undead property.
Executioner Card	+1	Shield.
Gate Keeper-DD	Var	+UpgradeLv
Ghoul Card	+1	Headgear.
Goat Card	+2	Armor. Extra +2 if refined to +5 or lower.
Hardrock Mammoth Card	+5	Armor.
High Orc Card	+1	Shield.
Infiltrator	+3
Katzbalger	+10
Luna Bow	+2
Martin Card	+1	Headgear.
Medical Scrubs [1]	+300	Armor.
Megalodon Card	+1	Shield.
Memory of Thanatos Card	-30	Weapon. Increases damage based on target's DEF.
Mineral Card	+3	Armor.
Munak Card	+1	Shield.
Mysteltainn Card	+1	Shield.
Ogretooth Card	+1	Shield.
Parasite Card	+1	Shield.
Pasana Card	+1	Armor. Endows armor with Fire property.
Porcellio Card	-5	Armor.
Powerful Amdarais Card	Var	+UpgradeLv x 10
Remodel Mainframe	+100	[20 + (SkillLv × 20)]
Royal Guard Randel Card	+350	Garment. If used by Royal Guard.
Royal Guard Shield [1]	Var	+UpgradeLv x 10
Sandman Card	+1	Armor. Endows armor with Earth property.
Schweizersabel	+1	Wind property.
Solider Card	+2	Armor.
Splash Cat Hat	Var	+UpgradeLv x 50
Stainer Card	+1	Headgear.
Stalactic Golem Card	+1	Headgear.
Steel Chonchon Card	+2	Armor.
Sting Card	+2	Shield. Extra +2 if refined to +9 or higher.
Swordfish Card	+1	Armor. Endows armor with Water property.
Tamruan Card	+2	Shield.
Tengu Shoes	+150	[Gentle Touch-Revitalize SkillLv × 30)]
Wootan Fighter Card	+1	Headgear.
Wootan Shooter Card	+1	Headgear.

Item/Skill	Max Modifier	Additional notes
Frenzy	-100%
Grimtooth	-50%
Masamune	-66.7%
Nyang Grass	-50% / -100%	Monsters: -50%. Players: -100%.
Spear Dynamo	-15%	-[5 + (SkillLv x 2)]%
Spike	-66.7%
Tao Gunka Card	-50%	Armor. Doubles Max HP.

Soft defense, also known as "VIT" defense, reduces incoming physical damage directly.

SoftDEF      = floor((VIT ÷ 2) + (AGI ÷ 5) + (BaseLv ÷ 2))
TotalSoftDEF = [(SoftDEF + BonusA) × (1 + BonusB ÷ 100)]

• BonusA is the sum of additive bonuses.
• BonusB is the sum of multiplicative bonuses.

Monsters use a different SoftDEF formula.

SoftDEF      = floor((VIT + BaseLvl) ÷ 2)

Item	Max Modifier	Additional notes
Divine Protection	+30	+(SkillLv × 3). Only against Undead and Demon monsters.

Item	Max Modifier	Additional notes
Angelus	+50%	+(SkillLv × 5)%

Final DEF = (Total_Def - Sum_DefReduceValues) × (1 − Sum_DefBypassPercent ÷ 100)

• Total_Def = Total Hard DEF shown in the Status Window.
• Sum_DefReduceValues = sum of flat values that reduce DEF, like Odin's Power.
• Sum_DefBypassPercent = sum of modifiers that bypass DEF by a percent, like Expiatio and Perverse Demon Mask [1].

• For example, if a player has 25% DEF Bypass from Expiatio buff, 30% DEF Bypass from Perverse Demon Mask[1], and Odin's Power Level 2 (-40 DEF) is casted on an enemy with 500 Hard DEF, the enemy's final DEF is calculated as:
  • Final DEF = (500 - 40) x (1 - (25+30) ÷ 100)
    
    

The skills and equipment below are known to either bypass DEF, or have a reversed effect, thus increasing damage from the amount it.

Skill	Notes
Arm Cannon	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Battle Chant	Applied for one of the Negative Effect chance options against enemies.
Bomb Cluster	Only the Stat portion of the damage formula bypasses DEF.
Cart Cannon	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Counter Slash	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Dragon Breath	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Dragon Water Breath	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Dragonic Breath	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Gates of Hell	Applied for the Bonus Damage part only.
Grand Cross	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Guillotine Fist	Disregards the DEF calculation.
Martyr's Reckoning	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense for the next 5 auto-attacks only.
Occult Impaction	Increases damage based on target's DEF.
Shadow Stab	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Spark Blaster	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Suicidal Destruction	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.
Tarot Card of Fate	Applied for The Chariot, The Devil, or The Tower Cards.
Varetyr Spear	Treats Hard Defense as Soft Defense.

Weapon	Notes
Ahlspiess
Brocca
Bloody Roar	Only against Demi Human targets.
Caesar's Sword	Only against Plant targets.
Combat Knife	Only against Demi Human targets.
Dragon Killer	Only against Dragon targets.
Dragon Slayer	Only against Dragon targets.
Dragon Wing	Only against Dragon targets.
Executioner	Only against Demi Human targets. Shadow property.
Exorciser	Only against Demon targets.
Gae Bolg	Only against Dragon targets.
Hunting Spear	Only against Brute targets.
Ice Pick Ice Pick [1]	Increases damage based on target's DEF. +1 ATK per 2 Hard DEF*.
Iron Nail [1]
Legacy of Dragon	Only against Dragon targets.
Slaughter	Only against Brute targets.
Weeder Knife	Only against Plant targets.
Twin Edge of Naght Sieger (Red) [3]	5% chance when dealing physical damage.
Twin Edge of Naght Sieger (Blue) [3]	5% chance when dealing physical damage.
Violet Fear [2]	5% chance when dealing physical damage.

Armor	Notes
Black Feather	If upgrade level is +10 or higher, bypass 100% of hard defense of all race targets when performing a physical attack.
Circlet of Phoenix	If upgrade level is +10 or higher, bypass 100% of hard defense of all race targets when performing a physical attack.
Devil's Hand	If upgrade level is +10 or higher, bypass 100% of hard defense of all race targets when performing a physical attack.
Work Cap	If upgrade level is +10 or higher, bypass 100% of hard defense of all race targets when performing a physical attack.
Jejecap Type J	If upgrade level is +13 or higher, bypass 100% of hard defense of all race targets when performing a physical attack.
Runaway Accelerator [1]	If upgrade level is +7 or higher, bypass 25% of hard defense of all class monsters. If upgrade level is +9 or higher, bypass an additional 25% of hard defense of all class monsters.
Ultralight Magic Shield [1]	Bypass 10% of hard defense of normal monsters when performing a physical attack.
Abusive Robe [1]	Bypass 4% of DEF per upgrade level on Demi-Human, Demon, and Undead targets when performing a physical attack
Bone Plate [1]	Bypass 10% of hard defense of Demi-Human and Brute monsters when performing a physical attack
Mighty Black Threaded Armor [1]	Bypass 10% of hard defense of normal monsters, Boss monsters and players when performing a physical attack. If upgrade level is +7 or higher, bypass an additional 20% of hard defense of normal monsters, Boss monsters and players when performing a physical attack. If upgrade level is +8 or higher, bypass an additional 20% of hard defense of normal monsters, Boss monsters and players when performing a physical attack. If upgrade level is +9 or higher, bypass an additional 20% of hard defense of normal monsters, Boss monsters and players when performing a physical attack.
Temporal Str Manteau [1] Temporal Agi Manteau [1] Temporal Vit Manteau [1] Temporal Int Manteau [1] Temporal Dex Manteau [1] Temporal Luk Manteau [1]
Enforcer Shoes	Bypass 20% of hard defense of normal monsters, Boss monsters and players when performing a physical attack per level of Counter Slash known.
Juggernaut	If Anti-Material Blast is level 5, bypass 100% of hard defense of all race targets when performing a physical attack.
Illusion Military Boots	Bypass 20% of hard defense of All Races when performing a physical attack per level of Lava Flow known.
Imperial Boots	Bypass 20% of hard defense of normal monsters, Boss monsters and players when performing a physical attack per level of Pinpoint Attack known.
Blacksmith's Glove [1]	Bypass 50% of hard defense of All Races when performing a physical attack.
Perverse Demon Mask [1]	Bypass 15% of hard defense of normal monsters, Boss monsters and players when performing a physical attack for every 18 base LUK.
Abusive Robe & Morrigane's Manteau Set	Bypass 15% of hard defense of Demi-Human, Demon and Undead race targets when performing a physical attack.
Abusive Robe & Valkyrie Manteau Set	Bypass 15% of hard defense of Demi-Human, Demon and Undead race targets when performing a physical attack.

Card	Notes
Engkanto Card	Bypass 30% of hard defense of Plant monsters when performing a physical attack
Memory of Thanatos Card	Enchants compounded weapon with the Occult Impaction skill effect. Each attack drains 1 SP. DEF -30, Flee -30.
Samurai Specter Card	Ignore normal monster's defense when attacking. Disable its user's natural HP recovery and drain 666 HP every 10 seconds. Drain 999 HP as the weapon is unequipped.
Neo Punk Card & Big Bell Card Set	Bypass 50% of hard defense of Formless and Demon race targets when performing a physical attack.
Nightmare Arclouse Card & Nightmare Minorous Card Set	Bypass 50% of hard defense of Brute and Undead race targets when performing a physical attack.

Skills that work with the above weapons include:

• Back Stab
• Bash
• Bowling Bash
• Brandish Spear
• Counter Attack
• Flying Kick
• Grimtooth
• Holy Cross
• Mammonite
• Martyr's Reckoning
• Pierce
• Raging Trifecta Blow
• Snatch
• Sonic Blow
• Soul Destroyer
• Spear Boomerang
• Spear Stab
• Throw Spirit Sphere

In special conditions, such as for the Occult Impaction skill or item that grants its effect like Ice Pick or Memory of Thanatos Card, the DEF formula is altered. These skills and items ignore hard defense and soft defense, and also add additional attack depending on the target's hard defense (Target_Hard_DEF ÷ 2). Defense bypass gears in any other form outside of an Occult Impaction effect only bypass hard defense.

• +14 Awakened Old King's Twin Blades [1]
• +14 Demon Hunter Shoes [1]
• Ice Pick
• Ice Pick [1]
• Memory of Thanatos Card

• MDEF

Game Mechanics
General	Levels • Experience • Attacks • Skills • Elements • Drop System • Monsters • Items • Status Effects
Stats	Primary Stats	STR • AGI • VIT • INT • DEX • LUK
	Talent Status	POW • STA • WIS • SPL • CON • CRT
	Substats	ATK • MATK • DEF • MDEF • HIT • CRIT • FLEE • ASPD • P.ATK • S.MATK • RES • MRES • H.PLUS • C.RATE
	HP / SP / AP	Activity Point • Max HP • Max SP • HP Recovery • SP Recovery • Healing Items • Restoration Calculation
	Quasi-Stats	Attack Range • Cast Time • Perfect Dodge • Perfect Hit • Weight Limit • Movement Speed