The ×8 boost cap: what it is and how cards show it

What it is

In fights against creatures — in the world, dungeons, raids, Mythic and keystones — every strike by a hero or a resident has two caps:

• Your own boosts — no more than ×5. That is everything that empowers the fighter: “+X% damage” effects (Inner Inferno, Runic Overcharge, Flask of Might, Targeting), “next card” marks and talents, including “vs a target under …” ones.
• Your own boosts together with the target’s weaknesses — no more than ×8. Weaknesses are “takes more damage” debuffs on the enemy (Flash Freeze, Frozen Core, Hunter’s Mark and others), yours and your whole party’s.

Burns and poisons remember the boosts at the moment the card is played, so they hit the cap too. PvP has no such caps — it has its own rules, see Special PvP combat rules.

Example

Calamitous Flame under Inner Inferno, Runic Overcharge, Flask of Might, Targeting and fire talents: own boosts ×8.87, the cap cuts them to ×5. The target carries Flash Freeze, Frozen Core and the party’s marks — weaknesses ×2.44, but only ×8 / ×5 = ×1.60 of them is left. That makes ×8 in total, and one more frost debuff at this moment adds +0% to this strike.

Once Inner Inferno fades, your own boost drops — and the same debuff gives its full +20% again.

How cards show it

• “⚖ cap ×8” on a card in your hand — its strike is already at the cap. Hover over the badge for a breakdown: “own boosts ×8.87 → ×5 (cap), target weaknesses ×2.44 → ×1.60”. The card’s number already includes the cap: that is exactly what it will deal. “⚖ cap ×5” — only your own boosts are capped; target weaknesses still add.
• On debuff cards (Frigid Gale, Flash Freeze and other classes’ debuffs) — how much that debuff would add right now to the strongest card in your hand against the selected target: “→ “Calamitous Flame” now +0% — at the cap” or “→ “Calamitous Flame” now +20%”.
• In the combat log the cap shows as “⚖ Card boost cap” and “⚖ Action cap ×8” lines.

Playing around the cap

• Target debuffs are strongest on turns without big boosts of your own: then they give their full bonus.
• On the turn when all your boosts are up, an extra Targeting or one more debuff adds nothing to your strongest strike — better keep them for the next turn.
• A self-buff “for 2 turns” lasts the turn you play it and the next; “for 3 turns” — the turn you play it and the next two.