Training dummy and damage meter: how to test your hero’s damage in an MMORPG

You changed your talents, put on a new set, found a card combo — but are you actually stronger? In a real fight that's hard to tell: enemies vary, the deal is random, and a boss won't wait while you do the maths. That's why Zarhold, a card MMORPG in your browser, has a training dummy and a damage meter. Here is where to find them, what dummies there are, and how to compare two gear sets on exactly the same deal.

Where to find the training dummy

• Hero Chambers. Every hero has a dummy from their first visit to the Chambers, at any level, for free. Tap it → Train. When visiting a friend, you can hit their dummy with your own hero. What the Chambers are: “Your own home in an MMORPG”.
• The capital's Lists — from level 60: the Training Yard tile.
• The talents window — the Try out button: change your talents and test them at once.

What training is

Training is a fight with your real hero: your deck, the talents of your active branch, gear, race, set bonuses and consumables. But there are no rewards, no experience and no quest progress, the fight isn't written into the Battle Chronicles or ratings, and consumables aren't used up — test potions and bombs as much as you like.

The fight lasts 30 of your turns, then comes the summary. The Heat of Battle (two cards per turn from turn 10) works just as in a real fight. The fight's header has three buttons: Restart (the same deal and the same opening hand — practise a combo), New deal and Summary (finish now).

Five dummies

• Straw — no defence: all card damage gets through. It stands back up every turn and can take any amount. PvE creatures fight the same way — they have no armour.
• Plated — the Hardiness of a plate wearer of your level: see how much defence takes off and how talents that pierce it work.
• "Level 60 Boss" — huge Health (300,000), no armour, like real bosses; with Strikes back on, it strikes like a dungeon boss of your level.
• "Arena Fighter" — PvP rules: Resilience, a damage cap per round, shields lasting two turns, and from turn 10 healing and shields weaken. Handy before duels and tournaments.
• Healer's mannequin — a wounded ally: it starts at 60% Health and loses 10% per turn. Heal it and shield it; if the ally falls, the training ends.

Dummy settings

• How many dummies — 1, 3 or 5: test hits on several targets.
• Dummy Health — 100% or 30%: for talents that work "on a target below 30% Health".
• Strikes back — one strike per its turn: test tanking and self-healing.
• Tank and healer beside you — world residents of your level in your party: for "most wounded ally" and "whole party" bonuses.

The damage and healing meter

The meter isn't only for training. Open the ☰ panel under End turn (the L key by default): it has Damage · Healing · Log tabs. It works in ordinary fights that the game runs — in the world, on runs, in the arena and on battlegrounds; in a live duel and a live party the panel still shows the log.

What the meter shows:

• damage per fight and per turn — any of your turns with the ◂ ▸ arrows;
• sources: cards, combos as a separate line (their extra on top of card damage), effects, class power, racial ability, consumables; tap a line to see its breakdown;
• dealt · counted: dealt is the strength of your hits before the enemy's defence, counted is what reached the enemy's Health and shield. The "?" button explains the difference: enemy defence, overkill (beyond the remaining Health) or the round cap in PvP;
• healing: healed, overhealed (beyond full Health — it turns into a shield) and shields.

In a party you see each ally's numbers; in PvP other players' numbers are hidden. It's the same count as in the Battle summary.

Training summary

After the fight comes the summary: damage (healing and shields on the healer's mannequin) for the fight, average per turn and peak, bars by turn, dealt → counted, the top five cards and top five combos, and a comparison with your previous training on the same dummy. Your browser remembers the last 5 trainings on each dummy. Again repeats the same deal, Change dummy takes you back to the yard.

Compare two gear sets

The yard's most useful button is Compare two sets. Pick set A and set B: "As worn now", "Without Tier bonuses" or any of your saved gear sets. The game runs 10 turns twice — with the same deal and the same fighting style, the only difference being the gear — and gives a straight answer: for example, "set B +6.9%". You can see whether to swap your Tier set for fresh loot and what the set bonus really gives. About class sets: “Tier 1 class sets”.

How to use it: a short plan

1. Damage dealers — the Level 60 Boss or the straw dummy, 30 turns: average damage per turn and the best combos.
2. Tanks — the plated dummy with Strikes back: how much you hold and how self-healing works.
3. Healers — the healer's mannequin with Tank and healer beside you: are your heals and shields enough.
4. Before PvP — the Arena Fighter: how much damage Resilience and the round cap take off.
5. After changing talents — Try out straight from the talents window. How talents work: “Talents in a card RPG”.

The detailed reference for the yard is in the knowledge base: Training Yard.

Training dummy FAQ

Does training give experience or rewards?

No: no experience, gold, loot, quest or achievement progress. The fight isn't written into the Battle Chronicles or ratings.

Are potions and bombs used up in training?

No, consumables aren't used up in training — you can test them as much as you like.

Where do I get a training dummy?

Every hero already has one in their Chambers, free and at any level. From level 60 there is also a Training Yard in the capital's Lists, and the Try out button opens it from the talents window.

Why do I deal less damage to the plated dummy than to the boss?

Plate means Hardiness: it takes off a share of every hit. PvE creatures have no armour, so damage gets through to them in full — just like the straw dummy and the Level 60 Boss.

Is there a damage meter in ordinary fights?

Yes: the ☰ panel has Damage · Healing · Log tabs in fights in the world, on runs, in the arena and on battlegrounds. In a live duel and a live party it shows the log.

Can I compare two gear sets?

Yes: Compare two sets in the yard runs 10 turns twice on the same deal and shows the difference as a percentage.