Section 2 of 12◆
Physical Damage (IPS)
Impact, Puncture, and Slash.
The three physical damage types — collectively called IPS — are the backbone of most weapons:
●Impact
Staggers enemies, briefly disrupting their actions.
▲Puncture
Reduces enemy damage output.
✂Slash
Causes a bleed proc — the most powerful physical status effect. Bleed damage bypasses armor and shields entirely.
✦ Tenno Tip
Slash is king. In late-game content, bleed procs deal true damage that ignores armor, making Slash-heavy weapons extremely powerful. When choosing between weapons, check if the damage distribution leans toward Slash.
How Physical Mods Work
Physical-specific mods (like Buzz Kill for Slash) are additive with the base damage of that type, not the total damage. From the engine:
Scaled Physical = Base Physical × Total Damage Multiplier + Base Physical × (Physical Mod% / 100)
This means a +120% Slash mod adds 120% of the weapon's base Slash value, not its total damage. Physical mods are weaker per-point than base damage mods like Serration.