Buffs in RAID: What Each One Does and How They Stack

Buffs in RAID: Shadow Legends are half of your damage and almost all of your survivability. The same champion with and without Increase ATK hits so differently that the whole battle plan changes. Below is what each common buff does, which stat its percentages scale from, and which buffs stack while others simply overwrite each other.

How buffs work: four rules

Buffs sit as icons above the champion portrait and are measured in turns. Duration ticks down when the team takes a turn, so 2 turns means two full actions, not two seconds. That is where all the speed-tune math comes from: a buff applied too early simply burns away.

• Percentages scale from base stats. Increase ATK +50% adds half of the champion base Attack, not half of the final number from gear. The more ATK% you have in artifacts, the smaller the relative gain — but the absolute gain is still big.
• Buffs of the same type do not stack. Two Increase DEF buffs in one team will not double your defence.
• Re-applying refreshes the duration. A fresh buff of the same type overwrites the old one, usually in favour of the stronger version.
• Buffs can be removed and blocked. Remove Buffs and Steal Buffs strip your protection, while the Block Buffs debuff prevents anything new from landing. Against such teams, apply defensive buffs after the enemy cleanses.

Offensive buffs: ATK, C.RATE and C.DMG

Every damage dealer build revolves around these three. They do not replace gear — they multiply what you already built, which is why they shine on a properly geared champion.

• Increase ATK — the most common buff in the game. Usually +25% or +50% to base Attack, with some support champions going higher. It only helps Attack-based damage, so champions who hit from DEF or HP get nothing from it.
• Increase C.RATE — roughly +15–30% Crit Rate. Best when your nuker is short on Crit Rate from artifacts: the buff fills the gap so you do not have to sacrifice ATK%.
• Increase C.DMG — around +15–30% Crit Damage. It stacks with Increase ATK because it is a different buff type, and together they give the biggest damage jump.

Turn order matters more than the numbers: buffer first, nuker second. If your support moves after your damage, the buff is wasted — fix it with Speed and masteries.

Defensive buffs: DEF, shields and unkillable

• Increase DEF — +30% or +60% to base Defence. Cuts incoming damage and boosts champions who scale from DEF.
• Shield — an extra layer of effective HP for 2–3 turns. It absorbs damage before health does, and its size usually depends on the stats of the champion who cast it.
• Ally Protection — part of the damage taken by allies is redirected to the buff holder. It saves squishy nukers but needs a tank with high HP and DEF.
• Block Damage — damage does not go through at all. The strongest defensive buff in the game, which is why it never lasts long.
• Block Debuffs — stops debuffs from landing. Essential against bosses with poison, fear and freeze.
• Unkillable and Revive on Death — keep champions alive and bring them back. The backbone of many Clan Boss setups.
• Continuous Heal — steady healing every turn. Great in long fights, poor against burst damage.

Speed, accuracy and utility

• Increase SPD — about +15–30% to base Speed. It changes turn order, which is exactly why it so often breaks a speed tune.
• Increase ACC — helps your debuffs land. It belongs on debuffers, not on damage dealers.
• Increase RES — lowers the chance that a debuff sticks to your champion.
• Veil and Perfect Veil — hide the champion: enemy AI is less likely to target them, and Perfect Veil removes them from single-target skill targeting entirely.
• Counterattack — answers a hit on the holder with a basic attack. Pairs well with Increase DEF and shields.
• Reflect Damage — sends part of the damage taken back. Niche, but annoying for AoE bosses.

How buffs stack: the table

In practice: which buffs to bring and in what order

Most teams need three buffs: Increase ATK or DEF depending on your damage type, Increase SPD for turn order, and one defensive buff — Shield, Block Debuffs or Block Damage. Everything else depends on the content.

• Clan Boss: permanent Increase ATK and Increase DEF, plus Block Debuffs or Continuous Heal against poison. Unkillable and Revive on Death let you last longer than you would survive honestly.
• Arena: Increase SPD decides who strikes first, Increase ATK and Increase C.DMG decide whether that strike kills. Against buffers, always keep buff removal in mind.
• Dungeons: Block Debuffs, Increase DEF and shields come first: bosses hit with AoE and apply debuffs more often than they simply hit hard.

The starter champions — Kael, Athel, Elhain and Galek — bring almost no buffs; they work through damage and debuffs. Your first real buffers arrive later, and that is usually where account progress actually starts.

Summary

• Buff percentages scale from base stats, not from your final numbers.
• Different buff types stack; identical ones do not — a new one just refreshes the old.
• Turn order matters more than buff strength: the buffer must move before the damage dealer.
• Block Buffs and Remove Buffs can shut down your entire buff plan — plan around them.
• Three buffs cover almost any content. Do not try to squeeze in everything at once.