Magic penetration

Magic penetration is a champion statistic which allows the magic damage done from their abilities, enhanced attacks, etc. to ignore some or all of a target's magic resistance.

Note: Magic Penetration cannot affect enemy magic resistance beyond 0 to deal bonus damage.

Magic resistance reduction is the effect of some items and champion abilities that temporarily reduces the magic resistance of one or more targets. This allows allies to benefit from the reduction of magic resistance. This can reduce magic resistance below 0, resulting in bonus damage (see Magic resistance).

Order of calculations

Magic penetration and magic resistance reduction work exactly like armor penetration and armor reduction.

Magic penetration and magic resistance reduction are considered on the target champion in the following order:

1. Magic resistance reduction, flat.
2. Magic resistance reduction, percentage.
3. Magic penetration, percentage.
4. Magic penetration, flat.

Flat magic resistance reduction

Flat magic resistance reduction stacks additively.

Example: 20 magic resistance reduction reduces the target's magic resistance by 20, so a target with 30 magic resistance will be reduced to 10 magic resistance. (30 − 20 = 10)

Flat magic resistance reduction can reduce a target's magic resistance below zero. For example, if an enemy with 10 magic resistance has their magic resistance reduced by 25, the enemy will have −15 magic resistance.

Percentage magic resistance reduction

The target's magic resistance is multiplied by a percentage (100% − the listed reduction). Percentage magic resistance reduction stacks multiplicatively and is ignored if the target's magic resistance is 0 or less.

Example: 20% magic resistance reduction multiplies the target's magic resistance to 80%, so a target with 30 magic resistance will be reduced to 24 magic resist. (30 × 0.8 = 24)

Percentage magic resistance reduction makes a bigger difference on targets with higher magic resistance. For instance, with 40% magic resistance reduction, a target with 200 magic resistance will lose 80 while a target with only 50 magic resistance will lose 20.

Percentage magic penetration

The target's magic resistance is treated as being multiplied by a percentage for purposes of damage calculation (100% − the listed penetration). Percentage magic penetration stacks multiplicatively and is ignored if the target's magic resistance is 0 or less.

Example: 20% magic penetration causes the target to take damage as if its magic resistance was multiplied by 80%, so a target with 30 magic resistance will be treated as though it had 24 for purposes of damage calculation (the target's actual magic resistance value will not change, however).

Because the target's actual magic resistance value does not change, anything else depending on that value also doesn't change.

Percentage magic penetration makes a bigger difference on targets with higher magic resistance. For instance, with 40% magic penetration, a target with 200 magic resistance will be considered as having 80 less while a target with only 50 magic resistance will be considered as having 20 less.

Flat magic penetration

The target's magic resist is treated as being reduced by an amount for purposes of damage calculation, but cannot be reduced below 0. Flat magic penetration stacks additively.

Example: 20 magic penetration causes the target to take damage as if its magic resistance was 20 less, so a target with 30 magic resistance will be treated as though it had 10 for purposes of damage calculation (the target's actual magic resistance value will not change, however).

Because the target's actual magic resistance value does not change, anything else depending on that value also doesn't change.

Examples

Given 20 flat magic resistance reduction and 30% magic resistance reduction, and the target is affected by 10 flat magic penetration and 35% magic penetration,

• Target A has 80 magic resistance.
  • The 80 is reduced to 60 by the 20 magic resistance reduction.
  • The 60 is reduced to 42 by the 30% magic resistance reduction.
  • The 42 is considered to be 27.3 by the 35% magic resistance penetration.
  • The 27.3 is considered to be 17.3 by the 10 magic resistance penetration.

Target A takes damage as if it has 17.3 magic resistance.

• Target B has 18 magic resistance.
  • The 18 is reduced to −2 by the 20 magic resistance reduction.
  • The −2 is not affected by any further calculations because it is less than 0.
    • Target B takes damage as if it has −2 magic resistance.

Graph of % increase in damage of mpen vs no mpen, at up to 300 MR:

Increasing magic penetration

Items

• Haunting Guise
• Liandry's Torment
• Sorcerer's Shoes
• Void Staff

Runes

• Sudden Impact

Reducing magic resistance

Items

• Wit's End

Champion abilities

Percentage reduction

• Evelynn's Allure
• Jayce's Transform Mercury Cannon
• Karthus' Wall of Pain
• Kayle's Holy Fervor
• Kog'Maw's Caustic Spittle
• Trundle's Subjugate

Flat reduction

• Corki's Gatling Gun

Notes

• Magic penetration is a very valuable stat for casters.
• Since percentage penetration is applied before flat penetration, it is highly recommended to combine both statistics.
• Magic penetration not only affects all champion abilities that deal magic damage, but also affects magic damage items.
  • The passives on items like Hextech Revolver benefit from magic penetration as well.
• Turrets are also subjected to magic penetration effects.

Trivia

The biggest amount of flat magic penetration any champion can obtain is 41.

• Runes:
  • Sudden Impact
• Items:
  • 1 Sorcerer's Shoes
  • 1 Haunting Guise or Liandry's Torment

Relevant mathematics:

• Items = 18 + 15 = 33 magic penetration
• Runes = 8 = 8
  • Magic Penetration = 33 + 8 = 41 magic penetration

See also

• Magic resistance
• Armor penetration
• Champion's stats

References

Champion statistics