What is ‘Lucky Hit’ in Diablo 4 and how does it work?

Lucky HitThe new effect added to Diablo 4, and it’s easily one of the most confusing and convoluted mechanics in the game. Like most complicated things, it can be confusing. Diablo 4Lucky Hit is a powerful tool if it’s used intelligently.

Unlike some other new effects, like Fortify, Lucky Hit isn’t class-specific. So Barbarians are able to use the Lucky Hits.

This is what you should do. Diablo 4 guide, we’ll explain how Lucky Hit works and what kinds of effects it can offer your character.

What is Lucky Hits?

Image: Blizzard Entertainment via Polygon

Some skills and items have a special affix on them that denotes a bonus effect if there’s a “Lucky Hit.” Usually this bonus effect comes with a percentage chance to actually occur, like 5%. But Lucky Hit isn’t just a percentage chance to do something cool — there’s an unfortunate amount of math involved.

Let’s use an example that involves the Press Point Passive and passive Hammer of the AncientsBarbarians can use the Barbarian skill. Pressure Point, which gives skills up to a 30% chance to make enemies Vulnerable, isn’t just a flat 30% chance every time you hit something. No, instead you have to multiply this by the Lucky Hit chance of the skill you’re using as well.

If you’re using Hammer of the Ancients, which has a 50% Lucky Hit chance, you’ll get a Lucky Hit 50% of the times you hit an enemy with it. And then if you’re using Pressure Point, you’ll make that enemy Vulnerable 30% of the time you get a Lucky Hit. Pressure Point and Hammer of the Ancients together give you a chance of 15% to make an enemy vunerable.

It’s the same for Lucky Hit bonus item affixes. You can’t just take the in-game percentage on the item as gospel. You must first multiply it with the Lucky Hit chance of the skill you’re using. Those percentages are the odds of you seeing that effect.

Lucky Hit: Best Builds

Image: Blizzard Entertainment via Polygon

These lucky hits can be extremely powerful, as they may heal you at a crucial moment or restore a significant portion of your resources. When paired with skills like Hammer of the Ancients that can get you Lucky Hits easily, effects with low Lucky Hit chances are still powerful.

Lucky Hits, however, do nothing by themselves. Only if they are paired with the Lucky Hit Bonus on a weapon or passive will Lucky Hits be useful. Due to this, the build that is best suited for Lucky Hits would be one with multiple Lucky Hits.

If you have an item that has a small chance to heal you on a Lucky Hit, another item that has a small chance to refund Fury on a Lucky Hit, and you’re using the Pressure Point passive, you could get lucky and activate all three of those powerful effects on a single Hammer of the Ancients smash. The more Lucky Hit effects the better, if that’s the kind of build you’re going for. Certain effects and items can increase your Lucky Hit Chance.

Lucky Hit is an incredibly versatile effect, and there are some builds that might rely on getting the bonuses to activate while other builds don’t use the Lucky Hit mechanic at all.