Damage to Elites

Damage to Elites (DtE or "Damage Against Elites") is a bonus affix that increases all damage a character deals to an Elite, including damage from pets, DoT effects, etc. This damage boost is calculated at the end of the damage equation, and will multiply the total damage, resulting in larger visible damage numbers against Elite targets.

• See also Damage from Elites.

Elites

Diablo 3 classifies as Elites:

• All Bosses (Act Bosses, Quest Bosses, Event Bosses, Rift Guardians, etc.)
• Uniques (purple)
• Rares (yellow) plus their Minions
• Champions (Blue)
• Treasure Goblins.

As well-geared characters can generally roll through non-elites (trash mobs) in a hit or two, it's the various types of Elites that pose the real challenge and danger in Diablo 3 and Reaper of Souls, and many players aim to boost their Damage to Elites for end game viability.

Strategy

Sun Keeper with +30% DTE.

Damage to Elites is a useful stat, but more isn't always better if a character has to add it at the expense of their overall damage. Chiefly, DTE is a multiplying stat which is only valuable if a character has high normal damage, which can then be boosted even higher for Elites.

For example, consider a character with two gear options in pretty good end game gear.

• Option 1: 1600 total DPS x 30% DTE = 2080 DPS to Elites.
• Option 2: 1200 total DPS x 65% DTE = 1980 DPS to Elites.

The second option estimates the effect of changing an emerald to a diamond in the weapon socket and switching a quadfecta ring to a Stone of Jordan. You can see that even with 35% more DTE, more than doubling the Option #1 value, the total DPS to Elites is a bit lower, while the overall damage is much lower.

Damage to Elites via Items

Damage to Elites is not a common affix and only occurs on a few item slots, plus some legendary items in other slots, and Diamonds in weapons. It can not be added via Paragon Points.

DtE can not be found on any Helms, Shoulders, Chest Armors, Bracers, Gloves, Pants, or Boots. (Aside from indirectly via item set bonuses. See those below.)

Weapons

All weapons can roll Damage to Elites as a primary affix. A few get it every time as an inherent property.

• One-handed weapons: +5-8% from random primary affix, at level 70.
  • Sun Keeper: +15-30% Damage to Elites
  • Empyrean Messenger: +5-8% DtE
  • Blood Magic Blade: +4-7% DtE
  • Ruinstroke: +4-7% DtE

• Two-handed weapons: +8-10% from random primary affix, at level 70.
  • Sydyru Crust: +9-10% DtE
  • Venomhusk: +8-10% DtE

Diamond in weapon socket:

• +2-20% DtE, increases by 1% per gem level with 20% at Flawless Royal.

Thus the highest DtE from a weapon would be a perfect 30% Sun Keeper + 20% Flawless Royal Diamond = +50% DtE. Legendaries are unique equipped so it's impossible to use two Sun Keepers at once, but a second weapon could add +8% from weapon plus +20% from the gem bonus, for 78% from both weapons.

For non-dual wielding characters, a 50% Sun Keeper + 8% off-hand item (shield, quiver, mojo, source) could add 58% total.

Off-Hand

Shields, Crusader Shields, Quivers, Sources, and Mojos: 5-8% DtE via random primary affix.

• • Archfiend Arrows: +5-8% DtE
  • Black Bone Arrows: +4-7% DtE

Only sockets in weapons can add DtE, so a socket in an off-hand item adds no additional damage against elites.

Amulets

• Halycon Amulet -- +10-15% Damage to Elites

Rings

Stone of Jordan with +30% DTE.

• Stone of Jordan: +25-30% Damage to Elites
• Unity: +12-15% Damage to Elites
• The Wailing Host: +3-5% Damage to Elites

Belts

• Hellcat Waistguard: +3-5% Damage to Elites

Item Set Bonuses

Several item sets offer bonuses to Damage to Elites (and damage reduction from Elites), effectively granting the bonus to slots it can not otherwise be found in.

Aughild's Authority (Shoulders, Chest, Bracers, Helm)

• (3) Set:
  • +15% Damage to Elites
  • +15% Reduced Damage from Elites

Blackthorne's Battlegear (Amulet, Chest, Belt, Pants, Boots)

• (2) Set:
  • +250 Vitality
  • +10% Damage to Elites
• (3) Set:
  • -10% Damage from Elites
  • +25% Extra Gold from Monsters

Maximum DtE Possible

There isn't any class-restricted gear with big DTE values, though the only weapon with a high value is the melee Sun Keeper, which pretty well rules out Demon Hunters. Barbarians and Monks are the only classes that can dual wield melee weapons, which gives them the highest possible DTE.

• Weapon: 30% + 20% socket = 50%
• Weapon #2: 8% + 20% socket = 28% (Barbs and Monks only.)
• Off-Hand: 8%
• Amulet: 15%
• Ring: 30% S0J
• Ring #2: 15% Unity
• Belt: 5%

_____________
Total: +151% Damage to Elites

Higher values can be obtained by adding on Item Set bonuses. Even wearing all of the individual DTE items leaves open six item slots: helm, shoulders, chest, bracers, gloves, and boots.

Aughild's Authority (Shoulders, Chest, Bracers, Helm)

• 3 item bonus:
  • +15% Damage to Elites

Blackthorne's Battlegear (Amulet, Chest, Belt, Pants, Boots)

• 2 item bonus:
  • +10% Damage to Elites

A player could add both these set bonuses via Aughild's shoulders, bracers, and helm + Blackthorne's chest and boots. That would tack on another +25% Damage to Elites for a grand total of 176% DTE.

A character so specialized would certainly be *less* effective on the whole, even in terms of raw Elite DPS, since they'd be lowering their total DPS so much to raise their Elite DPS. See the strategy section above for some insight into actual damage numbers.