Talk:Snipetron Vandal/@comment-72.65.235.235-20130709021636/@comment-70.30.26.84-20130709024540

First scenario - expected average damage per shot is 2400. Add base critical chance and multiplier onto that and you get an average of 2640.

Second scenario - your max crit chance will be 50% and your crit damage multiplier will be 3.3x, while your expected average non-crit damage will be 893. Add crits onto that and you get 1473.

Look at it this way. Statistically, your weapon will deal a percentage of your crit damage, multiplied by your crit chance (which will be less than 1). 3.3 x 0.5 = 1.65, so those two mods will contribute a 65% increase in your base damage. However, this is applied like Multishot, which multiplies damage output (unlike the elemental mods which increase it additively). My suggestion? Increase the base number further - adding Cryo Rounds to Scenario 2 alone will increase its damage by 829, almost enough to surpass Scenario 1 already.

Crit mods are the way to go for a truly maximized damage output, but only with the support of elemental mods which increase your "base" damage first. In order of importance, Serration, Split Chamber, around 180% damage worth of elemental mods, THEN crit mods. Assuming you skip firing rate and reload speeds, though, it's possible to get all four elements and all four damage multiplying mods on one weapon anyways, at least with enough Forma.