Clarification on LS styles damages.
After extensive testing against the training dummy (which has an exact hit zone of 130%), I arrived at the results shown in the photo (generated by AI for simplicity, though the data comes from my own research).
In summary, regarding the final combos: the SSC deals more damage, as its total damage multipliers (motion values, or MV) sum to 373, compared to 292 for the SR.
However, it is crucial to note that the SSC charged attack cannot benefit from the Spirit Gauge, which boosts all damage dealt by 50%.
The SR combo can only be initiated when the Spirit Gauge is charged; consequently, it always deals 50% more damage.
Therefore, the SR MV becomes 292 x 1.5 = 438.
In other words, the full SR combo—aside from delivering more hits (great for status builds)—ultimately deals more raw/elemental damage as well. Test it out yourself.
Detailed SR MV:
| SR attack | MV |
|---|---|
| Spirit Blade I | 28 |
| Spirit Blade II | 34 |
| Dividing Slash | 45 |
| Spirit Reckoning — Hit 1 | 36 |
| Spirit Reckoning — Hit 2 | 89 |
| Spirit Reckoning — Hit 3 | 12 × 5 hits |
And from SSC:
| SSC attack | MV |
|---|---|
| Spirit Release Slash — Hit 1 | 42 |
| Spirit Release Slash — Hit 2 | 124 |
| Spirit Release Slash — Hit 3 | 207 |
Important details:
1. A perfect dodge modifies the SR combo, skipping the first two hits, which reduces the total MV to 345 (230 x 1.5).
2. Each hit is rounded individually (up or down), resulting in a minimal difference at the end of the combos.