How To Read This
The Bars
The dim bar is damage with no armor. The bright bar is damage against the armor tier you picked. A short bright bar means the round is losing a lot of its power to that armor.
Why Some Hitboxes Don't Change
Armor and helmets don't cover every zone. Forearms, hands, and legs never get a damage reduction here — Neck only starts getting covered at Tier 3, Shoulders and Groin only at Tier 4.
AP vs FMJ vs HP
AP barely loses damage as armor tier climbs. FMJ loses about two-thirds of its power by Tier 4. HP is already weak against any armor and falls off a cliff by Tier 3 — it's a no-armor round, not an anti-armor one.
How Armor Reduction Works
Damage against an armored target is the unarmored damage multiplied by a flat percentage. That percentage depends only on your ammo type and the target's armor tier — not on which weapon fired it.
| Ammo Type | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FMJ (Standard) | 70% | 60% | 45% | 35% |
| HP (Flesh) | 16.5% | 12% | 5.27% | 0.76% |
| AP (Piercing) | 85% | 80% | 72.5% | 67.5% |
| Buckshot | 56% | 48% | 36% | 28% |
| Slug & Arrow | 70% | 60% | 45% | 35% |
HP Is A No-Armor Round
HP deals roughly double FMJ's damage to an unarmored target, which is why it looks so strong on paper. Against Tier 4 armor it delivers 0.76% of that — under one damage per shot to the chest. It is the strongest option against an unarmored target and the weakest against a geared one.
AP Is The Only Round That Holds Up
AP starts lower than FMJ on an unarmored target, but it only drops from 85% to 67.5% across all four tiers. By Tier 4 an AP round lands roughly double what the same weapon's FMJ does — the gap widens the better the target's gear.
Which Hitboxes Armor Actually Covers
A hitbox outside the target's coverage takes full unarmored damage no matter what tier they're wearing. Coverage widens as tier climbs.
| Hitbox | Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | Tier 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head, Chest, Abdomen | Covered | Covered | Covered | Covered |
| Neck | — | — | Covered | Covered |
| Bicep/Shoulder, Groin | — | — | — | Covered |
| Forearm, Hands/Feet, Legs | — | — | — | — |
This Matches Confirmed Gear Data — The coverage pattern above lines up exactly with the Level 3 Helmet protecting "Head and Neck" and Level 4 Armor protecting "Upper and Lower Torso, Upper Arms and Pelvis". That independent agreement is the strongest evidence this test data reflects real mechanics — it means an armor tier here is a matched helmet and vest, not one slot.
Common Questions
What is the best ammo type in WARDOGS?
It depends entirely on what the target is wearing. Against an unarmored target HP deals about double FMJ's damage. Against Tier 4 armor HP delivers under 1% of its unarmored damage, while AP still delivers 67.5% — so AP is the only round that holds up against geared players.
Does armor protect your legs in WARDOGS?
No. Legs, forearms, and hands take full unarmored damage at every armor tier. Shooting an armored target in the legs bypasses their armor entirely, which is why weak rounds still work on well-geared players if you aim low.
Do helmets protect your neck in WARDOGS?
Only from Tier 3 up. Level 1 and Level 2 helmets cover the head alone, so a neck shot against them deals full unarmored damage. The Level 3 and Level 4 helmets add neck coverage.
Does the same caliber do the same damage in every weapon?
No. The same caliber and ammo type deal different damage depending on the weapon category firing them. 5.56x45mm FMJ deals 65.82 to the head from an assault rifle and 89.61 from a sniper rifle, so pick the weapon category that matches what you actually carry.