The latest season update for 'Game of Thrones: Kingsroad' has introduced a new equipment set, 'Struggler'. As the seventh set to be added to the game, it features a mechanic where buffs stack as you attack, making you stronger. In particular, it is gaining attention for increasing critical hit rate and critical damage when at maximum stacks.

Detailed Performance of 'Struggler'

The 3-piece 'Struggler' set grants an 'Exaltation' buff to the user every time an attack hits an enemy. This buff can stack up to 5 times, with each stack increasing attack power. The 6-piece set increases critical hit rate and critical damage when the 'Exaltation' buff is at 5 stacks.

'Exaltation' stacks decrease by 1 if the duration expires or if you are hit by an enemy. Since not all stacks disappear when the duration ends, it is easy to maintain maximum stacks as long as you are careful to avoid enemy attacks. Note that debuffs like burn do not count as being hit, so stacks will not decrease.

Comparing Efficiency with Major Sets

Out of the 7 equipment sets, only 4 are highly practical in actual combat. The 'Scholar' set provides maximum effect with a single skill tap, while the 'Berserker' set provides constant effects. 'Storm Knight' and 'Struggler' require attacking enemies to stack buffs to apply maximum effects.

Among these, the 'Scholar' and 'Struggler' sets increase attack power. Looking at the numbers, 'Struggler' is about 1% higher. Of course, stacks decrease and performance drops when hit, but since stack recovery is easy, it is not a major issue.

Damage increase bonuses can be found in the 'Berserker' and 'Storm Knight' sets. Among them, 'Berserker' has the lowest value but has the advantage of being constantly applied. On the other hand, 'Storm Knight' is only applied for 6 seconds after the buff reaches maximum stacks, which is a bit disappointing. The 'Destroyer' set has a damage increase of up to 95%, but it only activates when attacking enemies in a groggy state, making it less practical.

As a side note, 'Struggler' is highly valuable because it increases both critical hit rate and critical damage. 'Scholar' is also competitive as it is the only set that increases active skill damage.

If you are aiming for the best damage, I recommend a combination where stats increase evenly. For example, if you use 'Scholar' and 'Struggler' together, attack power increases excessively, lowering efficiency. Therefore, I recommend checking your character's stats and using combinations that increase stats as evenly as possible, such as 'Scholar' and 'Storm Knight', or 'Struggler' and 'Berserker'.