Virus

**Target Dense Formations First:** 🟢 HIGH IMPACT - The 15% per-second spread chance means each infected enemy in a group has multiple opportunities to spread disease (verified mechanic). In a cluster of 10 enemies, one infected enemy creates ~1.5 new infections per second on average, leading to exponential growth. Prioritize hitting the center of enemy groups to maximize spread vectors.

**Maintain 8-Stack Pressure on Bosses:** 🟢 HIGH IMPACT - Maximum 8 disease stacks deal 24-48 DPS for 6 seconds (verified: 3-6 damage per stack × 8 stacks = 24-48 DPS). This creates 144-288 total damage per infection cycle on high-HP targets, making Virus highly effective against bosses and elite enemies that survive long enough for full stack application.

**Leverage 6-Second Duration Windows:** 🟢 MEDIUM-HIGH IMPACT - Each disease stack lasts 6 seconds (verified), creating overlapping damage windows. Reapplying stacks before expiration maintains maximum DPS uptime. The 6-second duration also means enemies that survive initial contact continue taking damage even after leaving your attack range, improving efficiency against kiting enemies.

**Spread Before Kill (Advanced Technique):** 🟡 MEDIUM IMPACT - Allow low-HP infected enemies to survive slightly longer (1-2 extra seconds) to maximize spread opportunities via the 15% per-second transmission rate. This technique sacrifices immediate kills for higher total damage output through disease propagation, though optimal timing is not verified and depends on wave pressure.

**Position for Contact Maximization:** 🟡 MEDIUM IMPACT - Virus applies 1 stack per hit (verified), so maximizing ball contact frequency increases stack buildup speed. Characters or builds that increase ball speed or add extra projectiles accelerate the path to 8-stack maximum, though specific character synergies are not verified for Ball x Pit.

**Counter Fast-Moving Enemies:** 🟢 MEDIUM IMPACT - The 6-second disease duration (verified) means fast-moving enemies that quickly exit your attack range still take full DoT damage. This makes Virus particularly effective against hit-and-run enemy types that other evolutions struggle with (no specific enemy types verified, general roguelike principle).

**Avoid Overkill Waste:** 🟡 LOW-MEDIUM IMPACT - Switch targets once an enemy reaches 5-6 disease stacks and is guaranteed to die from DoT (5 stacks × 6 DPS × 6s = 180-216 total damage). This prevents wasting applications on enemies that will die regardless, redirecting stack buildup to fresh targets. Optimal stack thresholds depend on enemy HP values (not verified).