Linear Scaling (additive stacking) is the most common scaling type in Megabonk. Each additional copy of an item adds the same flat bonus — no diminishing returns. Understanding when and why items scale linearly is key to optimizing your builds.
📐 GAME MECHANICS • SCALING TYPESLinear Scaling is the simplest scaling mechanic in Megabonk. When an item uses linear scaling, every copy you pick up adds the exact same amount of bonus as the first. There are no diminishing returns — the 10th copy is just as valuable as the 1st.
Each Clover adds exactly +10% Luck. With linear scaling:
The graph of linear scaling is a straight line — hence the name. Every step up the ladder is the same height.
The majority of items in Megabonk use linear (additive) scaling. Here are the most commonly encountered linear-scaling items, grouped by their stat effect:
| Item | Effect per Copy | Rarity | Stacks With |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clover | +10% Luck | Common | YES (all damage brackets) |
| Gym Sauce | +10% Damage | Common | YES (main damage bracket) |
| Oats | +25 Max HP | Common | YES |
| Medkit | +45 HP Regen | Common | YES |
| Turbo Socks | +15% Move Speed | Common | YES |
| Battery | +8% Attack Speed | Common | YES (own bracket) |
| Time Bracelet | +8% XP Gain | Common | YES (own bracket) |
| Forbidden Juice | +10% Crit Chance | Common | YES |
| Golden Glove | +15% Gold | Common | YES |
| Skuleg | +7% Difficulty | Common | YES |
| Item | Effect per Copy | Rarity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tactical Glasses | +20% Damage to >90% HP enemies | Common | Conditional damage |
| Boss Buster | +15% Damage to Elites/Bosses | Common | Elite/Boss only |
| Credit Card (Red) | +2.5% Damage per chest | Rare | Permanent per chest opened |
| Beefy Ring | +20% Damage per 100 Max HP | Rare | Scales with HP pool |
Items within the same damage bracket combine additively. But different brackets multiply with each other. This means having items in multiple brackets is more powerful than stacking everything in one bracket. See the Damage Brackets guide for details.
For proc-based items (items that trigger an effect on hit), linear scaling can push the chance above 100%. When this happens, the item guarantees at least one proc and rolls for additional stacks.
Moldy Cheese adds +40% chance to poison enemies on hit. With additive stacking:
At 120%: guaranteed 1 poison stack + 20% chance for a 2nd stack.
At 200%: guaranteed 2 poison stacks per hit.
At 250%: guaranteed 2 stacks + 50% chance for a 3rd stack.
Some items and weapons have a Proc Coefficient that affects the actual trigger chance.
Items with a Proc Coefficient of 0.5 (like Cactus, Electric Plug, Holy Book) will halve
the chance — so a 40% poison chance becomes 20% when triggered by these items. See the
Proc Coefficient guide for the full list.
Not all items in Megabonk scale linearly. Some use Hyperbolic Scaling, which has diminishing returns. Understanding the difference is critical for build optimization.
Some items add their raw value linearly (e.g., Slippery Ring adds +15% Evasion per copy), but the final stat uses a hyperbolic formula. This means:
The game's UI shows the raw stacked value, not the actual effective percentage. Always check if a stat uses hyperbolic conversion before over-investing in it.
Because items within the same bracket combine additively but brackets multiply together, having +50% from Bracket A and +50% from Bracket B gives 2.25× damage (1.5 × 1.5). Stacking +100% in a single bracket only gives 2.0× damage. Spread your damage sources across different brackets for maximum output.
Linear scaling items are especially valuable early in a run. Unlike hyperbolic items that lose value per copy, linear items maintain their full worth throughout. An early Clover or Gym Sauce will pay dividends for the entire run.
For proc items like Moldy Cheese, pushing past 100% lets you apply multiple status effects per hit. This is a key strategy for poison and status-effect builds.
Some linear items like Battery (Attack Speed) and Time Bracelet (XP) exist in their own dedicated brackets. This means they multiply independently with your other bonuses, making them exceptionally efficient.
Linear Scaling (also called additive stacking) means each additional copy of an item adds the same flat bonus. For example, each Clover adds +10% Luck, so 3 Clovers = +30% Luck. The formula is: Total Bonus = Base Value + (Per-Copy Value × Number of Copies).
Most common items use Linear Scaling, including Clover (+10% Luck), Gym Sauce (+10% Damage), Oats (+25 Max HP), Battery (+8% Attack Speed), Time Bracelet (+8% XP), Turbo Socks (+15% Move Speed), Forbidden Juice (+10% Crit Chance), and many more. Check the table above for a full list.
For proc-based items like Moldy Cheese (+40% poison chance), going over 100% means you apply multiple stacks per hit. For example, 5 Moldy Cheeses = 200% chance = 2 guaranteed poison stacks per hit. The remainder above each 100% threshold rolls for an additional stack.
Linear Scaling adds the same value every time with no diminishing returns. Hyperbolic Scaling has diminishing returns — each copy gives less benefit than the last. Evasion and some proc chances (like Key's free chest chance) use hyperbolic scaling to prevent reaching 100% too easily.
Slippery Ring adds +15% Evasion per copy linearly, but the Evasion stat itself uses hyperbolic scaling. So while the raw number goes up at the same rate, the actual dodge chance has diminishing returns. This is a common source of confusion — the item is linear, but the stat it feeds into is not.
Mastering scaling types is just the beginning. Dive deeper into Megabonk's damage formula and build optimization with our other mechanics guides.