Tearblast arrows bugged?

[KV]

They seem kind of broken. First, some stats:

Death-Seeker's Shadow - base 279 tear damage plus 1x25% + 4x15% component tear coils is approximately 500 tear damage.

Glowblast Sharpshot with Tearblast - base 543 tear damage, plus a 25% component tear perk plus 1x25% + 2x15% component tear coils is close to 1000 tear damage.

Even if I somehow calculated it wrong, the tearblast arrow should definitely have way more tear damage.

And now my problem - I knock down the Slitherfang to be sure I hit its earthgrinders. I can tear off each one with just one shot from the Death-Seeker's Shadow (only 500 tear damage). So when I hit the center earthgrinder with a tearblast arrow (AoE 1000 tear damage), I expect all three to come off. But for some reason, sometimes I only tear off the center one and sometimes not even that. Is this intentional? Or is it a bug? Do other people have this issue? VH difficulty.

[Hydra_360ci]

idk... I just shoot stuff don't really think about inner workings.

I think the main problem is that you don't see how much Tear HP components have left. Also, I think they're often coated with an Armor transparent glow that probably has a hidden resistance % calculation.

Also could be that AOE is spread equally thru every piece that it touches. So if you're hitting 4 areas.. all values divided by 4.. or something like that.

[Chapin18]

With the way the earthgrinders are stuck in, you want to land the tearblast arrow just below it, instead of hitting it directly.

Hope this helps.

Edit: gave wrong info at first.

[Quasinerdo]

I have found no clarity about how AOE hits work with respect to "seeing" parts around them (eg damage only on direct line of sight to the hit), and distribution of damage across parts.

[longjohn119]

It helps to weaken the armor with the elemental type it is weakest to. For instance the Slitherfang is weak to Fire, Frost, and Plasma. So use one of these to get it in the "elemental" state (fill the circle) and then hit it with a tearblast arrow. This is especially true for the machines that are weak to acid and purgewater, you need to weaken their armor before you can tear it off