This work presents novel findings on the performance of a CrN + S-phase layer (~9 μm thick) on Inconel 718, assessed through scratch testing under progressive load and multipass modes. First, the practical adhesion of the layer-substrate system was evaluated using a Rockwell C diamond-tip indenter with a 200 μm radius, employing a progressive normal load from 1 to 100 N over a scratch track length of 7 mm. The absence of delamination and the observation of only cracking and chipping failures indicated high practical adhesion, attributed to the similar Young's modulus between the CrN and the substrate, as well as the good resilience of CrN. Conversely, accumulated damage was characterized through multipass scratch testing, using constant normal loads of 10 %, 30 %, 50 %, and 70 % of the chipping critical load. The nitride layer was only surpassed when 70 % of the chipping critical load and 200 cycles were applied, with only cracking and mild spallation observed at the edges of the tracks. The elastic recovery (W e) and energy dissipation coefficient (K d) were estimated to explain the mild wear performance of the layer. The W e and K d values of the CrN layer indicated predominant plastic behavior. The K d = 66.54 % suggested that the CrN layer effectively absorbed the energy through plastic deformation.