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by Zinn

The Blood Mage is one of the most
challenging classes to play. Because playing a Blood Mage successfully
is dependent greatly on player
skill, it is not for the new player or a player looking
for a simple, low-maintenance class. Seeing a skilled Blood Mage push
the
limits of this class is a marvel. 



The Blood Mage's abilities are focused around using her blood and her
enemy’s blood for her and her allies' benefit. The Blood
Mage is the most arcane and unique of the healer classes. She can heal
in a number of ways and has a large variety of spells.
And she not only has healing spells but lifetaps, counterspells,
direct damage spells, buffs, and symbiotes. style="font-weight: bold;">



Sigil's Official
Description



Mastery over blood allows the Blood Mage singular control over the
entire spectrum of mortality, from life to death. Blood Mages can drain
an opponent of life and grant it to an ally or simply share some of his
own. Healing comes naturally to the Blood Mage, as does the
destruction. With the ability to explode an opponents organs, bring
their blood to boil and heal an ally by draining their life essence,
the Blood Mage makes a valuable friend and a terrible foe.





alt="Blood Mage paperdoll"
src="http://media.tentonhammer.com/vanguard/gallery/albums/album35/Blood_Mage_paperdoll.jpg"> 

 

Blood Mage at a Glance

Races: Thestran, High
Elf, Qaliathari, Gnome, Dark Elf, Mordebi, Goblin, Kojani and Half Elf.



Armor:
Light armor

style="font-weight: bold;">Weapons: Blood Magescan use
daggers and two-handed staffs.

Quick Links

  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=515">Creation
    Guide
  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=542">Spells/Abilities
    Level 1-25
  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=543">Spells/Abilities
    Level 26-50
  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=654">Guide
    to Symbiotes
  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=659">May
    2007 Bug List



Class News
& Information:

  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=198">Know
    your Role: Healers
  • href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=index&catid=21&topic=">Healer
    News
  • href="http://forums.tentonhammer.com/forumdisplay.php?f=110">Ten
    Ton Hammer Blood Mage Forums

 
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FORMS



The Blood Mage must choose to be in one form at a time. The Blood Mage
forms are:



Unfocused - This form is unfocussed and allows you to
concentrate on all things equally.



Focus of Gelenia - This is a killer form in more ways
than one, as it
can kill you if you are not paying attention and forget to turn it off.
This form allows you to slowly trade your health for more power. As you
lose your health you gain increased damage, immunity to poison and
disease, and you gain extra blood union.



Sanguine Focus - This form allows you to fortify
yourself as you focus
on healing others. This form allows your heals to become more effective
and you take less damage. Heals used on you, however, are much less
effective and your damage is decreased greatly.

BLOOD UNION

A Blood Mage can form a parasitic union between his own blood
and others called a Blood Union. Once this Blood Union is created the
Blood Mage can use the blood of his enemies to benefit himself and his
allies. Blood Unions can range in level from 0 to 5.

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Rituals

Rituals are powerful spells that are formed from energy (mana)
and Blood Union points. Rituals may be used to benefit, heal or shield
allies or to cause harm to enemies.

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COUNTER SPELLS

Blood Mages, unlike other healer classes, have counterspells
that will be able to nullify enemy caster spells. The counterspell
could either completely nullify the spell or change the enemy spell
into a beneficial heal for her group. For example, her level 30
counterspell, Metamorphism, may turn a damage spell into health for
herself or her defensive target.



When using a counterspell you must do the following:

  1. Identify that an enemy spell is being cast. Identification
    is dependent on your wisdom and intelligence attributes. You should see
    an icon along with a timer indicating the amount of time remaining
    before the enemy spell is cast.
  2. Identify the particular spell. You not only see that a
    spell is being cast but you are able to identify the spell. In addition
    to seeing the spell icon you will receive an audible signal that you
    can use your counterspell abilities.
  3. Use your Counterspell. Once you hear the auduble signal
    you should be able to use your counterspell. Counterspells can be
    resisted. 
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WEAKNESSES

A weakness is a player created vulnerability
in your enemy that remains for a short period of time. Some weaknesses
can be exploited by using certain skills. When one exploits a weakness
the attack used becomes more powerful and may add more than additional
damage but may debuff the enemy or buff you or your party. For more
information on weaknesses please take a look at Ten Ton Hammer’s  href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=568">Weakness
FAQ and chart.

BUFFS

Blood Mages have many buffs including damage shields,
increases to intelligence, vitality, wisdom armor class and hit points,
symbiotes and more.

REAGENTS

The Blood Mage can take the organs from his enemies using the
Grim Harvest spell. Blood Mages can also siphon blood from their own
veins. These reagents can be used in creating symbiotes and to cast
powerful spells such as Life Husk.

DIRECT DAMAGE

The Blood Mage is the most arcane of the healer classes. She
has no special melee attacks and almost all of her damage is spell
damage, primarily direct damage, DoTs and lifetaps.

HEALING

The Blood Mage is able to use his own blood and the blood of
his enemy to heal himself and his allies. Blood Mages can form a bond
with an ally or allies to share or split incoming damage.  He can
also heal his allies by stealing the health of his enemy and directly
transferring that health to his ally. The Blood Mage has one instant
heal, called Ritual of Gelenia, witch consumes Blood Union points.
Blood Mages also have traditional heals such as single target heals,
heals over time, and group heals.



The Blood mage can choose from a variety of ways to heal.  

Pacts

Blood Mages get two main pacts: Scarring Pact and Blood
Pact.  Scarring Pact allows the Blood mage to share damage with
one player and Blood Pact allows the Blood mage to spread the damage
across the entire group.  Pacts are situational ways to heal and
not very energy (mana) efficient.  They allow the Blood Mage to
moderate damage spikes.  Often pacts are used to heal when a light
fighter is tanking, the tank is having problems holding aggro or a PSI
is taking damage with Thought Pulse.  One must be aware to always
be ready to cancel pacts to avoid unnecessarily killing a group mate.

Entwining Vein and Blood Tribute

One of the main ways Blood Mages normally heal. 
Entwining Vein steals health from the Blood Mages enemy and returns
130% or more of the damage to his defensive target. Blood tribute
returns a smaller portion of damage but works like Entwining Vein. Both
are mana efficient ways to heal.  

Heals over Time (HoTs)

Blood Mages have two HoTs, one very powerful--Flesh Mender’s
Ritual.  Both are very energy efficient ways to heal.

MULTI-TASKING

Healers in Vanguard Saga of Heroes are not like traditional
healers of past games. There is much more to do than heal. Blood
Mages also need to balance
their health, use their counterpsells, deal damage, use lifetaps to
keep your health up, effectively use their focus of Gelina form, take
vials of blood for symbiotes and much more. The difference
between a good BMG and a highly skilled great is very
noticeable. The Blood mage is one class that can be pushed to its
limits by a good
player.

RELATED LINKS








To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 13, 2016

About The Author

Karen is H.D.i.C. (Head Druid in Charge) at EQHammer. She likes chocolate chip pancakes, warm hugs, gaming so late that it's early, and rooting things and covering them with bees. Don't read her Ten Ton Hammer column every Tuesday. Or the EQHammer one every Thursday, either.

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