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Mmm love Bloodmage! Minus the squishy factor... it's not a sit back and heal Cleric. Like have be on toes to heal. (not saying dont need to be as Cleric but... BMG is set up differently and much more ways to heal and do DMG (and lose badly too)
For info to those who do not know BMG well as it is a new healing class.
We are the most caster oriented Healers. We have nuke as primary attack, a counterspell, wear cloth, etc. We can also Invis early on. And use Intel and SPD as primary stats to best utilize what a BMG can do. So yeah, not HF =)
We also craft special symbiotes (that need special material you get off victims with a special loot skill) that do various things (raise your dmg, a dmg shield, levitate, charm, speed etc.). Most importantly though... we have 3 focuses (modes) and Blood Union that separate BMG from ALL other healers (and classes)...
Blood Union - What BMGs are all about! What truely makes them unique.
Immediately when you select target you establish this. A physical connection between you and your "target". There are 5 levels of Blood Union you can acheive with your opponent. Those are signified by red dots you see on targets your targets health bar. Each time you attack you raise blood your union level (dot). All raise by 1, except your aptly named Blood Union attack, which is a bleed/DoT and raises by 2 instant cast.
Essentially... BMGs want to establish high Blood union as quick as possible to:
A.) Get the best healing through their lifetaps (explain later)
B.) Use their Blood Union based Attacks/DoTs/HoTs... see below:
BMGs get other skills that ONLY use the Blood Union points/levels. Example we get Scarlet Ritual which takes 4 Blood Union points to use AND takes away the 4. It does mega dmg... but uses NO ENERGY! We also get a DMG and DoT that uses 3 points later on. Again, no energy.
Also, we get a powerful HoT via Blood Union (takes 3) and 1 minute recast. But uses no energy...
However... thing is, Blood Union increases effectivness of your dmg based heals. Which is the primary way for BMG to heal (or should be). So not always a good thing to take away the Blood Union you've established to get some Dmg.
YES we get normal direct heals and HoT. One, Blood Gift takes 3 second cast, and takes from your own health, but is much stronger heal and is direct. It's cool but hardly ever used. BMG We also get a small HoT instant cast, takes from health though but is nice. But a good BMG will hardly use these direct heals (minus the small HoT) except after a battle or if get a lot of adds or not time to lifetap and ally or BU too low to make a difference. See below:
BLOOD MAGE HEALS PRIMARILY THROUGH - LIFE TAPS - really, are leeches and dmg based heals. We get a self leech (Despoil) and ally/self (Entwining Vein) Steals health from enemy and gives portion back to ally. Usually more than whats taken. Each increase in Blood Union makes it more powerful (ex EV is 10% more dmg/health given back for each blood union... 5 max BU is really strong!!! Much difference from say 1 or 2 blood union!)
Another reason... the taps gain the least aggro. Whereas direct healing is much higher aggro rate.
also, these taps cost much less energy than direct heals.
BMG's FINISHER is only one... but uber. It is a leech health AND group heal. When active it can do major dmg AND major healing. I love it =) (also based on SPD and Intel NOT HF)
This is why BMG most, dont focus on Healing Focus but Spell Dmg. To increase dmg/health gain. As well as the fact that ALL OUR attacks are spelled based, thus utilize intel/spell dmg.
And also why it's hard to judge, do I use my dmg'd based Blood Union attacks (which can be incredible dmg) OR keep it high to get best use off my life taps... thus you head onto BMG modes... another vital and self defining role for BMG... (below)
FOCUSES/MODES of BMG -
We get 3 different Focuses (stances) BMGs can take. Each with bonuses and drawbacks.
First is Unfocused. Basically Normal, nothing gained nothing lost. Sounds good... however hardly used by any BMG... maybe occasionally solo... but almost NEVER in groups. Why? because of this the following 2:
Focus of Gelenia is the bread and butter BMG focus. What it does:
---Increases Dmg by 25% (important for tap/leech health based heals and pure DPS)
---Raises Blood Union on target by 1 every 5 seconds (again crucial for DPS)
DRAWBACK: You lose 5% health every 4-5 seconds. Doesn't seem big at first. This actually is big. People probably see me out of battle lose lots of health quick. this is why. It goes down quick. Esp in battle...
However in this focus, your leeches (my primary heal) cant get better than this. Both DMG wise and Blood Union raises faster thus leeched health is bigger.
This is Why unless the target is way above me and I will do hardly any dmg and get resisted most of the time I am always in this mode. It takes getting used to, as need to watch your health much more so and easy to forget.
(also little hint... Blood Feast is a self buff you get later on. 10% of allies dmg is gained in health. In group this is big... =)
3rd SANGUINE FOCUS - Healing/Defensive
Great one to focus on direct heals and take a little beating and if you cannot utilize your tap healths or do dmg or will get resisted.
---All heals (not dmg based) are increased 25% effectiveness
---Adds health point regen to you
---15% dmg mitigation
DRAWBACK - ---YOUR Dmg is reduced by 50%
(used to be your personal heals by the same they took that off)
This beats many HF. But cant do ANY dmg and usually BMG dont need to go into this mode unless their health taps and DMG will be meaningless. As this takes away from their primary mode of healing. Or of course if the crap hits the fan which is often =)
EACH MODE has 2 second delay to change and sort of bugged. Sometimes takes double that... so cant macro or change modes on a whim which is a good thing!
MISC BMG -
That's Just an inkling of BMG. It's hard when you get aggrod. We get a reduce hate but 2 second cast. And lower AC than all other healers with being cloth and all
(we get a self AC conjour which increases AC significantly to compensate a little but still lower than any other healer)
However a good BMG this won't matter much. BMG can do more DPS than any other Healer (and should) but wont out dmg a Offensive caster (and shouldn't) but STILL can come close with right equipment and build.
We also get pacts. One is BLOOD PACT (group based) Ally who is hit onl takes 70% of dmg. However 200% of the rest is divided equally among group. Still havent figured this one out yet.
SCARRING PACT - One ally. That ally takes 85% of DMG, you take 130% of the remaining.
A lot more I know later on, not pacts but ways to reduce dmg an ally takes. However not sure as I dont look ahead =)
SECONDARY HEALING ROLE - Not because BMGs cant heal as well or can die quicker (former very untrue but latter very true =)
BMGs may play secondary healer role well because of their DPS potential. And Imo should be MH of tank. With life tap, and blood union and our Blood Union based HoT, we can keep him alive well while doing good dmg and gaining little aggro. And go through energy much lower than direct healing.
STATS TO PUT INTO BMG
Imo and what I do:
1. Intel
2. Wis
3. Vit
As a Half-elf, I get 2 intel and 1 vit a level. So I start with wis. But max that and intel and rest vit. Why make vit last? For BMG can do this. First we get a Vitality buff. level 1 is 20, II is by 40, III is by 58. That's big!
Also Sanguine mode, can usually heal stronger at your level than another healer at your level in direct heals. And BMG being dmg/heal based which uses Intel/SD, really vit isnt the primary stat!
IN CONCLUSION -
Personally, I Love BMG as I love caster. I love being healer. Best of both worlds for me. I love more strat to healing and many ways to play and needing to awake and more ways to fail. Makes it challenging. BMG has lots of ways to heal. Different ways to play, constantly changing in the situation so always keeping you on edge. And so easy to make a little mistake and be screwed it is true. However a good BMG (and hard to be good) will be incredible.
Got to monitor your own health more than other healers I am always attuned to everyone else's health bar I forget my own sometimes but f1 targets self and heh can get in habit hitting it. Which I still must do...
It is a little easier for BMG to gain aggro... another issue. Being cloth thats bad.
However BMG also has tricks up sleeve with symbiotes and oother skills I always dont utilize. Think of BMGs as the Bards of Healing (with symbiotes)
Which imo symbiotes need a slight revision. It is a niche of BMG along with doing dmg for health. But atm they are weak... or bugged. Anyways...
Anyways... Bloodmage is not for the squimish =) Or faint hearted. And if like melee will hate BMG. And die a lot at first... however personally the rewards are well worth it. Very satisfying for me =D
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