Vlad Character Guide
Vampire Character Focused On Life Drain Mechanics.
This character is a blood magic master who thrives on the edge of death. His core mechanic is a passive that grants him a damage bonus based on missing HP and a 50% increase in lifesteal effectiveness. The core strategy is to master HP management, stack lifesteal, and dance between life and death to unleash devastating power. The build becomes self-sustaining and can deal "catastrophic damage" with proper itemization.
- Primary Mechanic: His passive grants him a damage bonus based on missing HP and a 50% increase in lifesteal effectiveness.
- Scaling Strategy: The build scales by stacking lifesteal and damage items to deal massive damage while maintaining low HP.
- Core Playstyle: A high-risk, high-reward playstyle that focuses on HP management and strategic positioning.
- Power Curve: The build is weak and vulnerable in the early game but becomes an "immortal vampire" in the late game.
Passive Ability
Gain 1% Lifesteal per level.
Quick Tips
- 1
Always buy the Blood Magic weapon in the first shop.
- 2
Stack lifesteal items to at least 30% to sustain low-HP gameplay.
- 3
Maintain HP between 30-40% for the optimal balance of damage and safety.
- 4
Do not play low-HP in the early game without lifesteal.
- 5
HP management is the most important skill to master for this character.
- 6
The unlock requires completing Desert Tier 2.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- •
He has a massive damage potential at low HP.
- •
His lifesteal synergies are incredible and provide a self-sustaining loop.
- •
He becomes an "immortal vampire" with proper itemization.
- •
His unique high-risk gameplay is thrilling and rewarding.
- •
He is strong in the late game, as his damage scales well.
- •
He is extremely risky and vulnerable to burst damage.
- •
His passive is highly dependent on his Blood Magic weapon.
- •
HP management is difficult and requires a high skill ceiling.
- •
He is weak in the early game if you cannot maintain low HP safely.
- •
His passive is less effective if you cannot stay at low HP.
Build Core
Life-draining magic weapon with 5% chance to increase Max HP on kill.
Fast melee weapon optimized for critical hits. Sharp blade targeting closest enemy with superb crit scaling.
Multi-bullet ranged weapon ideal for crit builds. Fires multiple bullets with high crit scaling.
Vlad's default weapon is Blood Magic, which deals increased damage and heals for more due to his passive ability, Vampiric Mastery. His passive, Hemomancy, grants him a damage bonus based on missing HP and a 50% increase in lifesteal effectiveness.
- Why these are optimal: The Blood Magic weapon is a must-have, as it is essential to his playstyle. Katana is a good secondary weapon, as its fast attack speed provides a high number of hits for lifesteal. The Revolver is also a great choice, as its high crit chance can be used to deal massive damage.
- Upgrade Priority: Focus on upgrades that increase attack speed, damage, and lifesteal to maximize your healing and offense.
- Key Mechanics: When HP drops below 30%, you gain a temporary attack speed boost called Crimson Surge. This synergizes with his lifesteal to heal you instantly.
Increases the base damage of all weapons and attacks. A universal upgrade for any build.
Increases the character's maximum health pool.
Tomes are essential for amplifying Vlad's power and providing him with the necessary survivability.
- Essential Tomes: The Lifesteal Tome is the most important tome for this build, as it is your primary defense. The Damage Tome is also a great choice, as it stacks with his low-HP damage bonus. The Health Tome is a must-have for a safety buffer.
- Acquisition Order: Focus on Lifesteal Tome first, then move on to Damage Tome and Health Tome.
- Tome Synergies: The Shield Tome and Armor Tome are also great for survivability, as they reduce incoming damage and make low-HP play safer.
Life-draining magic weapon with 5% chance to increase Max HP on kill.
These items are critical for a lifesteal-based build and are essential for reaching Vlad's full potential.
- Item Priority: The Blood Magic weapon is a must-have, as it is essential to his build. Lifesteal and Max HP items are also top priority to boost his survivability.
- Stacking: Stack as many lifesteal and damage items as possible to amplify the effects of his passive.
- Item Breakpoints: The build becomes unstoppable at 50%+ lifesteal, which makes you nearly immortal and allows you to maintain low HP safely.
These are strong supporting options that significantly enhance the build.
- How they amplify the build: Damage % Scaling items, Attack Speed items, and Crit Chance are all great for boosting your overall damage output and healing.
- Situational Use: Damage Reduction and Thornmail are great for making low-HP play safer.
Increases the amount of health regenerated per minute.
These are optional items that provide quality of life improvements.
- Benefits: Regen helps you maintain your target HP range, and Lifesteal is great for bursts of healing. Pickup Range is also great for collecting XP from a distance.
- Why they're not essential: The build can function and scale without these items, but they make the run smoother and more consistent.
Game Phase Strategies
Focus on surviving without your core weapon. Vlad is weak without his Blood Magic and lifesteal, so you must play conservatively and focus on collecting gold for the first shop.
- Primary Objectives: Acquire the Blood Magic weapon and any lifesteal items.
- Survival Tactics: Play like a normal character and maintain high HP until you have the tools for blood magic.
- What to Avoid: Do not intentionally take damage to activate his passive, as you will likely die.
💡 Quick Tips:
- →
Don't try to play low-HP without lifesteal.
- →
Play like a normal character until you have Blood Magic.
- →
Take any weapon for survival.
- →
Focus on collecting gold.
Your goal is to acquire Blood Magic and your first lifesteal items to begin your low-HP gameplay.
- Power Spikes: This is where you begin to notice your ability to deal massive damage and sustain yourself.
- Build Goals: Start building up your lifesteal to 15-20% minimum.
- Boss Approach: You can now begin to engage bosses, as your lifesteal will help you survive.
💡 Quick Tips:
- →
Buy Blood Magic in the first shop.
- →
Get any lifesteal items you find.
- →
Start practicing low-HP gameplay cautiously.
- →
Gradually lower your target HP range as you get more lifesteal.
Your goal is to establish your low-HP power fantasy and become a true vampire lord.
- Optimal Positioning: Maintain HP at 30-50% for the optimal damage bonus.
- Farming Patterns: Focus on stacking damage scaling items and learning to hover at low HP without dying.
- Build Completion: Aim for 30-40% lifesteal total to maintain a safe target HP range.
💡 Quick Tips:
- →
Aim for 30-40% lifesteal.
- →
Maintain HP at 30-50% for a damage bonus.
- →
Learn to hover at low HP without dying.
- →
Add Max HP for a safety buffer.
Your build is now an unstoppable force. Your goal is to achieve an immortal vampire build and dominate the battlefield.
- Final Build State: You should have 50%+ lifesteal, making you nearly immortal.
- Final Boss Strategy: You can now tank boss attacks and massive enemy swarms while focusing purely on damage optimization.
- Endless Wave Tactics: Lifesteal instantly refills your HP after each encounter.
- Victory Conditions: Your ultimate goal is to become an immortal vampire and achieve mastery.
💡 Quick Tips:
- →
You're now nearly immortal with 50%+ lifesteal.
- →
Maintain 20-30% HP for maximum damage.
- →
One-shot waves with blood-empowered attacks.
- →
Master the edge-of-death playstyle.