Editing The General and Generic Venomancer Guide (section)

== Skillful ==

If you don't care about PvP nor being a helpful veno, the only skills you really need are Venomous Scarab, 
Heal Pet, Revive Pet, Metabolic Boost, Nature's Grace, and Soul Transfusion. But that's a boring way to 
play, so you'd probably decide to get what skills you want instead and develop your own style. Due to the 
large amount of skills, I'll break this down into a list.
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===Human Form Branch===

;Venomous Scarab : Upgrade this whenever you can and spam it whenever Ironwood Scarab is on cooldown. It's pretty much your grinding skill here due to its low mana cost. PvP-wise, it's not the best idea to use this simply because it's too basic to have any good usage. The exception is if you have demon, whereas the wood resistance debuff would very much be reason enough to use it.


;Ironwood Scarab (level 9) : The 25 chi is well worth the cost, considering that will pretty much be your strongest nuke throughout a good chunk of your career and has a little physical debuff as an added bonus. Regardless of your build, it's a good idea to use this as your opener. If not to give a good start with some Fox Form hits, then at least to give your pet some added damage. Not to mention that both sage/demon added effects to it are quite nice. One important note is that the demon Ironwood Scarab only has the 20% chance of reducing the target's defense by 0, and the innate 30% defense reduction does not exist. 


;Blazing Scarab (level 19) : Damage over time spells have a very split base, with one side saying it is useless to upgrade it past level 1 while the other side says it's a great way to damage the target while kiting around in. If something, it is useful to gain a large chunk of chi in a single attack skill. Both sage/demon versions of the spell doesn't add too much to it either. 


;Frost Scarab (level 29) : The general consensus is that it's not a bad spell per say, but the 1 spark cost is very costly, at least until you gain your 3rd spark. The frostbite chances are too low to justify the usage unless you get the sage version which shoots up the 80% chance of freeze to a 95%. The 3 second freeze from demon is always a nice thing to have.


;Noxious Gas (level 39) : A staple for the Herc user veno. Even without a Hercules, this move is pretty nice. It does fairly decent damage and the DoT time is only a mere 9 seconds so the overall damage stacks up pretty quickly. The major problem with this is the 2.5 casting time and the mana cost, which isn't so great for solo grinding sessions. Not recommended outside of DDing a boss or AoE grinding. The sage/demon paths don't add much to it either. 


;Lucky Scarab (level 49) : Finally, another real staple spell you get at level 49. Does spike damage as high as Ironwood and at max, has a 95% chance to stun the target for 2 seconds. Not that the stun is useful for actually stunning, but it's a much needed addition, since a veno really lacks movement locking debuffs. What stops this from being a great grinding spell is the high mana cost and a very long 15 second cooldown. The 2 second cooldown reduction from demon doesn't help too much either, but the 1 second addition to the stun time from sage does. 


;Parasitic Nova (level 59) : Major damage, great major debuff, major AoE range, major casting time, major mana cost, major cooldown, and major spark cost. So in terms of just about everything, it's big. The terrible problem with this is that the chance to cause chaotic is static at only 67%, so it's not really reliable for anything other than spike AoE damage. It does this really well, since at level 1, it still matches damage to a sage/demon Ironwood. With sage, a 50% chance of only consuming 1 spark may make it more accessible for regular usage, but it's still nothing you can spam. If anything, it's great as a follow up to a sage Lucky Scarab if the 3 second stun does go off so you get enough time to fire Parasitic Nova off. I can't say anything about going demon for this, since I was never a fan of the 67% chaotic chance and since the bonus damage only applies to chaotic targets, there is too much to risk for just that spike damage.
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===Human Form Support Branch===

;Bramble Guard (level 16) : A veno's only party useful buff. Typically, it's used on a tank so they can keep aggro a lot better. Not particularly necessary, but tank will love you for it. Note that this skill has no effect in PvP or TWs, only in duels and PvE. Regardless, max this as soon as you hit level 59 because it opens way to Bramble Hood.


;Metabolic Boost (level 26) : One of the key skills that makes a veno the godly grinder that she is, this recovers a really nice chunk of your HP for absolutely no mana cost. Although the cooldown seems fairly long, most venos use this in conjunction with Nature's Grace and Soul Transfusion to make the timing of the cooldown absolutely perfect. More about this endless grinding cycle will be explained below.


;Nature's Grace (level 36) : Same thing as Metabolic Boost, but for your MP instead. Max it. 


;Bramble Hood (level 59) : Returning 200% damage and reducing damage taken by 75% for 15 seconds is about as godly as a veno can get, even though the return damage effect is removed in PvP/TW scenarios. Although a lot of people swear by Bramble Hood as a life saver, which it really is, I find the 2 second delay is a bit of a deterrent in emergency situations where you really want to scram before the mob gets even 15 meters to you. Nevertheless, using this in conjunction with Soul Transfusion should be a great escape mechanism when something goes terribly wrong.
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===Fox Form Branch===

;Fox Form (level 9) : This spell is best used to go into fox form, which is really the other half of a veno. Even for a pure caster veno, it's pretty important to get this up to date because the physical defense boost can be a life saver when you're in a pinch, and a caster veno is really lacking in the physical defense department. For the LA and heavy veno, you need this too. So basically, this is something every veno needs to get. This skill is also a major deciding factor for whether a player should go sage or demon because that 60% movement boost for demon is amazing, as is the 30% physical defense and 50% accuracy boost for sage. With sage obviously catering towards Fox Form users and demon catering the casters who could always use a quick escape. All about what you want to be for this one.


;Fox Wallop (level 9) : Other than the damage boost, a 40% channeling speed reduction for only 3 seconds is pretty crappy. Not that the chi cost is an issue, but this skill overall is pretty useless. The 50% chance of not consuming 20 chi for sage doesn't help either. The only redeeming factor for this skill is the 20% chance of making all hits critical for 5 seconds on demon. How's that for motivation to finally spam this skill? Otherwise, leave it at level 1.


;Befuddling Mist (level 19) : Much better than Fox Wallop. the 70% accuracy reduction can really hurt those Barbs and BMs without the Misty Forest Ring, plus you don't need to constantly spam it thanks to the long 8 second duration. For a Fox Form LA veno, this skill can give the veno an evasion rating comparable to that of an Archer. Both sage/demon versions of the skills give fairly nice improvements to the skill too, so you might as well max it if you're ever planning on using Fox Form.


;Stunning Blow (level 29) : Yes, that 1 spark cost may look a little pricey, but when you get multiple sparks in your bag of tricks, a mere spark for 8 whole seconds of freezing the target will start looking very attractive. Also note that the demon version of this has a potential 3 second stun, making it a quick and easy interrupter. 


;Leech (level 39) : An 80% chance to leech a good amount of HP with only a 6 second cooldown is reason enough to use Fox Form. Useful for tight spots, runs without Clerics, waiting for Metabolic/Nature's Grace cooldowns, and just about in any situation where you don't have full health. Not only that but this skill doesn't actually leech HP from the target. It simply gives you the extra HP. This means that even if Leech misses or the target is already dead by the time it hits, you'll still gain the health. Max this one out ASAP.


;Consume Spirit (level 49) : One of the lesser popular Fox Form skills, it reduces your current health by a percentage to gain mana. With this maxed out and a sage Leech, you can pretty much juggle between the two skills to keep yourself in top shape concerning your HP and MP without the need for Metabolic Boost or Nature's Grace. However, it's best not to waste your time using this skill in PvP because there are no good benefits outside of keeping yourself in tip top shape in a grinding environment. 


;Malefic Crush (level 59) : Like Parasitic Nova, there are really better usages of 2 sparks. However, Malefic Crush does not suffer from a major channeling time and burning 1.6k mana from the target can actually be useful on BMs and Barbs when used in conjunction with that Genie skill that also drains mana. If you're not looking for draining the target's mana, just spend the sparks on something like a Spark Eruption or something instead.
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===Fox Form Debuff Sub-branch===

;Purge (level 13) : PvE wise, you'll probably never touch Purge unless you do TT2-3s or TT3-xs. So other than the two bosses, there is no real justification to use Purge at all, especially since regular mob buffs aren't too big of a threat either. When you switch topics to PvP, Purge suddenly becomes a beacon of light. Take a maxed Beast King's Inspiration, which gives a bonus 30% HP. In about 3 seconds of Purge, that's 30% of the target's HP gone. Mix and match it with any buff the target may have. The more buffs they have, the more fun you have Purging them. Add in the tiny AoE boost from sage and the mass clutter of people in TWs and you got yourself a full support veno. Highly recommended in PvP, stay away from it if you're staying away from PvP.


;Amplify Damage (level 23) : When a veno is not tanking a boss in a squad, Amp Damage basically defines the veno's role in the team. While in ordinary grinding scenarios, you probably won't be using it much unless you happen to be in Fox Form when you see an Inc Life mob. But in specialized scenarios such as PvP and bosses, you would want to max this out ASAP to save some wear and tear from the tank and clerics' charms or prep to dish out some major nukes. In a PvP situation though, don't make Amping the target a priority, although it's a nice plus if you have the time to soup up the debuffs before nuking the target. Both sage/demon versions are pretty nice additions as well. Recommended.


;Soul Degeneration (level 33) : No one ever sees this because no one ever uses it. In theory, it sounds terrible, and in practice, it doesn't fair much better. There was an experiment to see if Soul Degeneration can possible halt the regen effect of Diamon Sutra or Ironheart, but the results were never posted. Absolutely useless in PvE. The sage effect of reducing maximum HP by 20% sounds particularly attractive by using it to follow up a Purge on a Barb buffed target to really cut down the HP. Avoid it unless you have the sage book for it.


;Crush Vigor (level 43) : I won't blatantly say that the veno Fox Form skill branch sucks, but the later portions with Consume Spirit and Soul Degeneration really kill it. Crush vigor is obviously useless in PvE, but if used well in PvP, it can't be all that bad. It could potentially be used alongside with an Archer or Fist BM to really kill someone's chi and sparks in PvP/TW, but it's really situational and really requires a squad effort to make this really effective and preferable to something like Amp Damage. Don't bother unless you've got some lofty tricks up your sleeve with this skill.
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===General Support Branch===

;Melee Mastery (level 19) : Easy. You use Fox Form, you level this. You don't, you don't level this. 


;Wood Mastery (level 29) : Really minor boost to your damage, but you might as well max it anyways since it's passive.


;Soul Transfusion (level 29) : A step above Bramble Hood, this is pretty much a much have skill for a veno. A fairly short minute cooldown for you to instantly exchange HP and MP percentage values, for a cost of up to 100 chi maximum. This means you don't even need any chi to use it, although if you do have chi, it'll still consume it. This means there's no debate on whether to spend your spark on Bramble Hood or Soul Transfusion throughout most of the game, since you can use both of them in conjunction given that you cast Bramble Hood first. Great survival skill and great grinding skill. Must have.


;Summer Sprint (level 29) : Gives a very nice speed boost for 5 whole minutes for a low mana cost. Although not essential, it's always funner to run faster. Highly recommended.


;Lending Hand (level 46) : Lending Hand is to give an ally a spark every once in awhile to increase the squad's performance. If you do FBs and TTs a lot, get this. It's pretty cheap though, so it's not really a bad idea to get it regardless.
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===Level 79 Skills===

;Myriad Rainbow (Fox Form) (level 79) : There are actually two Myraid Rainbows. One for Fox Form and one for standard form. For the normal person who's practical and not rich enough to afford both Myriad Rainbows, get the Fox Form one instead. The difference between the two other than which form its usable in is that the Fox Form one has a much shorter range, but it has a 15 meter AoE. the AoE factor makes all the difference. Note that Myriad Rainbow causes random status effects, which means sometimes you'll get one on a target, sometimes you get all of them on a target, or sometimes it'll even do nothing. The Bleed and Poison are useless. The big reason anyone would get Myriad Rainbow is for the 100% Armor or Magic Break status. Reducing the defense by 100% is essentially reducing it to 0, which makes this skill very attractive to sage venos who'll miss out on the 20% 0 physical defense in a demon Ironwood Scarab. In regular situations, the 800 mana cost is way too much so the best usage of this is through bosses where you can take the risk of using this gamble skill.


;Myriad Rainbow (level 79) : Unless you have a lot of cash to burn you may only want to get one Myriad early on. The Fox Form version is AoE, short range, and only available in fox. The mage version is single target, long range, and only available in mage form. Your playstyle should determine which one is right for you.


;Feral Concentration (level 79) : When the description says at the cost of being able to move for 10 seconds, what it actually means is that you yourself are stunned for 10 seconds. With this in mind, it seems like a pretty bad waste of a spark unless the tank just died and you don't mind taking aggro while the cleric quickly tries to pull the tank back together. In that case, this would make a great escape mechanism along with Bramble Hood and Soul Transfusion. What makes this really magical though is through the use of an anti-stun pot. Pop one before using this skill and voilà. 10 seconds of invincibility while you get to terrorize mobs and PKers alike. If you have a nice apothecary level and don't mind making a few anti-stun pots, this skill would be a great addition to your list. The downside is the 5 minute cooldown, so it's not something you'll be able to pull often. Another 'trick' to using Feral AND being able to move around (like run from a mob!) is to cast demon Summer Sprint then Feral. One of the benefits of demon summer Sprint is the fact it makes you immune to all movement impairing effects for 6 seconds INCLUDING those you cast on yourself. As Feral makes you unable to move for ten seconds, it is counteracted by the Summer Sprint benefit. Just cast Summer Sprint first, maybe use pots or apo to increase health, then cast Feral for immunity to damage and be able to move.
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