Role of the Venomancer

The venomancer, being a very versatile class, is able to take a variety of roles in a squad. They can do anything except for healing.

Debuffer

Venomancers have a lot of debuff and DOT (damage over time) skills which makes them the most powerful debuffers in the game. While every class has a few debuffs, the venomancer have the largest number of debuffs, including the pets, as well as the strongest ones.

Purge (level 13)

Removes positive effects (buffs) from the target.

Sage: 5m AoE purge. Demon: shorter cooldown by 5 sec, 25s cooldown.

Some bosses have self buffs and sometimes those self buffs can hurt a lot. A venomancer purging those self buffs is essential to make the squad's life easier and the risk of deaths smaller. Instances that usually require purge: TT2-2, TT2-3, TT3-X, Nirvana, FCC, Rebirth.

Amplify Damage (level 23)

Makes the target receive 20% more damage.

Sage: damage taken increased to 30%. Demon: damage taken increased to 25%, duration increased to 26 seconds.

This is the reason the other classes love us. Amplify Damage will make the monsters and the bosses receive more damage resulting in faster killing. Try timing it with the blademaster's Heaven's Flame (the dragons) and the genie skill Extreme Poison for even greater results.

Soul Degeneration (level 33)

Prevents target from regenerating HP and MP.

Sage: reduces maximum HP by 20%. Demon: cuts target's evasion in half for 20 seconds.

This particular skill is not very useful but sometimes it may be handy on bosses that have a high regeneration rate such as the Phoenix boss in FCC or bosses that are immune to Amplify Damage in Nirvana. Keep in mind that Soul Degeneration will cancel Amplify Damage and vice versa. This skill is mainly wanted for the sage version of it which saves up a lot of time by removing 20% of the HP of the boss (it also reduces experience gained so it should not be used in FCC). While Amplify Damage will cancel Soul Degeneration's curse, the HP reduction will not be canceled so it is recommended to start with Soul Degeneration and follow with Amplify Damage.

Ironwood Scarab (level 9)

Reduces enemy's physical defense by 30% for 10 seconds.

Sage: reduces the physical defense by 40% for 20 seconds. Demon: has 20% chance to reduce the physical defense to 0.

A very useful skill for classes that deal physical damage as well as your pets. Remember that it costs some chi so be careful on how you manage it.

Myriad Rainbow (Fox Form + Human Form) (level 79)

The target has a chance to be affected by:

Bleed: 4500 physical damage over time.

Poison: 4500 Wood damage over time.

Armor break: Physical defense reduced by 100%.

Mind break: Magic defense reduced by 100%.

Lasts 9 seconds.

The chance of the DOTs is higher than the chance of the breaks. Perhaps the first has a chance of 50% and the latter has a chance of 20% (just theoretical numbers). It may not be reliable but it's an extra debuff we can add, so why not? Remember that it costs 800MP and some chi so be prepared to burn some MP while using them. Their major advantage is that they are instant and therefore they can be cast quickly and easily.

Demon Venomous Scarab (level 89)

Reduces target's Wood resistance by 30% for 6 seconds.

A skill that increases your skills' power as well as the mystic's and barbs using Poisonous Fang. It should be used as an opener followed, usually, by Ironwood Scarab.

Demon Parasitic Nova (level 99)

Makes targets take 30% more damage.

It works in a similar way as the blademaster Heaven's Flame and it stacks with all other debuffs except for Heaven's Flame, neither of which will overwrite each other.

Pet Skill debuffs

• Howl: Reduces target's magic defense by 36% for 15 seconds (max level).
• Pierce: Reduces target's physical defense by 36% for 15 seconds (max level).
• Threaten: Reduces target's physical attack by 36% for 15 seconds (max level).
• Slow: Reduces target's movement speed by 50% for 6 seconds (max level).
• Shriek: Interrupts target's channeling, 100% chance (max level).

Tips for debuffing. Combinations and tricks!

• 1. Amplify Damage has the same cooldown as the blademaster's Heaven's Flame so it's possible to time both skills all the time. Amplify Damage should be cast first, not the opposite as the Heaven's Flame debuff is shorter in duration.
• 2. The typical combination/order of debuffs is: (Sage Soul Degeneration) -> Amplify Damage -> (Extreme Poison) -> (Tangling Mire)-> Myriad Rainbow Fox Form -> Myriad Rainbow Human Form -> (Demon Venomous Scarab) -> Ironwood Scarab -> Howl (Pet) -> Pierce (Pet - if you are demon and Ironwood/Myriad didn't proc) -> repeat
• 3. Be careful what skills your pet is using so that they won't overwrite your debuffs (such as Ironwood and Myriad).

Luring

See Venomancer Luring.

Tank

Venomancers, when using the right pet, are able to tank monsters and bosses. There are cases in which, depending on equipment and build, they can tank themselves but most of the time the pet will be tanking.

Suitable pets for tanking

They are often referred to as 'tank pets'. They have high defenses and usually decent to high HP.

Land & Instances:

• Baby Hercules (level 1, 9999 Source of Force)
• Glacial Walker (level 19)
• Crystalline Magmite (level 17)
• Volcanic Magmite (level 18)
• Shaodu Cub (level 20)
• Armored Bear (level 80)
• Eldergoth Marksman (level 43, ranged tanking)

Air:

• Baby Blazing Phoenix (level 1, 9999 Phoenix Feathers)
• Windwalking Piggy (level 30)

Water:

• Abysmal Turtle (level 5)
• Celestial Plumpfish (level 80)

Time and Life Saver

Now matter how good a squad can be, bad things may occur. The venomancer's role in those situations is diverse. The most important role is to keep the cleric alive at all costs and this includes keeping yourself alive.

Survival Skills and Panic Buttons

Metabolic Boost (level 26)

Restores 50% of your HP (max level).

Sage: restores 60% HP. Demon: cooldown reduced to 210 seconds.

This is your basic and most common survival skill. However, you may want to keep it in case you will need an instant HP restoring after a resurrection. It has a long cooldown.

Soul Transfusion(level 29)

Instantly exchange HP and MP values. Each transfusion

consumes up to 100 chi.

The description speaks for itself. If you don't have time to cast Metabolic Boost and you have no chi for Bramble Hood, start running away and use Soul Transfusion. With this skill, your MP bar equals a second HP bar. Note that it does not require chi to be used but it is going to burn 100 chi when you use it.

Bramble Hood (level 59)

Reduces damage taken by 75%, reflect 200% of damage received.

Bramble Hood is going to be a life saver in many situations. Keep in mind that you need two sparks in order to use so so take care of your chi management.

Feral Concentration + Absolute Domain or Demon Summer Sprint (level 79)

Grants invincibility for 10 seconds but stuns you.

With Feral Concentration you will become immune to any type of damage but the major drawback, apart from the 3 second channeling, is that it stuns you. In order to avoid the stun Absolute Domain (genie skill) or Demon Summer Sprint can be used. It consumes one spark.

Lucky Scarab (level 49)

has 95% chance to stun the target for 2.0 seconds.

Sage: stun effect lasts for 3 seconds. Demon: reduced cooldown to 10 seconds.

A short but quite reliable stun. It's useful for when you want to run away. Bosses are immune to stun but some elite monsters and mini bosses aren't.

Demon Frost Scarab (level 92)

demon version freezes the enemy for 3 seconds.

A short but quite reliable stun that could used after Lucky scarab for extra "stun". Remember that it only freezes the target so if the monster is ranged and you are in their range they will still be able to hit you. Bosses are immune to freeze but some elite monsters and mini bosses aren't.

Parasitic Nova (level 59)

has a 67% chance to make them chaotic for 8.0 seconds, in which they are unable to move or attack and suffer more damage.

In reality that percentage seems to be higher. It's really useful when you want to quickly immobilize a large number of mobs. Be careful, however, as you might pull some serious aggro once the chaotic effect wears off.

Befuddling Mist (level 19) + Leech (level 39)

reduces the target's accuracy by 70% for 8 seconds + has an 80% chance to steal 600 HP.

Not really an emergency life saver but the combination can be quite useful sometimes. First you lower the enemy's accuracy and then you steal some HP back. Demon Befuddling Mist also reduces target's speed by 30% for 3 seconds and increases the HP restored to 800HP. Sage Befuddling Mist hits harder and Sage Leech has 100% chance to steal HP back.

Stunning Blow (level 29)

inflicts base physical damage plus 2332.3. A successful hit freezes the enemy for 8.0 seconds.

Sage: has a 25% chance to cast without consuming Spark. Demon: has a 50% chance to stun the enemy for 3 seconds.

Another useful skill that will probably save your life a few times. Stunning blow will freeze the monster for 8.0 seconds. That is enough time for you to run away from it or run, transform back into human form and use Lucky Scarab and/or Demon Frost Scarab to keep the monster in place without touching you. Keep in mind, however, that it costs one spark.

Summer Sprint (level 29)

movement speed increases by 35% for 5 minutes.

Sage: 45% speed increase, removes negative effects. Demon: 45% speed increase, immunity to movement impairing effects (stun, freeze, sleep).

Venomancers are naturally a fast moving class and this skill is the reason why. When you have to run away from bosses or mobs always use this buff. It is also instant so you don't have to stop to cast it. While every class can use Holy Path (genie skill) only venomancers can keep a permanent speed buff on themselves.

Fox Form (level 9)

physical defense increases by 120%, accuracy increases by 200%.

Sage: 150% physical defense increase, 250% accuracy increase. Demon: movement speed increase of 60% for 6 seconds.

Another skill that is not an emergency life saver skill but it can benefit you a lot, especially when you have to run with a boss after you. It will increase your defense. Demon Fox Form is especially good for running as it grants you a movement speed increase for 6 seconds after transforming (either to Fox Form or from Fox Form to Human Form). The cooldown of the skill is made in such way that you can keep the 60% almost permanent.

Useful genie skills

• Wind Shield: reduces damage received by 15%.
• Tree of Protection: increased max HP by 26% and heals 16% of your HP.
• Second Wind: instantly restores some HP.
• Holy Path: increases movement speed to 15.0 m/s.
• Absolute Domain: makes yourself and squadmembers within 5 meters immune to all damage for 4.0 seconds and immune to immobilization for 2 seconds afterwards.
• Bramble Rage: causes 4261.2 Earth and Wood damage to all enemies within 15 meters and interrupts their spell channeling.
• Expel: causes the target to be silenced but also grants immunity to physical damage for 9.0 seconds.
• Earthquake: deals damage, interrupts channeling, and knocks back. (Close range)
• Lightning Chaser: deals lightning damage and interrupts channeling. (Long range)
• Weakness: decreases target's attack speed.

Using your pet in critical situations:

Your pet can aid you and keep you safe as well as the cleric or other squad member that needs to be protected. Even if your pet is not able to tank the boss it is wise to still have your pet get aggro. After you have made sure the aggro is on your pet you can command your pet to follow you (remember that for this you need to have your pet on Manual) and start running. The pet will not be hit very often so it has higher chances of surviving and thus you can save enough time for your squad to be up again and ready to go back to killing the boss. The best pet skill that can be used in such situation is Roar which resets aggro.

What to Do and How to Help Your Squad

As has been mentioned above, venomancer pets are capable of tanking. When the current squad's tank dies and there is no other person capable of tanking, you, as a venomancer, have to take action. If your pet is able to tank the boss, simply grab aggro (recommended skill: Roar, resets aggro - great for forcing aggro on your pet) and keep healing your pet until your tank is alive again. If your pet, however, is unable to tank the particular boss you can call your pet back, after making sure aggro is on the pet (pet should be set on Manual in order for this to work). Keep running around and have your pet follow you. This way, the pet will rarely get hit and will be able to survive long enough, until your tank is ready again. In case your pet dies, don't panic. Use the survival skills you have learned above and keep going! Venomancers are generally fast, you should be able to survive in most situations.

In case your cleric or somebody that you have to save (such as your FB tabber), suddenly pulls one or more monsters you can do the following: If there are a lot of monsters you can either use Noxious Gas to grab aggro or Parasitic Nova to immobilize the monsters. If there is only one, Lucky Scarab should do the job.

Do carry a few Resurrection Scrolls with you. They can be bought from any Merchant. When the whole squad is killed, monsters might still be alive and close to your squad members. A venomancer is very suitable for the job of killing those monsters as you have your pet to lure and tank and two skills, Metabolic Boost and Nature's Grace, to quickly gain some of your HP and MP back.

Venomancers are also good at escorting members, such as clerics who have died and are returning from town.

Buff and Chi Giver

Another important role of the venomancer is to buff and pass chi.

The venomancer has only one buff Bramble Guard (level 16) which reflects 60% of damage received for 10 minutes (Sage: lasts 20 minutes, Demon: returns 75%). This should be cast on the tank of the squad (who is usually a barbarian or a blademaster). Reflects not only helps the tank "deal" more damage but also helps him generate more aggro.

Remember that Bramble Guard generates aggro when the person with it is attacked, thus it generally should not be cast on classes that have to stay away from monsters, such as wizards, psychics, archers, mystics, and clerics (unless one of those classes are tanking). If you would like to offer them the buff, general consensus is to ask first. Just having bramble cast on you alone will not generate aggro. Bramble simply adds to the aggro you already have when a mob attacks you with a melee attack. The amount of aggro generated from bramble is very small in comparison with player skills. If a mob is beating on a character who shouldn't have aggro long enough that bramble actually makes a difference, it's not the fault of bramble, there's something else wrong with the squad.

Another essential skill of the venomancer is Lending Hand (level 46) which passes a spark to a friendly target (Sage: has 25% chance to cast without consuming a spark, Demon: has 25% chance to transfer two sparks). Sparks should be passed to the tank, barbarians especially need chi for their main aggro skill Flesh Ream. You can also pass a spark to the barbarian after he uses Invoke (which eats 2 sparks) or after they use Spark Eruption. In FCC, sparks should be passed to clerics after they use Regeneration Aura (BB). Never hesitate to ask your squad whether they need a spark or not. Communication is the key.