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Lichdom: Battlemage Comprehensive Mechanics Guide
Written by starwarsandsuch
Disclaimer:
I own all rights to this guide and its contents.
It may only appear on
gamefaqs.com and neoseeker.com
and may only be reproduced for personal use.
Version History:
1.8 - November 18, 2019: Cleaned up all sections and added Section 0, "In
Progress".
1.7 - October 14, 2019: Replaced all-caps terms with standard text.
Lots of small changes throughout. New ratings in section 2.
1.6 - September 25, 2019: Revised Section 1. Added to section 3 and 5.
1.5 - September 06, 2019: Added more to sections 1 and 3.
1.4 - August 14, 2019: Cleaned up various sections. Added to section 1.
1.3 - August 08, 2019: Added up to most of section 5. Applied formatting.
1.2 - August 07, 2019: Finished Section 2 and 3. Added section headers.
1.1 - August 06, 2019: Added the rest of section 1 and half of section 2.
1.0 - August 05, 2019: Added introduction and some basic information.
Special Thanks:
Tim Curry Smile (Steam) screenshots of Synergy descriptions found in their
Steam guide on Synergies.
Dragon Lord 778 (Xbox) for providing in-game footage of some Synergies I had not
used before.
Xaviant for making a great game.
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INTRODUCTION
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This is my first guide! I hope you enjoy playing this game as much as I have,
and to that end, I have decided to write this guide detailing all you need to
know to get the most out of the game's crafting and combat systems. This is not
a walk-through for the game. There are some hidden things to find in-game, but
since the game is linear, they aren't difficult to track down. This game is
time-consuming to learn on your own but this guide is here to help. For easy
navigation, the sections have an asterisk * denoting a section heading. Use
Ctrl+F to search for "*" to go to another section. Thanks for reading!
Table of Contents:
Section 0 - Current Work in Progress Info
Section 1 - Basics
Section 2 - Sigils (Elements)
Section 3 - Getting Started, Crafting, and Glossary of Terms
Section 4 - Synergies
Section 5 - Interacting with the Environment and New Game Plus
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SECTION 0
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Section 0*
This section will contain information on any upcoming content for this guide.
Once the guide is complete, this section will be removed.
In progress:
Section 5 will become an enemy index for details on enemy types, attacks, and
threat level approximation. Bosses may or may not get their own section. The
current Section 5 content will probably be moved to be Section 6.
Possible changes:
In Section 2, the Sigils are reviewed for strengths and weaknesses but are only
considered by themselves and not as a full load-out with the other two Sigils
players can bring to battle. This section may be revamped to consider full
load-outs alongside the current information.
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SECTION 1
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Section 1*
The Basics
What is Lichdom: Battlemage?
Lichdom: Battlemage is a first-person shooter (FPS) that focuses on giving the
mage the spotlight. This is accomplished by giving the mage full power to
cast whatever they want when they want! no mana bar, no cooldowns (mostly), and
no restrictions. The game allows you to craft your own spells and features fast
combat, a basic storyline, and some light exploration. You play the role of a
"Dragon", a mage gifted with bracers that give you your abilities and prevent
death. You are accompanied by a "Gryphon", a mage gifted with extreme mobility
instead of offensive spells and a ring that functions similarly to the bracers
to prevent the death of the Gryphon. Upon character creation, you choose male or
female. Whichever you choose, the other will become the Gryphon.
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DEFAULT CONTROLS
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Note: If playing on PC with a controller and you like blocking, I recommend
changing "Blink" to Left Bumper/L1, and setting your AOE attack to Right
Bumper/R1.
Doing this lets you charge an AOE or range spell and actively block when you
need to if you toggle off the dual trigger AOE option.
You can also toggle off the dual mouse button AOE and use tab or another key
for AOE attacks but I haven't tried this change on PC.
This only really helps if you like to block a lot.
Movement
(Left joystick on controller)
Forward: W
Backward: S
Left: A
Right:D
Sprint: Left shift (Click left joystick)
Combat
PC (Controller)
Ranged:Left Mouse Button LMB (Right trigger)
Block: Right Mouse Button RMB (Left trigger)
AOE: LMB+RMB or Tab (Left + Right triggers)
Blink:Spacebar (RB/R1)
Nova Blink: Hold "Blink" key
ALL SPELLS CAN BE CHARGED FOR A GUARANTEED CRITICAL HIT!
Swap Spell Elements: Mouse Wheel (D-pad/Face buttons)
Misc
Guiding Eagle:V (LB/L1 )
Inventory:I ("Back" or "Select")
Journal:J (Down on controller D-Pad)
Menu:Escape ("Start" on controller)
Interact: F ("A" on Xbox controller, "X" on PS4)
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SHIELDS AND HUD
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Core Mechanics
The HUD
In the lower-left corner of your HUD, you will see three blue lines. These
represent your health and recharge over time unless fully depleted. Should one
line become depleted, you can refill it by using a shield orb, a single-use
"health" object. The lower right corner of your HUD will display your selected
sigil, along with three icons in a ring. These icons will display Apocalyptical
"AP" Powers on the nova icon, and synergy meters in the center. There are Boss
HP meters, which also have a green "rage" meter. Once this meter fills, the boss
will become temporarily immune to status effects. The HUD also displays any
items you pick up, and any loot rarity buffs you gain from surviving through
multiple checkpoints. Loot rarity caps at 5 checkpoints.
The Sigils
Elements you can use for spells are called "Sigils". You begin the game
with fire and ice and soon receive kinesis. After this point, you may
choose which element to unlock next at each Reliquary. Following the
first level, three Sigils are equipped at all times. Use checkpoints
to swap out equipped Sigils, except for shields, which must be crafted.
Fire
Ice
Kinesis
Lightning
Phase
Corruption
Delirium
Necromancy
The Shield
What is the Shield?
The Dragon comes equipped with a shield that prevents death. Three meters that
recharge over time are displayed on the HUD, and if one is broken, it can only
be replenished with a shield orb. There are three abilities shields bring to the
table: fast blink, nova blink, and galvanized block. Each shield type only has
two of these abilities, and you must choose which one you like the best. They
are all good! I recommend trying each one since you will surely find all three
types.
In Lichdom: Battlemage, even your shield is a weapon. Nova spells are cast by
using charged blink or galvanized block. Nova spells are a close-range explosion
centered around the dragon. Galvanized blocks prevent all damage taken, but
require proper timing.
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SHIELD TYPES
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Strategic: The toughest shield. You begin the game with this one.
Abilities
Fast blink (3 per 2 seconds)
Galvanized Block (Nova spell)
Pros
Highest HP
Speeds up AOE casting
Cons
Longest recharge delay (6.0 seconds)
Fast blink needs recharging
Playstyle: Hybrid of blocking and dodging. Best at long range.
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Tactical: The "middle ground" of the shields.
Abilities
Galvanized Block (Nova spell)
Nova Charged Blink
Pros
Fast recharge delay (2.5 seconds)
Moderate HP
speeds up nova blink casting
Can cast Nova spells through blink or block
Cons
No Fast Blink
Playstyle: Blocking and frequently casting Nova spells. Best at close range.
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Agile: The most maneuverable of the shields.
Abilities
Unlimited Fast Blink
Nova Charged Blink
Pros
Unlimited fast blink
Fastest recharge delay (1.5 seconds)
speeds up ranged casting
Cons
Lowest HP
No Galvanized Block
Weak to enemies that can prevent blinking with status effects
Playstyle: Dodging in and out of combat. Stay on the move!
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When the shield is completely broken you are "killed", and sent back to
the last activated checkpoint. "Loot Rarity" will be reset.
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LOOT
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Very early in the game, you will begin to find loot. Every bit of it is for
crafting. There are two kinds of loot: shapes and augments. These can be
shield-based or spell-based. Almost all of the loot will have a name that
affects the item but also tells you the item type.
Example: "Dissolving Pool of the Evoker" - is really just a shape, "Pool", and
the rest of the loot name changes the stats of the item slightly. Look for the
loot keywords listed below when you pick up loot.
Note: Standard AOE Blast can be found simply as "Area".
Available shapes:
Missile Blast Tactical Shield
Lob Trap Strategic Shield
Ray Pool Agile Shield
Nova
Shapes are cast modes. They do not change what the spell does. They determine
whether the spell is an AOE, Ranged, or Nova attack and if the attack is a burst
or a lingering effect. They also determine the basic functions of your shield.
Available augments:
Destruction
Control
Mastery
Shield Augments
Augments are attack categories. They determine what the spell does. Every
element has a different spell effect for destruction, control, and mastery. This
is explained in detail below. Shield augments bolster shields and give passive
bonuses, such as sprint speed or damage resistance.
Crafting combines a shape with an augment to create a spell or shield. Crafting
is discussed in depth in section 3.
Ranged and AOE spells feature three shapes to choose from. Nova spells are one
shape (an explosion around the Dragon).
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RANGED SHAPES
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Ranged spells are easy to use. One press of a mouse button or trigger, and you
have some sort of attack headed toward the enemy. Ranged attacks have three
variations. Missile, Lob, and Ray.
When to use Missile:
Missiles feature a small homing ability so they are well suited for hitting
faster targets. Missiles attack a single target but are the easiest attack to
use. Performs well against all targets. Outperforms other modes at greater
distances. Slow attack speed.
When to use Lob:
Lob features an arc trajectory but rewards accurate shots with a strong
burst followed by an explosion of smaller attacks around the area of impact.
Performs very well against close to mid-range targets, but the arc trajectory
takes some practice to use at long range. Works almost like a grenade. Moderate
attack speed (multiple hits).
When to use Ray:
Ray is limited to fairly close range targets but is a continuous beam of spells.
This is best used to apply status effects to your targets, but can also be used
to deal somewhat weaker but steady damage if made for destruction. (not
recommended). Fast attack speed.
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AOE SHAPES
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AOE spells have a longer wind up animation to cast than other spells,
but offer various ways to deal with multiple targets or enemies
that are able to evade standard attacks. Standard Blast, Pool, and Trap attacks
are available to the Dragon.
When to use Standard AOE:
Simply blasts the highlighted area with a single spell over an area.
This is useful for burst damage in a wider area than range spells.
Can be used to apply status effects to enemies, particularly with
Delirium or Necromancy to apply an effect one time, rather than
constantly. Moderate attack speed.
When to use Pool AOE:
Pool spells cause an area to constantly cast a spell. Perfect for applying
status effects, such as freeze. It can be used to apply damage, but only if
you can lock the target down inside of the pool. These can be deployed
one per element and persist for a short while. Try an Ice Control pool
followed by a Fire Destruction pool! Fast attack speed.
When to use Trap AOE:
Place down Trap AOE spells in choke points or on enemies behind cover.
After a short delay, a projectile is spawned that will hit the enemies
that activated the trap, even if they have moved outside of the area.
Great for "tagging" teleporting enemies with spells. Watch out if you
use this in direct combat, the delay may cause problems! These can
be deployed one per element and persist for quite a while before
disappearing. Slow attack speed.
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NOVA
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Nova spells are limited to one shape, or attack mode, but have two methods of
activation, depending on your shield choice. You begin the game with a strategic
shield, which means nova spells can only be activated by galvanized block.
Galvanized block is essentially a parry. Time the block as the attack hits, and
BOOM! you have a nova. Galvanized blocks are always critical hits too! Tactical
and Agile shields feature charged blinks, which also cast nova spells.
Nova spells are very good for defending yourself in close combat or for charging
in for a close-range assault. Nova spells cast instantly when cast with
galvanized block, and must charge when used with blink. Charging blink can be
done in two stages to guarantee a critical nova blink.
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AUGMENTS (DESTRUCTION, CONTROL, MASTERY)
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Attack Effects
Lichdom: Battlemage features three different kinds of augments you can find
for offense. These are the second type of crafting item. They are called:
"Destruction", "Control", and "Mastery"
Augments decide what a spell does. Different sigils are naturally easier to use
for one type or the other (Fire excels at Destruction, for example).
Destruction augments are the most straightforward. Regardless of the element,
Destruction is designed to deal raw damage to a target. Raw damage is good, but
if you only use Destruction, you'll find yourself spending more and more time
to defeat the same enemies later on because of level scaling. Destruction can
have different effects on different Sigils, or spell elements.
Control augments are more complicated than Destruction because they don't
always deal damage. Control specializes in making fights more manageable.
For example, you can use ice to freeze enemies in place, or set enemies on fire
for damage over time while you focus on bigger threats. Use Control spells to
lock the enemy down while you hit them with Destruction or Mastery spells.
Mastery augments are the most complicated of the three available augments but
are the most useful. Every spell you use can benefit from mastery consumption.
Mastery deals almost no direct damage on its own if any at all.
What is Mastery? It is a primer for any other critical spells you throw at a
target. Throw a fireball at an enemy and you may deal 1000 damage, but hit him
with Mastery first, and then charge a critical fireball and you'll see much more
damage! Enemies hit with mastery spells will glow blue.
Mastery in the game is shown in percent, but it's easier to think of it as
points of mastery. Hit an enemy with mastery, and those "points" will be on
them, ready to be used to boost another spell. These points don't have any
limits and don't expire. Mastery is great for bosses!
You can tell about how much Mastery will affect a spell by its mastery
consumption rating. This is shown as:
"Consumes up to __ % mastery on a critical hit."
The higher the percent, the better it will combo with mastery hitting first.
Mastery spells "add" percent mastery to a target. Mastery can be used to boost
Destruction spells or Control spells. Remember that hitting an enemy with
Mastery first makes everything else you throw at them better!
When to use Charged Criticals:
Charged Criticals are spells that are charged fully into a guaranteed critical
by holding the button. When this happens, there is an audio cue, and your spell
receives a fancier animation.
Charged criticals are for hitting targets that you have already tagged with
Mastery spells.
Consuming Mastery on a target also has a unique audio cue.
Critical effects enhance whatever your spell was designed to do. If you fully
charge a Destruction spell, your damage will be displayed in red text and
be multiplied. Charging a Control spell means the status effect will have
a longer duration, and charging a Mastery spell applies more Mastery to a
target.
What this means is Destruction almost always benefits from a full charge,
but Control and Mastery are more situational.
For example, if you have a melee enemy closing in on you, it would be better
to hit him with a regular Control spell to avoid the hit, rather than charge
it all the way. Afterward, you could use a regular Mastery spell, followed
by a fully charged Destruction spell to get some extra damage.
On tougher foes, a fully charged Mastery spell followed by a fully charged
Destruction spell will offer maximum damage.
To use any loot you have to craft spells.
Remember that all spells are just Sigil + Shape + Augment.
For example Lightning + Pool(the shape) + Control (the augment) becomes
a Lightning AOE spell that lingers and electrocutes enemies to stun them.
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SECTION 2
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Section 2*
The Eight Sigils and AP Powers
Sigils, or spell elements, are earned when interacting with Reliquaries found
throughout the game. You begin the game with only Fire and Ice available to
you, but fairly early on you gain Kinesis. From this point onward, you will
always have three sigils activated and ready to use spells. In this section,
each sigil will be ranked based upon scaling with each of the augment types
(Destruction, Control, Mastery), and which of these is recommended for that
sigil. Note that these are simply suggestions and that you could easily adapt
anything listed here to your playstyle. Experiment and have fun!
AP POWERS
Every Sigil has an AP Power. These are activated by hitting an enemy with a
charged spell. Charged spells are guaranteed crits, but also have a chance to
become a double crit. When this happens, a bright flash will appear, and the
enemy hit will have a mark over its head. Kill the enemy BEFORE the mark
disappears, and you are granted an AP Power, which flies towards the player like
loot. Several sigils show an indicator for this on the spell icon, but some have
different effects.
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FIRE
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Fire is usually considered an excellent damage-dealing sigil, with high base
damage and high mastery consumption. Critical hits with fire destruction have a
decent chance of also stunning the target.
AP Power: Firewall - create a blast of fire that deals high damage over time in
a wide area with your next nova spell.
Destruction rating: 8.5/10
Destruction effect: Fire attuned to destruction will use a fire attack to deal
a fairly high amount of damage. This augment performs well with all three of
the attack types.
Control rating: 5/10
Control effect: Fire attuned to control will set enemies on fire, dealing a
relatively small amount of damage over time, over several seconds. Most of the
damage over time will apply instantly if the target becomes stunned. this
attunement is decent for damaging another target while you focus on more
important targets. Great for breaking enemy shields and keeping them broken.
Works well with nova and AOE shapes.
Mastery rating: 6/10
Mastery effect: Fire attuned to mastery will apply moderate mastery to your
target, and give them the molten status, making them damage enemies around
them. Great for making fire destruction spells hit for more damage, but doesn't
do much damage on its own. Performs well when coupled with AOE shapes.
Suggested spells using Fire:
Range: Destruction Lob
AOE: Destruction pool or Control pool
Nova: Destruction.
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ICE
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Ice is one of the best choices for Control but also features other interesting
mechanics that are unique. Ice has the highest base damage output of any
sigil, but doesn't combo off of Mastery nearly as well as other sigils can.
Ice is very capable of slowing targets down.
AP Power: Icewall - create a wall of ice that slows severely and lightly
damages enemies for a short time with your next nova spell.
Destruction rating: 7/10
Destruction effect: Ice attuned to destruction does have its uses. Very high
base damage, coupled with a chilled status effect can make short work of weaker
foes. Though Mastery can still be used with ice Destruction, it does not benefit
as much from it as the other elements, so it will have a harder time against
tougher enemies. It can be used effectively with any shape.
Control rating: 10/10
Control effect: Ice attuned to control plays to this sigil's strengths. Freezes
enemies on the spot for a short duration, and stores extra damage if they are
hit with another element's destruction spell. Works well with all shapes,
especially AOE and nova.
Mastery rating: 7/10
Mastery effect: Ice attuned to mastery applies a good amount of mastery to the
target and gives them a slowing aura, slowing all enemies around your target.
this spell is pretty good at combining crowd control and priming enemies for
bigger hits and works well with AOE and nova.
Suggested spells using Ice:
Range: Control missile for freezing single targets, or
Mastery lob for priming other spells and slowing small groups.
AOE: Control pool freezes groups until the pool duration ends!
NOVA: Destruction or Control
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KINESIS
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Kinesis is a great Sigil, allowing for high Mastery combos, and has good
options for Control and Destruction. Specializes in controlling enemy movement.
Kinesis features extreme Mastery consumption, making it very effective after
Mastery has been applied to a target.
AP Power: Kinesis Shield - create a barrier of pure energy in a wide area in
front of you that stops projectiles and allows you to attack through it.
Activated on your next nova spell. Deals no damage, but can prevent any attack
from getting through to you.
Destruction rating: 7.5/10
Destruction effect: Slam an enemy with a blast of pure force. This attack will
knock enemies back a small bit, and do modest damage to the target,
but can scale with Mastery to compete with any other sigil in terms of pure
damage. Works well with AOE or nova spells.
Control rating: 8/10
Control effect: Launch your target into the air and keep them suspended for a
short duration, or until they are hit with a destruction spell. Either
way, once the effect ends, the target is slammed into the ground and sends a
shockwave dealing full damage to enemies around them. Great with all shapes.
Mastery rating: 10/10
Mastery effect: Anchors the target in place while adding a large amount of
Mastery to be used by other spells. Anchors keep a target from changing
positions but do not stop them from attacking you. (don't get too close to melee
enemies). Works best when used with AOE, but is good with all shapes.
Suggested spells for Kinesis:
Range: Missile or Lob CONTROL
AOE: Pool Mastery
Nova: Control
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LIGHTNING
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Lightning is one of my favorites! Less damage is offset by the ability to hit
multiple targets with any attack type. Scales fairly well off of Mastery,
and has one of the best AP Powers for offense.
AP Power: Overcharge - the next 5 lightning ranged attacks are changed from
lightning orbs into lightning bolts, with increased, instant damage and a
new animation that allows for faster casting of these attacks, should you
use them back to back.
Destruction rating (single target) 6/10 (multi-target) 7.5/10
Destruction effect: blast an enemy with a charge of lightning that chains to
nearby enemies for a percentage of damage dealt. At lower levels, this damage
will be under 100%. Higher quality lightning spells will actually do more
damage to the chained targets than the original. Works well with range and
AOE shapes.
Control rating: 6.5/10
Control effect: Electrocute enemies and stun them for a short duration, after
which they become charged and cannot be electrocuted again until the effect
wears off. It can be used with fair effectiveness with any shape.
Mastery rating: 7/10
Mastery effect: Shock an enemy and turn them into an electrical tesla coil,
shocking any nearby enemies. The mastery applied is average, but can be easily
spread to entire rooms if the enemies are close together. Works great with AOE
and nova.
Suggested spells for Lightning:
Range: Mastery ray or Destruction lob.
AOE: Control blast or Mastery pool. Keep in mind enemies become immune to
Lightning Control for a duration after being hit once.
NOVA: Control for stun, Destruction for damage if you chose Mastery ray.
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PHASE
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With Phase, the Dragon can control space and time to tear enemies apart. Phase
features extremely high mastery consumption, unique mechanics, high base damage,
and complex interactions. This sigil is probably the most complicated within the
Dragon's arsenal but might be the most capable.
AP Power: Phase Shield - For the next several seconds, the Dragon is immune to
slow, stun, freeze, and many other status effects. If you are lucky enough
to get another AP Power charge before the first runs out, the duration is
refreshed immediately to continue shielding the Dragon.
Destruction rating: 7.5/10
Destruction effect: Does a good amount of damage immediately that scales well
off of mastery, and should the target survive, they are warped to a random
location that may or may not be over a cliff or into an environmental hazard.
The Dragon can see their destination. Works well with ranged and nova shapes.
Interaction: Enemies hit by Phase Control will be locked into a time warp.
Phase Destruction detonates this warp, applying any spells the enemy was hit
with, and warping them over a longer duration. If the enemy is killed in this
process, time slows down, allowing the Dragon to rapidly react to any threats
left. If the enemy survives the warp, they are healed back to values before
the Control effect started.
CONTROL rating: 8.5/10
Control effect: Lock targets into a time warp, where spells are stored and they
are unable to react until the warp is broken by Phase Destruction. Works well
with AOE and ranged.
MASTERY rating: 7.5/10 (Phase Distortion) 8/10
Mastery effect: Apply a good amount of mastery with no other effect unless
Phase Distortion is active. Phase Mastery deals a decent amount of damage while
in Phase Distortion. Works well with all shapes.
Suggested spells for Phase:
Range: Mastery ray or Control missile.
AOE: Control pool or Destruction blast.
Nova: If you chose Mastery ray for range, try Destruction nova. If not,
try Control here to lock down all enemies hit.
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DELIRIUM
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Delirium lets you manipulate the enemy. Make enemies fight for you, fight
amongst themselves, or damage themselves if they attack you. Sap their will to
fight or cause a berserker rage.
AP Power: Invisibility - The Dragon becomes invisible to enemies and cannot be
targeted for a short duration. The Dragon can still be damaged by AOE attacks
and other hazards.
Destruction rating: 7/10
Destruction effect: enemies affected with this augment are forced to injure
themselves if they attack you. The damage they deal to you is reduced for the
duration. Works best with ranged and AOE.
CONTROL rating: 8.5/10 (against bosses) 5/10
Control effect: Charged control attacks will force a target to fight for you.
After the duration, the target will kill themselves. The only downside to this
ability is that only one enemy can be controlled, and if you hit another
target, the original will become permanently berserk. Bosses are immune to
control. Works well with ranged. Attacking a minion with this attack multiple
times will give your minion a shield.
Mastery rating: 7/10
Mastery effect: If you have a minion from Delirium Control, forces enemies to
target your minion and deal set damage to them. If not, the enemy is forced to
cower in fear for a duration, after which they become immune to further
Delirium. Stacks Mastery pretty well, but only once per enemy. Works well with
all shapes.
Suggested spells for Delirium:
Range: Control missile.
AOE: Destruction blast or Mastery pool.
NOVA: Mastery or Destruction.
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CORRUPTION
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Corruption allows the Dragon to infect enemies with deadly parasites that
explode and deal continuous attacks to other enemies once the host target
is slain.
AP Power: Locust Swarm - A large swarm of locusts fill the battlefield and
attack enemies on your next nova spell.
Destruction rating: 6/10
Destruction effect: infect a target host with a "bomb" parasite that detonates
after a short delay. Decent damage, but the delay is hard to work around.
Control rating: 7/10
Control effect: Infect a target host with a damaging parasite and a bug swarm
that is released after the host is killed and if the bugs mature. If you are
patient, using this will allow you to attack an entire room from
killing a few enemies.
Mastery rating: 9/10
Mastery effect: Infect a target host with a Queen, and if it is allowed to
mature will burst from the target and begin sending swarms of insects at your
foes and apply Mastery to everyone nearby. Excellent Mastery potential for large
crowds.
Suggested spells for Corruption:
Range: Mastery missile or lob.
AOE: Control trap or blast.
NOVA: Destruction.
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NECROMANCY
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Necromancy allows the Dragon to use fallen foes as allies. Tag up to three
minions for a permanent party. Minions aid in every future fight until destroyed
or replaced. More than three may be generated, but any extra will vanish after
the current battle ends.
AP Power: Bone Armor - The Dragon is granted bone armor that will absorb a set
amount of damage before shield damage is taken. Lasts until destroyed.
Necromancy is unique in that the enemy you claim and the augment you attune
determine how good this sigil is. Adapt your minions to your situation, and
they do the rest.
Destruction rating: 7.5/10
Destruction effect: Mark an enemy as a minion after death by charging the
spell. Summoned minions use Destruction attacks.
Control rating: 6.5/10
Control effect: Mark an enemy as a minion after death by charging the spell.
Summoned minions use Control attacks.
MASTERY rating: 7/10
Mastery effect: Mark an enemy as a minion after death by charging the spell.
Summoned minions use Mastery attacks.
Suggested spells for Necromancy:
Use anything you like. Suggested enemies to tag are archers and mages.
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SECTION 3
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Section 3*
Getting Started, Crafting Systems, and Glossary
You can use any of the eight sigils you like, but what is the most efficient
way to take down your foes? Here I'll list some general tips and tricks you can
use from the beginning onward for a good start.
A quick note about the tutorial:
If you choose to go through the tutorial, it will show you each of the
attack types in order - Ranged, Block, and AOE. You will be forced to use each
one as your only attack for a short while, which means you will have to
Galvanize block your way through a short section. At the end of the tutorial,
you are given Ice. You are supposed to die at the end boss to progress.
When you begin the game you will have Fire and Ice for a while before being
granted Kinesis. You don't have to do any crafting for most of the first section
of the game. To get the most out of Fire and Ice, place the Ice AOE down first.
This creates an Ice Trap. The delay on the trap will let you swap to Fire and
have a fully charged blast ready to go as soon as the target is frozen. You can
do this with Ice Ray too, but the timing is trickier.
After you have Kinesis, if you haven't crafted anything you actually will have
every spell shape equipped.
All three have nova
Fire has Missile / AOE Blast
Ice has Ray / Trap
Kinesis has Lob / Pool
This means you can experiment and see which shapes you like the best
without having to craft anything. With this setup, the only thing you
have to manually craft to try out are the different shield types.
Not only this, but the developers chose to give the Dragon sigils that
are completely attuned to a single augment. This was probably to help players
discover how the game works. They also happen to play to their respective
elemental strengths:
Fire - All attacks start Destruction attuned.
Ice - All attacks start Control attuned.
Kinesis - All attacks start Mastery attuned.
If you've played through the first level, you probably saw a notification
for either spell upgrades or sigil upgrades.
Sigil Upgrades are applied permanently to an element you have equipped. It is a
level up for the sigil itself. These bonuses can be stacked up to +10% for a
category.
Possible upgrades:
Increase damage dealt
Increase critical chance
Increase casting speed
Increase status duration
increase critical effect
These are permanent upgrades unless playing on the hardest difficulty,
which will remove bonuses from sigils when you swap them. To apply them, go to
the smart inventory and select "Sigil Upgrades".
Spell upgrades are part of the crafting system and upgrade what you
have equipped without changing how your spells work.
General Tips:
Combat flows smoothly if you use Control to lock down your enemies, and
follow up with Mastery, then Destruction criticals.
"Loot Rarity" goes up as you survive past multiple checkpoints. If you die, this
resets. Don't worry about this stat though! As you progress, loot will be much
stronger regardless of the rarity level you've earned.
You can charge Nova blink and ranged Missile or Lob at the same time.
Keep archers out of the fight as much as you can! They usually perform
rapid-fire attacks. Turn them to your side with Delirium, or stun them with
Lightning.
Apply Mastery whenever you can to speed up combat dramatically, especially
against bosses.
Use Rays or Pools to apply any status effects quickly. Pool AOE spells are great
for applying Mastery or Control effects to large groups.
Up to three pools or traps can be placed at the same time with
different elements.
Ray spells are incredible for Mastery stacking, but be careful; you have to get
fairly close to your enemies.
Don't forget about blocking! Even if you have an agile shield, blocking while
being slowed may be enough to keep you alive. Holding block gives you around
50% damage reduction, depending on your shield type and augments.
Nova spells can be used creatively! Don't forget about them! For some intense
combat, try using a Mastery ranged spell with a Destruction nova. Prime the
target with Mastery, then run in and detonate them with the nova!
Trap spells and pools can be used to lock down choke points in most fights!
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CRAFTING SYSTEMS
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Let's discuss item rarity first. Items are color-coded based upon rarity, but
there is also a loot level system. Each item you find will have a loot level in
the center of its icon. As this goes up, the numbers on the bottom of the icon
go up too. These numbers represent Destruction, Control, and Mastery
respectively. Uniques are obtained once you have enough loot because they are
Legendary items that can be upgraded beyond Legendary. Unique items are required
for Synergy spells.
White- common
Green- uncommon
Blue- rare
Purple- Epic
Orange- Legendary
Red- Unique
There are two different ways to craft spells in Lichdom: Battlemage.
Manual crafting, and smart inventory upgrades. Manual crafting is
the only way to create different spells than the ones you are using.
Manual crafting:
Each time you craft, you select one of your equipped sigils or your shield,
and then choose which shape you want. Every shape you find has augment slots,
which determine whether the spell is Destruction, Control, or Mastery. Some
shapes you find have more than one slot. For these, you can apply multiple
augments to make the spell better with higher stats. Shields also have slots,
but the items placed here are only for stats of the shield and do not change how
the shield works.
When you first try crafting, the "Smart Inventory" pops up. This shows you what
is already equipped and looks for upgrades on those spells. Items can also be
upgraded in this menu by sacrificing lower level loot in batches. To actually
craft new spells, you have to go into "Custom Inventory", and select Crafting.
Once you have found spells you really like, simply swap back to the Smart
Inventory and upgrade as you go until you are ready to start manually upgrading
your spells.
What to look for when crafting:
1. Number of augment slots (the more the better)
2. Loot Level (Center number)
3. Destruction, Control, Mastery numbers
4. Rarity
5. Extra effects (critical chance, status duration, etc.)
Crafting Example:
Say you wanted a Fire Destruction spell, and you wanted to attack multiple
enemies at once using a lob.
The first menu in Crafting is sigil selection. Once selected, the menu shifts to
Shapes you have collected. The lob will have a number of slots. Use these slots
to put in Destruction Augments. Craft and equip, and you're done!
Remember to use section 2 for more information on what each sigil does
when made for Destruction, Control, or Mastery.
Smart Inventory upgrades:
Highlights spells with upgrades in green. Arrows beside the spell show
at a glance how much better the new spell will be, up to a maximum of
three. Spells created this way are identical to the ones you had before,
just with better stats.
Other Menus in the "Custom Inventory":
The Synthesis menu allows you to upgrade items just like the Smart Inventory.
This is good when you find a nice item that you want to upgrade manually
without having to batch upgrade through the smart menu.
The upgrading process:
Select an item with upgrades available. Then choose two items of the same
or better rarity to combine with it. The items used to upgrade have no
impact on the quality of the upgrade, so try to use the same rarity but
low-level items.
The Deconstruct menu allows you to take one part out of a spell you have
crafted to use again, but destroys the other parts and deletes the spell.
the Reforge menu lets you delete unwanted items and gives items back randomly.
It also has a meter for a guaranteed Legendary item that fills every time an
item is deleted here.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
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In order of appearance:
Sigil - Spell elements, such as Fire, Ice, etc.
Shield - Lichdom: Battlemage's version of HP, or health points. Lose all three,
and you are sent to the previous checkpoint.
Checkpoint - Blue beam of light. Saves your progress, allows fast travel, and
sigil swapping.
Blink - A short dash in the direction the Dragon is facing. Can be charged for
nova spells using Tactical or Agile shields.
Nova - A spell that is an explosion around the Dragon in all directions.
Blocking just before an attack hits, or charging a blink casts nova.
Galvanized Block - Blocking just before an attack hits the Dragon. Mitigates
all damage, and casts a critical nova. Recharges every 1.5 seconds.
Critical - A spell can be critical by chance, or fully charge to guarantee a
critical. Criticals apply a stronger version of the spell.
Appocolyptical - A spell that is fully charged for a critical that is already a
critical hit. Offers AP Powers if you kill the marked target.
AP Power - Each Sigil offers a power that is activated by killing an enemy hit
with Appocolyptical damage, and usually casting nova afterward.
Destruction - A spell crafted to deal damage.
Control - A spell crafted to crowd control of some kind.
AOE - Area of effect. It can be used to attack crowds.
Etheria - Loot item that appears like an orb and flies to the player. Always
used for crafting.
Mastery - A spell crafted to make the target weak to further attacks or
effects.
Synergy - A spell "combo" that requires a lot of loot to craft. Can be used
with any sigils, but the spells vary greatly.
Overkill - Killing an enemy with damage that is beyond their remaining health.
Charges synergy spells if the enemy was hit with the required sigils.
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SECTION 4
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Section 4*
SYNERGIES
Once you've grasped the mechanics discussed above, it will be fairly easy to
get a few synergy spells crafted. Synergy spells require at least 3 Legendary
loot items, one of which must be upgradeable. Once you have enough crafting
material for a synergy spell, the game will notify you when you go to the Smart
Inventory. You must go to the Custom Inventory and upgrade an eligible Legendary
item. Once this is done, it will become unique. Uniques are given two forms. One
form makes the item even more powerful by giving it an extra upgrade and usually
a special stat. The other form gives you the ability to create a synergy spell.
Should you choose to craft one, a synergy spell will have an assigned SIGIL
based on your choice. There are 12 synergy spells available to choose from,
and you can upgrade the item to any of them. After you make a choice, you
must craft the item with its assigned Sigil, and then equip the analog Sigil to
charge and cast the spell. Once the synergy meter fills, use the AOE spell of
the matching sigil to cast the spell. This replaces your usually equipped AOE
spell for the Synergy, but only when it is charged.
All descriptions are found in-game when selected. Thanks to Tim Curry Smile
(Steam) for a complete guide on synergies, complete with screenshots, which I
used for the descriptions. You can find Tim Curry Smile's guide on Steam for
more information.
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FIERY GOLEM
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(CORRUPTION + FIRE)
"This Corruption synergy fuses with fire to create a semi-sentient construct.
The golem spawns in a fixed location and sends ranged attacks at enemies. The
golem is indestructible for the short period that it exists, and enemies ignore
it."
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FLAMING ZOMBIE
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(NECROMANCY + FIRE)
"This Necromancy synergy unites with fire to spawn a blazing skeletal minion.
The burning undead will run toward a target and explode when he gets close
enough. The minion has a limited lifespan, and will explode when its time runs
out whether it's reached its target or not."
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FROSTBURN VORTEX
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(ICE + FIRE)
"This Ice synergy merges with fire to create a whirling tornado of fire and
ice. The vortex moves around the battlefield, slowing distant enemies while
igniting nearby enemies and tossing them aside."
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ICE IMPS
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(CORRUPTION + ICE)
"This Corruption synergy draws on Ice to spawn a trio of ice imps, which fly
through enemies, freezing them for a duration. The imps vanish on impact."
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ICE STORM
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(LIGHTNING + ICE)
"This Lightning synergy pairs with ice to create a vicious winter storm. A
low, freezing cloud rolls over the ground, slowing enemies that pass through it.
Those closest to the center have a chance of being frozen. The cloud seeks out
the closest unfrozen enemy."
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MAW OF THE ABYSS
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(PHASE + KINESIS)
"This phase synergy pairs with Kinesis to open up a large swath of nothingness,
pulling enemies toward its center. Foes near the center of the maw take damage
over time, and upon death are swallowed into the Abyss itself."
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METEOR
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(KINESIS + FIRE)
"This Kinesis synergy combines with Fire to draw a blazing meteor down from the
heavens. The strike does heavy damage within the impact area, hurling enemies
in all directions."
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PUSTULANT CORPSE
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(PHASE + NECROMANCY)
"This Phase Synergy combines with Necromancy to summon a skeletal minion
covered in poisonous mist. The minion runs toward a nearby target. Once
it reaches its target, or when its brief lifespan runs out, it explodes,
infecting nearby enemies. Upon their deaths, infected enemies spawn pustulant
corpses of their own."
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SINGULARITY
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(KINESIS + LIGHTNING)
"This Kinesis synergy draws upon Lightning to rip a small but unstable tear in
reality. This tiny rift pulls in enemies with inexorable strength until it
explodes under the weight of its own stresses. Those drawn in are just as
quickly blasted away by the raw force."
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STORM ELEMENTAL
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(DELIRIUM + LIGHTNING)
"This Delirium Synergy matches with Lightning conjures a semi-aware ball of
living electricity. The elemental seeks out your enemies for as long as it can
remain materialized. Each target it passes through is wracked with electricity
over time." [sic]
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SUPERNOVA
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(FIRE + LIGHTNING)
"This Fire Synergy pairs with Lightning to create a bright aura of damage,
striking all nearby enemies."
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UNDEAD HULK
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(NECROMANCY + DELIRIUM)
"This Necromancy Synergy fuses with Delirium to conjure a skeletal monstrosity
to attack the target's enemies. The hulk is short-lived but can do impressive
damage."
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One other thing to note regarding synergy: since many of these overlap with
their required sigils, you may choose to create and use more than one at
the same time. This forces you to use certain sigil combinations, but you
can also charge and use multiple synergy attacks very frequently.
Example: Fire + Ice + Lightning overlaps and actually lets you charge three
of these attacks (Frostburn Vortex, Ice Storm, and Supernova) all at the
same time -- provided your target is tagged with all three sigils first.
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Section 5
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Section 5*
The environment in Lichdom: Battlemage is full of items to interact with.
In this section, I will list the various types of items you may find,
generally in order of appearance.
Reliquary - Interacting with one of these will grant the Dragon one new sigil.
Checkpoint - These allow the Dragon to fast travel and swap equipped sigils,
along with saving your game and providing a place to respawn if you die.
Echo - Story "shadows" of the past that give insight into the world of
Lichdom. After these play, interact with them again to gain an item.
Shield Orb - Blue orb of shield energy that typically restores a single
bar on the Dragon's shield, but may rarely contain a full restore.
Etheria Orb - Purple orb that contains a random item.
Strange Objects - Some objects can be attacked and destroyed,
such as the orange growths found in the first level or the
ice crystals found in the mountains. Most contain loot,
but do not respawn for New Game Plus.
Journals/Scrolls - Purely lore items, these update the Dragon's journal
with new story-related information.
Mark - Bronze symbols that can be "collected" for achievement.
Challenge Device - strike these with a sigil to begin a challenging battle
that if won will reward you with dozens of loot items! It can be found
in small, isolated rooms for a single area fight, or in vast areas
that typically travel to three or four locations for the fights.
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What about New Game Plus?
New Game Plus can be accessed after beating the storyline. At the end,
you will be given a set of portals to use. I recommend not going through
these right away, as the enemies are actually scaled above you unless you
fast travel back to the beginning of the game and farm some higher level
spells and shields. Once the game is completed, you loot rarity is always
maxed, and enemies you face will scale at or above your level. Bosses are immune
to this scaling, but will still drop scaled loot.
You can fast travel back to the portals at any time to activate challenge
modes that will give you even higher quality loot. The enemies here are the
strongest the game can throw at you.
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If you've read this far, thanks again for reading! I hope this
guide has helped you learn the mechanics behind Lichdom: Battlemage.
