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Patch 14.0 brought a lot of changes to the tanking system, aimed at introducing more class variability in different activities: adjusted damage difference between classes and added ability to slightly self-heal – however, in more difficult activities, additional defensive or healing skills from allies are required. Effectiveness of major skills is affected by Supremacy. In case of demonologist, the global update mainly introduced changes to improve quality of life, without affecting tanking mechanic itself.

Class features
Previously, demonologist was referred to a masochist/dying tank - only prolonging its own suffering. Compared to other classes, demonologist doesn’t have a system that delays taking damage (Paladin's Barriers, Warrior's Survivability, Scout's Battle Wounds) - we take damage directly. However, we have access to a huge amount of health, as well as many effects that reduce damage, increase received healing and even healing skills! Additionally, it performs well in many PvP activities, mainly due to its high survivability and reflecting damage from enemy players (effect persists even after turning into a golem in Training Camp). Future update will affect us negatively in PvP.

Almost all of demonologist's offensive skills (including physical ones) are based on wand, only tear skill - The Soul Devourer – takes weapon into account. Demonologist deals higher Physical damage (mainly due to Torturer's Blade, Torment and Desecration) on a single target and Holy damage (Dark Fire, Chaos Explosion and The Soul Devourer) on multiple mobs.

Obsession is the Demonologist's main resource - needed to use Torturer's Blades/Seal of Chaos and is obtained by:

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• most offensive skills
  
• Tide of Madness- at cost of 5% of your health, you gain 50 obsession and another 5 every sec for 10 sec, used almost continuously in combat with 50/40/30 sec cd
  
• Shadow Flight - gives 50 Obsession, jump to a given point and turning into Beast with 50/40/30 sec cd
  
• Martyr's Guidance - grants 25/50/50 and another 5 obsession every sec for 5 sec with 5 min cd
  
• Perennial Hunger - buff received from World Mystery, that gives 5 obsession every sec for 60 sec, but has 4 min cd!
  
• Ruby Thrill of Force (+5/10/15%) and Supremacy increase obsession received from most sources
  
• Ruby Inner Demon increases base amount of obsession(100) by an additional 30/60/100 units
  

Even though Demonologist has 4 forms, only two are important in tanking:

• Human doesn't have any passive bonuses. All offensive skills become ranged AoE. This form is only used for two abilities: Expurgation (great heals out of combat, rarely used in combat) and Banishment (30 sec single target control).
  
• The entire tanking mechanic is based on giant form, and it receives bonuses to outgoing (+10%) and incoming (-20%) damage also +35% armor increase. Offensive skills become melee ST.

There is a bug to watch out for when changing from Gigant to another (e.g. entering a mount) - if you don't have maximum health, changing form lowers our health by a significant amount that can end disastrously for us (sometimes we will have 1 hp left!).

Base Build
I present a build that is the basis for PvE and PvP activity. With more talents and rubies or resets (for servers: gold for Smugler's Paradise or various Water of Death for Evolution), you can personalize build for more specific properties.




Changes introduced with patch 14.0.00.40 will be marked in red!

Offensive Skills

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Desecration – spamming ability with low damage, mainly used to get Obsession when everything else is on cd

Torment – stronger version of Desecration but with 8 sec cd

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Eternal Torment – 36% chance after use to reset cd, so you have a chance of spamming (but watch out for duration of effect below)
Shackles of Agony – adds additional 15 Obsession and gives an effect of same name (changed with patch 14.0): previously was 15% reduction for 5 seconds, now effect reduces incoming damage by 50% for 4 seconds (max 1/2/3 stacks, reduction doesn’t stack and is removed by taking damage over 3%HP);
Bane of the Weak – each loss of Shackles of Agony applies Weakness (-20% DMG) to enemies within 8y for 2/3/4 seconds (in PvE some monsters are immune, more useful in PvP)

Dark Fire – deals high damage and leaves DoT, gives 20 base Obsession (in 14.0 they fixed bug with double value in demon forms)

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Omnivorous Flame – Dark Fire will apply AoE (8y) around target and increase DoT damage by 33/66/100%
Chaos Flame – DoT increases Chaos Explosion damage by 33/66/100%

Torturer's Blades - main spamming ability, which on successful hit gives a stack of Wall of Blades, and with rubies heals and affects Veil of Darkness (the frequency of effects from rubies is affected by damage multipliers, e.g. Engineer's Acid Tide and Bard's Nocturne), but with patch 14.0: damage is increased by Supremacy, now costs 60 Obsession and has 2 sec cd

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Wall of Blades – reduces incoming damage by 5% for 5/7 sec and stacks up to 5 stacks → 25% damage reduction for 5/7 sec that can be permanently maintained!
Thrill of Chaos – increases damage by 27%, while dealing damage heals us by 1%HP, effect can be increased by 10% for every 100 Supremacy
Eternal Night – dealing damage increases duration of Veil of Darkness by 0,8 sec, later reduces cd of this ability by 1 sec, effect can be increased by 10% for every 100 Supremacy

Rift of Pain – a frequently used pre-fight ability that deals moderate AoE damage around demon (8y), but gives more Obsession (patch 14.0 reduced it from base 50 to 40) per use than Chaos Explosion

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Wall of Pain – increases damage by 35%, while losing Shackles of Agony reduces cd by 2,5 sec, but most importantly - applies 1 stack of Wall of Blades and 1 stack of Shackles of Agony for each target hit (you will use the ability on 5 mobs, you get 5 stacks of Wall of Blades and 3 stacks of Shackles of Agony!)

Chaos Explosion – new ability that deals damage around demon (8y), whose damage and received Obsession depend on the available stacks of Wall of Blades (1 stack is +100% DMG and 10 Obsession, so with 3 stacks you will deal 400% base DMG and receive 40 base Obsession)

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Chaos Flame – reduces skill cd by 30% and under Dark Fire DoT increases skill damage by another 100%
Immortal Leader – increases received healing by 50% for 6 sec, buff duration can be extended with other skills!

Defensive Skills

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Veil of Darkness – main defensive ability you will maintain almost constantly, reducing incoming damage by 40% and transferring 7% non-lethal damage from teammates in AoE to you, lasts 10 sec with 60 sec cd, later 14 secs with 30 sec cd (bound to Aspect of Defense)

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Eternal Night – using Torturer's Blades under Veil of Darkness does extra dark damage → extra hit, so rubies effects are activated twice!

Veil of Madness – for 6 seconds reduces incoming damage by 60% with 40 sec cd, used when you expect heavy or multiple attacks from enemies

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Frenzy – reduces ability cd by 15/20/25%
Aura of Madness – within 40y apply the Defense to nearest ally for 7 sec (not worth it)

Sphere of Negation – worse version of Veil of Madness, reduces incoming damage by 60% for 6/7/8 seconds of maintaining ritual with 2 min cd (protects from CC, but you can exit Paladin's Circle of Judgment or Idalena's Ghost World; you move at -50% speed, but using other skills interrupts cast)

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Unforgiving Chaos – in Giant form, reflect 10/20/30%, later 5/10/15%, of damage taken from players (under Sphere effect is doubled, later 18.75/37.50/56.25% reflection), refresh time duration of Wall of Blades by 1 sec while maintaining Sphere of Negation

Astral Plan – used to dispel all removable debuffs (while classes with dispel are busy elsewhere) and 75% non-physical damage reduction for 5 seconds with 100/80/60 sec cd; as a defensive skill it doesn't work against some opponents
Apotheosis – increases max health by 30% and heals same amount for 20 sec with 60 sec cd, good when combined with Reincarnation

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Immortal Leader – increases received healing by 50% for 12 sec, buff duration can be extended with other skills!

Ill Will – after use demonologist and its group become immune to control effects for 4 sec with 180/160/140 sec cd, in PVE we use this skill more often for 14 sec Immortal Leader, while in PvP to save team from burst
Reincarnation – patch 14.0 nerfed heal to 35%HP (was 40%) when you are below 40%HP with 4/3/2 min cd but affected by stats and effects that increase healing
Expurgation - during 8 sec of maintaining ritual, you heal for 10%HP (effects and stats affect) per 1 sec with 90/75/60 sec cd
Dark Victim – minor change with patch 14.0: with 4/3/2 min cd you deal 10%HP damage to all party members within 40y (previously ~10y; allies with less than 30%HP are excluded; watch out for percentage damage mechanics - e.g. demons in maze) to heal yourself for 10/15/20%HP (previously 10/20/30%HP) per person

Special skills

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Aspect of Defense – activates almost all rubies, but reduces effectiveness of Bloodlust healing by 75%!

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Escaped Beast – patch 14.0 added another ruby rank that increases damage dealt by up to 28% and threat by 14%
Demon Aegis – Increases Giant's health by 100% and previously reduced effectiveness of Bloodlust healing by 75%!
Demonic Skin – passive reduction of damage taken from monsters by 18%
Second Advent – last chance after taking lethal damage, increasing health by 35% (and healing for that amount) for 4/6/8 seconds every 180/140/120 seconds

Banishment – CC on single target for 30 sec with cast 6 sec and 30 sec cd
Demonic Onslaught – charge, during which you can apply other skills with manual termination; was heavily nerfed in patch 14.0: no longer reduces damage taken, damage dealt is reduced by 60%, and knockdown from rubies is shorter

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Giant’s Throw – increases damage dealt by 15/30/45% and threat generated by 100/200/300% (unnecessary)
Thunder Onslaught – our main crowd control, now only explosion (when manually interrupted or at end of charge) knocks down targets within 8y for 3 sec
Endless Strength – rank increase grants resistance to next control group when using Demonic Onslaught, mainly used in PvP activities to effortlessly run to enemy
Elusive Shadow – after using Demonic Onslaught and Shadow Flight you get Temporal Acceleration for 6 sec and are immune to Knockdown and Slowdown for 6 sec, mainly used to increase mobility

Sigil of Decay – only Vulnerability duration was increased to 8 sec, still deals damage to a single, closest target, lasts for 2 min and has 90/75/60 sec, mainly used on targets that need to be finished quickly!
The Soul Devourer – tear ability, which applies a multi-functional effect to you and doesn’t limit you in combat: AoE pulls defenseless enemies towards you (players can attack you), deals DoT for duration of effect and high damage on contact, increases max health by 25% on contact per stack (heals by same amount, max 4 stacks → 100% bonus health)
Astral Gravity – new ability demonologist was missing: AoE pull ending in 1 sec knockdown, whereas human you point place, and as demons enemies are pulled towards you, with 90/75/60 sec cd
Challenge and Massive Challenge – you focus attention of opponents on yourself, while reducing damage they deal to allies by 50%; in more difficult PvE activities, it additionally facilitates mechanics of exchanging targets between tanks; in PvP these skills will save allies from burst at cost of a longer cd
Seal of Desiccation with Seal of Chaos – combination in PvE activities, can be used as additional heal, because under influence of stats and Immoral Leader you can heal up to ~80/~40%HP!

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Primal Chaos – Seal of Chaos costs an additional 10/20 Obsession but does 20/40% more damage, only works with Aspect of Assault!

Other rubies

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Path of Strength, Black Hearth i Spontaneous Destruction – main source of Vigor, Stamina and Supremacy (you can reduce Spontaneous Destruction rank after purple layer)
Combat Faces – 3 rubies just to increase the range of melee attacks by 2y, but these 7y sometimes protect against strong effects from various puddles under enemies
Winged Death – 10% extra speed (it looks funny when you are faster than allies responsible for a specific mechanic), unfortunately it's the shortest way to Astral Plan and Dark Victim

Racial and World Mystery skills

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Perennial Hunger – a buff that grants 5 Obsession every 1 sec for 60sec, but has a 4 min cd which is shared when used with The Phantom Menace!
The Phantom Menace – teleport (range 35y) to a target with 60 sec cd
Astral Mutation – the only useful racial ability (elves) – for 10 sec with 60 sec cd, increases range of demon forms attacks to 35y, so you can attack targets that have moved quickly or during mechanics

Reincarnation skills

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Flash (Mage) – teleport 35y in the direction your character was facing (sometimes you end up in a hostile environment)
Glint (Priest) – more convenient teleport, where you indicate place
Medical Emergency (Engineer) – mainly for dispel right after summoning
Blood Aegis (Summoner) – additional damage reduction

Stats

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Offensive:

• Supremacy ~1000
  
• Conviction ~500 (if you want to extend your Control)
  
• PvE:
  
  • Determination ~1000 (other gear)
    
  • Proficiency i Brutality – other gear that doesn't have Determination, Supremacy or Conviction
    
  
  
• PvP:
  
  • Proficiency i Brutality in ratio 1:1 or 2:1
    
  • Determination – base
    
  
  

Defensive:

• Survivability ~750
  
• Caution ~750
  
• Bloodlust – base, ineffective for many reasons
  
• Vitality – other gear – for specific bosses and damage percentage mechanisms (e.g. Tep and path to Locus) you can reduce stat for easier healing
  
• Endurnance ~500 – in PvP to reduce critical damage from players (above orange layer)
  

Consumables

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Stat potions:

• Potion – Determiation/Proficiency/Brutality
  
• Ofensive Extract/Elixir - Supremacy/Determiation/Proficiency/Brutality
  
• Defensive Extract/Elixir – Vitality (Universal), Physical/Elemental/Holy Protection (when you know the specific damage element of monsters and enemies)
  

Small defensive potions (2 minutes, shared cd):

• Icy Potion of Healing – heals for a certain amount; Source: alchemy
  
• Decoction of Astral Aegis – reduces damage taken by 30% for 8 sec; Source: Order ranking
  
• Infinite Tonic of the Magical Armor – reduces physical damage taken by 30% for 8 sec; Source: Compass ranking
  

Large defensive potions (5 minutes, shared cd; Source: Alchemy):

• Icy Potion of Restoration – heals 50%HP
  
• Icy Potion of Absorption – grants a 50%HP shield
  

Combat potions (2 minutes, shared cd):

• Aoidos Fire – AoE stun for 4 sec; Source: Order ranking
  
• Icy Tonic of Concentration – Valiance (+25% DMG) for 20 sec; Source: alchemy
  

Food:

• Bitter Infusion – increased damage and healing dealt by 10% (work in Combat and Skirmishes)
  
• Spicy Fish – reduced incoming damage by 10% (work in Combat and Skirmishes)
  
• Icy Potion of the Duelist – replaces Bitter Infusion and Spicy Fish, but guarantees 5% effects (works in all PvE and PvP zones)
  
• Jug of Yogurt, Boar Ribs, Cheese Soup, Wild Berry Juice – 30 specific stats; Source: Order ranking, Al Rihat Ruins
  
• Skalgard Brennivin, Strong Mead, Fried Fish – 25 specific stats; Source: Plump Family in Skalgard
  

Adaptive Shell:

• Shadow and Titan Augmentation – increased survivability
  
• Echo/Reactive/Bastion Module – depending on situation, additional damage reduction effects
  
• Ambrosia Storm Module – used for 40% shield HP and knockdown all targets within 3y, ultimately as speed-up (mainly in PvP)
  

Artifacts:

• God’s Legacy – universal
  
• PvE:
  
  • Lorelei’s Purifying Song – extra dispel for you and allies
    
  • Maeve’s Magic Figurine – additional percentage shield
    
  • Yokke’s Guardian Shield – additional damage reduction for 12 sec when you are below 30%hp
    
  • Pascal’s Absolute Barrier – additional percentage damage reduction every few seconds
    
  
  
• PvP:
  
  • Yasker's Talisman of Willpower – reduction of received control
    
  • Catherina's Star Brooch – additional damage reduction when you are attacked
    
  • Nefer Ur's Jade Rod – protection against control in first seconds of fight (mostly Rankings and Dominion)
    
  • Oberon's Sapphire Cuirass – protection against getting Vulnerability once with long cd
    
  
  

Skill rotation
Demonologist must start fight already in Giant form, otherwise it’s as weak as other allies – so if you want to receive mount effects (Fish/Scarab/Gaur for 30%HP shield or Manabike for damage resistance), you can force dismount by changing into Giant, however, you will lose those seconds of extra protection. We start the fight with Solo/Mass Challenge so that opponents pay attention only to us.

When targets are vulnerable to controls, you can dash into group with Demonic Onslaught (when they are close together) or use Astral Gravity/The Soul Devourer to pull. Note that these abilities have long cd, so your team should support you in this (pull and control). You can always use Aoidos Fire or Ambrosia Storm.

While tanking, you need to pay attention to three variables: obsession, damage reduction effects, health.

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Damage reduction mechanics

In Allods, there is no summing of individual damage reducers - received damage is reduced one by one with each effect. Demonologist has 2 passive and 5 active damage reducers. Only Veil of Darkness and Wall of Blades can be maintained almost continuously throughout the battle. Shackles of Agony can be considered random, while Veil of Madness and Sphere of Negation are situational (powerful boss attack, etc.).

Suppose a Giant demonologist, including passive +35% armor and -20% damage reduction, additional -18% reduction from Demonic Skin, take 10,000 damage from an enemy attack. While using Veil of Darkness (-40%) it will only take 6000 damage, which is reduced again by 5 stacks of Wall of Blades (-25%) to 4500 damage – it receives -55% damage reduction for the entire fight! Then comes Shackles of Agony (-50%), which is 2250 damage (-77,5%). Finally comes Veil of Madness or Sphere of Negation (-60%), so it only gets 900 damage per attack (-91%)! For group activities, there is Defense (-40%) and similar defensive effects.

Before fight, you should achieve as many obsession as possible - we use Tide of Madness, Rift of Pain, Perennial Hunger or Martyr's Guidance. With patch 14.0, LB's Space Shift and Scout's Smoke Screen no longer protect against red crowns, so you can't spam Desecration in human form!
In the fight itself, the amount of obsession changes quickly – it all depends on how often you use Torturer's Blade (preferably every 2 seconds). With rubies and high Supremacy, it takes on average a single use of most offensive skills to get 20~70 obsession, and when it's less than 120 we use other buffs.

Demonologist doesn't have a specific skill rotation, only priorities. Regardless of patch, keeping Veil of Darkness on is the most important thing, while Wall of Blades and Shackles of Pain come from Torturer's Blades, Torment and Rift of Pain. Dark Fire is in top 3 damage dealt, so we use this ability as much as possible. In general, priorities can be presented as follows:


You can do a minor burst on mob packs - with 1~3 stacks of Wall of Blades use Dark Fire, then Chaos Explosion (for high damage), ending with Rift of Pain to recover stacks of Wall of Blades and Schacles of Agony.

Torturer's Blades provide good healing when enemies don't deal frequent or high damage. When health drops drastically (below 80%HP or we expect a strong attack), we use Veil of Madness for additional damage reduction, then Chaos Explosion, Ill Will or Apotheosis for Immortal Leader effect - using another skill will extend effect, but we use them in states of danger. When we have less than 40%, we save ourselves additionally with potions, Reincarnation, Dark Victim (you must be in a group) or a combination of Seal of Desiccation (when it is learned).

Last words
Thanks for reading this wall of text. I tried to introduce the basics of tanking with Demonologist. If you think something is wrong or you have other advice - write a comment.


Image sources:

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