Blade Vortex

Template:Gem Infobox Blade Vortex is an upcoming skill to be released in the 2.1.0 content update that marks the start of The Talisman Challenge Leagues.

Blade Vortex creates an ethereal blade that spins around the caster that deals physical damage, each blade lasts for the minimum duration of 5 seconds. Because of the duration nature of this skill, it is possible to have multiple blades active at the same time, up to a maximum of 50 blades. Once the limit is reached, creating a new blade will simply remove the oldest existing active blade, similar to .

Despite the fact that it does physical damage, Blade Vortex is a spell and not an attack. It does not utilize weapon damage in any way. Blade Vortex is 1 of 3 skills that work in this manner, the other 2 being and the other upcoming 2.1.0 skill .

Skill Functions and Interactions

Physical Damage: Because Blade Vortex deals physical damage, it can be boosted by supports and skills that are more commonly used to modify attacks, such as the support gem and the Hatred aura.

Spell Damage: Since Blade Vertex is considered a Spell its damage can be amplified by Spell Damage on items and passives from the skill tree, as well as support gems that increase spell damage. Because Blade Vortex also has a cast time, its cast speed can be effected by supports skills such as and .

Leech: Any Leech passives such as Blood Drinker, Mind Drinker, Essence Sap do not work, nor will other Attack based leeching as they state #% Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life/Mana. Blade Vortex is a spell and not an attack despite dealing physical damage.

Some types of leeching that do affect Blade Vortex are as follows:

• The support gems and .
• Hits from enemies cursed with grant life and mana leech.
• Elemental leech from items such as Doryani's CatalystDoryani's Catalyst
  Vaal SceptreSceptre
  Physical Damage: (102-122) to (170-230)
  Critical Strike Chance: 6.00%
  Attacks per Second: (1.55-1.61)
  Weapon Range: 1.1 metresRequires Level 75, 113 Str, 113 Int32% increased Elemental DamageSocketed Gems are Supported by Level 20 Elemental Proliferation
  Adds (65-85) to (100-160) Physical Damage
  (11-15)% increased Attack Speed
  (6-10)% increased Cast Speed
  (30-40)% increased Global Critical Strike Chance
  0.2% of Elemental Damage Leeched as Life
  (80-100)% increased Elemental DamageThe result of the catalytic reaction would be either immortality for all,
  or death for all. It was a risk Doryani was willing to take. and the fire/cold/lightning leech from (3 elemental variations), granted a portion of Blade Vortex's damage is elemental.
• Physical leech from items such as (Physical variation) as it applies to all physical damage, not only physical attacks.

Area of Effect: Due to the fact that Blade Vortex has the AoE tag, increases and decreases in AoE will augment the radius in which the skill deals damage e.g. (, and Carcass JackCarcass Jack
Varnished CoatEvasion: (851-1085)
Energy Shield: (173-222)
Movement Speed: -3%Requires Level 62, 96 Dex, 96 Int(120-150)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield
+(50-70) to maximum Life
+(9-12)% to all Elemental Resistances
(40-50)% increased Area of Effect
(40-50)% increased Area Damage
Extra gore"...The discomfort shown by the others is amusing, but none
can deny that my work has made quite the splash..."
- Maligaro's Journal).

Cast Speed: As previously mentioned, Blade Vortex is a spell and acts as such. Because the skill has a cast time, its cast speed can be effected by supports skills such as , but also the passive mod #% Increased Cast Speed. The formula below shows how to correctly calculate the cast time for Blade Vortex assuming the player has 110% increased cast speed (25% from passives, 25% from Faster Casting and 60% from Spell Echo):

        1 / 0.5 = 2 casts per second (base)
2 * ( 1 + 1.1 ) = 4.2 casts per second (modified)
        1 / 4.2 = Modified cast time of 0.24 seconds

Duration: Blade Vortex is a duration based spell and as such the duration and therefore the maximum amount of active blades can be augmented. The following list outlines ways the duration of 'Blade Vortex' can be modified:

Increased Duration:

• Gem
• Chober ChaberChober Chaber
  Great MalletTwo Hand Mace
  Physical Damage: (129-137.6) to (264-281.6)
  Critical Strike Chance: 5.00%
  Attacks per Second: 1.25
  Weapon Range: 1.3 metresRequires Level 40, 104 Str30% increased Stun Duration on Enemies+1 to Level of Socketed Melee Gems
  +1 to Level of Socketed Minion Gems
  20% reduced Strength Requirement
  (200-220)% increased Physical Damage
  25% increased maximum Mana
  Minions have (20-40)% increased maximum Life
  15% increased Skill Effect DurationThe faithful may continue to serve, even after death. Unique Mallet
• Conqueror's EfficiencyConqueror's Efficiency
  Crimson JewelLimited to: 13% reduced Mana Cost of Skills
  4% increased Skill Effect Duration
  4% increased Mana Reservation Efficiency of SkillsThe stone may yet bleed.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket. Unique Jewel
• Corrupted belts can grant (5 to 8)% increased Skill Effect Duration
• The passive mod #% Increased Skill Effect Duration

Reduced Duration:

• Gem
• Warped TimepieceWarped Timepiece
  Turquoise AmuletRequires Level 50+(16-24) to Dexterity and Intelligence(10-25)% increased Attack Speed
  (10-25)% increased Cast Speed
  (10-15)% increased Movement Speed
  (20-10)% reduced Skill Effect Duration
  Debuffs on you expire 100% fasterAs you have lived, so you shall die
  forever trying to keep up with me.
  Your blood on these hands of mine
  forever makes me the public enemy. Unique Amulet

The following formula shows how to calculate the duration of Blade Vortex assuming the player has 45% increased duration (From passives), 12% reduced duration (From Warped Timepiece) and 40% less duration (From Less Duration gem):

Skill Duration = ( Base Duration * ( 1 + ( ( Increased Duration - Reduced Duration ) / 100 ) ) ) * ( 1 - (Less Duration / 100 ) )
               = ( 5 * ( 1 + ( ( 45 - 12 ) / 100 ) ) ) * ( 1 - ( 40 / 100 ) )
               = ( 5 * ( 1 + ( 33 / 100 ) ) ) * ( 1 - ( 0.4 ) )
               = ( 5 * ( 1 + ( 0.33 ) ) * ( 0.6 )
               = ( 5 * 1.33 ) * ( 0.6 ) 
               = 6.65 * 0.6
Skill Duration = 3.99 Seconds 

Once the maximum duration has been calculated, if it is used alongside the players cast speed, they can be used to calculate the amount of blades that are active at each time (Using the numbers from the previous example calculations.

Active Blades = Casts per second * Blade Duration
              = 4.2 * 3.99
              = 16.758 

Heralds: Unlike most other spells, because Blade Vortex is both a spell and deals physical damage, therefore Herald of Ash will take effect and the player will gain the 15% of physical damage as extra fire damage. Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder will also grant their Cold/Lightning damage added to spells.

Gem level progression

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Version history

Version	Changes
2.1.0	Blade Vortex will be added to the game.