Blood Tax

Type

Ashes of War

Default affinity

Blood

FP cost

14 FP

Skill

Blood Tax

About this Ash of War

This Ash of War grants an armament the Blood affinity and the following skill:

"Blood Tax: Blood Oath skill granted by the Lord of Blood. Twist to build power, then unleash a flurry of thrusts that rob the target of both their blood and their HP."

Usable on armaments capable of thrusting

(colossal weapons excepted).

Scarab cave on the eastern shore of the blood lake

Mohgwyn Palace

Starting Site of Grace: Palace Approach Ledge-Road

Before you go

• Reach Mohgwyn Palace.

1. Obtain the right Haligtree Secret Medallion half from Albus in Village of the Albinaurics, beneath southwestern Liurnia's plateau. Follow the village path uphill past the perfumer, reveal the large pot before the bridge and speak to Albus. Stop attacking once he appears.
2. Obtain the left half from the rooftop beyond Commander Niall in Castle Sol. After defeating Niall, go through the exit behind his arena, ride the tower lift and collect the half beside the seated spirit. It is a separate pickup from his direct weapon reward.
3. Return to the Grand Lift of Rold and switch the action to Hoist secret medallion. Follow Hidden Path to the Haligtree through to the snowy exit. The ordinary Rold Medallion goes to the other part of the Mountaintops.
4. Activate Consecrated Snowfield grace near the exit. For Inner Consecrated Snowfield, continue north through the blizzard until the open ground becomes clearer; keep the grace as a safe return point.
5. From Inner Consecrated Snowfield, ride west toward the cliff northwest of Yelough Anix Ruins. Among the pale tree stumps, defeat the invading Sanguine Noble. This activates the nearby sending gate.
6. Continue west to the fallen tree near the cliff. Just south of it, find the blood-covered sending gate beside an Albinauric. Use the gate, leave the dark cave and follow the left-hand downhill trail to Palace Approach Ledge-Road grace.
7. From Palace Approach Ledge-Road, follow the slope north past the Albinaurics into the blood lake. Stay beside the eastern cliff, away from the giant crow across the water.
8. Find the first shallow cave in the eastern cliff near the large tree. Kill the scarab inside to receive Blood Tax; the corpse farther back holds a separate Somber Smithing Stone.
9. The next cave farther north contains Swarm of Flies instead. Neither pickup requires Mohg's defeat. Varre's Pureblood Knight's Medal is an alternative way into the region if you completed his quest earlier.

Notes

• Costs 14 FP and performs four thrusts that restore HP when they connect. It has no self-inflicted HP cost and does not require the enemy to bleed before healing you.
• The first three hits each restore 2% of your maximum HP plus 25 HP; the last restores 4% plus 45. All four together restore 10% of maximum HP plus 120, before healing modifiers and the maximum-HP cap.
• At 2,000 maximum HP, landing the full sequence restores 320 HP before modifiers. A missed thrust provides no healing, and the amount restored is separate from the damage actually dealt.
• Direct damage uses the weapon's attack power and the thrusts deal Pierce damage. Strength, Dexterity or Arcane contributions depend on the weapon and affinity rather than one separate universal casting stat.
• It does not add innate bleed to every weapon simply because the move is called Blood Tax. The weapon needs its own buildup, a suitable affinity or a compatible coating to inflict that status.
• The first and last thrust use the weapon's full status buildup, while the two middle thrusts use half. Four connected hits are not four full applications of the number shown on the weapon.
• A long weapon helps keep the target in range, but the sequence leaves you committed and can be parried. Use it during a clear opening rather than assuming the healing will offset every trade.
• Shard of Alexander and qualifying Ansbach clothing improve the damaging attacks, not the fixed healing formula. Godfrey Icon does not improve it, since this is not a charged skill.
• Another supported affinity preserves the healing. A physical affinity can keep a suitable weapon open to grease or an enchantment, while Blood or Occult changes the weapon's own scaling and buildup.
• Mohg does not need to be defeated. The scarab is in the eastern lake cave with a Somber Smithing Stone, south of the separate cave holding Swarm of Flies.
• Compatible weapon classes: Dagger, Straight Sword, Greatsword, Katana, Twinblade, Thrusting Sword, Heavy Thrusting Sword, Spear, Great Spear, Halberd, Thrusting Shield, Throwing Blade, Light Greatsword, Great Katana. A weapon with a fixed skill cannot use this Ash of War.
• Its default affinity is Blood. The supported choices are Standard, Heavy, Keen, Quality, Poison, Blood and Occult; the appropriate whetblade is needed for additional options.