Metalblood serum

The metalblood serum is an item added by the Anomaly DLC.

Acquisition

Metalblood serums can be crafted at a serum lab once the metalblood serum research project has been completed. Note that this research requires dark study to unlock. Each requires 10 Twisted meat, 20 Bioferrite, 1,080 ticks (18 secs) of work modified by the drug synthesis speed of the crafter, and a crafting skill of 4.

It can also occasionally be bought from Bulk Goods, Exotic, and Slaver trade ships. ^{[Detail Needed]}

Summary

This creature has the metalblood compound in their bloodstream. This substance can rapidly harden the flesh when it anticipates a blow, making the user more resistant to damage. However, the bioferrite-based chemistry of this serum also makes the user particularly vulnerable to fire.

A pawn taking metalblood serum will do so right where they stand without looking for a place to sit first. Metalblood serum is taken by ingestion, taking 100 ticks (1.67 secs).

As a serum, it does not have the traditional high mechanics of other drugs. Instead, it applies the "metalblood" hediff with the following effects for 5 days:

×50% Incoming Damage Multiplier, stacking multiplicatively with other sources such as the Tough trait.
×400% Flame damage
×400% Burn damage

The downsides of Metalblood serum stack with the Tinderskin gene.^[Operation?]

Analysis

Incoming Damage Multiplier
Sources	Incoming Damage Multiplier
Metalblood Serum	×50%
Metalblood Serum + Tough	×25%
Delicate	×115%
Metalblood Serum + Delicate	×58%
Metalboood Serum + Robust gene	×38%
Metalboood Serum + Robust gene + Tough	×19%

Metalblood serum allows any colonist the same benefit as the trait Tough- widely regarded as one of the most beneficial traits in the game- with a fire weakness downside that can often be ignored or planned around. Many combat scenarios will not involve hostiles using flame weaponry, which renders the fire weakness moot. Using metalblood serum makes Phoenix armor a more attractive gear choice given the increased heat armor it provides.

Special care should be taken to identify enemy Impids, Tesserons, Centipede burners, Scorchers, and raiders armed with molotov cocktails or incendiary launchers, as they will pose the largest threats to pawns utilizing metalblood serum. ^{[Detail Needed]}

Sanguophages already have the robust gene which gives them some incoming damage mitigation, and Tinderskin, which stacks with the downside of metalbloood serum, making them poor candidates for using metalblood serum. Genies, Highmates, and other Delicate pawns benefit greatly from using metalblood serum, assuming they can then be kept away from taking fire damage.

Keeping a single colonist constantly dosed with metalblood serum will require 4 bioferrite and 2 twisted meat per day. Butchering entities is likely to be the most consistent method of acquiring twisted meat if a Fleshmass nucleus has not been captured.