Metalblood serum

The metalblood serum is a serum, a consumable item added by the Anomaly DLC, that makes the user more durable but weaker against fire.

Acquisition[edit]

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. It can also be bought from Shaman trade caravans. ^{[Detail Needed]}

Summary[edit]

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.

Metalblood serum is taken by injection, taking 100 ticks (1.67 secs). Pawns can be ordered to inject the serum through the usual means, but it can also be ordered from the item itself. This option allows ghouls to take serums without using an operation bill. A pawn taking metalblood serum will do so right where they stand without looking for a place to sit first.

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

Flame damage is also affected by Incoming Damage Multiplier, so effective Flame damage multiplier of metalblood serum is ×200%.

Analysis[edit]

Metalblood serum provides any colonist the same benefit as the Tough trait - 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. Fire resistant gene completely compensates for the Flame damage modifier, resulting in an effective ×50% damage multiplier from flames. On the other hand, the Tinderskin gene stacks multiplicatively as well, resulting in a ×800% Flame damage multiplier.

Special care should be taken to identify enemy impids, tesserons, scorchers, cyclopses, centipede burners and raiders armed with molotov cocktails or incendiary launchers, as they will pose the largest threats to pawns utilizing metalblood serum.

Sanguophages already have the Robust gene which gives them extra damage mitigation, but they also have Tinderskin, making them situational candidates for using the serum. Genies, highmates and other Delicate pawns benefit greatly from using metalblood serum, assuming they can then be kept away from taking fire damage.

The effect stacks with all other sources of Incoming Damage Multiplier: Tough trait, Robust gene and ghoul plating. Stacking all of these on a ghoul with a metalblood serum achieves the maximum possible damage reduction with a ×9% Incoming Damage Multiplier.

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.

Incoming Damage Multiplier
Sources	Incoming Damage Multiplier	Effective Fire Damage Multiplier
Metalblood Serum	×50%	×200%
Metalblood Serum + Tough	×25%	x100%
Delicate	×115%	×115%
Metalblood Serum + Delicate	×58%	×230%
Metalblood Serum + Robust gene	×38%	×76%
Metalblood Serum + Robust gene + Tough	×19%	×38%
Metalblood Serum + Fire resistant gene	×50%	×50%
Metalblood Serum + Fire resistant gene + Robust gene + Tough	×19%	×19%
Metalblood Serum + Tinderskin Gene	×50%	×800%
Metalblood Serum + Tinderskin Gene + Robust gene	×38%	×600%
Metalblood Serum + Fire resistant gene + Robust gene + Tough + Ghoul plating	×9%	×9%