Valor Mortis Transmutations: Unlock and Use Each Power

Follow the main story to unlock Fire in Chapter 1, Stasis in Chapter 4 and Shield in Chapter 8; each is required for progression. Fire burns enemies and golden vines, Stasis freezes enemies and moving machinery, and Shield blocks damage and lets you cross poison areas.

Hold Fire on a target until its Ignite meter fills, then let the burn deal damage while you return to melee. Melee hits replenish Nephtoglobin, helping you prepare another cast. Against General Lothaire, ignite him and use the Pistol on his weak spots to build stagger.

Fire also clears golden vines blocking passages and loot. At The Battlefield > Onslaught Arch, turn around from the Lantern and climb back over the cliff branches. Burn the vines on the left to reach the chest containing Bottomless Well.

Keep applying Stasis until every segment above an enemy's health bar is filled. Each completed segment deals damage and releases a Nephtoglobin Remnant; filling them all freezes the target, letting you follow up with a damaging attack. Collect the Remnants to replenish your reserve.

Stasis also stops moving gears and the machinery connected to them. At Vale of Wrath > Under the Bridge, freezing the gears inside the building keeps the gate open. In Caverns > Old Mine, use it to stop a spinning platform and reach an Empty Ferrofluid Flask.

Raise Shield to cross poison areas and block enemy damage. Once you have it, revisit The Emissary in Valley of Ashes and The King of Smugglers near Vale of Wrath > Ship Graveyard, where poisonous fog blocks those routes. Watch your Nephtoglobin while travelling, because holding the barrier drains it.

Upgrade Shield to level 4 for Impenetrable Defence, which protects against red unblockable attacks. Level 5 adds Shield Bash, giving you a way to knock enemies backwards. For Abyssal Eviction, lure an enemy onto the wooden platform outside the tower reached from Fortress > Traverse, then use Shield Bash to push it into the abyss.

Story progression also grants grappling in Fallen Village and control of Nephtoglobin Formations in Vale of Wrath. At a Grapple Point, interact to swing across; hold interact on Nephtoglobin Blossoms to pull them and open paths. Near Ship Graveyard, interact with Formations to activate or deactivate them and change the available route.

Fire, Stasis and Shield draw from the same Nephtoglobin reserve, which starts at 100. Refill it by landing melee hits or collecting the Remnants released from shattered Nephtoglobin Weak Points. Resting at a Lantern restores the reserve completely, while a Nephtoglobin Vial restores 100.

On the level-up board, Nephtoglobin Sufferance increases your maximum reserve, Nephtoglobin Extraction improves the return from melee hits, and Nephtoglobin Remnants improves the refill from Weak Points. Status Buildup helps your Transmutations apply their effects, while Transmutation Damage strengthens their damage. If you regularly run dry, prioritise reserve and extraction upgrades.

Bottomless Well slowly regenerates Nephtoglobin, while Potent Concoction makes Ferrofluid Flasks restore it alongside Health. Life Diverted instead changes flasks to restore Nephtoglobin rather than Health and lets Transmutation damage heal you. Choose the flask effect that suits how you recover between casts.

Take your Transmutation Materials to Louis's Laboratoire in the Abandoned Church hub to upgrade your powers. Transmutations reach level 5, with a different material tier required for each new level. Materials can be found while exploring or purchased at the church, but Quintessential Transmutation Material is never sold.

You can gather enough materials to take every Transmutation to level 5. Include the Monster Hunt quest reward alongside the chests in the University and Fortress. Collect these sources as you reach them to keep your final upgrades moving.