How to Build a Vampire
Quick answer: A vampire build maxes INT or AGI (matching your class), slots Blood Drain as core skill, runs lifesteal runes, and stacks crit damage. Pick Blood Mage for raw DPS, Shadow Assassin for crit-burst, Dark Knight for tank, Nightbringer for hybrid. Detailed 6-step path below.
The 6 Steps
Pick your vampire class
Blood Mage (INT-scaling, ranged AoE), Shadow Assassin (AGI-scaling, single-target burst), Dark Knight (STR/VIT-scaling, tank), Nightbringer (hybrid INT/AGI). Class is permanent on a character; pick what matches your playstyle.
Set stat priority
Blood Mage: max INT, dump STR. Shadow Assassin: max AGI + LCK, dump DEF. Dark Knight: max VIT + STR, dump INT. Nightbringer: balanced INT/AGI, dump VIT. The 'pick one to max, dump one' rule applies to all classes.
Slot Blood Drain + 3 actives
Blood Drain is mandatory — it's the vampire identity. Slot 3 more actives covering opener (skill 1), sustain or peel (2), burst (3), escape or interrupt (4). Tier-5 ultimate as 5th if cooldown allows.
Equip lifesteal runes
Crimson Pact (lifesteal +5%), Bloodthirst (lifesteal crit), Eclipse Heart (Blood Drain on AoE). Stack 3 lifesteal runes for sustain builds; 1 + 2 crit-damage for glass cannons.
Get tier-3 gear by Lv30
Buy a tier-3 weapon at Lv25 from auction (median ~5k gold). Don't spend on armor; daily quest rewards cover slots. Save gold for the Lv50 epic upgrade.
Test in arena before committing
Practice arena queues at Lv25 with your build. If you lose 7+ of 10 matches, switch one stat. Don't refactor everything; one stat at a time.