Effect: Lifesteal now also triggers Bloodmark stacks. Also adds a 50% on-hit chance to apply Bloodmark.
Unlock: Reach Level 50 as Vlad
Bloody Cleaver is a Legendary item that creates a direct link between Lifesteal and Bloodmark. It provides two separate ways to apply Bloodmark stacks on each hit:
Source 1 - On-hit chance: Each hit has a 50% chance to apply a Bloodmark stack directly. This scales with copies - each additional Bloody Cleaver adds +50%, so two copies give 100% (guaranteed stack plus a 50% chance for a second), three copies give guaranteed stack with 50% chance for a bonus, and so on.
Source 2 - Lifesteal conversion: When you heal HP through Lifesteal, that healing is converted into Bloodmark stacks on the enemy you hit. One HP healed through Lifesteal applies one Bloodmark stack per copy of Bloody Cleaver held. If you lifesteal 10 HP with two copies, 20 Bloodmark stacks are applied. This is the mechanic that makes high-Lifesteal builds the most powerful hosts for Bloody Cleaver - every healing tick becomes an offensive tool.
The Lifesteal-to-Bloodmark conversion requires you to actually recover HP. If you are already at full HP, Lifesteal procs produce no healing and therefore apply no Bloodmark stacks via this source. The 50% on-hit chance fires regardless, but the lifesteal stacking mechanic only works when you are below Max HP and actively healing.
From community testing at megabonkinfo.org, the Bloodmark stack mechanics from Bloody Cleaver work as follows:
| Source | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| On-hit chance | 0.5 x copies per hit | 2 copies = 100% guaranteed + 50% for a bonus stack |
| Lifesteal conversion | HP healed x copies = stacks applied | 10 HP healed with 2 copies = 20 stacks |
| Bloodmark duration (on-hit) | 5 seconds, scales with Duration multiplier | 100% Duration = 10 second Bloodmark window |
| Bloodmark duration (lifesteal) | 4 seconds, scales with Duration multiplier | Slightly shorter than on-hit source |
Reach Level 50 as Vlad in a single run. The counter is in-run only - it does not carry across runs. After meeting the condition, purchase Bloody Cleaver from Main Menu - Unlocks - Items with Silver.
Vlad's Vampire passive gives +1% Lifesteal per level, making him naturally tanky as runs progress. To reliably hit Level 50, prioritize XP Tome and Cursed Tome (Holy Trinity) to accelerate leveling. Vlad pairs well with Blood Magic as his starter weapon, which scales with Lifesteal and Max HP. The unlock happens naturally in longer runs - aim for Desert Tier 2 or 3 where enemies are dense enough to generate consistent XP.
Vlad - Vlad is the character most directly tied to Bloody Cleaver - it is his personal unlock. His Vampire passive adds +1% Lifesteal per level, meaning by Level 50 he has 50% Lifesteal from his passive alone before any items. With that level of Lifesteal, each hit heals substantial HP and converts it into Bloodmark stacks via Bloody Cleaver simultaneously. The Bloodmark guide on megabonk.org specifically identifies Vlad as the primary host for Lifesteal + Bloodmark builds, with Unstable Transfusion and Bloody Cleaver as the core items.
Megachad - Megachad's high Max HP pool combined with his Aura weapon means he is constantly hitting many enemies simultaneously with each Aura tick. The wiki confirms Chonkplate (which gives +20% Lifesteal) as a primary Bloody Cleaver synergy item, and Megachad's naturally large HP pool makes Chonkplate's Lifesteal more valuable per heal - each tick heals more HP, which converts to more Bloodmark stacks per Aura tick across every enemy in range. His AFK playstyle also means he is in constant contact with enemies, keeping Lifesteal and therefore Bloodmark stacks firing continuously.
Sir Oofie - Sir Oofie's Reinforced passive adds +1% Armor per level. The wiki confirms Chonkplate as a Bloody Cleaver synergy item, and Chonkplate gives +20% Lifesteal alongside its Overheal. Sir Oofie's armor stacking makes him extremely difficult to kill at low HP, meaning he can sit in melee range long enough for Lifesteal to continuously heal and continuously convert to Bloodmark stacks. His survivability makes him a reliable Bloody Cleaver host even at high difficulty where more fragile characters would die before accumulating enough stacks.
It provides two separate Bloodmark sources on each hit: a 50% chance to apply a Bloodmark stack directly (scales +50% per copy), and a Lifesteal conversion where each HP healed through Lifesteal applies that many Bloodmark stacks per copy. For example, healing 10 HP with one copy applies 10 Bloodmark stacks to the enemy hit.
Reach Level 50 as Vlad in a single run. Progress does not carry between runs. After meeting the condition, purchase Bloody Cleaver from Main Menu - Unlocks - Items with Silver. Use XP Tome and Cursed Tome to accelerate leveling in Vlad runs.
Unstable Transfusion applies Bloodmark on a 27% on-hit chance and has no interaction with Lifesteal. Bloody Cleaver applies Bloodmark from two sources: a 50% on-hit chance and a Lifesteal conversion where every HP healed becomes Bloodmark stacks. The Unstable Transfusion wiki page explicitly notes that the Lifesteal-to-Bloodmark synergy is exclusive to Bloody Cleaver and does not apply to Unstable Transfusion.
Bloody Tome is a separate item from Bloody Cleaver - it is a tome (not an item) that increases Lifesteal by +10% per level and gives a 1% chance to heal 1 HP on hit. It is unlocked by getting 12,500 kills with any weapon. Bloody Tome and Bloody Cleaver stack well together since Bloody Tome raises your Lifesteal and Bloody Cleaver converts that Lifesteal into Bloodmark stacks.
