This month delivers the largest patch of the year! This patch offers a little bit of everything, but focuses on supporting new and interesting play-styles in the game with the addition of 6 new Heroic items, as well as 2 new unique active items. Additionally, you’ll find massive changes to the Revive system, giving players more options after death, and all-new powerups to promote more board maneuvering.
Below you’ll find quite a long list of changes, so if you brave out reading the patch notes this time, more power to you! Enjoy!
GENERAL:
Previously, death meant you missed a turn almost no matter what. This design was meant to strongly discourage players from dying, but sometimes death is inevitable– as a result these changes allow death to still be punishing, but make death in general easier to recover from.
REVIVE SYSTEM REWORK:
- When dead, players may now choose between two options at the start of their turn:
- Revive Instantly — This allows the player to pay AP into the pot and revive instantly, allowing them to take their turn as normal. (Players will only revive with 50% health and energy).
- The amount of AP paid to the pot starts at 10 AP + 1% net worth. This cost increases by 10 AP and +2% Net worth for each subsequent death.
- Skip Turn — This option allows the player to skip their turn and revive normally without paying a fee. (Similar to previously).
THE TALKING DEAD – Silence effects are now removed upon death, similar to other debuffs.
POWERUPS:
NEW POWERUP : Coin
When collected, grants 30 (+1 per game round) AP to the player.
NEW POWERUP : Restoration
When collected, restores a player’s character to full health and energy. If already at full health and energy, they gain +5 Max Health and +1 Max Energy instead.
CHANGED POWERUP : Strength
When collected, now grants +1 Attack, +1 Defense, and +5 Max Health permanently.
Too often was Roll Assist practically useless. As a relatively old powerup it didn’t translate well into the new rolling system, so it was removed.
REMOVED POWERUP : Roll Assist
EXPERIENCE / LEVELING CHANGES:
Players level up extremely fast, which makes decisions around combat abilities and items feel more rushed than intended. These changes slow down the process early on to allow your first choices to be more meaningful.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS – All levels now have a minimum experience requirement of 13 XP. This means levels 2 and 3 will require about 100% and 50% more experience to achieve respectively.
MORE KNOWLEDGE – Experience needed at all levels increased by 2.
SIMPLER- The Evasion stat has been renamed to Dodge.
End-Of-Game Rewards:
Typically, item builds which didn’t purely build raw stats were always weak, since they struggled to compete in late-game battles and in net worth. This bonus should provide a nice bonus to those who prefer to obtain stats in more.. creative ways.
STRONGMAN AWARD – At the end of the game (After items are sold), players now gain bonus AP based on any permanent stats they gained over the course of the game.
Players will get:
- +5 AP per Attack and Defense
- +2 AP per 1% Crit Chance
- +2 AP per 1 Max Health
- +10 AP per 1 Max Energy
- +3 AP per 1% Dodge.
CHARACTERS:
The experience changes above are due to make Gramps much better as he levels up much faster than most other characters. This change is to ensure the old-timer doesn’t level up too fast in the wake of these changes.
GRAMPS:
- NERFED – (Passive) — Gramps now earns experience 30% faster. (Down from 50% faster).
COMBAT:
In accordance with the game pacing changes, pushing back combat ability selection allows more time for players to think about their playstyle before having to commit to a specific ability path.
CHOICE LEVELS – Combat abilities are now chosen at levels 3, 4, and 6. (Changed from 2, 3, 5).
HIGHER AP PENALTIES – When losing a Brawl, players now pay about 30-50% more AP, depending on the game round.
ABILITIES:
Last Stand:
- Energy cost increased from 3 –> 5.
- Cooldown increased from 9 –> 10 rounds.
Rewind
- NEW EFFECT: Reset the cooldown of your items and combat abilities.
- Energy cost increased from 1 –> 3.
- Cooldown decreased from 9 –> 7.
ITEMS:
Heroic items are really meant to be late-game tools. These changes enforce this a bit more.
MORE HEROIC – ALL Heroic items now cost 300 AP. (Up from 250).
HEROIC REQUIREMENTS – Heroic items now unlock at level 5. (Up from level 4).
NEW ITEMS:
Eight new items join us this patch, most of them Heroic items!
NEW – Deadshot Rifle
HEROIC ITEM
++ Grants +6 Attack, +25% Crit Chance
:: In combat, your attacks can no longer miss. Activate: Deal 26 damage to a target. (This damage can crit). (5 Round Cooldown).
NEW – Infused Crown
HEROIC ITEM
++ Grants +20 Max Health, +1 Max Energy
:: If no other items in your inventory grant Attack, double your Attack. Repeat for Defense, Crit Chance, and Dodge.
Death’s Edge makes a return — exclusive to this item only:
NEW – Lifetether
HEROIC ITEM
++ Grants +10 Attack, +5 Defense, +12% Dodge
:: After taking lethal damage in combat, you become immune for 2 turns. (4 Round Cooldown).
NEW – Phantom Cloak
HEROIC ITEM
++ Grants +7 Defense, +4 Energy, +10% Dodge
:: Your combat abilities cost 1 less energy, and have their cooldown reduced by 1 round.
NEW – Mystic Cauldron
HEROIC ITEM
:: Activate: Add one of each consumable item you’ve used this game to your inventory. (4 Round Cooldown).
NEW – Vitality Armor
HEROIC ITEM
++ Grants +40 Max Health
:: Activate: Heal for 20% of your Max Health. (5 Round Cooldown).
NEW – Etherial Harpoon
Cost: 88 AP
++ Grants +7 Attack.
:: Activate: Bring a target opponent to your square.
NEW – Vampiric Trinket
Cost: 170 AP
++ Grants +6 Attack, +6 Defense, +6% Evasion
:: Activate: Steal 3 Energy from all damaged enemies. (4 Round Cooldown).
This section is pretty hefty as well with some major balance adjustments for some items. Read on!
ITEM BALANCE CHANGES:
AG II Pistol:
- Cost increased from 55 –> 75 AP.
- Attack bonus increased from 4 –> 6.
Atlas O’s
- Cost reduced from 18 AP –> 10 AP.
Berserking Blade
- Attack bonus increased from 6 –> 7.
- Now also grants +10% Crit Chance.
- NEW EFFECT: When below half health, the stat bonuses from this item are doubled.
Bow of the Master Archer
- Crit bonus increased from 35% –> 40%.
- Has a new icon!
Caldrio’s Lifebane
- Now grants +2 Max Energy.
- Active damage dealt increased from 5 –> 10.
- Cost increased from 50 AP –> 70 AP.
Crown of Wisdom
- Experience gain per turn increased from 5 –> 6.
Colton’s Brewing Stand
- Cooldown decreased from 3 –> 2 Rounds.
Doogle’s Spellbook
- Max Energy bonus increased from 5 –> 8.
Emperor’s Defender
- Attack bonus increased from 12 –> 14.
- Now also grants +4 Defense.
- Healing ratio decreased from 20% –> 15%.
Equinox Ball
- Cost reduced from 50 AP –> 45 AP.
Hawky the Hawk
- Damage per trigger increased from 5 –> 5 % of the target’s Max Health.
Jason’s Shield
- Defense bonus increased from 4 –> 6.
- Out of combat damage reduction increased from 20% –> 30%.
- Cost increased from 55 –> 90 AP.
Gladiator’s Stronghelm
- Defense bonus decreased from 10 –> 5.
- Active damage dealt decreased from (Defense score + 10% max health) –> (Defense score + 8% max health).
If you’ve been paying attention, this next change had to happen to prevent an infinite loop…
Mystic Timepiece
- Cost decreased from 12 –> 10 AP.
- No longer resets item cooldowns.
Odnamro’s Greatsword
- Attack bonus increased from 9 –> 12.
- Crit Chance bonus decreased from 40% –> 20%.
Purging Wand
- Energy bonus increased from 1 –> 2.
- Cooldown reduced from 6 –> 5 Rounds.
- Cost decreased from 55 AP –> 50 AP.
Ramne’s Bulwark
- Defense bonus increased from 10 –> 18.
- Max Health bonus decreased from 25 –> 15.
- NEW EFFECT: Your Defense now reduces damage taken outside of combat as well.
Reggie’s Blunderbuss
- Attack bonus increased from 1 –> 3.
- Cost increased from 40 –> 90 AP.
Revive Capsule
- Cost reduced from 28 AP –> 20 AP.
Riot Shield
- Is no longer auction exclusive. (Store Price: 90 AP).
Not all the old items made it through this patch, a few will be retired.
REMOVED ITEMS:
- Magic Clay
- Precision Bow
- Vitality Shard
- Duelists Longsword
SPELLS:
DYNAMIC SPELLS: The likelihood of certain spells appearing will now be adjusted based on the game state. In general, this means when landing on a Spell square you’re much more likely to get a useful spell for the situation.
NEW SPELL: Conjure
- Costs 7 Energy
- Create a random item and add it to your inventory. (Costs 60 AP or less).
CHANGED: Silence
- Duration decreased from 2 turns –> 1 turn.
- Energy cost reduced from 6 –> 5.
SQUARES:
MINUS SQUARES:
- The cap on AP lost from Minus squares has been removed. This means players will be subject to lose significantly more AP from Minus Squares.
UI:
The following changes are all about improving clarity and providing the player with more relevant information when they need it.
Roll Button
- YOUR AP, SIR — The roll button tooltip now displays how much AP you’ll gain from rolling the dice this turn.
Standard Attack Button
- YOUR DAMAGE, SIR — The standard attack button in combat will now display the estimated damage of your standard attacks.
Inventory & Stats Panel:
- Item Icons are now much larger in the inventory UI and are more visually responsive to being clicked.
- Animations and visual indicators have been added for when:
- New items are added to your inventory
- When items are used, clicked, or sold
- When items are usable and/or on cooldown.
Item Shop
- Added more specific error messages when the player attempts to buy items that can’t be duplicated, or when their inventory is full.
SNITCH – After a player takes damage from a Curse effect, they will now be able to see who placed the effect on them via the message tooltip.
SNITCHIN’ – When Nai Xin targets an enemy with his special ability, the target of the ability will now be displayed in the message tooltip.
BUYER’S REMORSE – When a player wins an item from an auction, the amount they paid for the item will now be displayed in the post-auction chat message.
GAME OPTIONS:
A few much-requested game options to preserve your sanity.
New Options:
- Added an option to enable/disable automatic screenshots. (This is now disabled by default).
- Added an option to enable/disable help tips, for those of you know-it-alls.
- Added an option to enable/disable action bar hiding when it isn’t your turn.
You can stop reading now. This is embarrassing.
BUG FIXES:
- Fixed a bug which caused unnecessary lag during battles.
- Fixed a bug where overhealing (Caused by Green Zones) could cause Nurse Ann to gain more AP than intended.
- Fixed a bug where the “Elite Care Package” item was not appearing in auctions.