Preview of Balance Changes for 3.14

[Gondorian]

Hi all!

I'm very pleased to announce a predominantly buff-focused set of balance changes, which have been driven by the gameplay data and usage data we've collected on 3.13 alongside player feedback on the forum and elsewhere. Many thanks to everyone involved in providing us with these inputs - we hope you enjoy playing on 3.14 when it's released in the near future!

In the mean time, as always, we'd really appreciate your feedback before these hit in case there's something bad you've spotted that we appear to have missed. Feel free to just share any thoughts you have too - it's always interesting to hear your opinions and insights.


ll001 - Vigilant Wisp - Health reduced to 4HP (from 5HP).

ll003 - Unaxio Squire - Base attack increased to 1 (from 0). Ability changed to "Meek (this ally can't attack heroes). 0: Until the start of your next turn, target other friendly ally has +1 attack (or +2 attack if it's a Templar ally)." (from "0: Until the start of your next turn, target friendly ally has +1 attack (or +2 attack if it's another Templar ally).").

ll010 - Avatar of Twilight - Base attack increased to 5 (from 4). Health increased to 5HP (from 4HP).

ll016 - Flame Spitter - Base attack reduced to 1 (from 2). Ability changed to "When an opposing hero or ally enters combat with Flame Spitter, that hero or ally takes 2 fire damage." (from "When an opposing hero or ally enters combat with Flame Spitter, that hero or ally takes 1 fire damage.").

ll017 - Sword Gobbler - Ability changed to "While you control a weapon, Sword Gobbler has +2 attack. When Sword Gobbler is summoned, you may exile target weapon in a graveyard and Sword Gobbler gains +1 base attack and +1 health." (from "While you control a weapon, Sword Gobbler has +1 attack. When Sword Gobbler is summoned, you may exile target weapon in a graveyard and Sword Gobbler gains +2 base attack and +1 health.").

ll024 - Forgotten Horror - Base attack increased to 5 (from 4).

ll034 - Stalactitan - Activated ability added: "3: Target opposing ally is frozen for 1 turn."

ll035 - Void Wretch - Ability changed to "Steadfast. For each location in play, Void Wretch costs 1 less resource to summon. When a card is exiled, all opposing heroes take 1 damage. 0SE: The active location is exiled." (from "Steadfast. While there are at least 3 locations in play, Void Wretch costs 3 less resources to summon. When a card is exiled, all opposing heroes take 1 damage. 0SE: The active location is exiled.").

ll045 - Ancient of Aldmor - Base attack increased to 3 (from 1).

ll122 - Scriptures of the Departed - Initial durability increased to 2 (from 1).

ll123 - Moment of Acquiescence - Ability changed to "Duration 3. When this card is destroyed, draw a card. 0SE: Target ability is discarded from your hand: target opposing ally is disabled for 1 turn (and that ally takes 2 arcane damage if you control a Templar ally)." (from "Duration 3. 0SE: Target ability is discarded from your hand: target opposing ally can't attack or defend for 1 turn (and that ally takes 2 arcane damage if you control a Templar ally).").

ll132 - Tar-written Scroll - Ability changed to "1D: Target ally in a graveyard is exiled: if the exiled ally has fire attack, target opposing ally takes 2 fire damage." (from "1D: Target ally in your graveyard with fire attack is exiled: target opposing ally takes 2 fire damage.").

ll144 - Rest for the Weary - Casting cost reduced to 3cc (from 4cc). Ability changed to "If there is a location in play, target ally is moved to the top of its owner's deck. If there are no locations in play, you draw 2 cards and each other player draws 1 card." (from "If there is a location in play, target ally is moved to the top of its owner's deck. Draw 2 cards if there are no locations in play.").

ll148 - Shadow Cannon - Passive ability added: "When Shadow Cannon is summoned while you control an Aldmor ally, your hero gains +2 shadow energy."

ll181 - Lorhon: Twilight Encampment - Turn Number reduced to T3 (from T5). Controller ability changed to "0SE: Target friendly Twilight ally is killed: Seek a Twilight ally and your hero loses 1 shadow energy." (from "1SE: Target friendly Twilight ally is killed: Seek a Twilight ally.").

ll182 - Sosilo: Brothers' Landing - Controller ability changed to "At the end of each of your turns, draw 2 cards for each ability or location discarded from your hand that turn." (from "1SE: At the end of the turn, draw 2 cards for each ability or location discarded from your hand this turn"). Non-controller activation cost increased to 1SE (from 0SE)

ll183 - Anmor: Garina Road - Ability replaced with "Allies with cost 4 or greater cost you 1 less resource to summon. 2SE: If you control no allies, seek an ally with cost 4 or greater. // Allies with cost 4 or greater cost you 1 less resource to summon. 0SE: If there are no opposing allies, take control of this location.".

ll184 - Irum: Lightning Quarry - Turn Number reduced to T4 (from T5).

ll189 - Arthyle's Pass: Dead Man's Breach - Turn Number reduced to T3 (from T4). Controller ability changed to "Allies have meek the turn they are summoned. Friendly allies with cost 2 or less have haste and ambush." (from "Friendly allies with cost 2 or less have haste, ambush and meek the turn they are summoned."). Non-controller ability changed to "When an opposing ally with cost 2 or less is killed, that ally is exiled and its controller takes 1 damage." (from "0SE: When the next opposing ally is killed this turn, it is exiled and its controller takes 1 damage.").

ll198 - Lakmire: Training Outpost - Turn Number reduced to T3 (from T4). Non-controller ability changed to "1SE: Target opposing Wulven ally loses all passive abilities until the start of your next turn." (from "0SE: If an opposing Wulven ally has been killed this turn, all opposing allies lose 1 base attack.").

ll199 - Rankett: Proving Grounds - Turn Number reduced to T3 (from T4). Controller ability changed to "1SE: If an ally gained base attack or health this turn, draw a card and all Homunculus allies gain +1 base attack and +1 health." (from "1SE: If an ally gained base attack or health this turn, draw a card and all friendly Homunculus allies gain +1 base attack and +1 health."). Non-controller ability changed to "2SE: Draw a card and all Homunculus allies are reduced by 1 health. Take control of this location." (from "3SE: All Homunculus allies are reduced by 2 health. Take control of this location.").


Thanks for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts below.

[tafkad]

Hi all!

I'm very pleased to announce a predominantly buff-focused set of balance changes, which have been driven by the gameplay data and usage data we've collected on 3.13 alongside player feedback on the forum and elsewhere. Many thanks to everyone involved in providing us with these inputs - we hope you enjoy playing on 3.14 when it's released in the near future!

In the mean time, as always, we'd really appreciate your feedback before these hit in case there's something bad you've spotted that we appear to have missed. Feel free to just share any thoughts you have too - it's always interesting to hear your opinions and insights.

ll024 - Forgotten Horror - Base attack increased to 5 (from 4)

Thanks for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts below.

At first glance looks like some real good ideas to try on a lot of these, especially locations. Will be interesting to see how they all pan out in action.

Have to ask why on Forgotten Horror was the decision made to give him another +1 attack instead of the Can't be frozen? I am really curious on that since it seems sort of meh as far as a buff and way less interesting and absolutely no added game synergy involved in an attack increase. I know I wasn't the only one who thought he should get the Can't be Frozen passive and honestly felt it would have been much more interesting not to mention increasing the meager number of allies that have that passive. At 4/4 he was already somewhat decent with the deals damage on summon but just lacked that certain creative deck building spark that he could have to be a little like Dakrath and 1cc less.

Edit: In fact a 4/5 would of even been better then an attack increase

Thanks for all the hard work, looks great, and for the highly anticipated post - cheers

[Fransa]

Lance's deck based on Garina Road will not longer be effective.

[Nik]

Very interesting the garina road change, opens up many posibilities, specially for priests.
Lorhon still feels unfair for the controller, as it is cheaper the non controller ability.
Arthyle's Pass is now the perfect antihaste card for solo or semisolo decks.

[bobrossw]

Very interesting the garina road change, opens up many posibilities, specially for priests.
Lorhon still feels unfair for the controller, as it is cheaper the non controller ability.
Arthyle's Pass is now the perfect antihaste card for solo or semisolo decks.

Garina - I had the same thought. In a big enough deck it does some really interesting things. I'm envisioning a 100 card zhanna deck.
Lorhorn - is still drawing a specific card, and with a little strategy can be activated for no cost
Pass - good catch, I didn't notice that it denies the opponent haste - to - face. I might include this in Garth decks or other control oriented decks, since they need some haste hate, and they can take their time winning the board.

[Dk Imaginary Numbers]

I feel the change to Gloomwielder, per the keyword Protector, was unfun. Giving an aldmor protector with gloomwielder out was the coup de grace for many warrior aldmor decks.

The other change is awesome though, no longer having to be ahead in SE control

[Anasia]

I like almost all the changes, it seems development team is really listening to people's feedback I see almost all cards that were mentioned by the players.
Buffs to Garina and Lakmire are pretty good, I can predict these locations will see a lot of play after 3.14 hits.
Undecided yet about whether I like the change to Sosilo. Still don't like punishing non-controller ability.
Buffs to Sword Gobbler, Scriptures, Lorhon, Irum seems not enough to make these cards popular...
Kind of like the nerf to Vigilant Wisp (though I liked this ally), 1/5 body for 2cc was a bit too much.
Other changes seem good at the first look, we will see how they will play out.
Can't wait to see with what new ideas creative players will come up, it seems there is a plenty of new possibilities. Good work and thank you.

[BP Holy Punisher]

Very nice changes! I like them all

Two questions:

1) If you have 2 Gloomwielder in play, does one protect the other from opposing abilities? (sorry haven't test it in the past). Because it sounds too powerful so it definitely worths a try

2) Lorhon location. Does the "lose 1 SE" part works like Lightning Hunter? So you can use it with 0 SE and not lose anything?

[Gondorian]

Very nice changes! I like them all

Two questions:

1) If you have 2 Gloomwielder in play, does one protect the other from opposing abilities? (sorry haven't test it in the past). Because it sounds too powerful so it definitely worths a try

2) Lorhon location. Does the "lose 1 SE" part works like Lightning Hunter? So you can use it with 0 SE and not lose anything?

1) Yes.

2) Yes.

[BP Holy Punisher]

Thanks