Patch 9.0 marks the release of our newest expansion "Once upon a Pyre", but while it definitely steals the spotlight, there are some other changes and improvements coming to the game.
One of them is a widely requested feature to be able to change the look of the "Play" card in the Main Menu, another important one is making the game faster by progressing, even if some visual effects were played and didn't finish yet.
Additionally our developers have a couple of words to say on the topic of new balance changes, and share some insight. Read on that and more in detail below.
Developer comment: First and foremost the main event of this patch is obviously the release of the first of the Price of Power set. To that purpose, we've made a bunch of small changes and adjustments to support it.
The other big event is the long awaited Northern Realms rework! We've decided to move away from design of giving Charges to the profit of the less restrictive and more flexible Cooldown mechanic. Charges as a mechanic stays in the game but from now as a self-contained one.
As a side topic, we keep giving attention to leader abilities to increase the diversity and to give them more identity.
Seasonal modes in April:
08.06. - 15.06. Dual Casting
Once per turn, when you play a special card, spawn and play a copy of it immediately after
15.06. - 22.06. Patience is a virtue!
At the start of your turn, transform all cards in your hand into random ones that cost 1 provision more
22.06.. - 29.06. Battle Rush
Both players have just 8 seconds to complete their turn and 15 seconds to complete the redrawing phrase.
29.06. - 06.07. Double Down
Whenever you play a unit from your hand, play a unit with the same Provision Cost from your deck. Your starting deck is doubled in size at the start of the match.
Changes
- Unranked Standard Mode matches are now shown under Training Mode.
- Gameplay speed has been improved by decoupling logic and visuals (The game will no longer wait for all card visuals to finish before proceeding further).
- Search bars no longer require the cursor to hover over them in order to be responsive.
Neutral
Torrential Rain: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Biting Frost: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Impenetrable Fog: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Avallac'h: Sage: Power changed from 1 to 2.
Provisions changed from 11 to 10.
Avallac'h: Power changed from 4 to 6.
Vaedermakar has a new part of ability:
"If you control Scepter of Storms, increase or decrease durations by 3 instead."
Scepter of Storms: Provisions changed from 6 to 5.
Francis Bedlam: Added Bandit category.
Vigo's Muzzle: Added Spell category.
Commander's Horn: Added Warfare category.
Provisions changed from 9 to 8.
Merigold's Hailstorm: Provisions changed from 9 to 8.
Germain Piquant has a new part of ability:
"Order: Spawn a Cow.
Cooldown: 3."
Monsters
Ghoul: Power changed from 2 to 1.
Provisions changed from 6 to 5.
Endrega Larva: Power changed from 1 to 2.
Provisions changed from 5 to 6.
Brewess: Power changed from 5 to 6.
Ability changed to:
"Zeal.
Order: Consume an allied unit.
Charge: 1.
Increase the number of charges by 1 whenever you play a Crone."
Whispess: Power changed from 5 to 6.
Weavess: Power changed from 5 to 6.
Fruits of Ysgith: Provisions changed from 11 to 12.
Kayran: Ability changed to:
"Immunity. Deploy: Consume 3 allied units."
Penitent: Ability changed to:
"Thrive.
Deathwish: Summon a random 7-cost from your deck to this row."
Skellige
Rage of the Sea: Provisions changed from 13 to 14.
Mardroeme: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Sigrdrifa's Rite: Provisions changed from 9 to 8.
Bear Abomination: Added Cultist category.
Hammond: Added Cultist category.
Armored Drakkar: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Eist Tuirseach: Provisions changed from 11 to 12.
Northern Realms
Stockpile: Provisions changed from 17 to 15.
Ability changed to:
"Order: Reduce the Cooldown of 3 adjacent Northern Realms units by 1 and Spawn a Volunteer to their row.
Charge: 3."
Priscilla: Power changed from 5 to 6.
Ability changed to:
"Zeal.
Order: Heal an allied unit by 4 and reset its Cooldown.
Inspired: Boost an allied unit by 4 and reset its Cooldown."
Dandelion: Provisions changed from 8 to 9.
Ability changed to:
"Order: Boost a unit in your deck by 2.
Cooldown: 2
Inspired: At the end of your turn, boost the top unit in your deck by 1."
Damned Sorceress: Ability changed to:
"Zeal. Order: Destroy a unit's Shield then boost self by 2.
Cooldown: 2."
Reinforced Balista: Ability changed to:
"Formation.
Order: Damage a unit by 1.
Cooldown: 1
Resupply: Reduce the Cooldown by 1."
Hubert Rejk: Provisions changed from 7 to 8.
Ability changed to:
"Whenever you use an order ability while this card is in your deck, remove a counter from it. When counter reaches 0, summon this card from your deck to your Ranged row.
Counter: 10"
Winch: Ability changed to:
"Boost an allied unit by 5 and reduce its Cooldown by 3."
Cintrian Envoy: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Ability changed to:
"Formation.
Order: Look at 3 random cards from your deck and move 1 to the top.
Cooldown: 2."
Foltest's Pride: Power changed from 6 to 5.
Armor changed from 0 to 1.
Ability changed to:
"Zeal.
Order: Damage an enemy unit by 2 and units adjacent to it by 1.
Cooldown: 4
Crew: Set Cooldown to 2."
Cintrian Spellweaver: Ability changed to:
"Order: Damage a unit by 1. Charge: 1.
Gain 1 Charge whenever you play a Mage or a Spell."
Aretuza Adept: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Ability changed to:
"Whenever you trigger Patience, boost self by 1."
Nenneke: Power changed from 4 to 5.
Shani: Provisions changed from 9 to 10.
Ability changed to:
"Zeal.
Order: Summon a bronze Human unit from your graveyard and give it Doomed.
Cooldown: 7."
Thaler: Power changed from 5 to 6.
Ability changed to:
"Formation.
Order: If neither player has passed and your opponent's hand is not full, both players draw a card."
Siege Support: Ability changed to:
"Deploy (Melee): Reduce Cooldown of an allied unit by 1
Deploy (Ranged): Boost an allied unit by 1.
Order: Give an allied unit Zeal."
Battering Ram: Ability changed to:
"Deploy, Crew: Gain Zeal.
Order (Melee): Move self to the Ranged row.
Order (Ranged): Move self to the Melee row, then damage the highest enemy unit by 3.
Cooldown: 2"
War Elephant has a new part of ability:
"Cooldown: 6."
Ves has a new part of ability:
"Cooldown: 3."
Bombardment: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Síle de Tansarville: Provisions changed from 7 to 6.
Runeword: Provisions changed from 4 to 6.
Ability changed to:
"Create and play a Bronze Northern Realm mage and give it Shield."
Scoia'tael
Sage: Name changed to Elven Scribe.
Provisions changed from 6 to 4.
Ability changed to:
"Remove a Counter whenever you play a Special card.
Counter: 3
When the Counter reaches 0, boost self by 6."
Farseer is now a Mage.
Boost changed from 2 to 3.
Nilfgaard
Imposter: Ability changed to:
Order: Lock an enemy unit, then Spawn its base copy in the opposite row and boost it by the number of enemy units with a status on the Locked unit's row.
Courier: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Viper Witcher Adept: Power changed from 3 to 4.
Magne Division has a new part of ability:
Bonded: At the end of your turn, boost self by 1 instead.
Fringilla Vigo now also counts Constructs in addition to Mages.
Provisions changed from 8 to 7.
Anna Henrietta is now Ranged locked.
Developer comment: The point of this change is to allow players to choose to use it or not, similarly to Lippy.
Syndicate
Jackpot has a new part of ability:
Whenever an allied unit gives you Coins, boost it by any excess amount gained.
Passiflora Peaches: Provisions changed from 5 to 4.
Professor: Provisions changed from 11 to 12.
New Features
- Three new trees in the Reward Book connected to the Expansion.
- The "Play" card in the main menu now shows the favourite card chosen in the player profile.
- New expansion "Once upon a Pyre" introducing 26 cards to the game.
Game Fixes
- Fixed a rare issue where a match could end with a Draw after playing Selective Mutation.
- Fixed a visual issue where after purchasing Fast Travel the total number of Reward Points displayed could be inflated.
- Saskia's Elven Deadeye ability will now correctly target Immune units with random damage.
- Whispess, Weavess and Brewess will now show correct values in the Deck Builder.
- The Berserk multi-step contract will no longer progress incorrectly with Drummond Queensguard.
- Coral will now draw first and discard second as announced in the 8.5 Patch Notes.
- Snowdrop will now prevent players from clicking the Order ability if they have more than 8 cards.
- Allied units affected by Salamander's Poison ability will no longer boost Thirsty Dame.