Protectors of the Light,
With this update, we’re bringing a wave of balance changes aimed at refining unit roles, improving underperforming heroes, and ensuring more strategic variety across the roster. Whether you’re a frontline warrior, a ranged tactician, or a master of deception, these adjustments should give you new ways to dominate the fight.
From Vizargo’s much-needed buffs to Soldiers gaining more survivability, and a shake-up for the Pikemen, this patch focuses on enhancing gameplay depth while ensuring every unit has a place in your army. Let’s dive into the details!
Balance Changes
VIZARGO
Vizargo has needed some love! Even before Armour, he was tricky to use, and post-1.0, it was clear he needed attention. We hope you enjoy his buffs to Serenity, Veiled Coil, and Claw Dash.
- Veiled Coil range now scales more dramatically over levels to account for larger melee armies nearby.
- Adjusted Veiled Coil maximum heal percentage per unit slain from 3/5% to 30%.
- Serenity damage has been significantly increased to match other heroes' damage output.
- Reduced Serenity base cooldown by almost 50%.
- Claw Dash now has scaling charges from 2 up to 4, allowing Vizargo to move in and out of combat or aggressively clear enemies.
SOLDIER
The Soldier has been underperforming as newer units and systems have been introduced. Meanwhile, Pikemen have taken the crown as the best all-around melee unit. To make Soldiers a more viable choice, we’ve improved their survivability.
- Reduced Soldier upkeep from 2g to 1g.
- Added 25 armour.
- Increased base Health from 150 to 200.
- Increased base damage from 7 to 9.
- Increased knockback from 0 to 0.3.
PIKEMEN
As mentioned, Pikemen have become the strongest value melee unit. To help diversify unit choices, we’ve made slight adjustments but will monitor these values closely.
- Adjusted base damage from 13 to 12.
- Added 1 food cost.
- Adjusted knockback from 0.35 to 0.2.
- Adjusted shred from 5 to 4.
ARCHER
Archers were once a powerhouse, but as other units have gained benefits, their effectiveness has declined. To address this, we’ve improved their shred effectiveness and increased their tower attack speed.
- Tower attack speed improved from 2.5s to 1.8 cooldown.
- Increased Tower Shred increased from 2 to 5.
- Increased base Shred from 0 to 1.
ORDER KNIGHT
The Order Knight desperately needed additional shred, and we’ve delivered!
- Order Knight Shred increased from 2 to 7.
HARBINGER
The Harbinger was falling behind in the ranged department, making them feel awkward to play. We’ve given them a small boost to their tower and general range effectiveness, and reduced the frustration of needing to recast Dark Prophecy by increasing its range and duration.
- Tower attack range improved from 5 to 6.5.
- Normal attack range improved from 2 to 3.5.
- Dark Prophecy range doubled.
- Increased Dark Prophecy duration from 25s to 80s,
- Increased Dark Prophecy cooldown from 60s to 140s.
ROGUE
Rogues had a slightly higher damage per hit than intended, making them a DPS powerhouse when paired with attack speed and charge melee perks. We’ve adjusted their base damage while keeping their gold-steal and stealth utility intact.
- Base damage adjusted from 7 to 3.
AELIS LOYAL GUARD
The Loyal Guard plays a crucial role in Aelis’ clear speed and survival, but she has fallen behind recently. We’ve increased their HP, damage, and shred to keep them competitive.
- Base HP increased from 65 to 120.
- Damage increased from 10 to 13.
- Shred increased from 0 to 3.
CO-OP DEATHNIGHT DURATION
While we’d love to provide more customization options, for now, we’ve slightly increased Deathnight 3's duration and made significant increases to easier difficulties. This should allow players to create custom games with Forgiving Duration as a temporary workaround.
OLD VALUES
| DIFFICULTY | DN1 | DN2 | DN3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forgiving | 3 Nights | 3 Nights | 4 Nights |
| Easy | 3 Nights | 3 Nights | 4 Nights |
| Normal | 2 Nights | 3 Nights | 4 Nights |
| Veteran | 2 Nights | 2 Nights | 4 Nights |
| Horrific | 1 Night | 2 Nights | 4 Nights |
| Nightmare | 1 Night | 2 Nights | 3 Nights |
NEW VALUES
| DIFFICULTY | DN1 | DN2 | DN3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forgiving | 4 Nights | 4 Nights | 7 Nights |
| Easy | 3 Nights | 4 Nights | 6 Nights |
| Normal | 2 Nights | 3 Nights | 5 Nights |
| Veteran | 2 Nights | 2 Nights | 5 Nights |
| Horrific | 2 Nights | 2 Nights | 4 Nights |
| Nightmare | 1 Night | 2 Nights | 4 Nights |
Overall we’re aiming to improve weak points in the roster and give players more options. Ensure to let us know what you think of the changes as we continue to monitor.We’ll be closely monitoring how these changes impact the meta and will make further tweaks as needed. Your feedback is invaluable, so keep sharing your thoughts and strategies with us!
Thank you,
The Age of Darkness Team