Patch releasing June 27th, 2023.
Heya Champions! o/
Welcome to the v0.8.2 balance pass!
The arrival of Greystone has sent waves throughout the world of Predecessor, and we hope you’ve been enjoying his new look!
Of course, there’s plenty more to come, and rest assured, the chefs back at Omeda HQ are hard at work cooking up a storm as we look forward to v0.9 and beyond.
The primary theme of this balance pass is to smooth out power curves on many of our Heroes and underutilised items. Including follow-up adjustments to Greystone, broader shifts to Countess’ power curve, rectifying an issue with Rampage, and more significant changes to Infernum and Timewarp to help foster further build diversity.
As always, there is a myriad of other changes to be explored below, and we hope you enjoy this latest round of balance.
Much love, and see you next time!
-Rei, Game Designer.
NEW SKIN
Countess is getting plenty of love with this week's balance changes, so it felt right that this week's new skin was the striking Countess Punk skin!
Countess Punk [Common]
Countess’ polarising power curve tends to leave her feeling extremely underwhelming in the game's early stages, but an unstoppable force should she ever get a lead. To help smooth her progression through a match, we’re bolstering her early game efficacy in the stats department, as well as shifting a portion of her damage profile back into her healing identity and away from her Blade Siphon to provide for slightly less burst-heavy gameplay in the late-game.
General:
◆ Base Health increased from 560 to 610.
◆ Health Growth decreased from 105 to 97.
◆ Base Health Regeneration increased from 1.1 to 1.4.
◆ Base Physical Power increased from 53 to 56.
◆ Base Physical Armor decreased from 32 to 30.
Eventide [E]:
◆ Damage changed from 80/125/170/215/260 to 80/120/160/200/240.
◆ Magical Power Scaling increased from 75% to 80%.
Blade Siphon [RMB]:
◆ Cooldown changed from 9/8/7/6/5 to 8/7.5/7/6.5/6.
◆ Magical Power Scaling decreased from 80% to 65%.
◆ Healing per target changed from 8/9/10/11/12 to 6/8/10/12/14.
◆ Healing per target magical power scaling increased from 6% to 8%.
Feast [R]:
◆ Healing increased from 40% to 45%.
◆ Base % Health damage decreased from 8% to 5%.
◆ Max Health damage Magical Power Scaling increased from 4% to 5%.
It’s still early days for the ‘Stone, but his ability to stick to a target with Sacred Oath has proven a little overbearing, especially if you’re the sort of pyromaniac that loves setting people ablaze with Infernum (more on that later). While we’re still monitoring his performance, we figured a few nudges would help move him to a happier spot.
Stoicism [Passive]:
◆ Deflect Cooldown changed from 14-7.2s (-0.4s per level) to 15-6.5s (-0.5 per level).
Sacred Oath [E]:
◆ Slow on hit decreased from 15% to 12%.
Stone Forged Soul [R]:
◆ Cooldown increased from 140/110/80 to 150/125/100.
◆ Damage increased from 250/350/450 to 250/375/500.
Shadow Glide provides an often underappreciated (and powerful) source of bonus physical power after use. A quick hit to its duration ensures Kira must better commit to a fight post-dash should she wish to reap the benefit of the power buff.
Shadow Glide [E]:
◆ Bonus Physical Power Duration decreased from 6s to 4s.
Much like Countess, Morigesh has proven quite divisive and often gets feasted on in lane before becoming a monster in the later stages of a match, should she weather that initial storm. Once again, we’re smoothing out this power curve with shifts to her general damage and healing profile to ensure Morigesh feels more engaging and fair to play as in lane, better rewarding her for a smart commitment of her body to a fight while stripping back the raw DPS threat of backline Mark spam.
General:
◆ Health increased from 580 to 595.
Hive [Q]:
◆ Cooldown decreased from 14/12/12/11/10 to 13/12/11/10/9.
◆ Magical Power Scaling Increased from 45% to 50%.
Swarm [E]:
◆ Magical Power Scaling increased from 60% to 65%.
◆ Damage decreased from 80/115/150/185/220 to 80/110/140/170/200.
◆ Base Healing increased from 5/10/15/20/25 to 8/14/20/26/32.
◆ Healing Magical Power Scaling increased from 5% to 6%.
◆ Marked Hero Healing modifier decreased from 8x to 6x.
Mark [RMB]:
◆ Magical Power Scaling decreased from 50% to 40%.
Unfortunately, our change to Rampage’s Healing in V0.8 didn’t quite go as planned. It emerged that some dark magic (AKA: bugs) had afflicted us at Omeda HQ, with previous presumed healing values acting as a false benchmark to balance and test against.
With the burning of some sage, we’ve cleansed the premises and rectified the issue. These new values should reflect the ~20% intended nerf stated in the last patch more accurately. Please accept our apology for not spotting it earlier!
King of the Jungle [Passive]:
◆ Max health healing decreased from 0.5% to 0.4%.
Behemoth [R]:
◆ Max Health on use increased from 200/350/500 to 250/400/550.
Revenant has been struggling lately, with half of the roster becoming better equipped to run him down in a slower TTK environment. A slight bump to his survivability and 4th shot should help level the playing field and have him cashing in those bigger targets in no time.
General:
◆ Base Health decreased from 644 to 635.
◆ Health Growth increased from 94 to 98.
◆ Movement Speed increased from 645 to 650.
Hellfire Rounds [RMB]:
◆ Percent Missing Health damage per level increased from 0.5% to 0.7%.
While Sparrow generally has a solid lane phase, she sure is mana thirsty if she wishes to maintain a presence in the lane. An increase in her early threat and mana economy will better equip Sparrow to stand her ground and bridge herself into the late game, where she shines the most.
General:
◆ Base Mana increased from 320 to 350.
◆ Base Mana Regeneration increased from 1.1 to 1.4.
◆ Mana Regeneration Growth increased from 0.12 to 0.15.
Hail of Arrows [Q]:
◆ Slow increased from 20/25/30/35/40% to 28/31/34/37/40%.
Piercing Shot [RMB]:
◆ Mana Cost changed from 50/60/70/80/90 to 60/65/70/75/80.
◆ Bonus Physical Power Scaling increased from 130% to 150%.
Okay, hear us out… Ever wondered why Steel is orange?
It's a question as old as time itself. And what’s the opposite of orange? Blue! And lastly what’s blue that Steel lacks? Mana! Yep, the lore totally checks out.
Okay, but seriously, Steel’s Mana economy and ability to maintain shove in a lane is rather poor. It’s time he was thrown a blue bone or two.
General:
◆ Physical Power Growth increased from 3.2 to 4.2.
◆ Mana Growth increased from 40 to 50.
◆ Basic Attack Cleave ratio increased from 20% to 30%.
Bullrush [Q]:
◆ Damage increased from 80/115/150/185/220 to 80/120/160/200/240.
◆ Mana Cost increased from 75 to 80.
Shield Bash [RMB]:
◆ Mana Cost changed from 50/55/60/65/70 to 60.
T1:
Potent Staff:
Living up to its name, Potent Staff is getting a slight increase in power to better reward those holding out for the purchase.
◆ Magical Power increased from 40 to 45.
T2:
Blood Tome:
We’ve adjusted the power on the Tome to make it a more effective standalone item.
◆ Cost Increased from 800 to 900.
◆ Magical Lifesteal decreased from 5% to 4%.
◆ Magical Power increased from 20 to 25.
Brimstone:
More health is never a bad thing, so we've increased Brimstone’s overall health gain.
◆ Health increased from 150 to 200.
Chaotic Core:
Chaotic Core is no longer used in any Item Recipes, so we’re removing it from the Shop. Expect it to return as we explore further reworks and even brand-new additions… #spoilers.
◆ Removed from the Item Shop.
Fortified Mantle:
Similar to Brimstone, Mantle could use a little help to feel worth the investment.
◆ Physical Armor increased from 15 to 20.
Assassin
Infernum:
Infernum has seen a resurgence of play with the arrival of Greystone, and frankly, the item is a tad bonkers to anyone that can use it well. To help normalise it further and mitigate the more abusive cases (still looking at you, Greystone), we’re shifting its trigger condition and adjusting Cinder’s damage scaling to a healthier middle ground. This change should ultimately have Infernum feeling more reasonable to play with and against while also becoming more desirable for the likes of Kallari and Feng now that they can trigger it one attack earlier in their combos.
◆ Physical Power increased from 45 to 50.
◆ Cinder Damage changed from (120% Total Physical Power) to 20 (+110% Bonus physical power).
◆ Cinder Stacks required to trigger decreased from 4 to 3.
◆ Cinder Stacks duration decreased from 5s to 2.5s.
Fighter
Basilisk:
Basilisk, at times, still doesn’t quite fit the brief of a strong spike you’d want on a Bruiser compared to other foregone options. A slight nudge in stats should help make its pick a more meaningful one for the buyer.
◆ Cost increased from 3000 to 3100.
◆ Physical Power increased from 35 to 40.
◆ Health increased from 300 to 350.
◆ Recipe: Vitality Beads replaced by Violet Brooch.
Citadel:
With the changes to Fortified Mantle, we’ve had to adjust and compensate Citadel to ensure it meets the boundaries of its component stats.
◆ Armor increased from 35 to 45.
◆ Fortification Armor per nearby Enemy Hero decreased from 10 to 8.
Legacy:
Legacy rarely sees play despite its otherwise significant effect, primarily due to the opportunity cost associated with its purchase. A quick lift to its Tenacity stat is our first port of call to ensure it can better compete with other Tenacity options, such as Salvation.
◆ Tenacity increased from 15% to 30%.
Salvation:
Speaking of…
◆ Physical Power increased from 35 to 40.
Mage
Azure Core:
Azure's shift away from Haste in prior patches has left it feeling like an undesirable completion, with many preferring to hold on to their Alchemical Rods for most of a match. A small bump in Ability Haste should help Mages feel better equipped to opt-in for scaling or mix up a build path needing some Haste.
◆ Ability Haste increased from 10 to 15.
Caustica:
Less raw burst against squishies, but at a discount!
◆ Cost decreased from 3200 to 3000.
◆ Magical Power decreased from 80 to 75.
Lifebinder:
Like many other changes in this patch, Lifebinder also stands out as an item that feels awkward to slot in due to its lack of power. By improving its recipe and giving it a little extra kick, some Mages (and Junglers ) may now consider it twice and slip it into their build.
◆ Magical Power increased from 70 to 80.
◆ Recipe: Scepter replaced by Blood Tome.
Timewarp:
Mana Regeneration on a Mage item, you say? We hear you! We’re experimenting with Timewarp for this patch to help promote impactful options for Mages. The item now functions as a better bridging tool for those high penetration builds that formerly looked to Megacosm as their Haste stick or when looking to double down on low cooldown builds.
◆ Cost decreased from 3300 to 3200.
◆ Armor Removed.
◆ Added 150% Mana Regen.
◆ Magical Power decreased from 100 to 90.
◆ Ability Haste increased from 15 to 25.
◆ New Recipe: Potent Staff + Chronomatic Wand + Essence Ring.
Tank
Crystalline Cuirass:
Crystalline can feel awkward to stack up at times, unable to capture the same magical impact the Void Helm of Old could create with its movement speed condition. Allowing it to stack slightly faster in a brawl should leave it feeling closer to its former glory.
◆ Celestial Carapace: Cooldown per stack decreased from 1s to 0.5s.
Fire Blossom:
We’ve slightly adjusted the health stats on Fire Blossom to bring back greater parity with other choices.
◆ Health increased from 275 to 300.
Flux Matrix:
Flux Matrix’s damage amp contributes to some pretty insane damage under the right conditions, and like many other amps in the past, it’s time to pull it back.
◆ Unstable Shackles Magical Damage Amplification decreased from 15% to 10%.
The following list of bug fixes may be updated after the patch is Live.
◆ Fixed an error with Mesmer’s description.
◆ Fixed an error with various Item classifications on the Recommended Items page.
◆ Fixed a bug where Resolution was only granting 8 Physical Penetration instead of 10.
◆ Fixed a bug where Spiked Birch was giving 5 less Magical Power than intended.
◆ Fixed an issue where bans were incorrectly issued for AFKing in Custom Games.
◆ Fixed a bug where loading screen portraits would be incorrect if a match ended while in the main menu.
That's all this week!
Let us know what you think of this update over on Twitter, the official Subreddit or our Discord server!