Manta Update Patch Notes - Coming November 3rd

Water Improvements

Water has long been the least rewarding part of the map: costly to enter, limiting in combat, and visually flat. This update takes on all three, on the world map, in battle and on screen.

World Map Gameplay

Embarking now has a flat cost, Outposts can be founded on water provinces, and the Random Map Generator has been retuned so oceans shape the layout of a realm.

Movement & Settlement

• Renamed terrain types: Ocean is now Deep Ocean, Coastal is now Ocean and Water is now Underground Water.
• Changed the cost of embarking a unit from all of its Movement Points (minimum 12) to a flat 20 Movement Points.
• Added the same +2 Vision granted to Embarked Units to Aquatic Units.
• Added founding Outposts on habitable provinces with water in the center. These Outposts cannot be converted into Cities, except by the Mercantile Culture.
• Added building the Spelljammer, Beacon of Unity and Teleporter Special Province Improvements on water provinces.

Random Map Generator

• Continents
• Increased ocean size and made continents more consistent in size, so the sea plays a bigger role in how a realm is laid out.
• Changed continents belonging to AI players so they can connect to each other by land, instead of always being separated by water.
• Changed AI players to no longer be placed on a shared continent with another player by default. Human players still start on a shared continent so they can reach each other early.

Coastal: Changed the ocean to sit in one corner of the map instead of being spread around the edges, with fewer and smaller islands.

Divide: Removed the islands along the ocean that splits the two continents, and increased the width of that ocean considerably, so it reads as a proper ocean rather than a wide river.

Islands

• Removed the Lava terrain overlay, removing unsightly lava/ocean borders.
• Changed resource values: lower on land, higher on the ocean.

Combat Gameplay

Embarked units follow their own rules for turning and positioning, with stats adjusted to match, and summons, resurrections, transformations and teleports now work at sea.

Embarked

• Added Large Target and Reinforced.
• Added -2 Fire Protection.
• Removed -2 Defense and -2 Resistance.
• Removed the damage reduction due to casualties.
• Added Limited Maneuverability to embarked units, Ghost Ships and Ironclads:
• Units spend Movement Points each time they turn while moving.
• Using the Rotate Unit Ability spends all of the unit's remaining Movement Points.
• Units cannot use Opportunity Attacks or Retaliations against hexes behind them.

Added Amphibious Movement to Ironclads.

Abilities & Spells on Water

• Added the Water Walk passive, which is granted in combat to any unit that cannot cross the current map's terrain on its own (for example a land unit summoned on a water map), allowing it to use land movement on water hexes.
• Changed abilities and spells that summon, resurrect or transform units to work on water maps (with a few rare exceptions, mostly involving plants).
• Changed magical teleport abilities (e.g. Teleportation) to work on water.
• Changed non-magical teleport abilities (e.g. Disengage Unit) to only be blocked while the unit is embarked.
• Changed Amphibious units to become Wet while on water.

Visual Improvements

Water rendering has been reworked for readability, every aquatic battle map has been redressed with new props and sea life, and ships now carry the look of the culture that sails them, with new skins in Faction Creation.

Ship Customization

• Added 3 unique Boat Skins to choose from during Faction Creation: Default, Graceful and Brutal.
• Added a default ship style for each culture.
• Changed Free Cities to use the ships of their associated faction, Dwellings to use their own boats where available, and other independents to use Marauder ships.
• Added miniature boats to the Race Customization screen.
• Updated ship animations, including run, turn, ability and spell-casting animations.
• Added Unit Enchantment visuals on boats where applicable.

Water Rendering

• Updated the ocean water visuals for better readability on water maps.
• Added tactical combat ocean transparency.
• Changed water battle maps to pick their atmosphere (lighting and weather) dynamically instead of using a fixed one.
• Added fitting ocean-floor rocks to underground water battles.

Combat Maps

• Added new ocean battle map props: shells, pearls, corals and kelp.
• Added a water grave marker visual.
• Updated combat map dressing for all aquatic combat maps.
• Changed props and obstacles, including grave markers, to bob and move with the waves.
• Added fish and ambient sea life swimming on the water.
• Changed spell and ability effects in water battles to play on the water surface, so they are clearly visible instead of being hidden beneath it.
• Added a water-themed effect when units cast spells while standing in water.
• Added water splash effects to ships with magical ranged attacks.

Magic Fighter Weapons

• Added Sword and Staff Hero Loadouts.
• Added Sword and Staff weapons to the Item Forge.
• “Sword & Staff” Weapon have access to the following Infusions:
• Added access to Staff Infusions:
• +1 Range
• Magic Missile
• Lightning Strike
• Hindering Blizzard
• Crushing Anguish
• Finger of Death
• Poison Darts
• Sundering Curse
• Flame Strike
• Stunning Flash
• Freezing Blast
• Exposing Light
• Wail of the Banshee

Added access to Melee Infusions:

• Life Steal
• +1 Retaliation
• Extra Retaliation Damage (20% / 40% / 60%)

Added a custom frontend pose for the Sword and Staff loadout.

Updated Spellblade skills so that Magic Strikes are treated like Melee Strikes.

Updated Death Knight skills so that Magic Strikes are treated like Melee Strikes.

Pantheon

Base Game

• 5 Item Forge Visualisations
• Water Orb
• Frozen Orb
• Damned Saber and Staff
• Trident polearm
• Rapier and Pistol

3 Customization Sets

• Bloodthirsty Pirate Set
• Wooden Leg
• Hook
• Eyepatch
• Pirate Hat (shared)
• Pirate Hat + Crow

Avaricious Pirate Set

• Wooden Leg
• Hook
• Eyepatch
• Pirate Hat (shared)
• Pirate Hat + Parrot

Heroic Pirate Set

• Wooden Leg
• Hook
• Eyepatch
• Pirate Hat (shared)
• Pirate Hat + Macaw

Society Trait - Merchant State

• Grants:
• +2 Trade Route Capacity per Vassal
• +10 City Stability to Cities with an active Trade Route
• +5 Imperium for each Trade Route to another Empire's City
• Reduces the cost of Trade Routes by 30%

Cities cannot be founded or absorbed.

Banner Icon - Pirate

DLC Ruler Unlocks

• 2 Dragon Lord Items
• Seamare Frills
• Seamare Ornamentation

2 Giant King Items

• Pirate Head
• Pirate Body

Trade Routes

Trade Routes are a new economic system that connects your Cities to Outposts, Free Cities, and the Cities of other Empires. Each Route is built and owned by a single City, which receives the Route's income; what you gain depends on what the Route connects to. Routes can be raided in open war, and a new line of City structures lets you specialize a City around its trade.

General

• Trade Routes are created from the Trade Route panel and are built through the Unit Production Queue.
• A Trade Route's Draft cost depends on its target and distance.
• Trade Route production can be hurried.
• Creating a Trade Route requires the target City to have been explored.

Trade Route capacity is per City:

• 1 Route by default.
• +1 per core Trade structure (Trade Post, Trade Quarters, Trade Bazaar).
• +1 from the Caravaneer's Guild.
• +3 in every City when the Megacities realm trait is active, or when your faction has the Chosen Destroyers Society Trait.

Trade Routes are guarded by Trader Escorts. Escort strength depends on the City's Trade structures:

• Base: 2× Tier 1.
• Trade Post: 3× Tier 1, 1× Tier 2.
• Trade Quarters: 3× Tier 1, 3× Tier 2.
• Trade Bazaar: 1× Tier 1, 3× Tier 2, 2× Tier 3.

Trade Routes are automatically regenerated or destroyed when territory along their path changes owner. The City's owner receives a notification explaining what happened.

• Trade Routes also regenerate automatically when a province along their path is terraformed.
• Trade Routes that pass through territory the owner no longer has access to are rerouted.

Nomad Cities: Trade Routes are restored for free when the settler unpacks.

Province Improvement “Teleporter”

• Changed Upkeep from a local Outpost upkeep to a global empire upkeep of 10 Mana, so it no longer interacts with Trade Route income.

Economy

• Culture Trait “Tyrannical Exploitation” (Dark)
• Reduced Bonus from 20% to 2% per allegiance, to account for the much larger income now gained from Vassals.
• Changed to only apply to Vassal tribute when an active Trade Route to that Vassal exists.
• Description - Updated to state the 2% bonus instead of the previous 20%.

Culture Trait “Potential of Growth” (Mystic) - Removed its effect on Outposts.

Culture Trait “Potential of Control” (Mystic) - Removed its effect on Outposts.

Empire Skill 9B “Absolute Loyalty” (Order) - Reduced the Income bonus from Supreme Vassalage from +40% to +20%.

Society Trait “Chosen Uniters” - Reduced Income Bonus from +30% to +10%.

Interface

• Added a Trade Routes overlay toggle to the overview map.
• Trade Routes are otherwise only visible when a City is selected, an army is standing on a Route, or the Economic Overview is open.

Trade Route income is listed under its own “Trade Route” entry in the City income overview.

Added Trade Route information to the Outpost panel, including whether a Trade Route is connected and, if so, to which City.

Added a combat preview for battles involving Trade Routes.

Added tooltips for Trade Routes, including while they are still in the production queue.

Notifications

• Added a notification when a Trade Route is completed.
• Added separate notifications, each with its own message and event icon, for when one of your Trade Routes is raided, removed or rerouted.

Added a Trade Route Income concept, linked from the Trade Route tutorial and the Trade Route concept.

City Structures

Three core Trade structures, unlocked by City tier, grow with the City. Each also offers a choice between two mutually exclusive sub-structures, so a City can lean toward Outposts and Free Cities or toward trade with other Empires.

Trade Post (Tier 2)

• Requires Town Hall II.
• +1 Trade Route Capacity.
• Increases the strength of Trade Route Escorts.
• Grants +5 Gold to this City's owner for each Trade Route owned by another City that connects to this City.
• Unlocks one of the following (mutually exclusive):
• Outpost Supply Hub
• Outposts connected to this City by Trade Route provide +50% income.

Diplomatic Embassy

• Each Trade Route with another Empire's City grants this City +5 Imperium.

Trade Quarters (Tier 3)

• Requires Trade Post.
• +1 Trade Route Capacity.
• Increases the strength of Trade Route Escorts.
• Grants +10 Gold to this City's owner for each Trade Route owned by another City that connects to this City.
• Unlocks one of the following (mutually exclusive):
• Food Importers
• Each Trade Route with an Outpost or Free City grants this City +20 Food and +10 Stability.

Wizard's Exchange

• Each Trade Route with another Empire's City grants this City +10 Knowledge and +10 Mana.

Trade Bazaar (Tier 4)

• Requires Trade Quarters.
• +1 Trade Route Capacity.
• Increases the strength of Trade Route Escorts.
• Grants +15 Gold to this City's owner for each Trade Route owned by another City that connects to this City.
• Unlocks one of the following (mutually exclusive):
• Caravaneer's Guild
• +1 Trade Route Capacity.
• Trade Routes cost 20% less Draft in this City.
• Counts as a Guild; a City may only have one Guild.

Taxation Offices

• Each Trade Route grants this City +5 Gold and +5 Stability.

Targets

Outposts

Outposts no longer have an economy of their own: a Trade Route makes an Outpost an extension of the connected City, sending everything its Domain produces there.

• Outposts no longer cost 10 Gold upkeep.
• Outposts provide no income until connected by a Trade Route.
• An Outpost connected by a Trade Route sends all Local and Global income from its Domain to the connected City.
• Each Outpost can only be connected to one City.
• Outposts no longer receive Resource Sharing. This closes an exploit where Corrupt Pact would also grant its Food bonus to Outposts connected by a Trade Route.

Free Cities

Free Cities normally pay Tribute in Gold and Mana only. A Trade Route opens up their full output, Local resources included, and lets you steer what they produce through Trade Focuses.

• A Trade Route can be established with any Free City you have at least a Pact of Cooperation with.
• Base Free City Tribute (without a Trade Route) is capped at 10% of its Gold and Mana income.
• Trade Route income from a Free City is a percentage of its income, set by your diplomatic state with it:
• War: 5%
• Pact of Cooperation: 5%
• Pact of Loyalty: 10%
• Vassal, by Vassalage Stage:
• -3: 5%
• -2 to 0: 10%
• +1: 15%
• +2: 20%
• +3: 25%

Establishing a Trade Route to a Free City grants +100 Relation with it.

Trade Focuses replace the old Free City trade options:

• Available with any Free City you have a Trade Route with.
• Costs Imperium per turn (5 at base) and lasts until cancelled.
• Increases the Free City's output of the chosen resource by 50%, raising the income supplied through the Route.
• Only one Focus can be active per Free City; the available options depend on the resources it produces.
• Trade Focus treaties can be cancelled from the Diplomacy Overview screen.
• Magic Material trades remain available.

Foreign Cities

With a Free Trade Agreement in place, two Empires can build Routes into each other's Cities.

• Added the Free Trade Agreement:
• Unlocked after a Wizard Bond.
• While active, both Empires may build Trade Routes to each other's Cities.
• Ending the agreement cancels all Routes between the two Empires.

A Trade Route to another Empire's City grants 20% of the target City's Gold and Mana income.

Raiding

Raiding is a wartime action: it requires a declared war, plays out as a full battle against the Route's Trader Escorts, and pays out well if you win.

• Raiding requires being at war with the Route's owner. Attempting to raid without a war prompts you to declare one.
• Raiding a Trade Route triggers a 1v1 battle against its Trader Escorts, with no reinforcements for either side. Surviving units keep any damage they took.
• A successful raid grants a one-time reward of 3× the Route's per-turn income.
• Routes destroyed when a City is occupied or conquered count as raided and grant raid income.

AI Difficulty - Removed the Gold and Mana income multipliers. These were only active on Normal Difficulty and above and only affected final income, not City income.

• AI Turn Processing - Updated to reduce long AI turn times, particularly in late-game Classic mode games with many Trade Routes and events.

Combat AI

• Increased the value of units with mind-control or summon abilities in combat AI evaluations.

• Added a proper defence animation to Guardians, so spears no longer clip through shields.
• Updated the lighting on units shown in the frontend.
• Added new tattoo customization options for Giant Lord rulers.
• Added culture-specific world map visuals from Tier 1 for Barbarian and Primal culture cities: their own set of city props around the city center and a palisade wall around the settlement, instead of the generic Tier 1 city dressing.

• Added Status Effect “Chilled”:
• The unit sustains a small amount of Frost damage each turn for 3 turns.
• Stacks up to 5 times. At 5 stacks, Chilled is removed, the unit sustains a burst of Frost damage, and becomes Frozen for 1 turn.
• Chilled is the opposing status effect of Burning.

Changed the effect inflicted when Frozen is resisted from Status Vulnerability to Chilled.

Added “Inflict Chilled” as an Item Forge Infusion.

General

• Debuff “Blinded” - Reduced the number of Retaliations removed from all to 1.
• Added the ability for Immobilized units to turn in place.
• Removed the effect of Burning ground on Floating units.
• Terrain Effect “Sunless” - Healing penalty in tactical combat - Reduced from -50% to -25%.
• Changed the sun direction to flip when you are the defender in tactical combat, so battles are lit consistently for both sides.
• Ability “Afflicting Miasma” - Added a chance to apply Chilled when dealing Frost damage.
• Unit “Nomad Raider” - Added Demolisher to Fiery Momentum.

Dark

• Unit “Mortalist”
• Ability “Death Hex”
• Changed from Single Action to Full Action.
• Increased Range from 4 to 6.
• Removed Single Shot.
• Increased Additional Targets from 1 to 2.

Note: this brings Death Hex in line with the other Tier 2 Battle Mage abilities.

Unit “Warlock”

• Ability “Sundering Curse”
• Removed Single Shot.
• Increased Additional Targets from 1 to 2.

Industrious

• Unit “Bastion”
• Removed Single Shot from Defensive Sweep.
• Increased Defensive Sweep Damage from 16 to 30.

Primal (Glacial Mammoth)

• Status Effect “Fury of the Glacial Mammoth” - Changed from a 30% chance to inflict Frozen to a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.

Materium

• Skill 7 “Metropolitan Society” - Changed to affect the same set of income resources as Utopian Society: Added Imperium, Binding Essence, Binding Fragments, Astral Echoes, Wonderstone, Favors and War Spoils to the +10% bonus.

Nature

• Skill 5B “Lasting Boons” - Changed to no longer extend positive status effects that cannot be dispelled, such as the effects Eldritch Sovereigns gain from Forbidden Tomes.

Order

• Skill 9A “Utopian Society” - Changed to affect the same set of income resources as Metropolitan Society: Removed Happiness, Thralls and Embalmed Sacrifices from the +10% bonus.

Shadow

• Skill 1B “Finders Keepers” - Removed the reward increase from Astral Echoes. (The +50% Pickup reward bonus is otherwise unchanged.)

New Form Traits (all Utility, 1 point)

• Added Form Trait “Ashland Hunters”:
• Grants Ashland Camouflage.
• Grants Very Fast Movement when fighting in Ashlands.

Added Form Trait “Forest Hunters”:

• Grants Forest Camouflage.
• Grants Very Fast Movement when fighting in Forest or Mushroom Forest.

Added Form Trait “Sand Hunters”:

• Grants Sand Camouflage.
• Grants Very Fast Movement when fighting in Sand.

Added Form Trait “Snow Hunters”:

• Grants Snow Camouflage.
• Grants Very Fast Movement when fighting in Snow or Ice.

Added Form Trait “Water Hunters”:

• Grants Water Camouflage.
• Grants Very Fast Movement when fighting in Water.

Society Traits

• Society Trait “Experienced Seafarers” - Removed its economic bonus from River provinces.
• Society Trait “Tidecallers” - Added a 20% Gold and Draft discount on the units it unlocks in cities.
• Society Trait “Umbral Disciples” - Added immunity to Umbral Malady for Rulers.

General

• Removed the “Apply to Hero” option from Transformations that cannot be applied to Heroes.
• Signature Skill “Frost Strikes” - Changed the bonus-damage condition from Slowed to Chilled.
• Hero Skill “Infused Sweep” - Increased the Damage bonus gained from charge weapons on single attacks from 63% to 90%.

Wizard King

• Hero Skill “Defensive Ritual” - Changed to turn Channelling Ritual into a Support Ability.

Dragon Lord

Frost Dragon Lord

• Changed all effects that inflicted Slowed to inflict Chilled, at the same chance.
• Major Transformation “Frostbreath” - Changed the effect inflicted when the 90% Frozen chance fails from Slowed to Chilled.

Giant Kings

Storm Giant King

• Increased Food income gain from River and Water provinces from +1 to +2.
• Active Ability “Hurl Lightning”
• Reduced Damage from 25 to 15.
• Added chaining to 2 additional units within 2 hexes (previously single target).

Passive “Chain Lightning” (upgrades Hurl Lightning)

• Increased Additional Targets from 2 to 4.
• Increased Jump Range from 2 to 3 hexes.

Passive “Mass Chain Lightning” (upgrades Hurl Lightning)

• Increased Additional Targets from 4 to 6.
• Increased Jump Range from 3 to 4 hexes.

Passive “Sundering Lightning” (upgrades Hurl Lightning)

• Reduced Sundered Defense from 2 to 1.
• Reduced Sundered Resistance from 2 to 1.

Passive “Stunning Lightning” (upgrades Hurl Lightning) - Reduced Stun Chance from 120% to 70%.

Active Ability “Conjure Crystal Pillar” (granted by Hero Skill “Rune of Creation: Storm”)

• Added 10 damage on cast (previously no damage on cast).
• Added chaining to 4 units within 3 hexes on cast (previously no chaining on cast).

Summoned Unit “Crystal Pillar”

• Reduced Damage from 20 to 10.
• Changed from single target to chaining to up to 4 units within 3 hexes.

Frost Giant King

• Infusion “Rune of Power: Frost”
• Repeating attacks: Changed from a 30% chance to inflict Frozen to a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.
• Single attacks: Changed from a 60% chance to inflict Frozen to a 90% chance to inflict Chilled.

Active Ability “Conjure Ice Runestone” (granted by Hero Skill “Rune of Creation: Frost”)

• Increased Damage from 10 to 15.
• Changed the status effect from a 30% chance to inflict Frozen (Slowed if resisted) to a 120% chance to inflict Chilled.

Summoned Unit “Ice Runestone” - Passive “Freezing Mist” (shares its damage and status effect with Conjure Ice Runestone)

• Increased Damage from 10 to 15.
• Changed the status effect from a 30% chance to inflict Frozen (Slowed if resisted) to a 120% chance to inflict Chilled.

Active Ability “Hurl Ice Boulder” - Changed the status effect inflicted from Slowed to Chilled.

Rock Giant King

• Infusion “Rune of Power: Rock” - Reduced bonus Physical damage from 3 to 2.
• Infusion “Rune of Protection: Rock”
• Reduced Defense Bonus from 2 to 1.
• Added +2 Physical Protection (previously none).

Fire Giant King

• Active Ability “Conjure Lava Runestone” (granted by Hero Skill “Rune of Creation: Fire”) - Added Burning to enemies in the area (previously damage only).

Elder Vampire

Ruler

• Increased Base Hit Points from 80 to 90.
• Increased Base Defense from 2 to 3.
• Increased Base Resistance from 2 to 3.
• Passive “Sunlight Weakness”
• Reduced the Damage Penalty from -20% to -10%.
• Changed World Map Regeneration from disabled to reduced by 50%.

Passive “Vampiric Regeneration” - Changed World Map Healing from a flat +20 HP per turn to +50% World Map Regeneration.

Origin Skills

• Passive “Staggering Bite” (upgrades Draining Bite) - Added Momentum to Draining Bite.
• Active Ability “Draining Bite”
• Changed from Single Action to Leave One Action.
• Reduced Damage from 30 to 28.
• Changed valid targets from units that can bleed to any unit; Lifesteal still only applies against units that can bleed.
• Added +10% damage per Signature Skill learned.

Active Ability “Siphon Blood”

• Changed from Single Action to Leave One Action.
• Reduced Damage from 20 to 18.
• Changed valid targets from units that can bleed to any unit; Lifesteal still only applies against units that can bleed.
• Added +10% damage per Signature Skill learned.

Passive “Draining Charm” - Added a 60% chance for Blood Drain abilities to Stun units that are Control Loss Immune (previously they had no effect on them).

Passive “Mesmerizing Drain” - Increased the Dominate chance (and the Stun chance against Control Loss Immune units) from 60% to 90%.

Passive “Sanguine Extraction” - Changed from 100% Defense and Resistance bypass against Bleeding units to Piercing and Breaching against all units at all times.

Active Ability “Drain Familiar”

• Reduced Cooldown from 2 to 1.
• Increased Damage from 20 to 25.
• Increased Healing from 20 to 25.

Passive “Profane Strength” - Updated the description to state that it makes Drain Familiar a Support ability (previously applied without being shown).

Passive “Deep Bond” - Added Resurgence to the unit targeted by Drain Familiar.

Passive “Vampiric Flight”

• Added Slippery.
• Increased Evasion from 20% to 30%.

Signature Skills

• Signature Skill “Dreadful”
• Active Ability “Dread”
• Removed the -10 Morale effect.
• Increased Torment inflicted from 2 to 3.

Passive “Tyrant” - Changed from inflicting Morale loss on attacks to granting Demoralizer.

Active Ability “Dark Sacrament” (from Signature Skill “Desecrator”)

• Changed the action type from Leave One Action to Single Action.
• Increased Damage from 15 to 20.

Active Ability “Blood Communion”

• Added the caster as a valid target, so a lone vampire can heal itself.
• Increased Healing from 20 to 30.
• Increased negative status effects dispelled from 2 to 3.

Active Ability “Bloodblight”

• Changed the action type from Leave One Action to Single Action.
• Increased Damage from 10 to 25.

Active Ability “Tormenting Mist”

• Changed the action type from Leave One Action to Single Action.
• Added entering Defense Mode after use.
• Added 2 stacks of Evasion for 3 turns.
• Increased Damage from 8 to 20.

Passive “Soulbound Anguish” - Increased Damage from 4 to 8.

Active Ability “Gravemarch”

• Changed from a 5-turn cooldown to Once per Battle.
• Reduced Resurrect Effect Duration from 4 to 3 turns.

Passive “Elite March” (upgrades Gravemarch)

• Removed the 2-turn cooldown reduction (Gravemarch is now Once per Battle).
• Increased the Resurrect Effect Duration from 3 to 4 turns.

Active Ability “Curse to Undeath”

• Changed the action type from Leave One Action to Full Action.
• Increased Range from 4 to 6.
• Added 2 Status Vulnerability.

Ranger / Spellblade

• Passive “Critical Skirmisher” - Changed the trigger from any critical hit to critical hits that deal damage.

Elementalist

• Changed the Frost element's status effect from Slowed to Chilled.
• Changed flanking so that only single-target Evocations can flank. Removed flanking from the following Active Abilities:
• Cloudburst Evocation
• Chaining Evocation
• Blast Evocation
• Frostwind Evocation
• Withering Blizzard
• Sunder Earth
• Wildfire
• Lightning Bolt

General

• Added support for showing multiple duration pins at once in a sector, for both structures and stacks.
• Removed the gradient and the top and bottom lines from the event log.
• Added the turn limit next to the quest title in the Quest Panel, so it is always shown.
• Added a note to item tooltips stating when equipping the item takes up the Mount slot.

Cities

• Changed City labels on the world map to calculate the turns remaining for a queued unit from the City's Draft income instead of its Production income.
• Changed Special Found Colony operation buttons to yellow and the Raze Water City button to red.
• Updated tooltips for structure upgrades and units in the city production queue.
• Updated Site Production Improvements to display their requirements more clearly.
• Added sorting to the Structures and Provinces lists.

Combat

• Added the number of turns remaining to ability buttons while the ability is on cooldown.
• Removed internal accuracy bonuses from ability tooltips to reduce clutter.
• Updated the tactical combat top bar to stretch to fit any number of resources, so it no longer overflows in multiplayer games with many resources on display.
• Added screen overlays for armies that were banished from a battle, showing which map layer they were sent to.
• Added the name of the battle to the combat start, overview and result screens.

Units

• Updated how Status Effect durations are displayed.
• Changed unit panels to show the race biography only when the unit has no biography of its own.
• Changed unit cards to show the same property icons as the Army panel (for example Accelerated Movement). Previously these icons were missing from Hero and Ruler cards.

Text & Descriptions

• Changed Battlement descriptions from listing +1 Range and Ignore Obscured to using the Vantage Point concept, to better communicate where those bonuses come from.
• Added a Magic Strike concept, now hyperlinked from the relevant ability and unit descriptions.

Infusions

• Added the basic damage channel infusions (Fire, Frost, Lightning, Spirit and Blight, plus Physical for Staves and Orbs) as default unlocks for all weapon types.
• Grimoires - Added forging with:
• Passive Staff Infusions.
• Active Ability Staff Infusions.

Passive Infusion “Tempest Chorus”

• Changed to trigger only once per turn.
• Increased Damage from 5 to 12.

Equipment

Rings

• Ring of Flanking - Reduced Tier from II to I.
• Ring of Concealment - Reduced Tier from II to I.
• Ring of Escape - Reduced Tier from III to I.
• Ring of Vampirism - Reduced Tier from III to II.
• Ring of Regeneration - Increased Tier from II to III.
• Ring of Wind Barrier - Increased Tier from II to III.
• Ring of Protection - Changed from +1 Defense and +1 Resistance to +3 Resistance.
• Ring of Endurance - Changed from +2 Status Resistance to +3 Defense.
• Murder Ring
• Added Frenzy: when this unit lands an attack, it gains a stack of Strengthened; effects are increased for Single Shot attacks.
• Added Killing Momentum: unit regains 1 Action Point when killing another unit with a Magic, Melee or Missile attack, once per turn.
• Removed Inspiring Killer (double morale bonus to self and allies on kill) and Vicious Killer (increased morale penalty to enemies within 3 hexes on kill).

Wands

• Wand of Magic Missile - Reduced Tier from II to I.
• Wand of Raise Undead - Reduced Tier from II to I.
• Wand of Inversion - Reduced Tier from II to I.
• Wand of Provocation - Reduced Tier from III to II.
• Wand of Blizzards - Increased Tier from II to III.
• Wand of Fire Breath - Increased Tier from III to IV.

Trinkets

• Spider Hatchling Bell - Reduced Tier from II to I.
• Spider Leg - Reduced Tier from III to II.
• Ankh of the Phoenix - Increased Tier from III to IV.
• Astral Heart - Increased Tier from III to IV.
• Monster Slayer
• Added +10% Critical Hit Chance on base attacks.
• Unchanged: Deals +30% damage to Large targets.

Locket of Channeling

• Added +10% Magic Damage.
• Unchanged: +10 Combat Casting Points at the start of battle.

Anon's Wisdom

• Removed +2 Status Resistance.
• Unchanged: +2 Resistance.

Book of Siegecraft

• Added Demolisher.
• Added Unstoppable Juggernaut: this unit can crush non-Fortified obstacles without slowing.
• Unchanged: Grants Siege Breaker to all units in the army.

Belt of the Berserker

• Added Berserker's Strength: while Berserk, this unit gains Strengthened for 3 turns.
• Removed the 3 Strengthened for 3 turns granted at the trigger.
• Unchanged: Triggers at 30% Hit Points or lower, granting Berserk and Steadfast.

Armor

• Chestplate of Vitality
• Reduced Hit Points Bonus from +10 to +5.
• Unchanged: +2 Defense.

Heavy Armor Greaves

• Added +5 Hit Points.
• Removed the 3-hex combat movement limit.
• Changed so it can no longer be equipped together with a Mount.
• Unchanged: +3 Defense.

Juggernaut Greaves

• Increased Defense Bonus from +2 to +3.
• Unchanged: Juggernaut.

Fiery Wake Boots

• Removed +1 Defense.
• Unchanged: Fiery Wake.

Boots of Freedom

• Added Hastened for 3 turns at the start of combat.
• Added Fleeting: this unit is not stopped by enemy Zone of Control.
• Removed Very Fast Movement and immunity to Slowed and Immobilized.
• Unchanged: Swift.

Demoralizing Mask - Changed from Demoralizing Vision (60% chance for melee attackers to gain Remorse) to Terrifying Aura (at the end of this unit's turn, adjacent enemy units lose 5 Morale).

Paladin's Winged Helmet - Changed from Brave (50% less Morale loss) to Judgment Aura (at the end of this unit's turn, adjacent enemy units suffer Condemned).

Shields

• Gilded Shield
• Added +1 Defense.
• Unchanged: 30% chance to Gild melee attackers.

Mirror Shield - Increased Damage Reflection from 20% to 30%.

Noble Aegis

• Added Defense Mode “Shield Wall”: ends the turn and extends Zone of Control to all adjacent hexes, grants bonus Defense and Resistance, immunity to Flanking, and bonus Defense to adjacent friendly units.
• Added +5 Hit Points.
• Removed the Noble Aegis aura (adjacent allies gain bonus Defense and Resistance).

Frost Shield - Changed from Frost Shield (4 Frost Damage to melee-range attackers) to Lesser Frost Shield (6 Frost Damage to melee attackers that hit).

Weapons

• Lightning Sword
• Added a 60% chance to inflict Electrified for 3 turns on attacks.
• Changed Damage from 7 Physical and 7 Lightning to 12 Physical and 2 Lightning.

Dwarven Hammer

• Added a 60% chance to inflict Taunted for 2 turns on Charge Strike.
• Reduced Charge Strike Damage from 26 to 24.
• Unchanged: Push Back.

Crusader's Claymore

• Added Fiend Slayer: base attacks deal +40% damage to Fiend units.
• Added Undead Slayer: base attacks deal +40% damage to Undead units.
• Changed Charge Strike Damage from 13 Physical and 12 Spirit to 14 Physical and 10 Spirit.

Green Lance

• Poisoned chance on Charge Strike - Increased from 60% to 90%.
• Added a 90% chance to inflict Decaying for 3 turns on Charge Strike.
• Added a 90% chance to inflict Status Vulnerability for 3 turns on Charge Strike.
• Reduced Charge Strike Physical Damage from 15 to 13.
• Unchanged: 12 Blight damage.

Excessive Force

• Added Push Back: target is pushed back by 1 hex.
• Unchanged: 60% chance to Stun on Heavy Charge Strike.

Lifedrinker

• Added a 60% chance to inflict Bleeding for 3 turns on attacks.
• Unchanged: Life Steal (attacks heal 5 Temporary Hit Points).

The Avenger

• Added: when a friendly unit dies, this unit gains Strengthened for 3 turns, Fortune for 3 turns and Hastened for 1 turn.
• Removed +1 Retaliation Attack and +40% damage on Retaliation Attacks.
• Reduced Melee Strike Damage from 16 to 14.

Kingsblade

• Added One for All: adjacent friendly units gain +20% damage.
• Added All for One: at the start of combat, this unit gains bonus Defense and Resistance for each adjacent friendly unit.
• Removed Honor Guard (adjacent friendly units gain Stalwart and bonus damage).
• Unchanged: 18 Melee Strike damage.

Data

• Added scaling of City income based on the owning side's attributes.
• Added a modder-adjustable setting for the maximum number of Form Traits that can be picked.

Scripting

• Added script functions for child sides, including stack encounter events on child-side stacks.
• Added script function Sector.HasProperty.
• Added script functions for adding and removing sector features.
• Added a script function for finding the highest number in a variable list.
• Added a script function for counting the sectors a player owns.
• Added a script function for resetting unit pools on the UnitSpawner.
• Added script function Player.GenerateCallToArms.
• Added script functions for creating pickups and markers that return to the caller.
• Changed Spawner components to detect when the marker they are attached to is destroyed.
• Changed Player and Side script variable names to be unique.
• Changed the script system to treat base properties as an actual type, with macros to help handle properties in Happenings.
• Changed story flow quest actor targeting so that script conditions can be used.
• Fixed an issue where the RemoveTrait script call would not remove governor traits from a Hero or Ruler.

Tools

• TriggerEd
• Added inline editing.
• Added item duplication.
• Added copy-paste of parameters.
• Added a search bar.
• Added new shortcuts.
• Added tooltips and a help dialog.
• Updated usability and layout in many places.

LevelEd: Added painting with both mouse buttons, each configurable separately.

ResEd

• Changed Find and Replace to focus on the Find text field first.
• Changed the Texture Atlas view so it no longer squashes the property editor.

Rig Modifier editor

• Added Euler Offset importing.
• Changed rotation orders to be applied correctly.
• Changed locked bones to remember their transformation across reimports.

• Added clearer error messages for a variety of connection issues.
• Session browser
• Added pagination.
• Added a count of how many sessions are visible out of the total.
• Changed the session list to be capped, with tuned page limits.

Added silent reconnection to online services after a dropped connection.

Changed large game states to be uploaded to the multiplayer server in chunks, fixing failures when creating or updating a game with a large save.

Added automatic retries for turn uploads that fail.

Fixed an issue where items and rewards would be re-added to Multiplayer Sessions upon rejoining the session.

Fixed an issue where forged and reward Hero items would be overwritten by Pantheon items in multiplayer.

Fixed an issue where the last player(s) in the turn order would not receive the victory or defeat screen.

Fixed an issue where an army's combat power could be calculated from the wrong player's perspective.

Fixed out-of-sync errors that could occur:

• after a player was defeated, when reloading a save or hot-joining.
• when the AI changed its trade priorities.
• when a unit's visual marker was of the wrong type.
• when the terrain under a unit changed.
• when a unit died without properly updating its morale log.
• when a dead Hero that had been moved to the prison was revived without refreshing its morale state.
• when an Ancient Wonder spawned in a sector containing the Misty feature.
• when meeting another player.
• when a unit finished moving.
• when a unit gained a permanent property.
• when a unit was created in a sector with certain sector properties.
• due to unit evolution targets.
• when Heroes were re-validated after a content change.
• during map generation.
• in combat, due to tactical obstacles that move with the waves.

• Ascension Trait “Cryomancer”
• Changed Inflicted Status Effect from Slowed to Chilled.
• Tooltip - Added the base chance to inflict it.

Ascension Trait “Blood Pest”

• Renamed to “Blood Host”.
• Added a 60% chance to inflict Blood Parasite on attacks.

• Changed Unit Enchantments to always be offered as research options. Previously, a Unit Enchantment was only offered if you owned a unit it could be applied to.
• Artifact “Soulcursed Cauldron” - Increased the XP its Soulcurse of Gluttony effect grants when a Tier 5 spell is cast from 18 to 180, to match the XP rework from the Rise from Ruin update.

• World Spell “Pall of Gloom” - Changed from dealing 10 Frost and 10 Blight damage to enemy units to reducing their Blight and Frost Protection by 1.
• World Map Spell “Desecration Ritual”

• Reduced Casting Point Cost from 280 to 220.
• Changed Sunless terraforming from permanent to expiring after 3 turns (as with Pall of Darkness).

Astral

• Tome of the Tentacle
• Unit Enchantment “Constricting Focus”
• Removed the increased Constricted chance against Marked or Slowed units (from 30% to 60% for repeating attacks, from 60% to 90% for single attacks).
• Added Status Vulnerability to the target when the Constricted check is resisted.

Unit “Tentacle” (from Summon Spell “Conjure Tentacle”) - Changed Constricting from an increased chance against Marked or Slowed units to inflicting Status Vulnerability when the Constricted check is resisted.

Tome of Warding

• Unit Enchantment “Static Shield”
• Changed from a Combat Spell (10 Casting Points, buffing a target unit and one other within 3 hexes for 2 turns) to a Unit Enchantment granting melee units the Static Shield effect when they enter Defense Mode.
• Reduced stun chance against melee attackers from 60% to 30%.

Tome of the Stormborne

• Major Race Transformation “Naga Transformation” - Added the Merfolk unit type (Amphibious, plus extra speed and damage while in water).
• Unit “Stormbringer”
• Increased Storm Strikes Damage from 15 to 16.
• Added Electrified on the secondary targets of Storm Strikes.

Sustained City Spell “Bounty of the Sea” - Removed the -10 City Stability penalty.

World Spell “Downpour” - Added neighboring provinces to the area of effect.

City Structure “Stormport”

• Reduced Cost from 280 Gold / 750 Production to 140 Gold / 375 Production.
• Reduced base income from +12 Mana to +10 Mana.
• Removed the +4 Mana / +3 Gold bonus per Stormport built in your empire.
• Added +2 Mana and +1 Gold for each water province a City's Trade Routes pass through.
• Description - Updated to state the correct values: 10 Mana, plus 2 Mana and 1 Gold per water province travelled through by Trade Routes.

Sustained Spell “Lightning Storm” - Increased Lightning Damage from 20 to 30.

Tome of the Archmage

• Unit Enchantment “Cosmic Overdrive”
• Added a 1-turn reduction to the duration of negative status effects (minimum 1).
• Changed Very Fast Movement to only affect non-Mythical Magic Origin units.
• Changed the affected units to Ethereal, Elemental, Merfolk, Umbral Demon, Fey and Magic Origin units.
• Removed the separate combat summons listing, as combat summons already count as Magic Origin units.

World Spell “Astral Travel” - Reduced Cost from 200 Mana / 200 Casting Points to 100 Mana / 100 Casting Points.

Chaos

• Tome of Mayhem
• Siege Project “Sow Confusion”
• Increased displacement from 4 hexes to 5 hexes.
• Changed the status applied at the start of battle from Slowed to Immobilized.

Tome of Revelry

• Minor Race Transformation “Reveler's Heart” - Added +10% damage on Melee, Magic and Missile attacks while the unit has High Morale.
• Unit “Skald”
• Increased Combat Speed from 4 to 5.
• Increased Heat of the Revel Insanity chance from 40% to 60%.
• Added Haste for 3 turns to Song of Carnage.
• Changed Song of Revelry from granting 2 Regeneration to healing 20 HP.
• Changed Champion Song of Revelry from granting 3 Regeneration to healing 30 HP.

Special Province Improvement “Carnival of Flesh”

• Changed base yield from +7 Food, +7 Draft to +5 Food, +5 City Stability, +5 Draft.
• Changed yield per adjacent Farm from +3 Food, +3 Draft to +3 Food, +3 City Stability, +3 Draft.

Tome of Calamity

• Terraforming Spell “Desecrate Land” - Increased Cost from 60 Mana / 60 Casting Points to 80 Mana / 80 Casting Points.

Tome of Chaos Channeling

• Summon Spell “Golden Horde” - Added Champion rank to summoned units.

Tome of the Crimson Reign

• Unit “Blood Exarch” - Added the Polearm passive.

Materium

• Tome of Discipline
• Unit “Monk”
• Added the Magic Fighter unit type.
• Changed Meditate from unusable while engaged to usable while engaged by the enemy.

Tome of Rock

• Unit “Gargoyle”
• Reduced Defense from 4 to 3.
• Increased Resistance from 0 to 1.
• Reduced Physical Damage Reduction from 3 to 2.
• Reduced Spirit Weakness from 6 to 4.

Tome of the Sand Stalkers

• Terraforming Spell “Desertification” - Increased Cost from 45 Mana / 45 Casting Points to 80 Mana / 80 Casting Points.

Tome of Geomancy

• Major Race Transformation “Geomantic Crystallization” - Changed from granting +2 terrain-based attack damage to dealing 3 terrain-based damage to melee attackers.
• Unit Enchantment “Frost Resonant Blades” - Changed from a 30% chance to inflict Slowed to a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.
• Unit “Geomancer” (on cold terrain)
• Changed Terra Bolts from a 60% chance to inflict Slowed to a 90% chance to inflict Chilled.
• Changed Geo Surge from a chance to inflict Frozen to inflicting 2 Chilled.

City Structure “Hall of Geomantic Resonance”

• Changed the yield from Sand provinces from Mana to Gold.
• Added Water provinces, which grant Mana.

Nature

• Tome of Roots
• Unit “Entwined Thrall” - Increased HP from 55 to 65.

Tome of Fertility

• Terraforming Spell “Restore the Land”
• Added enemy provinces as valid targets (previously friendly or unowned provinces only).
• Increased Cost from 45 Mana / 45 Casting Points to 80 Mana / 80 Casting Points.

Tome Passive - Added +1 City Stability per Grassland province in a city's domain.

Tome of Glades

• Unit “Glade Runner”
• Added Swift.
• Increased Tracker's Mark Range from 6 to 7.
• Changed Tracker's Mark from inflicting 2 Marked and Sundered Defense to 2 Marked, 1 Sundered Defense and 1 Sundered Resistance.
• Added the Hidden Hunter passive (+20% damage and accuracy while obscured).

Unit “Entwined Protector”

• Increased HP from 100 to 110.
• Increased Healing Sap Healing from 20 HP to 30 HP.
• Added flora obstacle spawning to Healing Sap.

Terraforming Spell “Create Forest” - Increased Cost from 45 Mana / 45 Casting Points to 80 Mana / 80 Casting Points.

Special Province Improvement “Sacred Meadow”

• Changed base yield from +10 Food to +10 Food and +10 City Stability.
• Changed yield per adjacent Conduit from +5 City Stability to +5 Food and +5 City Stability.

Tome Passive - Added +1 City Stability per Forest or Mushroom Forest province in a city's domain.

Tome of Nature's Wrath

• Unit “Horned God” - Added Spider, Merfolk and Dragon units to Shepherd of the Wilds (previously Fey, Animal and Plant units).

Tome of Paradise

• Major Race Transformation “Gaia's Chosen” - Added a 1-turn reduction to the duration of negative status effects.
• Terraforming Spell “Enchanted Bloom” - Increased provinces transformed per turn from 1 to 2.

Tome of the Goddess of Nature

• Unit Enchantment “Force of Nature” - Changed affected unit type from Naga to Merfolk (Naga now count as Merfolk).

Order

• Tome of the Inquisition
• Unit Enchantment “Inquisitor's Mark”
• Added Battlemage and Support units to the affected units.
• Increased chance to inflict Condemned and Weakened from 60% to 90%.

Shadow

• Tome of Cryomancy
• Unit Enchantment “Frost Arrows” - Changed from a 60% chance to inflict Slowed to a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.
• Unit Enchantment “Frost Blades”
• Renamed to “Frost Infusion”.
• Added Magic Fighters to the affected units.
• Changed bonus damage targets from Frozen and Slowed units to Frozen and Chilled units.

Unit “White Witch”

• Added a 60% chance to inflict Chilled to Frost Bolts.
• Changed Freezing Blast to a 1-hex radius ability that inflicts Chilled on units at the edge of the area.
• Increased Freezing Blast Damage from 14 to 20.
• Reduced Freezing Blast Frozen Chance from 90% to 60%.

Enemy Army Spell “Blizzard” - Changed from applying -3 Status Resistance to removing 1 Frost Protection.

Special Province Improvement “School of Cryomancy” - Reduced Knowledge Income from 10 to 8.

Tome of the Cold Dark

• Minor Race Transformation “Frostling Transformation”
• Changed status immunity from Frozen to Chilled.
• Added Arctic Camouflage.

Replaced Friendly Army Spell “Veil of Darkness” with Unit Enchantment “Nightveil Focus” (Battlemage, Magic Fighter and Support units):

• Grants +2 Frost damage.
• Grants a 60% chance to inflict Blinded.
• Grants Universal Camouflage.

Terraforming Spell “Flash Freeze”

• Removed the 20 Frost damage.
• Reduced the Status Resistance penalty from -5 to -2.
• Added -2 Frost Protection.
• Reduced Cost from 100 Mana / 100 Casting Points to 80 Mana / 80 Casting Points.

Replaced Summon Spell “Summon Snow Spirit” with Summon Spell “Summon Frost Giant”.

Special Province Improvement “Frostspire”

• Removed Icetouch for visiting units.
• Added drafting of various frost-themed units up to Tier 3.

Tome of the Weaver

• Major Race Transformation “Spider's Embrace”
• Added +10 HP.
• Changed the Immobilize chance from applying to base attacks only to all attacks.

General

• Added the ability for unit properties that capture units to restore the HP of the captured unit.
• Changed the frost-themed wildlife below to inflict the new Chilled status effect (see Combat) instead of Slowed and Frozen.

Spiders

• Unit Type “Spider” - Added Cave Walk and Forest Walk.
• Unit “Ice Spider”
• Magic Strike - Added a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.
• Replaced Frozen Web with ability “Chilling Web”:
• Removed the 30% chance to inflict Frozen.
• Added a 90% chance to inflict Chilled.

Unit “Ice Spider Matriarch”

• Magic Strike
• Removed the 60% chance to inflict Slowed.
• Added a 90% chance to inflict Chilled.

Canines

• Unit “White Wolf”
• Increased HP from 120 to 130.

Wyverns & Dragons

• Unit “Young Frost Dragon”
• Melee Strike - Changed from a 60% chance to inflict Slowed to a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.

Unit “Frost Dragon”

• Melee Strike - Changed from inflicting Slowed to inflicting Chilled.
• Frost Breath - Added Chilled, in addition to its 60% chance to inflict Frozen.
• Frost Aura - Changed from a 90% chance to inflict Slowed to always inflicting Chilled.

Unit “Frost Wyvern”

• Magic Strike - Changed from a 60% chance to inflict Slowed to a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.
• Hindering Burst
• Renamed to Chilling Burst.
• Changed from Slowed for 2 turns to 1 Chilled.

Spirits

• Unit “Lesser Tide Spirit”
• Increased Combat Speed from 4 to 5.
• Added Slippery and Swift.

Unit “Tide Spirit”

• Increased Combat Speed from 4 to 5.
• Added Slippery and Swift.
• Tidal Wave
• Changed from a Full Action to a Single Action.
• Reduced Cone from 4 to 2 hexes.

Unit “Lesser Snow Spirit”

• Frezing Burst
• Renamed to Chilling Burst.
• Changed from a 30% chance to inflict Frozen to inflicting 1 Chilled.
• Reduced Cooldown from 2 to 1 turn.

Magic Strike - Added a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.

Unit “Snow Spirit”

• Freezing Burst
• Renamed to Chilling Burst.
• Changed from a 90% chance to inflict Frozen to inflicting 2 Chilled.
• Reduced Cooldown from 2 to 1 turn.

Chilling Phase - Changed from a 90% chance to inflict Slowed to inflicting 1 Chilled.

Magic Strike - Added a 90% chance to inflict Chilled.

Fey

• Unit “Winter Fairy”
• Frost Bolts - Added a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.
• Hindering Blizzard
• Reduced Slowed Chance from 90% to 60%.
• Added a 60% chance to inflict Chilled.

(Demi) Giants

• Unit “Brewer Ogre”
• Frigid Belch (unlocked via Drink!) - Changed to inflict 2 Chilled.

Loxodonta

• Unit “Primal Mammoth”
• Charge Strike - Changed to inflict 2 Chilled.

Rally of the Lieges

• Unit “Entwined Scourge” - Reduced Cost from Tier 4 High to Tier 4 Medium.
• Unit “Accursed Trickster” - Reduced Cost from Tier 4 High to Tier 4 Medium.
• Unit “Sun Guardian” - Reduced Cost from Tier 5 High to Tier 4 High.
• Unit “Moon Guardian” - Reduced Cost from Tier 5 High to Tier 4 High.
• Unit “Phantasm Warrior” - Reduced Cost from Tier 2 Medium to Tier 1 Medium.
• Unit “Bone Dragon” - Reduced Cost from Tier 5 Souls to Tier 4 Souls.

• Changed Shops to only spawn on the Surface and Underground layers.
• Changed Bandit Infestation strength to be in line with other spawners.
• Changed Infestations created by Events and Spells from spawning dormant to spawning awake.
• Reduced the chance for a full stack of mind-controlling units to spawn as defenders on a Silvertongue Magic Material.
• Updated the Umbral Abyss patrol spawns.
• Changed Victory Structure pillage operations to require the army to remain present for the full duration.
• Changed Infestation borders to be shown as soon as part of the area has been explored, instead of only after it is fully explored.
• Ancient Wonder “Lava Prison” - Increased how often it appears.
• Story Realm “The Azh'Ruun Pit” - Increased the level of the unique quest reward units (Immolated Soul / Stockade of Sinners) to make the reward more worthwhile.

Crash Fixes & Hangs

• Fixed a Crash that could occur when a property had a broken resource link.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur when a Form customization category was unavailable, for instance due to missing DLC.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur when the interface was shown before a faction's UI styling had loaded.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur when reloading a saved game after unit customization content had changed.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur at the end of a game when reloading a save or entering the Ascension screen.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur when a unique quest unit (Immolated Soul / Stockade of Sinners) respawned in Secrets of the Archmages, Story Realm 2.
• Fixed an issue where the AI could hang when a unit was given a movement path that could not actually be traversed that turn.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur when closing a window caused another window to open.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur when exploring a structure with no inhabitants.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur when a structure no longer had a valid resource.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur in the Shrouded Gate event due to a broken item resource.
• Fixed a Crash that could occur on end turn when the game failed to find a location for a new Quest.
• Fixed an issue where Fey Fissures and Shrouded Gates would not be marked as explored after their fight, causing a crash when exploring them again.
• Fixed an issue where the game would hang when exiting a game.
• Fixed an issue where the game would hang when it repeatedly failed to generate an item.
• Fixed an issue where Item Reward Notifications would still appear after the game had ended, blocking the return to the Pantheon.

AI

• Fixed an issue where AI armies would keep holding on to a target they could no longer move towards.
• Fixed an issue where AI armies would gather at one of their Outposts and then do nothing.

Art

• Rulers & Outfits
• Fixed an issue where male Owlkin Rulers would float above the ground.
• Fixed an issue where Ruler outfit skirts would stretch forward and reveal the Ruler when exploring an Ancient Wonder while mounted.
• Fixed an issue where the Vampire Lord dress had clipping and deformation issues, including a visible stray piece of geometry and finger clipping on the hybrid variant.
• Fixed an issue where the Godir outfit would clip on the Pyre Templar.
• Fixed an issue where most units would have their capes misplaced when affected by the Spider's Embrace Major Race Transformation.
• Fixed an issue where a Dark culture cape had clipping issues.
• Fixed an issue where the Warlord's cape would bob up and down.
• Fixed an issue where a spider cape would clip through the body.
• Fixed an issue where a Vampire ruler with Fractured Transformation and the Ancient of Earth skill would be missing their feet.
• Fixed an issue where an Ascended ruler would not show the Reveler's Heart minor transformation in Faction Creation and the Pantheon.
• Fixed an issue where Primal Zombies would wear the wrong outfit.

Forms & Rigs

• Fixed an issue where female Molekin and Ratkin models had deformation issues.
• Fixed an issue where the female Hare had a broken neck mesh and Hare heads would clip.
• Fixed an issue where Lizardfolk heads would look slightly cross-eyed, and where the Lizardfolk Eyebrow customization option would look wrong when zoomed out.
• Fixed an issue where lupine and goat ears had animation issues.
• Fixed an issue where several forms and units would blink incorrectly, including half blinks and only a single eye blinking.
• Fixed an issue where Hare Rulers and Heroes could grow human beards.
• Fixed an issue where Avian feathers would be rendered single-sided and disappear when viewed from behind.

Customization

• Fixed an issue where selecting a form, entering customization and then switching to another form would mix the two forms' customization items together.
• Fixed an issue where Owlkin helmets would show the hairstyle, crest and eyebrows through the helmet.
• Fixed an issue where an extra hat would show underneath the Crown.
• Fixed an issue where Godir crowns would be missing their circlet rings.
• Fixed an issue where the Vampire Elder customization option would not show Cat Ears.
• Fixed an issue where female Elysian ear feathers 4 and 5 would clip through each other.
• Fixed an issue where Ogre horns would display incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where the head top orientation would be off for female forms.

Units & Animations

• Fixed an issue where the Accursed Ogre had animation issues.
• Fixed an issue where the Nomad Champion's turn animation would play incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where an Architect unit had a texture issue.
• Fixed an issue where the Mystic Projection unit's outfit would show a broken model when the unit was dead.
• Fixed an issue where disbanded units would play their death animation.
• Fixed an issue where the Goretusk Matriarch was missing its attack and corpse-eating animations.
• Fixed an issue where the Direcaster was missing its ranged/spellcasting attack animation.
• Fixed an issue where Vampiric Flight animations would play incorrectly on Magic Fighter units.

Mounts

• Fixed an issue where units riding camels would have floating or missing reins.
• Fixed an issue where the Weaver Spider mount would make the hero appear small in the Hero screen compared to other spider mounts.
• Fixed an issue where the colour of a Ruler's mount would change with the “Armor Color” setting.
• Fixed an issue where units on Scorpion Mounts would float above their mount.

Weapons & Projectiles

• Fixed an issue where weapons would snap incorrectly on polearm units with the Naga, Gloomstrider, or Sharktail Transformation.
• Fixed an issue where crossbow and rifle aiming and attachment were incorrect on various unit forms.
• Fixed an issue where the crossbow projectile visual was incorrect and the Ranger's Scatter Shot and Power Shot projectiles had ill-fitting visual effects.
• Fixed an issue where the projectile of the Inquisitor's Shoot Crossbow and Bolt of Judgement abilities would appear from the unit's sword.
• Fixed an issue where the Fire Heavy Magelock projectile was missing its muzzle flash and firing sound.

Visual Effects & Textures

• Fixed an issue where the Fire Eye Happening visual would appear on unit panels and custom icon backgrounds, and adjusted its position on Monster units.

Audio

• Fixed an issue where the Axe & Breachgun would be missing a firing sound when using Fire Breachgun.

Combat

• Fixed an issue where unit auto-cast spells would only trigger for the first player in turn order.
• Fixed an issue where Leaders summoned during combat would incorrectly count as real Leaders.
• Fixed an issue where Grasping Vines would be applied for the wrong number of turns.
• Fixed an issue where Astral Pull and Weaver's Retreat were incorrectly treated as Teleport abilities, subjecting them to Teleport restrictions.
• Fixed an issue where Deathwaltz would not heal the target for 100% of its health.
• Fixed an issue where Gravemarch, when combined with Keeper's Mark, would summon units directly instead of spawning corpses.
• Fixed an issue where the turn could end while an auto combat was still being resolved.
• Fixed an issue where a unit's innate damage reduction and damage channel weaknesses and resistances would not be applied in damage calculations.
• Fixed an issue where unit tombstones would rise out of the ground again every time the turn changed in hotseat manual combat.

Combat Maps

• Fixed an issue where the green targeting marker for corpses would sometimes not appear.
• Fixed an issue where a section of stone bridge in the Umbral Tear combat map could not be walked on.
• Fixed an issue where Spawn Points of Infestation would load a land battle map instead of an ocean one, or vice versa, depending on their theme or overlay.
• Fixed an issue where Underground Passages would load a land battle map when placed on water overlays or themes.

Cultures

• Fixed an issue where the Mystic Culture would start with 5 units instead of 4.
• Fixed an issue where capturing and losing Spirit Dens would not always count toward the Primal culture quest objective. Losing a Den after the objective is completed no longer un-completes it.

Diplomacy

• Fixed an issue where the Silver Tongued Society Trait would not discount the Imperium cost of House trade treaties.
• Fixed an issue where House treaties would display a cost when they are free; the cost breakdown is now shown only in the tooltip.
• Fixed an issue where Corrupt Pact could be cast on a Free City you are at war with.
• Fixed an issue where vassal Free Cities protected by spell jammers could still be targeted with Corrupt Pact.
• Fixed an issue where taking over a Free City would not cancel a Corrupt Pact cast on it by another Ruler.

Dwellings & Free Cities

• Fixed an issue where relations with Free Cities and Dwellings would advance to the next diplomatic state even when progress toward that state was not allowed.
• Fixed an issue where independent factions' territorial missions would target armies they were not at war with, caused by one-sided war states.
• Fixed an issue where Rally of the Lieges for Dwellings would be wrongly limited by tier.

Economy

• Fixed an issue where resource-sharing operations would not stop when the city being shared with was absorbed by another city.

Empire

• Fixed an issue where combat summons such as Astral Reflection copies would be revivable with Unnatural Recovery after combat, allowing permanent copies of units.
• Nature
• Skill 10 “Druidic Empire” - Fixed an issue where it would grant +1 Knowledge, Mana and Gold per Population to Outposts; it now only affects Cities, as its description states.

Order

• Skill 3 “Spiritual Conviction” - Fixed an issue where it would grant +10 Mana per City Stability above Neutral to Outposts; it now only affects Cities, as its description states.

Events

• Fixed an issue where Kill Unit objectives would not complete when the target was defeated by another player.
• Fixed an issue where manually spawned events belonging to a Crisis would not use the Crisis event layout.
• Fixed an issue where the Umbral Dwelling's Boost Allegiance event was not linked.
• Fixed an issue where the Cosmic Happenings “Asteroid” outro event would not trigger.
• Fixed an issue where a Mystic Seer story event contained a grammar error.
• Fixed an issue where some exploration site events (Empires & Ashes) would be missing Hero names.

Factions

• Fixed an issue where the Reaver subculture would only apply to the Ruler, not their faction, for Fauster, Edward, and Valery.
• Fixed an issue where mount customization options in Faction Creation were sorted incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where an Owlkin outfit had an incorrect unlock requirement.
• Fixed an issue where customization item option lists could contain duplicate entries.

General

• Fixed an issue where the Infinite Potential achievement would not trigger for players without Rise from Ruin.

Heroes

• Fixed an issue where summoned Heroes would incorrectly be marked as stack leaders.
• Unit “Elder Vampire”
• Fixed an issue where Vampire Rulers could incorrectly gain Transformations through Ascension.
• Fixed an issue where Siphon Blood and Draining Bite would be unusable.
• Fixed an issue where Nightlord would not always be active on the Umbral Abyss and Shadow realm layers.
• Fixed an issue where Vampiric Flight would have the wrong value.

Interface

• Fixed an issue where some UI icons and images would fail to display after playing for a while, and icons would be shown at different zoom levels.
• Fixed an issue where the number of research turns remaining would be displayed inconsistently between screens.
• Fixed an issue where production queue timers for units would show the wrong number of turns.
• Fixed an issue where the Outpost name prefix would appear in the wrong position.
• Fixed an issue where overview map icons for Ancient Wonders from the base game, Giant Kings, and Thrones of Blood, and for the Crystal Forest, had incorrect sizes.
• Fixed an issue where the Hero Customization screen would not respect visibility settings.
• Fixed an issue where the Combat Preview screen would not close when another event was selected.
• Fixed an issue where the Appearance settings would offer mount appearance options that are blocked for that Ruler.
• Fixed an issue where the starting loadout Grimoire items had incorrect icons.
• Fixed an issue where Sector Improvement tooltips would show requirement and cost elements when there are none.
• Fixed an issue where the tactical combat top bar would show a dark rectangle sticking out when it expanded to fit additional resources.
• Fixed an issue where the UI would not generate previews for “Target Self” abilities.
• Fixed an issue where a tooltip error would occur when checking whether a relation can be boosted.
• Fixed an issue where controller button glyphs would not update when switching input devices.
• Fixed an issue where a map overlay was missing its color on the overview map.
• Fixed an issue where the quest objective icon on the minimap would not update when the objective's target moved.
• Fixed an issue where a ruined Blood Glass node would use the icon of an intact node on the overview map.
• Fixed an issue where structure and district markers would render beneath domain borders.
• Added a scrollbar to the House interaction buttons for when they do not all fit on screen (mainly at the largest interface scale).
• Fixed an issue where combat damage previews would predict far more damage than was actually dealt. Previews no longer include the effects of damage response properties (such as Vengeful Flames) and damage reflection.
• Fixed an issue where story event choices would not preview that losing allegiance would drop a Free City or Dwelling to a lower diplomatic state.

Text & Descriptions

• Fixed an issue where the Teleport ability requirement had an incorrect description.
• Updated the Umbral Flesh description to mention that it also affects Outposts.
• Updated the Seekers of Wonders description: Outposts are included in the free annexation, but not in the extra income.
• Fixed an issue where Spellblade did not mention its use of Ranged Weapons.
• Fixed an issue where Large Target incorrectly stated that units were immune to displacement and knockback effects.
• Fixed an issue where the Umbral Mistress's Gratitude ability description said it bypasses Defense; it now says unblockable damage.
• Fixed an issue where the Goldseeker Pickaxe's Gilded effect description was missing a link to Turns and stated it lasts 1 turn instead of 2.
• Removed an obsolete reference to Very Fast Movement from Advanced Logistics.
• Fixed an issue where the Temple of the Exalted incorrectly stated that its governor bonus would be doubled in the city it was built in.
• Fixed an issue where the Nautical Governor description did not specify Ocean and Underground water provinces.
• Fixed an issue where the Watchtower City Upgrade tooltip would show wrong values.
• Fixed an issue where the Healing Spires City Upgrade was missing hyperlinks and a description.
• Updated the Shrouded Isle layer description to note that it cannot be terraformed.
• Fixed an issue where Mana Starved's description contained a text error.
• Fixed an issue where the Empire Development skill descriptions and tooltips contained multiple minor typos.
• Fixed an issue where the defeat message when defeated by raiders had a plural grammar error.
• Fixed an issue where the “Draft Blocked”, “Growth Blocked” and “Production Blocked” tooltips would always say “turns”, even with 1 turn remaining.
• Fixed an issue where the Pall of Gloom (Umbral Disciples Society Trait, Eldritch Realms) description would be missing values.
• Fixed an issue where the Tome of the Crimson Reign (Thrones of Blood) description would be cut short while researching the Tome.
• Fixed an issue where the Cosmic Affinity skill tooltips would show broken text inserts.
• Fixed an issue where Focus Crystal would state +10% Combat Experience in the magic material panel instead of the correct 20%.
• Fixed an issue where Istarnech's heroes would have untranslated names in the Azh'ruun Pit.
• Fixed various translation issues in Spanish, Korean, Polish and Russian.

Item Forge & Equipment

• Fixed an issue where hero items would display the wrong damage value in the UI.

Modding

• Fixed an issue where realm info would not correctly report whether a realm is modded.

Pantheon

• Fixed an issue where the Conquerors and City Conquest Pantheon unlocks would trigger when migrating your own city.

Performance

• Fixed an issue where opening the unit panel would be slow and its animations would start late.

Spells

• Fixed an issue where the Move Portal action would take away a spell slot when cancelled; special operations not shown in the Spellbook no longer take up slots.
• Fixed an issue where the Spell Discount Backfire effect would also apply to other operations.
• Fixed an issue where summoning spells could still summon units onto hexes adjacent to an occupied city.
• Fixed an issue where spell targeting was only cancelled when pressing Cancel; closing the spell screen in any other way now also cancels it.
• Fixed an issue where World Spell “Pall of Gloom” could not be cast on Surface provinces that include Ocean, Lava, Astral Barrens or Umbral terrain hexes.
• Fixed an issue where World Spell “Desecration Ritual” could not be cast on Surface provinces that include Ocean, Lava, Astral Barrens or Umbral terrain hexes.

Story Realms

• Secrets of the Archmages
• Fixed an issue where the Crisis of Carnage event would not reward the correct resources in Story Realm 2.
• Fixed an issue in Story Realm 2 where “weekend” was written instead of “weakened”.

Thrones of Blood

• Fixed an issue where certain quests in Story Realm 1 could still trigger when you were not eligible for them.
• Fixed an issue where the Emperor NPC was unable to explore their starting area in Story Realm 1.

Archon Prophecy

• Fixed an issue where the second Archon Prophecy Story Realm was missing its content filters.

Tomes

• Astral
• Tome of the Tentacle
• Fixed an issue where Tendril Labyrinth would not function in water combat.

Materium

• Tome of the Creator
• Summon Spell “Call Titan of the Earth” - Fixed an issue where it would not remove Defense Mode and retaliations from Large Target units.

Tome of the Golden Realm

• Major Race Transformation “Goldtouched” - Fixed an issue where it would grant +1 Gold per Population to Outposts; it now only affects Cities, as its description states.

Order

• Tome of Abjuration
• City Structure “Glyph Tower” - Fixed an issue where it would not grant Fortification Health when adjacent to a Research Post.

Tome of Subjugation

• Fixed an issue where Final Ultimatum would only restore the target's morale instead of Mind Controlling it, because the Strong Willed it applied immediately cancelled the Mind Control.

Units

• Unit “War Golem” - Fixed an issue where Fiery Shift would apply Burning to allies; it now only affects enemies.
• Fixed an issue where the Umbral Mistress's Wrack ability would reference a broken property.

World Map

• Fixed an issue where Subjugating Raid could be exploited to repeatedly remove population from a city.
• Fixed an issue where the Raiding Party siege project would grant two tiers' worth of resources when breaching the walls of a Tier 1 city.
• Fixed an issue where the Gold Cursed Captain would end up in prison or on the player's side after being summoned into combat.
• Fixed an issue where the Gold Cursed Captain's units would remain Undead after completing the quest.
• Fixed an issue where randomly generated Marauders could have both Demonkin and Holy Aura.
• Fixed an issue where diggable earth sectors would sometimes have a random uncovered hex.
• Fixed an issue where diggable earth could spawn on underground water hexes, covering up Underground Passages.
• Fixed an issue where players would not always start with an Underground Passage nearby.
• Fixed an issue where regions containing an Underground Passage would turn into water after generation.
• Fixed an issue where a province in the Breached Isles could not be annexed.
• Fixed an issue where the Beacon of Unity would change ownership after the raiding army was killed.
• Fixed an issue where sector claims would not refresh when sector adjacencies changed, including through teleporters.
• Fixed an issue where the Evergreen Breach Isle region used an outdated layout.
• Fixed an issue where the Searing Dungeon in the Molten Scar Fated Region would no longer spawn inhabitants.
• Fixed an issue where Terraforming “Desert”, “Arctic” and “Desolate” would not always change the affected province's terrain overlay to the new theme.
• Fixed an issue where Chitinous Growths and Monoliths in the Umbral Abyss would grant duplicate resource income after a desync.

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