Mortal Judgement has now landed, but the fun doesn’t stop here! We have a raft of balance changes and bug fixes to share based on our observations and player feedback. Read on for a more detailed breakdown, but the TL;DR is this patch will be dropping in the next couple of days.
Balance notes
This is the first round of Mortal Judgement changes after assessing post-release data and hearing player feedback. We’re expecting this expansion to go through a similar cycle as Divine Order, so this patch is the first of many as we address balance issues and bugs. Please keep providing constructive feedback!
This patch includes a sweep on Core, two tiny Divine Order changes ahead of set lock, a large pass on Mortal Judgement, and some discussion of cards we’re watching closely in the meta for the next patch.
Divine Order Cards
- Add faction tag Wild
Ring of the Siren - Mana Cost Changed (Bug Fix)
- Change mana cost from 4 to 3
From the team: This is a bug fix, returning the card to its intended mana cost.
Core Cards
Buffs
Sentient Amphora - Mana Cost Changed
- Change mana cost from 2 to 1
Triumvirate Prophet - Stats Increased, Mana Cost Changed
- Change stats from 1/2 to 2/2
- Change mana cost from 3 to 2
Crystal Rain - Text Changed
- Change text from “Deal 2 damage to each enemy creature.” to “Foresee 2. Deal 2 damage to each enemy creature. ”
From the team: There has been some discussion about why we put Crystal Rain back to 5 mana without returning its foresee in the initial Core Set Refresh balance patch. The answer is that it is easy for us to make simple stat adjustments to cards (Mana, health, strength), but text changes require rebuilding the card. When that first patch came through, we prioritised speedily tuning Magic over spending the time to rebuild the card.
Since then, we’ve reassessed Crystal Rain’s power level and believe that one extra foresee should keep this card relevant without requiring any further nerfs or buffs.
Nerfs
- Zealous March - Text Changed
Change text from “ Fill your board with 2/2 Acolytes. Each of your creatures gains protected.” to “Summon four 2/2 Acolytes with protected.”
- Vexing Vicar - Text Changed
Change text from “Frontline. Protected. Ward.” to ”Protected. Ward.”
- Witherfingers - Text Changed
Change text from “Hidden. Roar: The three strongest enemy creatures gain burn +2 and go to sleep.” to ”Roar: The three strongest enemy creatures gain burn +2 and go to sleep.”
- Arrow of Rage - Mana Cost Increased
Change mana cost from 1 to 2 - Valewarden Minotaur - Strength Decreased
Change strength from 5 to 4 - Solem Lecturer - Stats Decreased
Change stats from 4/4 to 4/3 - Arkmonian Onslaught- Text Changed
Change text from “Give each friendly Amazon+3+2 and twin strike.” to “Give each friendly Amazon +3 strength and twin strike.”
Mortal Judgement Cards
Buffs
- Scuttler Sentry - Strength increased
Change strength from 1 to 2 - City Sniper - Health increased
Change health from 1 to 2 - Encumbered Looter - Strength increased
Change strength from 1 to 2. - Pools of Nemesis - Health increased
Change health from 3 to 4. - Hero-In-Training - Strength Increased
Change strength from 1 to 2. - Bestowing Saint - Health increased.
Change health from 1 to 2.
Nerfs
- Semut, Bearer of Burdens - Text changed (Grammar Only)
Change text from “When this creature enters the board, give +1 strength to your other creatures.” to ”After this creature is summoned, give +1 strength to your other Anubians.”
From the team: This is just a grammar update, as the little (Grammar Only) indicates.
- Spritefire - Text changed
Change text from “Roar: After you play this creature, if you have 8 or more cards in hand, give it +5/+5, Frontline and Can't Attack.” to ”Roar: If you have 8 cards or more in hand, this creature gains +3+3, can't attack and frontline.”
From the team: As Spritefire is a promo card, we’re cautious of it having too high a power level. A low access card potentially being a dominant meta factor would create an unhealthy competitive environment.
- Roadside Checkpoint - Empower cost increased
Increase Empower cost from 4 to 5
From the team: We’ve increased our estimate of the value of Empower’s strategic flexibility across the board.
- Warrant Issuer - Empower cost increased
Increase Empower cost from 2 to 3
- Edict of Confinement - Text changed
Change text from “Give -2/-2 to a creature. Empower 2: Summon two 1/1 Thaeric Militants.” to ”Give -1/-2 to a creature. Empower 2: Summon two 1/1 Thaeric Militants.”
- Vengeful Surrepite - Empower cost increased
Increase Empower cost from 1 to 2
Change text from “Destroy a creature with 6 health or less. Empower 1: Add a Pharaoh's Heirloom to your hand.” to ”Give an enemy creature -4/-4. Empower 1: Add a Pharaoh's Heirloom to your hand.”
From the team: Dead King’s Touch and the Core Set card Swift Pox were designed simultaneously, but Swift Pox ended up being released first. This change makes Dead King’s Touch less of a strict power creep and more of a side-grade.
- Theoretical Thaumaturge - Text changed
Change text from
“Echo. Afterlife: Deal 3 damage to the enemy creature with the most health (ties decided randomly).” to ”Echo. Afterlife: Deal 2 damage to the enemy creature with the most health.”
- Whimsical Wizard (Echo) - Text changed
Change text from
“Soulless. Afterlife: Deal 3 damage to the enemy creature with the most health (ties decided randomly).” to ”Soulless. Afterlife: Deal 2 damage to the enemy creature with the most health.”
- Museum Infusion - Empower cost increased.
Increase Empower cost from 1 to 2
- Blade Borrower - Mana cost increased.
Change mana cost from 2 to 3.
- Odds and Ends Dealer - Text changed.
Change text from “Roar: Give +3 strength to your creatures from another domain. (Neutral creatures have no domain.).” to ”Roar: Give +3 strength to a random friendly creature from another domain.”
- Pietro, Merry Bandit - Text changed.
Change text from “Roar: Randomly summon two 1 mana creatures from another domain, then give hidden to each friendly creature.” to “Roar: Randomly summon two 1 mana War creatures, then give hidden to each friendly creature.”
From the team: The team-up of Valka and Orfeo is being honed in on a bit more with these changes to deception’s random summon cards. In the balance team, this also reduces the range of summons to provide a more consistent average result and more miniature blowout random rolls.
- Reckless Banneret - Text changed.
Change text from “Roar: Give +2/+1 to each other friendly creature. Empower 2: Give +3/+0 instead.” to ”Roar: Give +1/+1 to each other damaged friendly creature. Empower 2: Give +3/+0 instead.”
From the team: The undeniable question here is why are we nerfing a war card after this first week’s results? The answer is that we’ve had this change slated since the PTR test and can only now implement it, and the card is above the mathematical line. War will be getting some love very soon in other areas.
- Reject Dogma - Text changed.
Change text from “Draw a card. Empower 1: Deal 4 damage and obliterate a spell in your hand.” to ”Draw a card. Empower 1: Deal 2 damage and obliterate a spell in your hand.”
- Silkspite - Text changed.
Change text from “After a creature is healed & Roar: Summon a 1/1 Noxious Arachne with deadly. It then attacks a random valid target." to ”After a creature is healed & Roar: Summon a 1/1 Noxious Arachne with deadly.”
- Unannounced Arrival - Mana cost increased. Text changed.
Change mana cost from 3 to 4.
Change text from “Pick one:
- Summon a random 4 mana creature.
- Deal 1 damage to each creature.” to
“Delve a 4 mana creature, summon it, and deal 1 damage to each enemy creature.”
- Pack Succession - Text changed.
Change text from “Summon a random 5 mana Wild creature. It attacks strongest enemy creature. If your creature dies, summon that creature again.” to ”Summon a random 5 mana Wild creature. It attacks the strongest enemy creature.”
- Rollicking Lyricist - Text changed.
Change text from “Tempt fate. Roar: Randomly summon a 1 mana creature from another domain.” to ”Tempt fate. Roar: Summon a random 1 mana War creature.”
Changes
- Albino Hydra - Text changed
Change text from “Roar: Deal 6 to your opponent’s god.” to ”Roar: Deal 6 damage to the strongest enemy creature.”
- United Reinforcements - Mana cost reduced. Text changed.
Change mana cost from 5 to 3
Change text from “Give two of the following to each of your Amazon and Wild creatures:…etc.” to
”Pick Two;
• Draw an Amazon.
• Draw a Wild.
• Give +1 health to each Amazon and Wild.”
Change mana cost from 4 to 5
- Sign of Strife - Stats changed.
Change from 1/4 to 2/3.
- Goblin Rallyboss - Text changed.
Change text from “Tempt fate.
When this creature attacks, randomly summon a 1 mana creature from another domain.” to ”Tempt fate. After this creature attacks, randomly summon a 1 mana War creature.”
- Injured Sprout - Text changed (Grammar only).
Change text from “Regen 1. When this creature enters the board it takes 3 damage.” to ”Regen 1. After this creature is summoned it takes 3 damage.”
- Hibernating Ursine - Text changed (Grammar Only)
Change text from: "At the end of your turn, if this creature hasn't attacked this turn, heal it to full health.", to "At the end of your turn, fully heal this creature if it has an unused attack.",
Change text from “At the end of your turn, give +1/+1 to this creature if a card left your void during the turn.” to ”Once per turn, this creature gains +1/+1 after a creature leaves the void.”
- Shadowstep Backstabber - Text changed (Grammar Only)
Change text from “Echo. Roar: Steal 1 strength from the strongest enemy creature.” to ”Echo. Roar: This creature steals 1 strength from the strongest enemy creature.”
- Shadowstep Frontstabber (Echo) - Text changed (Grammar Only)
Change text from “Soulless. Roar: Steal 1 strength from the strongest enemy creature.” to ”Soulless. Roar: This creature steals 1 strength from the strongest enemy creature.”
Actively assessing
This patch is the first of the Mortal Judgement cycle. In the interest of being transparent and letting you see where we’re focusing our attention, we’ve also attached a list of cards that we’re watching and the level of attention we’re giving them:
- Alastrina, Prime Refractor - Critical.
- Armory Heist - Critical.
- Riverjumper Captain - Critical.
- Ecclesiastic Encourager - Watching.
- Dagan, the Dawn Wolf - Watching.
- Lethargy Mage - High concern.
Bugs
You can follow along with our Known Issues at any time, but here's a list of some of the bugs we are planning to squash in this coming patch. None in any particular order:
- Cunning Challenger: Should now have the Tempt Fate keyword while on the board if played as Empowered.
- Contract Broker: If a Rogue Skulker is sent to the void when summoned due to a full board, it will no longer attack from the void.
- Mutual Hatred: Now correctly triggers Neferu's Khopesh effect, giving it +1 durability.
- Lucky Devil: No longer destroys every creature that attacks simultaneously. (Like from the effect from Over the Line)
- The Fox’s Venture: Tempt Fate screen no longer interrupts cards with multiple delves. (Like when it’s applied to Jason)
- Bestowing Saints: No longer heal the same damaged creature while multiple Bestowing Saints are on the board.
- Nivos, Probing Archeologists: VFX for multiple instances of 3 damage on the god no longer overlap.
- Sanctum Guardian: Correctly gains +1 health now.
- Odessa, Knight Arbiter: No longer expends player mana into the negative, which in some scenarios would result in the player not refreshing mana properly when Archimea, Arithmancer is also on the board.
- Ekrileth, Spawn of Pendroleth: Now resolves correctly from the opponent’s perspective.
- City Planner: The City Wall cards summoned now have the Structure tribe.
- Sarcophagus: Can no longer summon itself from the void if its afterlife is triggered from cards like Sand Scorpion.
- Selfless Protector: No longer pulls multiple creatures to the board that were destroyed simultaneously.
- Tomb Priest: Can now pull itself from the void to the board if its afterlife is triggered from cards like Sand Scorpion.
- Helios Guardian: Afterlife now correctly gives +2 health.
- Spellwrought Angel: Now gains buffs when targeted by friendly Pick One (and two etc.) spells.
- Spritefire: Now resolves correctly for the opponent.
- Moramag, Bane of Black: Now resolves correctly for the opponent.
- Land of the Dead: Now resolves correctly for the opponent.
Grammar Fixes to:
- Unannounced Arrival
- Dead King's Touch
- Shadowstep Frontstabber
- Shadowstep Backstabber
Updated card art:
- Shadowstep Frontstabber
- Shadowstep Backstabber
As always, please feel free to share your constructive feedback on Discord!
EDIT: We originally included a callout to a text edit of Barksworn Hunter. That change was included in error, and will not be coming to this patch. We've gone back to the drawing board with this card and we will let you know when we have more to share regarding changes on this one. Apologies for the miscommunication!
