S27 PTR – Unit Balance Adjustments

Following their recent buff, we're trading some combo length for a massive boost in agility. Expect smoother attack recoveries and longer invincibility frames to keep them in the fight.

• Max thrusts during [Run 'Em Through]: 3 2.
• [Run 'Em Through] invincibility duration: 1s 1.6s.
• Shortened the recovery animation for each stage of [Run 'Em Through].
• Shortened the recovery animation for the first attack of [Bash & Thrust].
• Fixed an issue where free attacks would occasionally fail to lock onto enemies.

Raw stats alone aren't enough to keep Zweihanders alive in messy fights. To help them withstand burst attacks, we've swapped their passive extra-target bonus for damage reduction and CC removal.

• +1 target struck for all attacks +1 target struck for [Knight's Gambit].
• [Prepared Stance] gains a new effect upon fully restoring health: the next skill used receives 30% damage reduction.
• Using [Knight's Defence] now removes crowd-control effects upon casting.

The damage reduction from the [Very Heavy Armour] trait wasn't working against artillery. We've had a stern word with the quartermaster to fix this.

• The damage reduction effect of the [Very Heavy Armour] trait now applies to artillery.

We previously scaled back their long-range threat, but they remain an absolute nightmare for heavy frontline infantry. To balance this out, we're further dialing back their attack rate and debuff values.

• [Throw] base cooldown: 10s 16s.
• [Rain of Fire] base cooldown: 20s 16s.
• Basic attack reload time increased by 33%.
• Oil pot on-hit effect: Reduces Defences by 6% (max 20 stacks) for 8s Reduces Defences by 4% (max 8 stacks) for 6s.
• Mastery Node [Flash Ignition]: Reduces Armour Penetration by 72% for 4.5s Reduces Armour Penetration by 32% for 6s.

While we've reined in their ability to steamroll units, Liao's Rangers can still instantly kill heroes mid-charge with zero time to react. To give heroes a fighting chance to intercept them, we're adding the [Combat Penalty vs Heroes] trait.

• Fixed an issue where [Charge] would sometimes delay the casting of [Bludgeon].
• [Bludgeon] block break 1,400 1,100 Block break of all attacks 1,400 1,100.
• Added the [Combat Penalty vs Heroes] trait: all attacks deal 40% less damage and suffer a 60% Armour Penetration penalty against heroes.
• Added slight variance to the internal cooldown of attacks during [Bludgeon].

Unlike other shield units, Stalwarts often struck enemies well outside their logical reach. To make melee engagements more intuitive and ground them in their defensive identity, we've separated and shrunk their attack hitboxes.

• [Brace] attack hitbox reduced by 12% [Brace] contact damage hitbox reduced by 12%, and [Brace] thrust damage hitbox reduced by 18%.

These knights have been dominating the battlefield, so we're capping their maximum burst potential to keep them in line.

• Base Leadership cost: 255 265.
• Unit size: 20 18.
• Maximum speed multiplier for all skills: 4 2.5.

There's nothing quite as frustrating as winning a tough melee brawl, only to watch your surviving troops slowly drop dead from lingering poison. To prevent these lower-tier units from forcing cheap trades, we've nerfed their post-combat lethality.

• Base Leadership cost: 130 115.
• Poison duration from [Rattan Poison] potential: 6s 4s.
• Poison damage per stack from [Rattan Poison] mastery node: 250 200.

Following the same reasoning as the Rattan Roundshields, we've nerfed their post-combat poison lethality to ensure the victors actually survive the encounter.

• Poison duration from [Rattan Poison] potential: 6s 4s.
• Poison damage per stack from [Rattan Poison] mastery node: 250 200.

Note: All changes are based on the PTR test version. The final live version may differ.