S27 PTR Test — New Units & Balance (Preview)

Released 23 June 2026

Overview

Public Test Realm (PTR) preview for Season 27. The test server opens 18:00 (UTC+8) on June 23 and closes 18:00 (UTC+8) on June 25. All values are based on test data; the final live-server version may differ.

I. New Season Units

1. Yellow Turban Chanters (3-Star)

  • Role: Support / Healing & Cleanse
  • Followers of the Way of Peace who buff and protect allies on the battlefield.
  • [Healing Waters]: sprinkle mystical waters to heal allies and save the wounded.
  • [Will of the Yellow Sky]: cleanses crowd-control effects and grants damage reduction, letting them face peril fearlessly.

2. Tiger and Leopard Cavalry (5-Star)

  • Role: Elite Cavalry / Formation Breaker / Relentless Raid
  • Ace cavalry made of the realm's fiercest warriors, with a storied combat record across countless campaigns.
  • Highly flexible charging lets them adapt to the most complex battlefield situations.
  • Devastating sweeping attacks shatter enemy formations with ease.

II. Unit Balance Adjustments

1. Queen's Knights (Buff / Rework)

  • Normal attacks against a blocking target no longer cause weapon bounce or a Dazed state.
  • [Run 'Em Through]: max thrusts during the skill reduced from 3 2; second-phase targets hit +1.
  • [Run 'Em Through]: invincibility duration increased from 1s 1.6s.
  • [Bash & Thrust]: duration reduced from 10s 6s; cooldown reduced from 18s 14s.
  • Base Block increased from 750 950.
  • Base Block Recovery increased from 27 47.
  • Shortened the recovery animation for each phase of [Run 'Em Through].
  • Shortened the recovery animation for the first attack phase of [Bash & Thrust].
  • Fixed an issue where auto-attacks had a chance to fail target acquisition.

2. Zweihanders (Buff)

  • [Knight's Gambit]: targets hit +1.
  • [Prepared Stance]: when health is fully restored, the next skill gains an additional 30% damage reduction.
  • [Knight's Defence]: casting now grants a control-removal effect.

3. Halberd Elite (Buff)

  • [Cloud Cleave] and [Storm Surge]: Armour Penetrated multiplier increased by 10%.
  • [Cloud Cleave]: cooldown reduced from 6s 5s.

4. Imperial Javelineers (Buff)

  • Base Piercing Damage increased from 1201 1351.
  • [Flying Shield]: damage increased by 13% and can now cause Knockback to enemy units.
  • [Flying Shield]: base cooldown reduced from 18s 15s.

5. Wuxing Pikemen (Buff)

  • [Fiery Blast]: damage radius expanded by 20%; the unit now triggers the skill immediately on the spot upon casting.

6. Liao's Rangers (Nerf)

  • Block-breaking value of all attacks reduced from 1400 1100.
  • [Bludgeon]: damage hit-box length unchanged, width reduced by 12.5%.
  • Added an internal minimum cooldown for swing attacks during [Bludgeon].
  • New unit label [Combat Penalty vs Heroes]: all attacks have armour penetration vs heroes reduced by 60% and damage dealt reduced by 40%.

7. Iron Reapers (Mixed)

  • Base Leadership reduced from 285 270.
  • Base Health increased from 8051 10451.
  • [Very Heavy Armour]: damage reduction now also applies against Artillery.

8. Zykalian Militia (Nerf)

  • [Throw]: base cooldown increased from 10s 16s.
  • [Rain of Fire]: base cooldown increased from 10s 16s.
  • Normal attack reload time increased by 33%.
  • On canister hit: armour reduction changed from 6% (max 20 stacks, 8s) 4% (max 8 stacks, 6s).
  • Training node [Full Power Throw]: bonus canister explosion direct damage per level reduced from 200 150.
  • Mastery node [Flash Ignition]: armour penetration reduction changed from 72% over 4.5s 32% over 6s.

9. Demesne Arbalists (Nerf)

  • [Piercing Bolts]: bonus targets penetrated reduced from 2 1.
  • [Piercing Bolts]: fire rate reduced by 16%.
  • Mastery nodes [Startle the Horses] and [Firepower]: enemy debuff effects reduced from 400 300.

10. Yorkist Household Knights (Nerf)

  • Base Leadership increased from 245 265.
  • Maximum soldier count reduced from 20 18.
  • Maximum relative speed multiplier per skill reduced from 4 2.5.

11. Symmachean Stalwarts (Nerf)

  • [Brace] contact-damage hit-box reduced by 12%.
  • [Brace] thrust-damage hit-box reduced by 18%.

12. Rattan Roundshields (Nerf)

  • Base Leadership increased from 100 115.
  • [Rattan Poison] Mastery — [Poisoned Weapons]: poison duration reduced from 6s 4s.
  • [Rattan Poison] Mastery — [Poisoned Weapons]: poison damage per stack reduced from 250 140.

13. Rattan Pikemen (Nerf)

  • [Rattan Poison] Mastery — [Poisoned Weapons]: poison duration reduced from 6s 4s.
  • [Rattan Poison] Mastery — [Poisoned Weapons]: poison damage per stack reduced from 250 140.

III. Additional Notes

  • The current PTR only contains a portion of the upcoming Unit and Hero balance changes.
  • Further details on the next season's adjustments will arrive in future official PTR updates.
  • Please report any PTR issues promptly via the official PTR feedback channels (ESC Help Contact Support).
Official announcement