Monster Train News

May 19, 2021
2.1 (12838)

This is a large balance and bug fix patch.

Champions

1. The Decayer Spine Chief health progression increased 35/70/110 to 45/90/140.
   
2. The Infector Spine Chief attack progression increased 20/20/20 to 25/25/25.
   
3. Fire Light Little Fade Extinguish attack progression reduced 5/15/25 to 5/12/20.
   
4. Eternal Flame Little Fade Extinguish attack progression reduced 20/40/60 to 15/30/60.
   

Spells

1. For The Greater Good card modified substantially. It now randomly summons one of six 1-capacity angelic units to the front of the floor. We know this will disappoint some folks, but there were simply too many complicated bugs in the other version and no clear path to fixing some of them.
   
2. For The Greater Good event no longer available as early in a run (no longer available in the Ring 3 cavern).
   
3. Soul Siphon is no longer eligible for the Stackstone upgrade.
   

Units

1. "Mini bosses" in The Last Divinity battle no longer benefit from the Ninja Training mutator.
   
2. Thorned Hollow max health gain increased 40 -> 60 and Spike gain increased 2 -> 3.
   
3. Legion of Wax essence extinguish trigger changed to a revenge trigger and “Twin of Wax” changed to “Mote of Wax” (so, basically, every time the unit takes damage from any source, it pops out a 1-capacity chump blocker).
   
4. Lodestone Totem essence now Saps all enemy units but has a +2E cost associated with it.
   
5. Transcendimp cost increased 1 -> 2.
   

Artifacts

1. Votive Key now only triggers when cards are played from hand. The primary goal is to eliminate anti-synergy with Commemorative Spike.
   

Events

1. The “Malicka Purge” event now heals the pyre instead of purging cards. Within the context of the DLC, purging is more common than before due to the Dark Temple, so this provides an alternative benefit that should prove more compelling.
   
2. Olde Magic event rate reduced by ~25% of previous rate.
   
3. Rail of the Covenant (empower and add Purge) event rate reduced by ~40% of previous rate.
   
4. Glowing Brands event now less common in ring 3 but is now also available in ring 5’s cavern.
   
5. The two endgame events (Shard of Divinity and Blank Pages) have more than doubled in occurrence if the player has the requisite number of shards to trigger them.
   

Text

1. Adjusted text on Coldcaelia’s unit essence for consistency.
   
2. Outdated "Room" unit limit message changed to "Floor" unit limit message.
   
3. Charged Echoes tooltip background color corrected for consistency on Forced Contamination.
   
4. Charged Echoes tooltip added to Glareminder, Symphony of the Soul, and Accelerated Incubation.
   
5. Status Effect tooltip added to Eel Gorgon.
   
6. Localized the "view" button for DLC call to action.
   
7. Fixed Chinese translation of "Reap" so it isn't the same as "Harvest".
   
8. Fixed "Pyre Shards" typo in a UI tooltip -> should have been "Pact Shards".
   

Bug Fixes

1. When two Concealed Caverns follow up events trigger at the same time, the second event could be completely aborted if the user clicked to skip the intro animation. This made it so the player could miss rewards from the second event. Now if you try to skip the animation in the second event it should skip to reward selection like normal.
   
2. Fixed Divine Hoard not showing consistent artifacts between the left or the right path. Now the artifacts offered are the same on either path. This fixes the reported bug about being offered the same artifact twice in a run from a Divine Hoard reward.
   
3. Fixed an artifact selection bug for people who don't own the DLC that could lead to two of the same artifact available at the same shop or DLC artifacts showing up even if you don't own the DLC.
   
4. When Wurmkin cards add Consume to a card with Eternalstone, the Consume tag should now always show up on the card.
   
5. Fixed Apex Imp and Morsel-Made attack animations.
   
6. Fixed a controller/keyboard issue where you could buy more upgrades than intended.
   
7. Fixed a situation when, in Run Summary, a card could show a replacement parameter name instead of the correct numeric value.
   
8. Added Shard of Divinity to the Logbook.
   
9. Edge Prior's cost reduction now works on Olde Magic if it has a healing effect on it.
   
10. Fixed Vapor Funnel not triggering on TLD when he enters the Pyre room.
    
11. Fixed Worn Grindstone not working on Cardless units.
    
12. Hammered Chestplates and Commemorative Spike interaction fixed.
    
13. Fixed Commemorative Spike neutralizing the Cov10 Emberdrain effect erroneously. Now the first unit played by the player in the top floor gets Emberdrain. The Morsel Miner does not count for it.
    
14. Fixed Bone Rattler and Bone Shine not triggering Etch.
    
15. Fixed incorrect tooltip rules information on Steelsinger Rejuvenate.
    
16. Fixed Sacrificial Resurrection ember cost incorrect when copied by Twinstone.
    

March 31, 2021
2.0.1 (12722)

This is a small bug fix patch with a few enhancements.

1. UI - improved visibility of what is happening when you hide the Cheater's Hand UI before confirming a card selection because this was causing confusion and some people thought they were softlocked.
   
2. CONTROLS - with controller or keyboard, if you try to summon a unit and can't because of lack of capacity we now re-select the card you just tried to cast. This improves the intuitiveness of controls in this situation.
   
3. CONTROLS - with controller or keyboard, changing your allied clan within the Clan Select screen now always skips over your primary clan, avoiding unintended clan switching.
   
4. ART - compressed some character textures that were not compressed (most already were) to reduce memory consumption and improve load time.
   
5. ENGINE - changed how certain types of data load so that there isn't a long load time if you resume a run on the map and then immediately open a unit banner. Or when you resume a run into the victory UI at the end of battle and then open a unit card pack. Now this data loads during the black load screen instead of just before it's needed, resulting in more responsive UI.
   
6. BUG FIX - fixed softlock with combination of Hope for Peace, Spell Railspike, and Wurmkin cards that bring cards back from the Consume pile.
   
7. BUG FIX - fixed ability to rapidly use the "engage pact" button in the Divine Temple which would lead to broken sequencing and the game possibly stealing cards from you by purging more than one card but only getting one unit upgrade.
   
8. BUG FIX - fixed a case in a Concealed Caverns event where a DLC card with broken visuals could be given out to non-DLC owners.
   
9. BUG FIX - fixed The Last Divinity attack stat calculation not interacting properly with Sap when relentless mode starts.
   
10. BUG FIX - eliminated a memory leak in battle when hovering cards on and off in a certain way.
    
11. BUG FIX - fixed an issue with controller/keyboard where if you ended your turn while a card was resolving at the start of the next turn no card would be selected.
    
12. BUG FIX - fixed 16:10 aspect ratio UI issues in Divine Temple.
    
13. BUG FIX - fixed Russian language UI issues in Divine Temple.
    
14. BUG FIX - fixed various text issues with Brazilian Portuguese.
    
15. BUG FIX - fixed cards sorting improperly in Large UI mode when viewing the Logbook cards page for the first time after booting the game.
    
16. BUG FIX - in the tutorial, when using controller/keyboard, don't unselect the Champion right after telling the player to summon them.
    

Monster Train was one of our favourite games of 2020, a deckbuilder about battling monsters on a multi-storey train through hell. Our review even dared to say it was as good as Slay The Spire.

It's therefore v. good news that the first big chunk of DLC is out now. The Last Divinity adds a new clan, called the Wurmkin, and an even-harder final boss.

Read more

Our first DLC, The Last Divinity, is now available! This DLC adds a new clan, a brand new end boss after Seraph, the ability to merge units together combining their abilities, new cards in existing clans, new artifacts, new Concealed Caverns events, and more! Note: the Wurmkin clan unlocks upon completing Covenant level 1.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1359320/The_Last_Divinity/
[h2]Major New Features[/h2]

[h3]The Wurmkin Clan[/h3]
A new clan has risen from the depths of hell to join forces with your 5 original favorites. The Wurmkin Clan is led by two powerful new champions. The Spine Chief uses the power of Charged Echoes to do damage and make compatriots even more powerful and the Echowright can tap into the power of consumable spells in all new ways. Charged Echoes create buffs for the whole floor and bring a completely new gameplay mechanic to the already diverse world of Monster Train.

[h3]Pact Shards[/h3]
Pact Shards are a brand new currency; unlike gold, you reap benefits when you GAIN shards rather than when you spend them. But beware the tradeoff, they also enhance the power of your enemies in battles throughout your run. You acquire the Pact Shards in the Shard map nodes on your journey in the Boneshaker. Each ring has one Shard map node, so be sure to look for them. You can take on more Shards to gain gold, artifacts, or spell upgrades, or to perform a new mechanic called unit synthesis where two monster units are merged into one. If you have gained 100 or more Shards when you defeat Seraph, a new battle unlocks and you can face – The Last Divinity!

[h3]The Last Divinity[/h3]
The clans of Hell will need to rally together and support the Wurmkin clan, as a new ominous deity interferes with the ongoing battle between the forces of Heaven and Hell. The Last Divinity is so huge it can’t be contained to one area and instead imposes itself over all 3 floors at once. Prepare, as all your previous knowledge and strategy will be pushed to the limit to defeat this last divine force. What will tip the balance?

[h2]Important Note On Mods[/h2]

Some existing mods may not be compatible with the new version of the game due to significant changes to the engine. Mod authors may need to update their mods to maintain compatibility with the new version of the game. If you are experiencing any problems after the update and are using mods, please uninstall all mods via the Steam Workshop outside of the game.

[h2]Full Patch Notes[/h2]

[h3]DLC Content[/h3]

1. NEW CLAN - the Wurmkin with a full set of cards and artifacts.
   
2. NEW BOSS - The Last Divinity, the biggest threat you've faced yet.
   
3. PACT SHARDS - a new currency that has new types of upgrades, including the ability to merge two units into one.
   
4. NEW EVENTS - new Concealed Caverns events to add more variety to your runs. These have new rewards including unique cards and artifacts.
   
5. NEW ARTIFACTS - new clanless artifacts that can appear on any run.
   
6. NEW RARE CARDS - one new rare card in each of the original 5 clans to spice up rare card drafts.
   
7. DIVINE MASTERY - a second tier of card mastery that imbues your cards with a divine stamp if you defeat The Last Divinity on a run.
   
8. NEW EXPERT CHALLENGES - five more expert challenges to test your mettle at Covenant 25.
   
9. LOGBOOK UPDATE - owners of The Last Divinity get a new Logbook page to track all of their progress.
   

[h3]Gameplay Balance Updates[/h3]
In addition to the new content in the DLC, we made a variety of balance tweaks to existing content that apply to all players.

Artifacts

1. Imp-cicle can now give Queen’s Impling. Additionally, the chances of getting Imp Scholar and Transcendimp were increased slightly.
   
2. Cursed Vines artifact changed from rearranging enemies automatically to giving the player Vine Grasp spells with Purge to rearrange enemies as they see fit.
   
3. Hammered Chestplates now grants +5 health (increased from +3).
   

Champions

1. Hornbreaker Prince’s Reaper path and all three of Tethys Titansbane’s paths gained a little bit more health to reduce the occurrence of back-line champion death.
   
2. Cultivating Sentient’s card draw bonus no longer grows bigger at levels II and II. We’re pleased so many players are enjoying the recent changes to Cultivating Sentient, but she’s grown just a little too reliable at winning. This small tweak back down in power should trim her hedges just a little and bring her in line with other Monster Train champions.
   
3. Tethys’s Handheld Totem path now deals more damage at levels II and III. Tethys is a unique champion many players enjoy, but higher levels of her Handheld Totem path have struggled to keep up with other options. We’ve increased attack at levels II and III to make it more rewarding to stay on her Spell Weakness path instead of branching out.
   
4. Lil Fade’s Eternal Flame path has had its attack bonuses reduced, but it no longer increases her ember cost each time she dies. This will allow the pint-sized Eternal Flame to be eternally playable regardless of your ember generation. Also added Quick.
   

Cards

1. In the Hellhorned camp, Horned Warrior, Steelworker, Railbeater, Fledgling Imp, Horn Break, and Imp-in-a-Box all got a little bit stronger in various ways. On the other hand, Imp-Portant work was toned down slightly. (Horned Warrior attack 30 -> 15, health 4 -> 5, gained Multistrike 1. Steelworker now affects all friendly units. Railbeater now inflicts Melee Weakness instead of Push. Fledgling Imp Rage 3 -> 5. Horn Break hits twice. Imp-in-a-Box got the same changes as Imp-cicle. Imp-Portant Work ember gain 2 -> 1.)
   
2. Over in Awoken territory, Thorned Hollow gained more attack, but they’ll need to pay a little more ember for Invigorating Solution, Unleash the Wildwood, and cards drawn from Awoken Railspike. (Thorned Hollow attack 5 -> 15. Invigorating Solution and Unleash the Wildwood ember 0 -> 1. Awoken Railspike ember reduction 2 -> 1.)
   
3. The lands of the Stygian Guard look pretty calm, but we added a couple extra Magic Power to Molluscmage to ensure they remain the masters of the arcane. (Molluscmage Magic Power bonus 8 -> 10.)
   
4. In Umbraland, Ember Cache and Making of a Morsel traded a point of ember, numerous Morsel units’ stats and/or bonuses increased, and the “Uncommon or Rare” morsel drop rates were adjusted slightly. (Ember Cache cost 0 -> 1. Making of a Morsel cost 2 -> 1. Magma Morsel attack stat 4 -> 6 and granted attack 4 -> 6. Antumbra health stat 4 -> 6 and granted health 4 -> 6. Morsel Excavator attack stat 2 -> 3 and granted attack 2 -> 3. Morsel Jeweler health stat 2 -> 3 and granted health 1 -> 3. Morsel Miner granted attack and health 5 -> 6. Rubble Morsel granted attack and health 0 -> 1.)
   
5. Last but not least, the Melting Remnant saw some improvements to Lady of the House and Waxen Spike while the almighty Intent on Death was toned down. (Lady of the House attack stat 25 -> 35 and health stat 40 -> 45. Waxen Spike attack scaling 3 -> 4 and Burnout 1 -> 4. Intent on Death was cost 2 and now has Consume and is cost 1.)
   

Other

1. The Covenant Rank 10 and 20 challenges have been changed. Covenant Rank 10 now gives Emberdrain to the first unit played to the top floor each turn, and Covenant Rank 20’s capacity reduction now always applies to the middle floor. This gives each floor a unique challenge: getting hit by enemies first, having less room for units, and impacting your ember generation.
   
2. The “Shards of the Pyre” event now has a third reward options that gives you a Strengthstone unit upgrade.
   
3. Various game elements rephrased slightly for clarity and/or consistency.
   
4. Free Soundtrack update adding The Last Divinity theme song for Soundtrack owners.
   

Hi All!

A quick note just to say how very much we appreciate all your support over the last (nearly) year since Monster Train launched in May of 2020. We’re pleased to announce that the Boneshaker has hosted over 500,000 riders over these 11 months as you all boarded the train to covenant victories! None of the game’s success would be possible without all of our awesome community. Here’s to all our existing and incoming Monster Train players as we go for a million!