Northanda Chronicles News

Hey everyone!

We're excited to release this update. We've made a bunch of gameplay tweaks, added a new feature called Shrines, which add a meaningful decision point before boss encounters, and improved the UI across the board. We've also overhauled the Empower screen, which is now way more informative and much easier to use.

Check out the full details below.

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

• Added Dungeon Shrine:
  - Encountered just before the boss.
  - Awaken the Shrine to release the spirit of the dungeon and cleanse its corruption, consuming all remaining Lumina Kindlings and healing all heroes for 40% of their Max HP per Kindling used.
  
• Quest rewards are now available at the Shrine, instead of the next Camp.
  

[h2]UI/UX[/h2]

• Improved backpack polish and usability, including adding item dragging.
  
• Right-clicking a card now previews upgrades for that card, in most contexts.
  
• Added the ability to toggle a hero's active starting artifact directly in the artifact select screen.
  
• Reworked the Empower screen to show upgrade tracks for heroes more clearly.
  
• Starting decks can now be viewed for a hero (by role) in the Empower screen.
  

[h2]Audio[/h2]

• Fixed overlapping audio in Cause and Effect, caused by a large number of card upgrades.
  

[h2]Gems[/h2]

• Emerald rework: When an Attack card with Emerald deals damage, gain Gold equal to the damage dealt, then Deplete it.
  
• Kafinium: Stamina bonus increased from 1 to 2.
  

[h2]Artifacts[/h2]

• Nyssa’s Truthglass: Whenever your draw pile is replenished, add a copy of the bottom card to your hand.
  
• Kobold’s Cache: Upon pickup, gain 5 Backpack slots.
  
• Battlemage Cuirass: At the end of your turn, heroes with no Mana gain 3 Armor.
  

[h2]Events[/h2]

• Added a new event: Kobold Mine.
  

[h2]Cards[/h2]

• Dwarven Greed: Cost increased from 1 to 2.
  
• Dwarven Greed+: now has Innate.
  
• Reinforce+: Armor reduced from 8 to 7.
  
• Meteor Shard: Now also draws a card.
  
• Whispering Wind: Cost increased from 0 to 1.
  
• Okulus: Cost reduced from 1 to 0.
  
• Explode: Stamina cost reduced from 5 to 3.
  
• Explode+: Removed Loyal keyword. Might increased from 5 to 8.
  
• Electroplating+: Cost increased from 0 to 1. Stacks increased from 1 to 2.
  
• Cleave: Damage increased from 9 to 10.
  
• Added a new starter card for Zorya (Support):
  - First Light: Heal 3 HP. If the target has full HP, give 5 Armor instead. Deplete.
  
• Added a new starter card for Flint (Support):
  - Opportunist: Put a card from your discard pile on top of your draw pile. Draw 2 cards. Deplete.
  

[h2]Bugs[/h2]

• Fixed an issue where dungeon generation could create duplicate fights.
  
• Fixed a tooltip for Backup Plan not displaying the amount of Mana gained.
  

[h2]Localization[/h2]

• Adjusted strings for improved clarity.
  

We’re excited to release this gigantic update, featuring the newest hero, Boltrik, a rework of the dungeon loop that adds a lot more depth and meaningful choices to your run, as well as a host of visual, UX, UI, and other improvements listed below.

A huge thank you to all the playtesters and everyone trying out our demo. Your feedback has been invaluable! We're continuing work on the release version of the game, where you can expect new heroes, environments, enemies, events, story, and much more. We can't wait!

[h2]General[/h2]

• Added a new hero: Boltrik, Keeper of Sparks (Support/Slayer). Boltrik is a goblin tinker who excels in producing mechanical summons animated by his unique magic, Sparks. His playstyle revolves around crafting and commanding summons, alternating between defensive drones and explosive automatons. Boltrik comes with 28 brand-new cards tailored to his summoning mechanics.
  
• Backpack: Store up to 8 items, allowing you to socket gems, or even sell gems when the time is right.
  

[h2]Dungeons[/h2]

• New dungeon design and core loop:
  - Dungeons now consist of five days of encounters, with a boss on the sixth day.
  - Each day you face 3 encounters in any order you choose.
  - Your party starts their run with 3 Lumina Kindlings, which can be used to camp in place of any non-boss encounter. You can only camp once per day.
  - This new design allows for more forward planning, and a ton of fun new decisions to make.
  - This change is not compatible with previous save files. Any in-progress runs from earlier versions will not be playable, but all progress and unlocks will be preserved.
  

[h2]Gameplay[/h2]

• Replaced the Panic mechanic with Resolve:
  - When a hero is downed, their cards are transmuted into Resolve until they are revived.
  - Resolve: When drawn, give ALL heroes 1 Armor.
  

[h2]Artifacts[/h2]

• Boundless Bag can now only be found in the shop.
  
• Retrograde Hourglass reworked: Heroes start battle with 1 less mana.
  
• Gluttonous Goop now only clones cards up to a full hand.
  
• Lifestone: Max HP gain reduced from 5 to 3.
  
• Added Summoner's Band: Summon cards you gain are upgraded.
  
• Warrior's Band: Rarity changed from Uncommon to Rare.
  
• Pacifist's Band: Rarity changed from Uncommon to Rare.
  
• Enchanter's Band: Rarity changed from Uncommon to Rare.
  
• Gold Ingot can no longer be found in the shop.
  

[h2]Cards[/h2]

• Lightning Spear: Damage decreased from 6 to 4.
  
• Empowered Arrow renamed to Empowered Shot and reworked:
  - Empowered Shot (X-cost): Deal 8 damage. Kaelin gains X Strength.
  - Empowered Shot+ (X-cost): Deal 8 damage. Kaelin gains X+1 Strength.
  
• Strapzix Bootkin: Cost reduced from 2 to 1.
  
• Strapzix Bootkin+: Cost reduced from 2 to 1.
  
• Sacrifice: HP loss reduced from 8 to 5.
  
• Sacrifice+: HP loss reduced from 5 to 3.
  
• Solar Conduit reworked:
  - Solar Conduit: Give 1 Mana. Draw 1 Card.
  
• Solstice: Cost reduced from 1 to 0.
  
• Solstice+: Cost reduced from 1 to 0.
  
• Calculated Chaos: Minimum damage increased from 8 to 12, and maximum damage increased from 12 to 16.
  
• Calculated Chaos+: Minimum damage increased from 12 to 14, and maximum damage increased from 15 to 18.
  
• Added new card for Flint:
  - One Two Punch: Deal 7 damage. Consume Flint’s Strategy to deal 7 damage to a random target.
  - One Two Punch+: Deal 10 damage. Consume Flint’s Strategy to deal 10 damage to a random target.
  
• Annihilation: Cost reduced from 3 to 2.
  
• Annihilation+: Cost reduced from 3 to 2. Area damage increased from 6 to 9. Instance damage decreased from 6 to 3.
  

[h2]Gems[/h2]

• Amber reworked:
  - Amber: Add Retain keyword to a card.
  
• Added Zircon:
  - Zircon: Unblocked damage from a card with Zircon pierces through to the enemy behind the target.
  
• Aetherium is now Rare, and can be found outside of the shop.
  
• Crimsonite rarity has been changed to Uncommon from Rare.
  
• Emerald rarity has been changed to Uncommon from Common.
  
• Kafinium is now Rare, and can be found outside of the shop.
  
• Topaz can now only be found in the shop.
  

[h2]Events[/h2]

• Harebrained Schemes can no longer give you a random artifact with negative effects.
  
• Duke It Out reworked with additional choices and rewards. The champion encounter is now optional.
  

[h2]Status Effects[/h2]

• Aura of Strength removed for simplicity. All instances of Aura of Strength have been replaced with ALL heroes gain Strength.
  
• Dawn Form: Now adds Solar Conduit to draw pile, instead of hand.
  

[h2]UI/UX[/h2]

• Reworked and improved several screens, including Party Select, Revive, Victory, and Loss screens.
  
• Overhauled the loot system. Loot is now collected directly within the battle scene after combat.
  
• Rewrote tooltips for clarity and fixed many missing tooltips. Most things should be accompanied by appropriate tooltips now.
  
• Made many improvements to artwork and sound effects for a more polished and cohesive experience.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a bug where Retribution could gain damage due to Haldor taking status effect-based damage.
  
• Fixed a bug where Trick Shot being depleted due to Transient would cause its draw animation to not complete properly.
  
• Fixed a bug with Stormheart Shard not triggering due to taunt from Taurite gems.
  

[h2]General[/h2]

• Bringing a host of improvements to enhance the overall gameplay experience. With reworked map generation for smoother progression, polished UI and visual effects, and balance changes to cards and artifacts, every run is now more exciting and satisfying.
  

[h2]Dungeons[/h2]

• Reworked map generation for smoother paths and better pacing. Shops and events are now easier to reach.
  

[h2]Cards[/h2]

• Subterfuge: Cost increased from 0 to 1.
  
• Subterfuge+: Cost increased from 0 to 1.
  
• Ambush: Cost decreased from 1 to 0.
  
• Ambush+: Cost decreased from 1 to 0.
  
• Pulsar Blast: Damage decreased from 25 to 20.
  
• Pulsar Blast+: Damage decreased from 30 to 25.
  
• Fire Arrow: Damage decreased from 6 to 5. Burning increased from 4 to 5.
  
• Fire Arrow+: Damage increased from 6 to 8. Burning decreased from 7 to 5.
  
• Constellation+: Cost increased from 0 to 1. Now has Innate.
  
• Hunter's Mark: Weak decreased from 2 to 1.
  
• Hunter's Mark+: Weak decreased from 3 to 2.
  
• Shadow Arrow: Damage decreased from 16 to 15.
  
• All 2+ cost cards have had their damage increased.
  

[h2]Artifacts[/h2]

• Seedling of Regrowth: Healing increased from 3 to 4.
  

[h2]Gems[/h2]

• Emerald: Gold gain increased from 3 to 5.
  

[h2]Enemies[/h2]

• Titan renamed to Verdant Colossus.
  

[h2]Status Effects[/h2]

• Radiance reworked: At the end of your turn, Radiance deals 1 damage per stack to a random enemy and is then reduced by 1.
  
• Burning reworked: At the end of the owner's turn, they take 1 damage per stack and halve their Burning stacks. If Burning reaches 10 stacks, it combusts, dealing 10 damage to ALL allies.
  
• Stealth reworked: Heroes in Stealth cannot be targeted by enemies and regenerate 1 additional Mana each turn. When a hero in Stealth attacks, Stealth is removed.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed a bug where Craft & Coin Vol. 1 gave gold for adding status cards to your deck.
  

[h2]General[/h2]

• Is that a bird? Is that a plane? No - that’s an ancient goddess of dawn and dusk, and she’s Northanda’s newest hero! A lot has changed in this massive update, and it’s Zorya’s time to shine.
  
• A dynamic powerhouse, Zorya can unleash devastating area-of-effect damage, provide sustaining light to allies and seamlessly shift between utility, offense, and defense as the battle demands.
  

[h2]Gameplay Updates[/h2]

• Added a new hero: Zorya, who can be played as either a Support, Slayer, or Defender.
  
• Battles that start because of an event now give loot.
  

[h2]Artifacts[/h2]

• Heroes now unlock an ancestral artifact when they reach max level through empowering. An ancestral artifact can be chosen as a starting artifact, and empowers a hero in a unique way.
  
• Added an Ancestral Artifact for Flint.
  The Perfect Plan: Flint starts each battle with Strategy.
  
• Added an ancestral artifact for Kaelin.
  Firstborn’s Feather: Kaelin starts the run with Okulus.
  
• Replaced Haldor’s starting artifact.
  Craft & Coin: Vol. 1: Whenever you add a card to your deck, gain 25 gold.
  
• Added an ancestral artifact for Haldor.
  Stormheart Shard: Whenever Haldor taunts, gain 3 Electrified and trigger it immediately without removal.
  
• Added an ancestral artifact for Zorya.
  Meteorheart Relic: At the start of battle, add 3 Meteor Shards for Zorya to your draw pile.
  

[h2]UI Updates[/h2]

• Overhauled and improved the character select and empower screens.
  
• Added animated transitions between screens such as battle, and dungeons.
  
• Added an ambush banner for battles that start because of an event.
  
• Added or improved many UI VFX.
  
• Fully implemented hero animations for Attack and Utility.
  
• Added an animated boss preview to the dungeon screen.
  
• Added parallax animation to card art.
  

[h2]Quality of Life[/h2]

• Improved the accessibility and layout of the empower screen.
  
• Added a visual effect to indicate when a hero can empower.
  
• Added a tooltip to explain a hero’s downed state, when they are knocked out in battle.
  
• Added an SFX preview audio clip to the SFX volume slider.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed some tooltips not updating their descriptions dynamically.
  
• Unit animations no longer clip their bounds when performing large gestures.
  
• Sharp Ruby can no longer be added to X-cost cards.
  

[h2]General[/h2]

• See Northanda in a new light! Battle your way through a more dynamic and threatening world where heroes die deader than ever… or die trying.
  

[h2]Gameplay Updates[/h2]

• Last stand reworked: When a hero falls, their cards are now transmuted into the Burden card Panic until they are revived at the end of the battle.
  
• Added the Expedite gem: Whenever a card with Expedite is the first card played in a turn, the owner gains 1 Courage.
  
• Added the summon Okulus for Kaelin: At the start of your turn, Okulus deals Might damage and applies 1 Nature's Mark to a random enemy.
  

[h2]Balance Changes[/h2]

• Enemies have been redesigned and rebalanced to create a more challenging and rewarding experience.
  

[h3]Cards[/h3]

• Strategize now costs 1 instead of 0.
  
• Sudden Insight now costs 1 instead of 0.
  
• Cascade Strike now costs 1 instead of 0.
  

[h3]Artifacts[/h3]

• Captain’s Notes is now Uncommon.
  

[h2]UI Updates[/h2]
[h3]Visual Effects[/h3]

• Dynamic lighting and shadows have been implemented.
  
• All units are now fully animated.
  

[h3]Quality of Life[/h3]

• Damage Blocked has been added to the end of run statistics.
  
• Deck and card pile views are now sorted by owner and alphabetically.
  
• The campsite now provides a preview of healing amounts from resting.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Bleed no longer deals damage to a waiting enemy.
  
• Transmuted cards now correctly disable gems that are not usable by the new form.
  

[h2]Performance[/h2]

• Significantly improved client launch time and main loading time.