Infinity Wars - Animated Trading Card Game News

The Sanctuary Social event is back again for another week! 🎮

🎉 Last week, we had the amazing ProfWisteria host and this week we have the incredible jgsnowbaorder! For this week's Sanctuary Social event jgsnowbaorder will be hosting a tournament in our Discord server so be sure to join in for some prizes!🎉

🃏 Join us tomorrow, 4pm Saturday PST to get your hands on the next mysterious card, reduced queue times, and to connect with Rift Runners worldwide! 🚀

🌐 What are Sanctuary Socials?
Sanctuary Socials are our weekly community events in Infinity Wars, designed to make your gaming experience even more enjoyable. Our mission? To eliminate those pesky queue times while creating a fun and casual space for Rift Runners from around the world to connect and socialize.

🎉 What's in it for you?
Participating in Sanctuary Socials comes with a ton of exciting perks:

1. 🎁 Exclusive Rewards: Just for showing up, you'll score cool gifts like God Packs. Yup, you read that right – freebies just for logging in!

2.🕹️Mutator gamemode: Only avalible during special events, this custom gamemode comes with unqiue rules that change up the standard gameplay mechanics. Dive into the deck builder and create decks to synergize with game altering modifications.

3. ⏳ Drastically Reduced Queue Times: Say goodbye to those long wait times and jump right into the action.

4. 🌟 Community Rewards: Shape the game together with us! Your participation counts, and you'll be rewarded based on how the community plays the game. For example, if Flame Dawn Purity reigns supreme during Sanctuary Socials, expect Flame Dawn-related goodies in the following week!

5. 📈 2x XP Gains: Boost your progress with 2x XP gains. Whether you're looking to level up your Prestige Pass or increase your in-game level, this is the place to be!

🤝 How to Join:
Participating in Sanctuary Socials is a breeze and open to everyone:

- 📣 Sanctuary Socials take place in our public Discord server, where you'll find a vibrant and welcoming community.

- 🎙️ Specialized Channels: Engage with like-minded players in channels dedicated to Deckbuilding, Theorycrafting, Lore discussions, and casual chat. Connect based on your interests and dive deep into the Infinity Wars universe.

- 💻 Not a Discord enthusiast? No problem! You can still join the event by simply logging into the game during Sanctuary Socials hours. Enjoy the rewards, reduced queue times, and the exciting atmosphere, even if you choose not to participate in the Discord discussions. We want everyone to feel included and have a fantastic time!

Don't miss out on the action – see you there! 🚀



This event, and many other things are bought to you by our amazing Patrons, as well as our most active players and backers. A Huge thanks to all of you who support us and what we do. If you want to join the campaign to bring death to Pay to Win in card games, consider joining the Patreon Campaign, where you get SO MANY DANG PACKS, well eclipsing the cost of signing up!

[h2]Minor Changes[/h2]
We’ve updated how the daily rewards system works, now your progress will no longer be reset if you miss a day.

[h2]Balance Changes[/h2]

Xi, Martyr of Peace
- Trigger condition changed to match other Martyrs (“When Xi, Martyr of Peace is killed by an enemy, Transform all enemy Characters into 3/3 Flying Spirits and your Fortress heals 15 damage.”)

Insane Reliquary
- Cost decreased from 3 to 2
- Card reworked to: Whenever you discard or remove a card from your hand, give a random deployed character you control and the top character in your deck each +1/+1. If you discarded or removed another Insane Reliquary this way, give each of those characters +3/+3 instead.

Goal: This rather toothy and wordy card is back in the shop by popular demand, being reworked and increased in power. Previously, it was too slow and unpredictable to be worth playing. The addition of stronger removal synergy may also make a fun deck or two.

Stat Changes!
- Agent Coyle, Superior Symbiote (7/7 -> 4/10)
- Taiga, Combat Reconstructor (3/3 -> 3/6)
- Orion, Master Architect (4/8 -> 4/10)
- Orion, Master Engineer (4/8 -> 4/10)
- Tygris, the Architect (3/7 -> 3/12)
- Benionin, Mage Guild Archivist (4/8 ->4/9)
- Ju-Lin, Who Rewrites History (0/4 -> 0/5)
- Spirit of the Serpent (6/6 -> 6/8)
- Philosophic Android (4/8 -> 4/10)
- Defiant Footman (8/4 -> 8/10)
- Summoner of the Deep (4/4 -> 6/6) (rework candidate as well)
- Resolute Knight (8/8 -> 9/9)
- Exalted Firebrand (4/6 -> 4/7)
- Drone (6/6 -> 6/7)
- Unmanned Aerial Destroyer (8/10 -> 10/10)
- Resilient Slime (1/1 -> 2/2, the tokens are still 1/1 though)
- Unified Protector (4/6 -> 6/6)
- Varyus, Master of Choice (8/8 -> 10/12)
- Infested Scavenger (4/4 -> 5/5)
- Power-Starved Revenant (10/8 -> 14/10)
- Field Engineer (4/4 -> 0/10)
- Ex, the Oppressor (cost 5 -> 4)
- Kraos, Champion of Ruin (cost 6 -> 5)
- Tailored Knight (10/4 Shield 1 -> 7/4 Barrier 1)
- Pilgrimage Monk (cost 3 -> 2)
- Tech Knight (cost 3 -> 2) (6/7 -> 4/8)
- Agent Cheryl, Last To Leave (8/8 -> 10/10) (Ascend: +7/+7 -> +8/+8)

Insectoid buffs!
- All Swarmers with 4 morale changed to 3 morale
- Sentinel Swarmer (morale 8->6)
- Swarmer Broodlord (8/8 -> 8/14, gain “Can be selected as any faction purity if used as a commander.”)
- Caretaker of the Swarm (cost 3 -> 2, 4/4 -> 3/7)
- Tranquil Swarmer (cost 5 -> 3)
- Blazing Swarmer (cost 5 -> 4)
- Ascending Swarmer (5/5 -> 10/10)

[h2]Bugfixes[/h2]
- Fixed max hand size still acting like it’s 7.
- Fixed hand size modifiers being reversed in polarity in the last patch.
- Fixed Vasir, the Chained’s unchained form not getting updated properly.
- Filing Cabinet now requires you to have a card in hand to activate.
- Demon of Dark Bargain will now discount cards in your graveyard, similar to Hellmouth Labourer.
- Fixed Demonic Presence failing to add cards into both players hands if neither player had cards in their hands.
- Pilgrimage Monk’s buff is correctly permanent now.
- Fixed issues with Account Creation.
- Added Community Set count stat to the profile screen.
- Fixed issues related to the application window not flashing when starting a match.

[h2]Wording updates[/h2]
- “Get” is now used for temporary effects, while “gain” remains in use for indefinite effects.
- Pilgrimage Monk’s effect has been clarified.
- The Infected cycle now says the size of the character they transform into.
- Preemptive activations are keyworded now.
- “below the top two cards of your deck” -> “into your deck third from the top”.
- Carrion Creeper wording adjustment.

[h2]Lore Added[/h2]
The following promotional set cards have received lore entries.
- Dugg
- Navi
- Raa
- Vault of the Void
- Rio, Nice Dragonborn
- Shady Bunny
- Thea Wolfborn
- Daniel Money
- Bemmie, Paragon of Community
- Blueleaf, The Scroll Keeper
- Doltan, The Blood Hunter
- Soul Reaper


- Discord
- Patreon
- Website

Preorders for the next community set are now available in the store or on our Patreon. This is a limited time offer to grab these cards in shiny platinum borders.


[h2]Balance Changes[/h2]
Increased default maximum Hand size from 7 to 8.


Rita, Unshackled Increased draw limit from 7 to 8 to accompany hand size changes


Jewel of Madness
Increased card draw hand count limit from 6 to 7 and changed trigger from start of turn to End of turn.

Goal: Jewel of Madness hasn’t made a splash in competitive play much yet, but it was significantly overperforming in testing for its cost and purity. We want Jewel to help enable big-hand strategies but require a bit of dedication to get value from, so the threshold of cards needed was increased (This also conveniently preserves symmetry with Crystal of Madness). Additionally, it was unintended for the trigger to count the card you drew in the same turn, so the trigger was changed from start of turn to end of turn, so that you can better measure by the cards left in your hand when you end the planning phase.


Thea Wolfborn
Changed “is on the battlefield” to “is in play”

Goal: Allowing Thea to function anywhere in play based on her ability essentially costing a resource, and the low tempo gain from the buff. We hope she'll be more exciting in Rift Run, and maybe even as a commander. The middleground of "if Deployed" is a possibility to pull it back a bit if we need to, but we're not expecting it to make excessive waves.


Infernal Chef
Change: 4/4 to 4/6

Goal: Infernal Chef has a decent ceiling along with a big blocker, but we want to raise the floor a bit, so it can at least survive one combat early in the game. This should help it buff its teammate to the right side, which otherwise will rarely get to experience the true joy of Consume. It's a slight shame to leave the statline of the original Chef, but I guess time has given them thicker skin.


Nysrugh, the Ravenous
Change: 5/5 to 7/7

Goal: The new Nysrugh is underperforming due to being weak and vulnerable for its cost. Early on, you can feed it in the Command Zone, and that's still the ideal use case for it, but there's a lot of competition for the Exiles commander lineup, including things that provide more utility or grow faster. We'd like it to start out a little more acceptable in order to help out decks which make use of its unique ability; the downside should keep it in check in a fun way, along with a lack of evasion when attacking.



Vasir, the Chained Prince
Change: 7 cost to 4 cost AND When killed or removed, place him 3 cards from the top instead of shuffling in.

Goal: This card was really bad. You should get better payoff for your investment. Giving it some juice borrowed from Candit, the Demonic should improve its consistency as a recursive threat. Unchaining him manually from the Command Zone is still as slow as ever, but if you find a way to kill him, you'll be rewarded much more, and he's less embarrassing to play from hand. All together, we recognize this might not be enough to make the card super strong still, so we're willing to take it further if that would be cool and fun.


The Martyr of Death
Change text to: When The Martyr of Death is killed by an enemy, kill all Deployed Characters.

Additionally, The Martyr of Life and The Martyr of Chaos have had their trigger conditions changed to enemy-only instead of deployed as well. Xi, Martyr of Peace won't be changed.

Goal: With the ability to play and kill your own Martyr of Death as early as turn 5, there's often nothing you can do about it despite being heavily telegraphed. Figuring out how to maneuver this card and kill it at the right time should make it more interesting to play with and against. We also want commander removal to be more intentional in deckbuilding, and less of an incidental bonus.

The Martyrs are sure some weird cards. We may consider small buffs to the other martyrs, but think they'll make it out okay.


Distraction Drone
Change: Gain Reach.

Goal: This card's main purpose is on the offensive, but it could use a little love as a defender. It can't have flying for mechanical reasons, but it just really feels like it should at least block fliers to distract them.

[h2]General Fixes[/h2]

• Fixed Exiles set cards not saving to decks correctly.
  
• Fixed deck zone card display not correctly ordering cards when targeting deck.
  
• Fixed deck zone card display card ordering ignoring card style.
  
• Fixed missing filter option to filter for the Sanctuary Social stamp in inventory.
  
• Fixed Genesis Spy triggering if it deals 0 damage.
  
• Tormented Thrall will now trigger on any friendly non-sacrifice effect, not just the effect of an Ability card. (This restores it to its original Infinity Wars function.)
  
• Soul Reaper is no longer Unique.
  
• Quickplay UI now saves last selected game modes.
  
• Added Piercing, a new combat keyword previously present in unkeyworded form on Profane Critter, Project Hellfire, Vasir’s Dreadknight and Morningstar Wayclearer. These cards have been updated to have Piercing.
  

[h2]Wording Improvements[/h2]

• Spec Op has been renamed to Drone Hunter. Hunters unite!
  
• Martyr of Life, Death, and Chaos have each been renamed slightly (adding “The”) to better indicate their Unique status.
  
• Fixed Rancid’s wording to match its card effect.
  
• Many cards were updated to clarify the distinction between Ability cards and card effects (formerly, both were sometimes called “abilities”). Additionally, “activated abilities” are now referred to as “activated effects” for similar reasons.
  
• Clarified wording slightly on Genesis Battlesuit, Klore, and The Calamity.
  

Discord: discord.gg/y8KGxk4
Patreon: patreon.com/lightmarestudios

Patch Notes 12/1/2024 - Version 0.88.2 - Sins Of Torment Community Set Release!



[h2]Major Feature[/h2]
This weekend we will be releasing Sins Of Torment, our next community set of five cards. Be sure to join the sanctuary social event to get your hands on them as soon as they are released!

Infernal Chef - 2 Cost - 4 Morale - 4/4 Demon While Infernal Chef is Deployed, Characters adjacent to Infernal Chef gain Consume 2.

Nysrugh, The Ravenous - 4 Cost - 10 Morale - 5/5 Unique Demon Consume 2
Whenever a Deployed Character you control dies, Nysrugh consumes.
Whenever Nysrugh consumes for the third time each turn, Exhaust Nysrugh.

Nimble Trickery - 1 Cost - Ability Preempt
When target Deployed Character you control this turn becomes the target of another Ability, a different Deployed Character you control is chosen at random.

Jewel of Madness - 2 Cost - Artifact Increase your maximum Hand size by 2.
At the start of your turn, Draw an additional card if you have 6 or more cards in Hand.

Insane Reliquary - 3 Cost - Unique Artifact When you discard a card, a random Character in your Deck and a random Deployed Character you control each gain +1/+1.
When Insane Reliquary is discarded or Removed from the game while in Hand, shuffle a copy of Insane Reliquary into your Deck, then give a random Character in your Deck +1/+1.

Balance Changes
- Bemmie, Paragon of Community now has a Pay 1 requirement to use his activate ability.

Bug Fixes

General:
- Fixed various bug regressions from 0.88.1.
- Deck zone display is now correctly sorted to prevent draw order information leaking.
- Fixed cards with multiple artists not displaying both artists on card face.
- Fixed Community Set 1 displays text from filter dropdowns.
- Added Tooltip for Recruit.
- Fixed Mystic Forest battlefield appearing too bright in the profile window
- Fixed Shrapnel Launcher using genesis VFXs.

Cards:
- Added missing tags to previous community set cards.
- Fixed Pyr, Quatermaster's choices missing Types, Artist & Rarity on Selection.
- Fixed Endless legion not triggering when deployed from the grave.
- Fixed Bemmie targeting 0 cost cards.
- Fixed Nero's experiments giving all cards the undead subtype
- Fixed Shrapnel Launcher not being able to target and damage your own cards.
- Fixed Shrapnel Launcher not sacrificing if the damaging target was not valid.

[h2]Happy New Year, Rift Runners!
[/h2]
We’re coming back from the holiday season swinging for the fences, with our devilishly delightful Exiles themed Community set!

Our next community set is set to launch on the 14th. Check out the preview below to get your brain juices flowing on those fun new Exile decks!

(Hint: Secure exclusive perks by joining Patreon now or catch in-game preorders starting now!)

With 2023 behind us, we’re looking forward to 2024 with a lot of expectations, including more community sets, a new full set later this year, and maybe even something a little more…. physical…

You can check out our Youtube channel for the previous Saturday Sanctuary social days, or even check out the event this weekend, to receive an exclusive stamped card, as well as a god pack and boosted xp rates. It’s where all the hip and cool kids will be!

Our patreon supporters don't need to worry about this though, you get a pre-order pack (or multiple depending on tier) just for being a part of the campaign - a great way to start the new year!

[hr][/hr]





Low-cost Exiles Demon Character - Infernal Chef

Infernal chef is wearing a stained chef’s uniform, with gruesome cooking utencils.

The love of blood and gore drives many exiled demons to the front lines of war, but Infernal Chef saw a more creative outlet for their passion. The remains and viscera of the battlefield are hauled off to the Chef by the demons with more discerning tastes, and he prepares them a much more palletable cadaver.

While Infernal Chef is deployed, the two characters adjacent to him gain Consume 2. This will put him in harm’s way to gain the use of the effect, so consider pairing him with buffing effects that can help him survive battle.



Low-mid cost Unique Exiles Artifact - Insane Reliquary

Insane Reliquary is a mimic-esque style chest with a gaping mouth, sharp teeth, many horns and several eyes sitting atop a display podeum.

Referred to colloquially as the angry box, Insane Reliquary is capable of consuming and holding many objects and treasures, however there’s no guarantee that when you take something out, it’ll be the same as what you put in. Do watch the teeth as you do so, as well - he bites.

Insane Reliquary has two different uses, for when it’s deployed and when it’s discarded from your hand. When it’s deployed, it’s effect triggers whenever you discard a card, giving a random character in your deck and a random deployed character a +1/+1 buff/ Discarding Insane Reliquary shuffles a copy into your deck, and gives a random character in your deck a +1/+1 buff.




Low-cost exiles artifact - Jewel of Madness.

The Jewel of Madness is a rough, glowing crystalline gem glowing a bright peach orange, sitting in a glowing corrupted demonic hand.

The crystalline growths of the wastelands require strength, fine motor skills, and an impressive mental fortitude to harvest, a combination quite rare in the demonic wastes. However, those skilled enough to harvest these gems can wield their power to do extraordinary things.

Jewel of Madness increased your maximum hand size by 2, and draws you an additional card if you have 6 or more cards in your hand at the start of the turn. If your hand gets too low, getting the effect back will be difficult, so manage your hand wisely!



Low-cost exiles ability - Nimble Trickery.

Nimble Trickery showcases a demon evading Cult of Verore priests attempting to catch him.

With the wastes already being an inhospitable hellscape, the demons of the Exiles had adapted strength and speed to survive. And, wouldn’t you know, that speed can become awful useful for slower human predators, with the faster demons able to dodge out death magics with all the grace of a hippo, and the military tact of an infant - but it works!

Nimble Trickery is a pre-emptive spell that targets a deployed character of yours. Then, if they are targeted by an ability, a different deployed character is chosen at random instead as the target.



Mid-cost Exiles Unique Character - Nysrugh, the Ravenous.

Nysrugh stands in the demonic wastes letting out a loud roar as his mouth gapes wide open. He hungers to feast once more.

Though Nysrugh is a formidable warrior, as his hunger motivates his bloodlust and consumption of his enemies, however when he is left to his own devices in the wastes, Nysrugh’s hunger can become such a pit, that Nysrugh turns to feasting on the other demons of the exiles.

Nysrugh, the Ravenous has consume 2, and whenever a deployed character you control dies, Nysrugh consumes it. When Nysrugh consumes for the third time each turn, he exhausts himself. This gives him a lot of potential to ramp up and become a monster, but he’s unable to endlessly sit in the defense zone and eat the attackers en masse.

[hr][/hr]

[h2]Pre-orders Now Live!
[/h2]
You can jump into the game right now and purchase your pre-orders to receive a playset of platinum cards with the set’s release this weekend!

[h2]WE GOT SHORTS BTW BRO
[/h2]


Our card spotlight series on Youtube and Tiktok has been getting a lot of entries, and is a great place for looking for inspiration on what deck you should look at playing next, or even sending some of your favorite cards to your friends or others in the community! There’s also a few dumb memes over on our Tiktok for a good ol’ nose exhale. These are also posted on our Discord server.

Discord - Youtube - Tiktok - X (twitter) - Facebook

[h2]Anything else?[/h2]
Well, we already teased something physical coming soon, but we should also quickly announce that we’re making changes to the Mutator game mode so it will be available for a longer period of time, which you can hear all about this weekend at the Sanctuary Social, hosted this weekend by none other than our Agent Coyle.

[h3]MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE INFINITY WARS PATREON ON YOUR WAY OUT!
[/h3]