Combat Balance Changes - Abyssal Depths Patch 2 - Version 29.020.1 - July 23, 2025
Hulyo 23, 2025
Combat Balance Changes - Abyssal Depths Patch 2 - Version 29.020.1 - July 23, 2025
Axes
Blood Bandit has been consistently punching above its weight, so its projectile speed has been reduced to give enemies at maximum range a more realistic chance to dodge it. However, its hitbox accuracy at extremely close and very long ranges has been improved.
Great Cursed Staff has been mostly pushed out by the Rotcaller Staff in small group content. To help it succeed in its role of maintaining DoT pressure, Area of Decay’s cooldown has been reduced.
Flamewalker Staff has been highly effective in solo content. Its survivability has been reduced with a longer base cooldown, while its cooldown refund for hitting enemy players has been increased to reward aggressive play.
Frostbite and Ice Shard have been often superseded by Frozen Surge in most content. Rather than nerfing Frozen Surge directly, the alternatives have been adjusted to make them more attractive.
Lifetouch Staff has been too strong in Corrupted Dungeons, but underwhelming in group play, so it’s getting a higher cooldown, farther range, less burst healing, and a new buff for allies.
Dreadstorm Monarch has been given some quality-of-life improvements to help it compete, including a shorter cooldown between casts and increased slow strength.
Black Monk Stave has seen increasing use in ZvZs, while being one of the most demanding weapons in terms of visual and combat clarity. Its tick interval and maximum area duration have been reduced, while its damage reduction strength per stack has been increased to compensate.
Crystalburst has been given a significant damage boost to ensure the Crystal Cobra transformation remains deadly.
Corrupting Steel has had its recent area damage-over-time nerf reverted to preserve its viability as a DPS contributor.
Forcepulse Bracers now use the ‘speed’ auto-attack pattern, and have received cooldown reductions, including a new refund based on the time elapsed between the initial cast and recast.
Following the recent quality-of-life change that prevents Hellion Hood from silencing allies, players have been stacking Hellion Hoods to keep mobs permanently silenced, trivializing some PvE encounters.
Specter Jacket’s aura radius has been increased to better match its visuals.
Axes
Blood Bandit has been consistently punching above its weight, so its projectile speed has been reduced to give enemies at maximum range a more realistic chance to dodge it. However, its hitbox accuracy at extremely close and very long ranges has been improved.
- Blood Bandit (Battleaxe)
- Reduced projectile speed (~9%) and increased hit detection reliability
- Reduced projectile speed (~9%) and increased hit detection reliability
Great Cursed Staff has been mostly pushed out by the Rotcaller Staff in small group content. To help it succeed in its role of maintaining DoT pressure, Area of Decay’s cooldown has been reduced.
- Area of Decay (Great Cursed Staff)
- Cooldown: 25s → 20s
- Cooldown: 25s → 20s
Flamewalker Staff has been highly effective in solo content. Its survivability has been reduced with a longer base cooldown, while its cooldown refund for hitting enemy players has been increased to reward aggressive play.
- Spontaneous Combustion (Flamewalker Staff)
- Cooldown: 30s → 40s
- Cooldown refund: 25% → 40%
- Cooldown: 30s → 40s
Frostbite and Ice Shard have been often superseded by Frozen Surge in most content. Rather than nerfing Frozen Surge directly, the alternatives have been adjusted to make them more attractive.
- Frostbite (all Frost Staffs)
- Removed: 4% bonus damage
- Added new effect: Frostbite
- Stack duration: 2.5s
- 3-stack effect: Stuns for 0.8s
- Stack duration: 2.5s
- Removed: 4% bonus damage
- Ice Shard (all Frost Staffs)
- Cast range: 13m → 14m
- Cast range: 13m → 14m
Lifetouch Staff has been too strong in Corrupted Dungeons, but underwhelming in group play, so it’s getting a higher cooldown, farther range, less burst healing, and a new buff for allies.
- Holy Touch (Lifetouch Staff)
- Healing per tick: 76.8 → 55
- Tick count: 5 → 7
- Max channel duration: 2s → 3s
- Range: 9m → 11m
- Cooldown: 15s → 20s
- Added: Increases all damage the targeted ally deals by 15%
- Healing per tick: 76.8 → 55
- Smite (all Holy Staffs)
- Instant damage: 151 → 136
- Mark damage: 43 → 38
- Instant damage: 151 → 136
Dreadstorm Monarch has been given some quality-of-life improvements to help it compete, including a shorter cooldown between casts and increased slow strength.
- Eye of the Storm (Dreadstorm Monarch)
- Cooldown between uses: 2s → 1.5s
- Slow strength: 20% → 25%
- Cooldown between uses: 2s → 1.5s
Black Monk Stave has seen increasing use in ZvZs, while being one of the most demanding weapons in terms of visual and combat clarity. Its tick interval and maximum area duration have been reduced, while its damage reduction strength per stack has been increased to compensate.
- Fatal Blade (Black Monk Stave)
- Area duration: 5s → 3s
- Damage per tick: 25 → 80
- Damage reduction per stack (vs players): 30% → 40%
- Maximum stack count: 4 → 3
- Damage and debuff interval: 0.75s → 1.25s
- Area duration: 5s → 3s
- Hurricane (Iron-clad Staff)
- Damage per tick: 32 → 55
- Added: 0.15 armor and magic resistance for 5s
- Damage per tick: 32 → 55
Crystalburst has been given a significant damage boost to ensure the Crystal Cobra transformation remains deadly.
- Crystalburst (Stillgaze Staff)
- Tick count: 3 → 4
- Tick interval: 1s → 0.8s
- Damage per tick: 18 → 27 (Total damage: 54 → 108)
- Tick count: 3 → 4
- Return from Hell (Hellspawn Staff)
- Respawn always → Respawn requires at least 3 shift charges
- Heal based on shift charges → 18% of max health
- Respawn always → Respawn requires at least 3 shift charges
Corrupting Steel has had its recent area damage-over-time nerf reverted to preserve its viability as a DPS contributor.
- Corrupting Steel (Spirithunter)
- Returned damage over time
- Damage per tick: 32
- Tick interval: 0.5s (8 ticks total)
- Returned damage over time
Forcepulse Bracers now use the ‘speed’ auto-attack pattern, and have received cooldown reductions, including a new refund based on the time elapsed between the initial cast and recast.
- Unstoppable Rush (Forcepulse Bracers)
- Auto-attack pattern changed to ‘speed’ variant (from three-hit combo to two-hit combo)
- Single cast cooldown: 20s → 15s
- Recast cooldown: Refunds time elapsed before recasting
- Auto-attack pattern changed to ‘speed’ variant (from three-hit combo to two-hit combo)
Following the recent quality-of-life change that prevents Hellion Hood from silencing allies, players have been stacking Hellion Hoods to keep mobs permanently silenced, trivializing some PvE encounters.
- Smoke Bomb (Hellion Hood)
- Mobs can no longer be consecutively silenced
- Mobs can no longer be consecutively silenced
Specter Jacket’s aura radius has been increased to better match its visuals.
- Self Ignition (Specter Jacket)
- Aura radius: 6m → 7m
- Aura radius: 6m → 7m