Combat Balance Changes - Realm Divided Update - Version 30.000.1 - November 24, 2025


Arcane Staffs

Astral Staff have had their Resilience Penetration reduced to align with most melee weapons.

• Starfall (Astral Staff)
  
  • Resilience Penetration while channeling: 30% → 20%
    

Axes

Relentless Assault’s dash stand time has been reduced for a smoother combat feel. However, as it was already performing too well with some group PvE builds, it now deals reduced damage against mobs.

• Relentless Assault (Crystal Reaper)
  
  • Dash end stand time: 0.3s → 0.25s
    
  • Damage to mobs: 105 → 95
    

Greataxe has regained its bonus movement speed during the channel, but this effect now only applies while actively hitting enemies.

• Whirlwind (Greataxe)
  
  • Added 20% bonus move speed for 0.75s on hit
    

Bows

As Wailing Bow’s solo PvE performance was weaker than comparable weapons, it now deals its maximum player damage to any mob hit. Hitting mobs will still escalate player damage values.

• Demon Arrow (Wailing Bow)
  
  • Now always deals 391 damage to mobs
    

Bow of Badon has overperformed from solo PvP to ZvZ engagements, maintaining a consistently high presence across content types. To promote build diversity, its damage per tick has been reduced slightly.

• Raging Storm (Bow of Badon)
  
  • Damage per tick: 24.20 → 23
    

Crossbows

Vicious Barrage has been a strong offensive option, but now has an added defense bonus while channeling to improve survivability, making it more reliable as a sustained damage tool.

• Vicious Barrage (Siegebow)
  
  • Added 33.333% defense vs players while channeling
    
  • Added 33.333% defense vs mobs while channeling
    

Cursed Staffs

Cursed Beam has had its damage increased when consuming stacks, as the cost of doing so previously limited its use across different types of content.

• Cursed Beam (all Cursed Staffs)
  
  • Damage per tick with 1+ stacks: 68 → 72
    

Daggers

Chain Slash’s ability to chain to a fourth target has been removed to improve its reliability, while the damage it deals to the second and third targets has been increased. While this reduces total potential damage, the significant increase to the third target’s burst damage should help dagger players enable kills in group fights.

• Chain Slash (all Daggers)
  
  • 2nd target damage: 125 → 140
    
  • 3rd target damage: 140 → 200
    
  • Removed 4th chain hit
    

Maces

Dreadstorm Monarch’s casts have been sped up slightly to improve smoothness.

• Eye of the Storm (Dreadstorm Monarch)
  
  • Stand time per cast reduced by 0.1s
    
  • Hit delay: 0.3s → 0.25s
    

Ground Shaker has traded some of its crowd control for increased damage, improving its effectiveness for PvE and bruiser playstyles.

• Ground Shaker (all Maces)
  
  • Knock-up duration: 0.6s → 0.4s
    
  • Damage: 200 → 219
    

Guard Rune has been too powerful as an all-in-one defensive option in large-group content. Its resistance increase has been reduced, but it retains its strong CC immunity.

• Guard Rune (all Maces)
  
  • Resistance increase: 0.225 → 0.2
    

Quarterstaffs

With Cartwheel no longer granting a movement speed bonus when hit, its resistance increase has been raised to better position Quarterstaffs as group-scale tanks in PvP.

• Cartwheel (all Quaterstaffs)
  
  • Resistance increase: 0.1 → 0.2
    

Whirling Strikes has had its stacking cooldown refund mechanic removed to improve its consistency in PvP.

• Whirling Strikes (all Quarterstaffs)
  
  • Damage per tick: 38 → 40
    
  • Cooldown: 4s → 3s
    
  • Removed cooldown refund based on stacks
    

Shapeshifter Staffs

Lightcaller has emerged as a powerhouse in the Mists. To reduce its mobility potential, the movement speed bonus from its Airborne passive is now removed after transforming. Lightcaller players must now choose between remaining in the fragile Dawnbird Transformation with elevated speed, or returning to human form to regain their armor bonuses.

• Airborne (Lightcaller)
  
  • Movespeed bonus is now removed when transforming back to human form
    

Spears

Cripple’s attack speed reduction has been replaced with a reduction to all damage types, making it a more effective counter to movement speed buffs and a wider range of opponents.

• Cripple (all Spears)
  
  • Changed debuff type: attack speed reduction → decrease all damage
    

Swords

Claymore’s Charge has had its range increased and stand time reduced to help it perform better in the current combat environment.

• Charge (Claymore)
  
  • Cast range: 11m → 13m
    
  • Dash end stand time: 0.8s → 0.5s
    

Hamstring has received a significant power increase to make it a more viable soft-CC option with additional mobility potential.

• Hamstring (all Swords)
  
  • 1st cast damage: 78 → 86
    
  • 1st cast cooldown: 8s → 6s
    
  • 2nd cast max dash range: 7m → 8m
    
  • 2nd cast cooldown: 8s → 10s
    
  • 2nd cast no longer requires or consumes an Heroic Charge
    

To provide a small grace window and make it easier to maintain a consistent movement speed buff without having to cast Heroic Strike on cooldown, its buff duration has been increased slightly.

• Heroic Strike (all Swords)
  
  • Movespeed buff duration: 3s → 3.5s
    

Infinity Blade’s Reach Limits, being an uninterruptible channel, had allowed players to ignore all crowd control and reach enemy backlines with bonus movement speed and damage. It can now be interrupted, but if that happens, Limitbreaker is still available.

• Limitbreaker (Infinity Blade)
  
  • Channel can now be interrupted
    

Splitting Slash has had its root duration increased to better define it as a supportive crowd control option in group fights, and as a tool to control spacing in 1v1 combat.

• Splitting Slash (all Swords)
  
  • Root duration: 1s → 1.25s
    

Helmets

Soldier Helmet’s cooldown has been increased to reduce the uptime of this powerful defensive option.

• Block (Soldier Helmet)
  
  • Cooldown: 30s → 40s
    

Hush has been reworked into a dodgable spell to make it more effective in group fights, give opponents a better chance to react, and offer users more interactive gameplay.

• Hush (Demon Helmet)
  
  • Is now a ground-targeted spell
    
  • Range: auto-attack based → 11m
    
  • Radius: 4m
    
  • Hit delay: 1s → 0.45s
    
  • Silence duration: 4.86s → 3.3s
    
  • Cooldown: 40s → 30s
    

If Ice Block is activated late and at low health, healers will no longer be able to save the user.

• Ice Block (Cleric Cowl)
  
  • Cannot receive healing while channeling
    

Armors

Dynamic Defense now grants significantly higher resistances against its respective damage types, making it a more robust defensive option in ideal scenarios.

• Dynamic Defense (Jacket of Tenacity)
  
  • Resistance increase: 0.5 → 0.8
    

Mist Cloud’s full immunity has proven very powerful, with limited counterplay. To reduce its ability to disengage safely or engage without interaction, its self-slow has been increased.

• Mist Cloud (Mistwalker Jacket)
  
  • Self-slow strength: 20% → 30%
    

Shoes

Frost Walk no longer interacts with slow-effect diminishing returns, clarifying and simplifying its gameplay rules: on the frost path, you’re slowed; off the frost path, you’re not.

• Frost Walk (Druid Sandals)
  
  • Always slows for full value while in the area
    
  • Slow is removed when leaving the area
    

Hover has been the go-to choice for solo players in the Depths, allowing them to kite and escape most teams with ease. Its movement speed has been reduced to give opponents a better chance to catch up.

• Hover (Sandals of Purity)
  
  • Movement speed: 60% → 50%
    

The previous Swift Cut changes successfully enabled all-in builds in small-scale content. Now that the ability is more consistent, additional counterplay has been introduced: opponents can interrupt the dash to prevent damage, or even disjoint it with a well-timed blink.

• Swift Cut (Assassin Shoes)
  
  • Interrupting the dash now prevents damage
    

Capes

Martlock Cape has largely been replaced by Smuggler’s Cape as the preferred defensive option. To make Martlock Cape more appealing, its reliability has been increased significantly.

• Shield of Protection (Martlock Cape)
  
  • Defense buff is no longer purgeable
    
  • Base cooldown: 225s → 245s
    
  • Cooldown reduction per 100 Item Power: 5s → 8s
    
    • Cooldown at 700 IP: 190s → 189s
      
    • Cooldown at 1600 IP: 145s → 117s
      

Mounts

In addition to their new passive abilities (see Faction Warfare Mounts section here), Faction Mounts have had several spells adjusted to make them more impactful and practical in gameplay. Fearless Rush has received a slight nerf to bring it more in line with the other mount abilities.

• Zig (Elite Terrorbird)
  
  • Now starts galloping after use
    
• Winter Call (Elite Winter Bear)
  
  • Now stuns after five Winter Lord Charges, instead of rooting
    
• Fearless Rush (Elite Wild Boar)
  
  • Range: 16m → 12m
    
• Highland Resilience (Elite Bighorn Ram)
  
  • Defense vs mobs: 5.66% → 33.333%
    
  • Defense vs players: 10.714% → 33.333%
    
• Shed Skin (Elite Swamp Salamander)
  
  • Cooldown: 30s → 20s
    
  • Crowd control immunity duration: 2s → 3s
    

Wild Boars have had their base movement speed slightly reduced to lower their top gallop speed and make them less of an all-round ideal choice, while still benefiting greatly from their new passive ability.

• Saddled Wild Boar/Elite Wild Boar
  
  • Base move speed: 60% → 55%
    

The carry weight of Salamander mounts has been increased, making them a more competitive option compared to other gathering mounts.

• Saddled Swamp Salamander
  
  • Carry weight: 195kg → 391kg
    
• Elite Swamp Salamander
  
  • Carry weight: 396kg → 791kg
    

Knightfall Abbey

Players have continued to strongly favor the Blessing of Compassion buff, so to promote other Blessings, its healing has been reduced at all stack counts.

• Blessing of Compassion
  
  • 4% less health recovered instantly at all stack counts
    
  • 1 stack: 10% → 5% (total heal: 15% → 10%)
    
  • 15 stacks: 24% → 19% (total heal: 32.5% → 27.5%)
    

Resilience Penetration

Melee weapons continue to be the preferred choice for many zerg main forces. To further level the playing field between melee and ranged combat, all melee weapons (including melee transformations) have had their Resilience Penetration reduced by 10%, except for Battle Bracers, which have been reduced by 15%. These reductions are partially offset by the Resilience adjustment listed below.

• Broadsword
  
  • 40% → 30%
    
• Claymore
  
  • 40% → 30%
    
• Dual Swords
  
  • 35% → 25%
    
• Clarent Blade
  
  • 15% → 5%
    
• Carving Sword
  
  • 35% → 25%
    
• Galatine Pair
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Kingmaker
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Infinity Blade
  
  • 25% → 15%
    
• Battleaxe
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Greataxe
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Halberd
  
  • 25% → 15%
    
• Carrioncaller
  
  • 25% → 15%
    
• Infernal Scythe
  
  • 25% → 15%
    
• Bear Paws
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Realmbreaker
  
  • 25% → 15%
    
• Crystal Reaper
  
  • 25% → 15%
    
• Mace
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Heavy Mace
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Morning Star
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Bedrock Mace
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Incubus Mace
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Camlann Mace
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Oathkeepers
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Dreadstorm Monarch
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Hammer
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Polehammer
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Great Hammer
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Tombhammer
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Forge Hammers
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Grovekeeper
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Hand of Justice
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Truebolt Hammer
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Brawler Gloves
  
  • 35% → 25%
    
• Battle Bracers
  
  • 35% → 20%
    
• Spiked Gauntlets
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Ursine Maulers
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Hellfire Hands
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Ravenstrike Cestus
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Fists of Avalon
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Forcepulse Bracers
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Spear
  
  • 35% → 25%
    
• Pike
  
  • 40% → 30%
    
• Glaive
  
  • 40% → 30%
    
• Heron Spear
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Spirithunter
  
  • 15% → 5%
    
• Trinity Spear
  
  • 35% → 25%
    
• Daybreaker
  
  • 35% → 25%
    
• Rift Glaive
  
  • 15% → 5%
    
• Dagger
  
  • 50% → 40%
    
• Dagger Pair
  
  • 50% → 40%
    
• Claws
  
  • 50% → 40%
    
• Bloodletter
  
  • 50% → 40%
    
• Demonfang
  
  • 35% → 25%
    
• Deathgivers
  
  • 50% → 40%
    
• Bridled Fury
  
  • 35% → 25%
    
• Twin Slayers
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Quarterstaff
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Iron-Clad Staff
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Double Bladed Staff
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Black Monk Stave
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Soulscythe
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Staff of Balance
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Grailseeker
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Phantom Twinblade
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Shadow Panther Transformation
  
  • 50% → 40%
    
• Spirit Bear Transformation
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Werewolf Transformation
  
  • 30% → 20%
    
• Runestone Golem Transformation
  
  • 20% → 10%
    
• Crystal Cobra Transformation
  
  • 20% → 10%
    

Resilience

Resilience is a mechanic designed to limit the effectiveness of multiple opponents focusing on a single target. In large-scale ZvZ combat, melee weapons have been dominant, partly due to their high Resilience Penetration, serving as the primary damage dealers in most zergs. To address this, alongside the general reductions to Resilience Penetration above, the overall strength of Resilience has been reduced slightly. This makes ranged weapons more effective and partially offsets the impact of the melee reductions.

• Players (unmounted) now experience slightly lower Resilience starting from 5 or more attackers. As a result, melee weapons are less affected by the Resilience Penetration reductions, while ranged weapons gain improved performance against targets with 5+ stacks of Resilience. Example comparisons:
  
  • Against targets with 7 attackers’ worth of Resilience: ranged weapons deal 6.4% more damage, and melee weapons (on average) 4.6% less
    
  • Against targets with 12 attackers’ worth of Resilience: ranged weapons deal 18.8% more damage, and melee weapons (on average) 2.8% less
    
• The maximum Resilience value for players (unmounted) has been reduced from 80% at 25+ attackers to 75% at 26+ attackers
  

Miscellaneous

• Slowing Charge (all Hammers): No longer interrupts movement input