June 29 balance patch
June 29 balance patch notes
On June 29th a new balance update will be applied to Halo Wars 2 in response to player feedback and gameplay data. Please see below for the specifics of everything being adjusted in this latest update.
Note this is in addition to the fixes and changes included in the June 28th game patch. You can read those full patch notes HERE.
Heroes
All Hero units have been adjusted to make them more powerful and available more quickly and be a potent force in the early, mid, and late game. They are more vulnerable initially, but are also more powerful when fully upgraded, so protecting them will pay off as they gain Veterancy. Heroes have been balanced between leaders to make them more competitive with each other. Lower armor benefits and increased damage from Tier 3 Vehicles and Artillery while garrisoned makes it easier to pry them out of their defenses.
Spartan Alice, Jerome and Douglas
- Starting HP reduced -50%
- Basic DPS increased +67%
- Cost decreased from 450/450 to 200/250
- Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced from 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
- Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -11%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +29%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -19%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +19%
Forgehog
- Starting HP reduced -40%
- Basic Autocannon DPS increased +68%
- Basic Cobra Cannon DPS increased +67%
- Cost decreased from 500/400 to 250/220
- Build time reduced from 45 to 30 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced from 450/650/850 to 325/550/650 power
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
- Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -4%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +31%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -7%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +29%
Kinsano’s Cyclops
- Starting HP reduced -33%
- Basic Flamethrower DPS increased +66%
- Basic Anti-inf Flamethrower DPS increased +66%
- Basic Anti-building Flamethrower DPS increased +43%
- Cost decreased from 500/400 to 250/300
- Build time reduced from 45 to 27 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced from 450/650/850 to 325/550/650 power
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
- Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -11%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +29%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -19%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +19%
Sgt. Johnson
- Starting HP reduced -50%
- Basic Minigun DPS increased +67%
- Basic Artillery DPS increased +67%
- Cost decreased from 450/450 to 200/250
- Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced from 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +10%
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +29%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -7%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +36%/+14%
Commander Jerome
- Starting HP reduced -50%
- Basic Hydra DPS increased +54%
- Basic Hydra Vehicle DPS increased +55%
- Jerome’s Mantis Laser DPS increased +50%
- Jerome’s Mantis Missile Launcher DPS increased +60%
- Cost decreased from 550/450 to 350/250
- Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced from 600/800/1000 to 450/600/750
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus unchanged
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
- Mantis Upgrade 1 damage bonus reduced -14%
- Mantis Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
- Upgrade 2 damage bonus increased +8%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +29%
- Mantis Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -7%
- Mantis Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +42%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus increased +17%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +36%/+19%
- Mantis Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -7%
- Mantis Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +36%/+19%
Brute Warlord
- Starting HP reduced -25%
- Hammer DPS increased +72%
- Cost decreased from 450/400 to 200/250
- Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
- Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -4%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +38%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -7%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +36%
Atriox’s Chosen
- Starting HP reduced -44%
- Bruteshot DPS increased +72%
- Cost decreased from 450/400 to 200/250
- Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +17%
- Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -13%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +31%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -16%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +20%
Elite Honour Guard
- Starting HP reduced -50%
- Sword DPS increased +66%
- Cost decreased from 450/400 to 200/275
- Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus reduced -9%
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +33%
- Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -9%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +33%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -4%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +19%
Hunter Captain
- Starting HP reduced -50%
- Starting SP reduced -6%
- Beam DPS increased +29%
- Beam lifesteal reduced -24%
- Cost decreased from 450/400 to 200/225
- Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus unchanged
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
- Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -8%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +35%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -11%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +32%
Arbiter
- Starting HP reduced -50%
- Sword DPS increased +66%
- Rage Sword DPS increased +52%
- Cost decreased from 550/450 to 350/250
- Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
- Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
- Upgrade effects reworked:
- Upgrade 1 damage bonus unchanged
- Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
- Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -4%
- Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +35%
- Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -11%
- Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +32%
Hero Veterancy
- All Hero Veterancy requirements increased:
- Level 1 vet requirement increased +108%
- Level 2 vet requirement increased +100%
- Level 3 vet requirement increased +67%
- Garrisoned Heroes
- Damage vs. Heroes in Garrisoned increased for Tier 3 Vehicles and Artillery units
Buildings/Units:
Choppers and Jackrabbits have been adjusted to bring them closer to each other. Jackrabbits now have guns without requiring an upgrade which makes them, and UNSC leaders, more competitive against Banished units from the start of the match. Ram damage has also been reduced to balance the impact of those attacks on Tier 1 units.
- Chopper health and damage lowered slightly, build time increased by 1 second:
- HP reduced -13%
- DPS reduced -15%
- Upgrade no longer increases speed or HP
- Build time 25 sec -> 26 sec
- Jackrabbit health and damage increased slightly:
- DPS increased +14%
- HP increased +9%
- Jackrabbits now start with the guns by default, gun upgrades no longer needed.
- Jackrabbit drone upgrade, cost increased from 350 to 450 and time from 25 to 30 seconds
- Ram damage reduced against Hero units, Infantry and Scout units
- Ram damage vs. Heroes reduced -63%
- Ram damage vs. Infantry reduced -28%
- Ram damage vs. Scouts reduced -45%
- Ram is a little more responsive and has less wind-up time
Key Tier 2 Vehicles (Mantis, Warthog, Marauder) have been adjusted to improve their impact and cost-effectiveness in the mid and late-game while Tier 3 UNSC Vehicles (Colossus, Grizzly, Kodiak ) are now more powerful to improve their competitiveness against their Banished counterparts. Reavers have increased rate of fire which makes them a more potent anti-air threat and Shrouds are less effective at intercepting projectiles requiring more of them to achieve the same levels of protection.
Mantis health and damage increased:
- HP increased +20%
- DPS increased +10%
- Colossus damage and health increased slightly, build time reduced:
- HP increased +15%
- DPS increased +15%
- Build times reduced from 48 to 42 seconds
- Warthog health and damage increased:
- HP increased +15%
- DPS increased +10%
- Marauder cost and population requirement lowered, missile slow reduced:
- Cost 400 -> 320
- Population Cost reduced 5 -> 4
- Missile 70% -> 50% slow
- Grizzly damage and health increased slightly, build time reduced:
- HP increased +8%
- DPS increased by 15%
- Build times reduced from 58 to 48 seconds
- Kodiaks will now fire more often when targets are within range:
- Post fire delay reduced from 3-3.2 seconds, to 2.6-2.8 seconds
- Shroud now has a slower recharge rate on its anti-projectile defense
- Reavers now have an increased rate of fire (same overall DPS but overkill has been reduced)
- Reinstated Turrets gaining damage improvements from Fortify upgrades
As always the Halo Wars 2 team will continue to monitor gameplay data and player feedback to help inform future updates and adjustments to balance and game mechanics. Please continue to share your feedback here on Halo Waypoint!
July 7 patch
July 7 balance patch notes
All units! Following last week's game update and new DLC release the team has been monitoring feedback and player data closely and has determined that a few further balance adjustments are needed. As a reminder you can check out the full details of the June 29th balance update HERE.
These changes will be going through test today with the goal of releasing them to the public within the next day or two barring any unforeseen issues.
Balance updates of this nature don't require a game patch and instead will happen invisibly behind the scenes. If you're in a game session when the changes are deployed you will prompted to restart/re-login to the Halo Wars 2 services.
(Update 7/6 - The balance notes were adjusted to remove the Mantis "now starts on cooldown" as the team found an issue arising from that specific change. Some additional detail was added around the new/final tweaks to the Mantis' cooldown)
The focus of this update is on reining Jerome in a bit, reducing the impact of his Mantis (especially in team games), and limiting the early Rush potential of other hero units.
Time for Heroes
The interaction with the much cheaper early game Jerome hero was too much, especially because he could hit-and-run very effectively.
All heroes
- Clamped at a minimum cost of 300 supply, 275 power
- Arbiter and Jerome keep their slightly higher supply costs (350)
- Kinsano dropped in power cost slightly as a result (300 -> 275)
To reduce the impact of early game Hero rush attacks, we've increased any heroes cheaper than 300/275 up to those costs. This provides a common baseline for Hero building and prevents any single Hero unit from becoming uniquely dominant. Some Heroes have been reduced in effectiveness as a result but we will continue to adjust for any weakness in the future as we gather more data.
Commander Jerome
- Takes damage upon death of the Mantis if he's inside
- Mantis summon cooldown 25s -> 70s
- 1st upgrade time 25s -> 30s, power cost 450 -> 500
- Jerome damage reduced -10%/-8%
The major change here is slowing down the Mantis push timing, and making it take substantially longer to replace if it dies.
Jerome's Mantis
- Initial HP/SP reduced -50%/-25%
- Mantis missile range reduced -14%
- Mantis lasers initial damage reduced -17%
- Velocity reduced -9%
To limit the early game impact of Jerome's Mantis we have reduced its durability, making it beatable at Tier 1 with upgraded core infantry or scout vehicles. With upgrades the Mantis at max level is still at its original power.
Mantis Summon Cooldown
When the research is finished, the ability will be available for use immediately.However, if Jerome is killed and then trained again, the ability will start on cooldown.
Examples:
Jerome on the battle fighting and starts research on the Command Mantis upgrade. It finishes and he can immediately use his ability to call in the Mantis.
During this fight, Jerome and the Mantis are killed. The player recruits Jerome again, he comes out of the base, the ability will not be usable for another 70 seconds.
Brute Warlord
- HP/SP reduced -14%/-13%
- 1st upgrade power cost 300 -> 350, time 25s -> 30s
- Pull cooldown 10s -> 15s
Decimus' Warlord rush needed to be slowed down, and the frequency of his Pull ability made him punishing, and too effective at assassinating enemy heroes. These changes bring him more closely in line with the other hero units at Tier 1.
Atriox's Chosen
- Initial damage reduced -10%
- Final damage upgrade reduced -4%
- Build time 30s -> 33s
In addition to the minimum cost changes for heroes, this greatly slows down the Atriox's Chosen early game, increases the hit to long-term economy, and allows all heroes (including Johnson and Forge) to beat this rush.
As always, thank you for sharing your feedback with the team and we look forward to getting these adjustments out the door soon.