This patch further refines the Horizons update with tweaks and fixes. We are also reintroducing developer notes for Combat Balance changes to provide more context for these adjustments.
Note for Android users: With this patch, we are rolling back the recent platform migration introduced with the Horizons Update. This will again require a larger-than-normal installation. If you experience space issues, please uninstall the Albion Online app before performing a clean install.
Frazzle has been outshined by Enigma Blade in DPS arcane builds, even in smaller group fights. We’ve increased its burst damage to make it more competitive, even if allies don’t take advantage of the powerful damage-amplifying component.
Bridled Fury players have struggled to find success in ZvZs, so we’ve reintroduced some resilience penetration to make Merciless Finish live up to its name.
Ice Storm hasn’t been very popular, despite its high damage potential. We've reduced its travel distance to boost area denial and threat to keep chokes covered longer. We've also reduced its cast and stand times to make its use smoother.
We’ve smoothed out Sacred Pulse’s animation and stand time for a better experience in both PvE and PvP.
Counter is outshined by other War Gloves’ W abilities in most contexts. Extending the powerful defense buff should provide more flexibility, allowing players to either disengage more safely or follow up confidently after a successful counter.
Ravenstrikes haven’t been performing well in ZvZs, despite recent buffs. A big downside is that while the damage can be reflected, the caster can't cancel the channel once the ability has started. So we’ve made the ability non-reflectable to make it less likely to die to Demon Armor in ZvZ. Since this makes it significantly more valuable, we’ve reduced its damage slightly.
Royal Helmet is currently only used by niche one-shot combo builds. To encourage tank and support use, we’ve significantly reduced its cooldown.
Dynamic Defense is strong and popular in ZvZs as both an offensive and defensive tool. Due to the prevalence of reflect, Dynamic Defense has been putting pressure on DPS players to strongly consider only magic damage weapons, as Jacket of Tenacity would do double duty as a strong defense against enemy reflect while also providing a damage boost that brings magic damage users close to the damage levels of cloth armor. We’ve reduced the maximum damage potential, but allowed players to choose the optimal defensive buff without losing access to the bonus damage.
Scholar Sandals have fallen short of their promise to be a complete energy solution, so we’ve significantly increased their mana regeneration.
Demon Boots' movement speed was previously reduced to prevent them from being a guaranteed ‘get out of jail free card’. However, since they are now a fairly underused item, we believe they deserve a cooldown in line with other sprints in their class.
Underutilized potions have been given significant buffs to make them more competitive with their alternatives.