UltDragon

major update, version 0.2.4:
- updated cards data with correct upgrade maps for new cards
- updated personal pages titles
- added Booster Simulator page, Personal Booster History page and made Personal Collection page available
- added api image endpoint option for simple card images with only artwork, border and name, it's available at "/api/images/fullCard/[smj or official card ID]?simple"
 
Boosters Page: (https://smj.cards/boosters)
- removed Booster Simulator from page and separated it into it's own page
- reworked boosters table values to provide better information of what return values to expect:
removed recent column due to becoming obsolete with new calculation method median average (correct rarity distribution with the median card value for each rarity based on the 2 weeks median price for the possible cards) mean average (correct rarity distribution with the mean card value for each rarity based on the 2 weeks median price for the possible cards) [practically the same as the previous median column] min average (correct rarity distribution with the min card value for each rarity based on the 2 weeks median price for the possible cards) max average (correct rarity distribution with the max card value for each rarity based on the 2 weeks median price for the possible cards) lowest possible (worst possible value from booster) highest possible (best possible value from booster) - added tooltips to give a bit of information of how the values were generated
 
Booster Simulator Page: (https://smj.cards/simulator)
- added separate Booster Simulator page
- added values of what the cards from the booster may be worth
- option to enable the storage of simulated boosters in your browser for deeper analysis on the personal boosters page
 

 
Parsonal Boosters History Page: (https://smj.cards/personal/boosters)
- added new page to analyse your booster history in a more detailed fashion (simulated boosters only for now):
see actual 2 weeks median total value of the obtained cards, total sum of mean and median value of the opened boosters see rarity, color and edition distributions for the diferent boosters with color and edition also being reliant of the rarity distribution distributions represent: "actually obtainedtotal (expected total) difference percentage of actual compared to expected" - booster history table similar to the in-game version but with price info of the contained cards
- OPTION TO EXPORT YOUR BOOSTER HISTORY IS NOT YET AVAILABLE IN-GAME.
 


 
Personal Collection Page: (https://smj.cards/personal/collection)
- view your card collection and set collection condition and goal and show rarity distribution and worth of fitting/missing cards and upgrades
- table to see what cards make sense to sell depending on your set condition and which to buy depending on your goal
- table of maps to play to obtain the most relevant updrades or most average gold (might need a rework based on the updrades rework in-game)
- show completed/not completed cards based on your set condition/goal.
- OPTION TO EXPORT YOUR COLLECTION IS NOT YET AVAILABLE IN-GAME.
 


 
The Personal Collection page was already showcased in the Masters of the Forge stream in early December:
 
 
Enjoy. 🙂

Gate of Akylos, lets go 🙌

Gate of Akylos, lets go 🙌

Gate of Akylos, lets go 🙌

Name: New Game+
Text: Offer your riches to the gods.

Reward: Changes the colour of your name on banner into Skylord Gold.
You would need a new button in the game that activates this achievement. When clicking, all your upgrades get destroyed, and also 4 copies of each card get destroyed, including all promos (so everything except Starter Cards and Snapjaws). All one-time achievements get reset, but not the endless ones, so you still see how many games you played etc. You also retain your Gold and BFP.
(If Ult has too much free time, you could also add a new color menu where you can choose from eight color options or something representing the factions. Alternatively, you could even make the Achievement repeatable - with the colour of changing from silver to gold to platinum etc., but I think that's too much for the economy to bear).

Hotfix - 30 October 2023

General Changes
Adjusted the ordering of cosmetics. They will now be ordered by the Legacy avatars (purchasable with gold) and then achievement avatars. the cosmetic unlock description. the cosmetic name. General Fixes
Fixed a regression that prevented ground units from opening gold chests while in combat. Fixed an issue in the cosmetics paging logic that caused entries to be displayed twice in some cases. Fixed replays displaying the wrong date and time in the replay selection menu. Card Fixes
Soulstone: Fixed the cooldown of Soul Armor (T2 Shielding ability) to actually work. Stronghold: Improved EN/DE description of Cannon Turrets to be more consistent. Improved non-EN description of Bombardment to be more consistent. Improved EN description of To the Last! to be more consistent.

Patch #400044 - 28 October 2023
🎃👻 Welcome to the Spoooooky Halloween Patch! 🦇🕷️
Skylords, gather 'round as the shadows lengthen and the nights grow cold! We're thrilled to present our ninth balance patch, teeming with delightful treats and perhaps a trick or two.
Dive deep into the abyss to discover a mysterious new card, unveil chilling new achievements that await the brave, and embrace the night as you light up the forge with a hauntingly beautiful new theme.
Happy Halloween in the Forge, Skylords!

Achievement Updates
[New] Happy Halloween! Rewards: Halloween Pumpkin (Avatar) + 1x Lost Souls Booster
Win the PvE community map Spooky Encounters on expert difficulty during the Halloween season. (One week from Oct. 28th)
[Updated] Never Thought of Him
Now rewards a brand new Fire Forge theme in addition to the 100,000 gold. Reward is retroactive.
Corporate Downsizing
Added 2 additional levels to the achievement with 2 additional progressive avatars.
General Changes
The deck limit has been raised to 500 total decks, inclusive of PvP, Tutorial, and General decks. Please note: Performance issues may occur at higher deck counts. A warning for this will be displayed once you reach 100 decks. Players using a deck level below 100 will now receive a notification encouraging them to check out the free PvP decks. High-res textures are now used for "Flightblocking" objects. Completed goals in maps will now be stored in replay files. The "Seasonal" forge theme has been renamed to the "Featured" forge theme. The new Fire Forge will be the featured theme until the end of November 2023. The game's file system logic has been updated to use UTF-8 paths for enhanced support. This feature is experimental and may be rolled back if necessary. Profile comparison section has been improved with filters allowing sorting by achievement group, achievement type, and locked achievements.
General Fixes
The 'Show Upgrades' button has been repositioned, creating more space between it and the 'Create Game' button. The brown background issue that occurred when clicking on the leaderboard entry in 2 player scenarios has been fixed. Leaderboard filters no longer reload incorrectly after choosing the map from the dropdown. Flying units are now restricted from opening gold chests. This rectifies an issue introduced by a previous change. Issues related to entities like power wells, monuments, and walls not updating their position correctly when teleported via map scripts have been fixed. Achievement Fixes
The tooltip for the forge spring theme locked achievement now correctly displays (8 maps) instead of (10 maps). Corrected faulty achievement descriptions with missing placeholder values in the profile comparison section. Resolved issues with the type filter not functioning properly in the profile comparison section. Chat commands in the chat menu will remain visible when switching chat regions. Community Map Fixes
Removed misleading error messages that appeared after downloading a community map when joining an open game. Resolved issues related to rapidly switching between community map entries which affected the minimap load. Private maps will now be deleted after 3 hours as intended. Downloaded maps will now properly replace older map versions on the filesystem. The "Local" map type filter will from now on display all locally available community maps, including those downloaded and already on the server. Fixed the issue of daily quests not progressing when playing featured community maps. Rectified the error where maps were counted multiple times for the 'complete different featured community maps' achievement. Resolved inaccuracies in the text for hardcoded local community maps.  

New Cards
Soulstone  - 70p T1 Frost ()
You will find the upgrades for this card on the map Defending Hope.
A common complaint among players is that Frost lacks good shield spells and abilities for PvE before T4. This hole in Frost's design is real, and leads to other issues, such as a lack of teamplay oriented utility and army sustain in the early game. Soulstone, a Frost-like version of Fountain of Rebirth that grants ice shields, fills this gap. It is also the first card to make use of a new evolution mechanic we are adding to the game. Once the player reaches T2, Soulstone can be transformed into a stronger version of itself. This allows it to scale with the player, without being overpowered in T1. We hope players enjoy this new card and the many synergies it brings to Frost, and we cannot wait to see what you do with it.  

Card & NPC Balance Changes

Global Changes
Standardize Basic Class Types:
Added missing faction & affinity class tags to all player buildings. Fixed wrong affinity class type on dozens of units. Added missing class type to dozens of units and buildings.  While technically a balance change as it fixes several card inconsistencies, such as some affinities not working with the correct elemental crystal card, this change also improves the accuracy of the card filtering function.

Description Fixes:
  Cleaned up the descriptions of dozens of player cards and NPCs for improved clarity in each language.     Introduced a new standard description for rage on all cards with the ability. Bug Fixes:
Shrine of Martyrs: Fixed a bug preventing alive units from being affected by a shrine if they had already been affected and the current one was destroyed. Sun Reaver: Fixed various faulty interactions with linked fire.
PvE Balance Changes
 Earthen Gift:
1. Charges: 8 ➜ 12
 Frontier Keep:
1. Power cost: 250p ➜ 125p
In truth, we have little idea how strong Frontier Keep is as a card, merely that it is overpriced for its current effect. As such, we are cutting its price in half and seeing what happens. 
 Grinder(r):
1. Infused Provoke (r): The damage buff is now stackable with external effects. 
Grinder's built-in damage buff after using provoke will now stack with effects like Earthen Gift(r) and Wheel of Gifts. 
 Mindweaver:
1. Fixed a bug where the population cap would be permanently increased beyond the 120 limit if a controlled unit died.
2. Edict of Command range: 30m ➜ 40m
3. Added a 40m radius indicator for Edict of Command on card play-out.
 Parasite Swarm:
1. Can now takeover T3 units on upgrade 2 instead of upgrade 3. 
Make Parasite Swarm more accessible to new players by reducing the total gold investment to reach T3 takeovers. 
 Sleet Storm:
1. Radius: 15m ➜ 20m
2. Spell delay: 5 seconds ➜ 4 seconds
Sleet Storm released below the power level we wanted for the card. We have increased the effect radius and decreased the time it takes for the root and gravity surge effects to activate to ensure the player can ensnare faster moving L and XL-units more consistently. 
 Stone Launcher:
1. Orb cost: 1 Frost, 1 Nature, 1 Neutral ➜ 1 Frost, 1 Nature, 1 Hybrid
2. Power cost: 70p ➜ 100p
3. Life points: 1700 ➜ 2200
4. Rock shot
   A. Splash radius: 5m ➜ 8m
   B. Now damages both air and ground units
5. Pulldown power cost: 80 / 80 / 75 / 70p ➜ 50 / 50 / 45 / 40p
Stone Launcher is now a normal tower. We think that T3+ AA-only towers are largely a bad design, and, on top of that, we needed a normal T3 Stonekin tower for our upcoming card Bedrock to be able to summon and Tectonic Shift to teleport.
 Stronghold:
1. Power cost: 150p ➜ 200p
2. Displayed attack value: 2850 dp20 ➜ 4950 dp20
3. Life points: 3600 ➜ 4500
4. Cannon Turrets: 
   A. Splash radius: 5m ➜ 10m
   B. Turret firing arc: Allow up to 3 turrets to attack a target at a time.
   C. Damage: 74 damage, up to 110 in total ➜ 164 damage, up to 246 in total
5. Bombardment:
   A. Now an active ability
   B. New description: Activate to shoot a mortar shell that deals 800 damage to enemies in a 15m radius around its target, up to 3200 in total. Knocks back small, medium, and large units. Has a range of 40m. Reusable every 30 seconds.
6. New passive, "To the Last!" 
   A. Description: If the fortress has equal to or less than 3000 life points left it will deal 25% more damage and take 25% less damage. If the fortress has equal or less than 1500 life points left it will deal 50% more damage and take 50% less damage.
7. New passive, "Slowed Construction:" Construction time is increased by 50%.
Stronghold has been reworked from the ground up and is finally worthy of being an Ultra-rare card. We encourage players to experience the card for themselves and we hope that we have done the card sufficient justice so that it will live up to its name and model. 
NPC Balance Changes
[ Existing NPC Changes ]
The changes discussed in this section pertain to the non-player versions of these entities which players encounter in campaign and random PvE.
 Flame Crystal:
1. Can now be frozen and disintegrated.
 Howling Shrine (rPvE variant):
1. Root Network connection radius: 25m ➜ 40m
 Mindweaver (rPvE variant):
1. Added small and medium knockback.
2. Splash radius: 5m ➜ 8m
 Nature Random PvE Boss Units:
1. Removed the "Nature" class to prevent unintended interactions with player cards (such as Protector's Seal)
2. Boss Tier: T5 ➜ T4
 Primal Defender (rPvE variant):
1. Orb cost: 3 Nature ➜ 2 Nature
2. Power cost: 150p ➜ 100p 
Now able to be overtaken by both affinities of Matter Mastery.
 Root Network Units (Nature rPvE Variants):
1. Fixed an issue where Treespirit, Thornbark, and Guardian of Nature would not aggro against flying units.
2. Increased ranged at which these units root to attack enemies from 20m to 28m.  
 Root Nexus:
1. No longer provides 2 support. 
2. Removed from Nature rPvE and replaced by the new Earth Crystal.
 Stranglehold:
1. Tower range: 30m ➜ 40m
[ New NPCs ]
These new NPCs are available to map makers to use for community maps. 
New NPC Units:
   1. Pest Creepers: A permanent version of the nature affinity Pest Creepers spawned by Sunken Temple. 
   2. Earth Crystal: Provides 2 support to root network entities within a 20m radius, replaces Root Nexus in Nature rPvE. 
   3. Fortress of Nature: Boss variant of Howling Shrine with 50m range.
   4. Bramblethorn: New Nature variant of Stonekin Rockstorm which roots on-hit. 
   5. Amii Phantom: Ranged-only with swift. 
 

Let's go 😄

Let's go 😄

Let's go 😄

Skylords and Skyladies;
Masters of the Forge will shine a light on all those people working so tirelessly on Skylords Reborn - for the average Skylord, [Game Masters] are elite, mythical creatures too many know nothing about, and we will hopefully change that. So, in this dev-talk-like podcast series we will meet several Masters of the Forge in person, and hopefully I will be able to ask them questions that are interesting to you. And, you will also get the chance to ask them some questions! The series will be streamed on Twitch and afterwards uploaded on YouTube.
Please note that while the content created is supported by the SR Team and will be all about Skylords Reborn, this is no official event or dev-talk. The focus will be around the guest, what their duties are, how they feel about the game and its development - we will not elaborate future changes in depth or announce anything fancy. But hopefully we will know more about the guest and how It's like to be part of the SR Team.
As my fifth guest, I invited [GM] @UltDragon, Server Developer; who is (together with the other developers) tasked to implement cool features like the cosmetics, comparing profiles, and many more stuff we will talk about. 
 
Quick Overview:
Guest                         [GM] Ult, Server Developer Date                           21. 10. 2023 Time                          19:30 CEST Link                            www.twitch.tv/kapostream
If you got any questions you would want to see asked, you are very welcome to drop me a DM here on the forums (@Kapo) or on Discord (#kapojones).
Kapo
 
Previous Episodes:
#1 [GM] Dutchy, Lead Moderator
#2 [GM] Majora, Project Coordinator
#3 [GM] Volin, Testing Coordinator
#4 [GM] RadicalX, Faction Designer

Living Crematorium
Bonefire Blaze - cause this unit to deal more and more damage over 20 sec. After this effect expires - this unit will die.
Misty Fireshower (blue) - deal X damage every second to enemies in front. Enemies damaged by this attack will deal X% less damage and take X% more damage as long as they are being attacked by this unit.
Dreadful Spirits (blue) - when a nearby enemy unit dies, then they will explode dealing X damage to nearby enemy units. Knock back small and medium units.
Raging Fireshower (red) - deal X damage every second to enemies in front. This unit deal more and more damage the longer it attacks. Damage returns to normal after 6 sec of not attacking.
Vengeful Spirits (red) - when a nearby friendly unit dies, then they will explode dealing X damage to nearby enemy units. Knock back small units.

Night Ghouls
Flesh Will Serve - when this unit attacks an enemy units, then it will steal some of their power cost and add it to owners void pool. Can not steal more than 100% of unit's cost.
Non-living Bio-machine - reduce duration of frozen and paralyzed condition on this unit by X%.
Degradation - this unit loses X HP every 2 sec.
Rage and Decay (red) - the longer this unit attacks the more damage it deals, and the more HP it loses through Degradation. Returns to normal after 6 sec of not attacking.
Virulent Explosion (green) - when this unit dies it will deal X damage to all nearby units over 6 sec.
 

Also a special shout out to Ultralord who celebrated his 1 Year of Streaming on Twitch! 🥳 

He spend the last 12 months with over 160 hours on 100 streams, showcasing 22 events, 120 replays and was joined by over 40 co-hosts. So go show him some love 🙂 
 

Greetings Skylords!
A new month; a new Community Update! It's time to bring you up to speed with everything going on in Skylords Reborn!

• QoL Patch

Last week, we released the long-awaited quality of life patch, resolving various minor bugs and improving the Forge's performance to ensure smoother gameplay. Additionally, this update now allows you to watch outdated replays, although replays impacted by patches will still experience desync issues. Check out the full patch notes here.
We are also still hard at work on our next content patch. We apologize for announcing the Lost Souls changes too early. Our bottleneck in card descriptions has been underestimated, as all cards in Skylords Reborn require translation into English, German, French, and Russian. This translation process, especially for the changes made to cards, can significantly impact our progress when translators are occupied or inactive. If you would like to assist with this effort, please check the contributor roles available for translators.
 
• Cinematic Trailer

A few months ago, we released a video showcasing the significant changes and improvements made to Skylords Reborn compared to the original BattleForge over the past 2 years. As part of our ongoing effort to attract more new Skylords, we have now created a cinematic trailer designed for RTS players unfamiliar with the original game.
Please support the game by sharing it with your friends who might be interested in the game!
 
• Card Rework Spotlight - Stronghold

While new cards usually get the spotlight, reworking existing cards can be just as exciting and impactful. Skylords Reborn has a lot of unused and underpowered cards, which, if reworked, would functionally constitute an entirely new tool for players to use. Stronghold is one such card. The T3 Frost tower is beautiful and imposing, promising an unconquerable fortress, a powerful and immovable bastion able to hold off hordes of enemies by itself. Unfortunately, anyone who has used the card knows this description is fantasy. We have been working on Stronghold for a while now, and are happy to showcase our new design, which we think will make the card worthy of its name and image.
To help Stronghold become a fearsome fortress, we intend three major changes to its existing design. First, we are increasing Stronghold's single-target damage from 2420 dp20 to 4000 dp20. Second, we are giving Stronghold two new abilities. The active ability will allow the player to defend against 50m siege units like Lost Dancers without needing an additional unit or building, and “To the Last!” will make Stronghold more deadly as it loses life points. This will synergize well with Frost building supports like Glacier Shell and Shield Building, allowing the player to keep Stronghold at a lower health threshold without endangering their defenses. The idea of "To the Last!" is to tap into the image of Frost as a faction which does not easily give up. Instead of losing hope in difficult situations, the Lyrish defenders manning the Stronghold dig in their heels and fight even more tenaciously in the face of danger. 
 
Cannon Turrets
Every 3 seconds, turrets deal 164 damage each to enemies in 10m radius, up to 246 in total.
 
 
Bombardment - Active Ability 
Cost: 40p
Activate to shoot a mortar shell that deals 800 damage to enemies in a 15m radius around its target, up to 3200 in total. Knocks back small, medium, and large units.
 
To the Last! - Passive ability
If the fortress has equal to or less than 3000 life points left it will deal 25% more damage and take 25% less damage. 
 
 
To the Last! - Passive ability
If the fortress has equal to or less than 1500 life points left it will deal 50% more damage and take 50% less damage.
 
 
Slowed Construction - Passive ability
Construction time is increased by 50%.
 
 

We also added a new visual indicator to show the various states of "To the Last". Below, you can see the Bombardment ability in action:
 
 
We hope you are looking forward to these changes coming to Stronghold! They are planned for release alongside our new content patch. We are not able to share a release date yet, so stay tuned!

• Survey - Update

A big thank you to the 1500 Skylords who have already submitted their feedback in our yearly survey! The survey will close at the end of the week, so if you haven't shared your thoughts yet, please take a moment to do so. Your feedback will be anonymous.
As Skylords Reborn is a community project, we value knowing what our players like and what could be improved. Your feedback is crucial for our continuous game improvement and player base growth! As a token of appreciation, everyone who fills in the survey will receive two boosters.

• Voice Acting – Update

A quick update on our search for new voice actors: We're thrilled to announce that we've received 24 trial takes, offering a diverse selection of voices to choose from.
Now, our Audio Editor will carefully assess the sound quality of each file, followed by selecting the voices that best match the characters. We're excited to bring these unannounced characters to life and can't wait to share what we have in store for you!
 
• Fire-themed Forge

As we progress with the development of upcoming campaign maps, we have also been working on a new Fire-themed Forge skin as a side project. Although it is not officially a Summer Forge, players will soon have the option to select from the default Forge, the Winter Forge, the Spring Forge, and the upcoming Fire-themed Forge. Check out the teaser below:

Players automatically have access to the Winter and default Forge, while the Spring Forge is initially locked behind the "Outsourced Content" achievement, which requires completing 8 different community maps on Expert.
The Fire-themed Forge will also be associated with an achievement called "Never Thought of Him," which tasks the player with completing the Mo campaign using only Fire cards on the maps Convoy, Mo, Oracle, Ocean, Raven's End, and Slave Master. We have received feedback that the current reward for this achievement feels insufficient, and we plan to enhance it to provide a more appealing incentive for completion.
Players who have already completed this achievement will receive the additional reward once the Forge is released. Please note that the Forge is not yet available, but you are able to start working on the achievement in advance.

• Mapmaking fundamentals

We always strive to keep the playerbase informed about upcoming changes and the rationale behind them, whether it's through Community Updates, balance discord discussions, or Deep Dive documents detailing our design decisions. Originally intended as an internal guide for our current developers of new campaign maps, we decided to share the following guide with interested players, hoping it will also serve as a useful tool for aspiring community mapmakers. Don't forget, every Skylords Reborn download includes the Map Editor!
BattleForge campaign maps have a particular feel to them, and this feel is a fundamental component of the unique experience which is playing BattleForge. The goal of this design guide is to use existing campaign maps, particularly the best campaign maps, to understand and to categorize the distinct features of the camps in BattleForge’s campaign, such that we can better design future campaign maps. This guide is therefore intended to categorize the design choices of the original devs and to act as a reference for future development for both community and official map development.
Click here to check out the mapmaking fundamentals guide.
 
• Team Changes

Nukie has decided to step down from his role as Event Manager to allocate more time to his new job and personal life. Despite this change, he will continue to support the project with Moderation duties. We are grateful for his dedicated work during his time as Event Manager! 
Want to host a tournament or event? Please reach out to our other Event Organizers, @Metagross31 or @Minashigo Hiko. We can help you out with various topics and are glad to discuss potential ideas. We can also sponsor the prize pool for your event. If you have a cool idea for a PvE event, or want to host a PvP tournament, please don't hesitate to reach out to us, we will gladly assist you.
 
• Contribute

Skylords Reborn is a community-driven project fueled by the passion and dedication of over 40 volunteers. We are always on the lookout for like-minded individuals. If you have a passion for gaming, programming, design, or marketing, we invite you to take a look at our open positions!
 

 
• In Conclusion

That's all for this Community Update! We appreciate you taking the time to read through it.
As is tradition, we're including a scratch code as a small token of our appreciation for your support.
The code will reward you with a General booster: THAN-KYOU-SKYL-ORDS

The code is valid until September 1st, when we will bring you another Community Update. 
We're always looking for ways to improve and value your feedback. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to share them with us. We'll be back next month with more updates on our ongoing projects and upcoming features. You can also sign up to our e-mail newsletter here. 

Archive
• Skylords Reborn Documents (Deep Dives, Behind the Scenes, PvP Guide)  
• Overview Community Updates
• Community Update July 2023

Patch #400043 - 25 July 2023
Welcome to the long-awaited quality of life patch. After this update, the Forge will finally be running smoothly again. Amongst other minor bug fixes and improvements, this patch will also allow you to watch outdated replays. Keep in mind that replays with gameplay affected by patches will still desync.
 

General Changes
Enabled playback for outdated replays. However, replays may not accurately reflect the original gameplay if the replay contains actions that have since been affected by balancing patches.
General Fixes
Improved overall performance in the Forge and while within game creation lobbies.  Improved the remaining days display of auctions in German. Improved the RPvE Cosmetic Portrait Names to be more consistent. Improved the descriptions of various achievements to be more consistent: Codebreaker Lone Ranger The Nightmare's Nightmare Urban Planner
Card Fixes
Player Cards:
 Abyssal Warder (Fire) / Abyssal Warder (Frost):
1. Active ability Crystal Spikes: Improved description to be more accurate in German.
 Burning Spears:
1. Toggle ability Weapon Change: Ability display on the card visualization has been reordered.
 Fleshbender (Shadow):
1. Fixed tooltip to show correct English name in non-English languages on upgrade 3.
 Hammerfall (Frost):
1. Passive ability Breeze of Strength:
   A. Fixed ability tooltip to display 40 instead of only 15 shielding capacity regeneration.
   B. Improved description to be more consistent.
 Life Weaving:
1. Pain Link: Fixed the damage transfer to no longer target nearby structures but only units.
 Lord Cyrian:
1. Fixed the description of the upgrade card for upgrade 3 in German.
 Lyrish Knight / Lyrish Knight (Promo):
1. Passive ability Steadfast: Ability is now displayed as a 5th ability in the card tooltip (does not fit on the card visualization).
 Mind Control:
1. Infinite Domination: Added the missing origin name of the debuff immunity tooltip.
 Regrowth:
1. Emerald Blessing: Improved the translation of the Godspell name to be more accurate in German.
 Sleet Storm:
1. Heavy Rain: Improved the upgrade card visualization of upgrade 1.
 Stone Warrior (Frost):
1. Active ability Blessed Shatter Lance: Fixed the ability to properly work against some frozen conditions.
 Sunken Temple (Nature):
1. Autocast ability Gifted Plague: Fixed an issue that caused upgrade U0-U2 to not spawn Pest Creepers.
Non-Player Cards:
 Lost Crawler:
1. Passive ability Blowout: Improved the description to be more accurate.

[Disclaimer: The following is about the entities introduced by the nature battlegrounds preset.] 
 Caustic Sentinel:
1. Autocast ability Acid Spit: Added an impact visual effect to the projectile.
 Overmind:
1. Autocast ability Infinite Domination: Fixed a bug where the ability did not change the population count when mind-controlling a unit.
 Swamp Drake:
1. The general mind-control immunity that allowed power expenditure without actually granting the target has been removed.
 Wheel of Juvenescence:
1. Fixed a typo in the card's name.
2. Gift of Juvenescence: Improved description to be more consistent in non-English languages.

[Disclaimer: The following is about the testing entity, exclusively available on the test server.] 
 Teststrike:
1. Adjusted the internal classifications and removed the visualization of a Fire affinity.
2. Increased the unit's life points from 5,000 to 10,000.
3. Increased the average damage dealt over 20 seconds from 5,000 to 10,000.
4. Changed the size type from XL to L.
5. Decreased the visual model size scaling from 200% to 135%.
6. Added a German card name to search for it.
7. Active ability Fire Lance:
   A. Fixed incorrect handling of overkill damage.
   B. Removed M-sized counter damage bonus.
   C. Improved description to be more consistent.
8. Passive ability Fiery Birth:
   A. Increased damage from 10,000 (30,000 in total) to 30,000 (90,000 in total).
   B. Fixed incorrect handling of overkill damage.
   C. Removed M-sized counter damage bonus.
   D. Improved description to be more consistent.
 

That's all for this patch! See you in the Forge!

Mapmaking Fundamentals - Camp Design
This was originally written as an internal design document meant to guide our current development of new campaign maps. It has been shared here for interested players and as an aid for aspiring community mapmakers. 

Introduction
BattleForge campaign maps have a particular feel to them, and this feel is a fundamental component of the unique experience which is playing BattleForge. The goal of this design guide is to use existing campaign maps, particularly the best campaign maps, to understand and to categorize the distinct features of the camps in BattleForge’s campaign, such that we can better design future campaign maps. This guide is therefore intended to categorize the design choices of the original devs and to act as a reference for future development for both community and official map development.
Legend
Given the nature of map design, this guide uses a high density of visual examples to illustrate map design principles and standard practices. Across all examples, a standard legend is used.
Purple – is used to highlight NPC camp formations. Purple text is used to describe the various dynamics occurring in the enemy camp. Light Blue – is used to highlight spawn locations and any special interactions which these spawn locations enable. Orange – is used to highlight non-standard flanking routes available to players. In the majority of cases, orange designates available paths for flying units, but it can also represent potential cliffing opportunities, particularly for artillery units such as Firedancer and Firestalker. Red – is primarily used to highlight player attack routes. It is secondarily used to highlight key features of camps which affect said attack routes. Black – is used to highlight terrain features.
Table of Contents
1. Player Agency - Angles of Attack:
2. Camp Formations – Line vs. Center Based
   A. Simple Line-based Formations (Blight)
   B. Complex Line-based Formations (Nightmare Shard)
   C. Center-based Formations (Crusade & Siege of Hope)
3. Area Formation - Lodgement
   A. Encounters with Twilight Analysis
   B. Mo Analysis
   C. Behind Enemy Lines Analysis
4. Appendix I: Standard Camp Layout Diagrams

Player Agency - Angles of Attack
BattleForge is a game well beloved for how much agency it gives to players. Players can choose which modes to grind for rewards, which cards they collect, how their decks are constructed, and how they approach each map. The continued cultivation of player agency has and must continue to inform map design. One of the most prominent aspects of player agency is how a player can approach a map, which enemies they fight, which paths they follow, and how they attack any given camp. Given this document’s focus on camp design, it is worthwhile to start our analysis by visually highlighting a good example of camp design which enables player agency by a multiplicity of angles of attack.
In nearly every example shown in this document, there are a number of red and orange arrows highlighting some of the available angles of attack for each given camp. I strongly encourage the reader when following along in the analysis of each camp to also consider how the original devs used the terrain features and enemy layout to enable and disable different angles of attack; the reader ought to then consider how this affects the player experience in both positive and negative ways. The diversity of approaches both within and between camps is one of the major factors that contributes to BattleForge’s maps remaining interesting even after dozens of playthroughs.
Blight Enclave 1 - Northeast


Camp Formations - Line vs. Center Based
In general, the vast majority of camp designs in BattleForge’s campaign maps fall into 2 distinct categories, line-based and center-based camps. Line-based camps are so called because the enemies in the camp are visually aligned into line formations, similar to real life pre-modern army arrangements. Each line is typically made up of only a couple different types of units and both the front and reserve lines are often supported by buildings. Center-based camps are so called because the enemies in the camp are clustered in the center as a group. While initially clustered, center-based camps quickly self-differentiate when attacked. Contrary to their line-based counterparts, center-based camps are highly diverse, utilizing as many different enemy types as possible but with a deemphasized focus on towers.
Simple Line-based Formations: Blight
The majority of camps in Blight fall into the category of simple line-based formations. What this means is that the camp is made up of 2 lines, a frontline and a backline. The frontline is typically melee units, a support building (Waystation), and towers. The backline is composed of support units or buildings (Shamans, Bandit Sorceresses, Waystations), long-range backup (Bandit Sniper, Artillery), and melee reserves. While higher tier camps have increased unit diversity, most simple line-based camps make use of only a small number of distinct units in each line. Diversity is more to be found between the lines than within them. While most camps have spawners, these are usually not the focus of the camp, with several only being triggered by the global map timers. In all cases, while the camp itself is fortified, it also feels lived in. When looking at the camp, the defensive formations are believable, and the player can imagine that the Bandit camps also double as homes.
Blight Enclave 2 - Southeast
Blight Enclave 3 - West

Complex Line-based Formations: Nightmare Shard
Nightmare Shard’s design revolves around defending the Forge Shard and destroying 4 camps, each of which is themed after a different element. Each of the four primary camps falls into the category of complex line-based formations. This type of formation is a more complex version of the simple formation illustrated above by the examples from Blight. While simple line camps only have a front and backline, often with no spawner, complex formations have multiple layers of defense and almost always make use of a well-protected spawner. The general design idea is that the frontline, largely made up of melee units, impedes the player’s initial progress, while being kept alive by a possible support line. Simultaneously, an archer line, made up of ranged units and towers often protected by terrain or walls, provides the primary source of damage. Once the frontline dies, the archer and support lines, still protected by towers or a fallback artillery location, delay the player until the frontline can respawn from the spawner farther back. These types of camps at their best create the feeling of a great ongoing battle where the player slowly and steadily advances against the enemy. At their worst, they feel like an unending slog against a never-ending horde.
Nightmare Shard - Shadow Camp

A major factor that determines if the camp is enjoyable or frustrating is how the camp manages strategic depth. In the 3 examples included here, the strategic depth of the camp is handled significantly differently. In the first example above of the Shadow camp, absent Mana Wings or leaving the camp until post-T2, the player is forced to attack into small chokepoints with no capacity to retreat due to the wild magic zones. Paired with enemy Vilebloods, whose death temporarily blocks any forward progress, this often leads to a choice between reaching the spawner but sacrificing a large portion of your army to Vileblood acid; or delaying to save your army but facing a second wave of Vilebloods. Choices such as these are frustration fodder because the player feels trapped into making a bad choice with little capacity to adapt. Still, the distance between the spawner and the initial engagement zone is very small, and if this were a T2+ camp it would likely be well balanced given stronger player damage and CC spells. In general, lower tier complex formations should have lower strategic depth, measured here as the distance between the initial engagement zone and the priority target, as well as the capacity of the enemy to continue fighting.
Nightmare Shard - Frost Camp

The Frost camp is an example of a fully fleshed out complex line-based formation. There is a center frontline, with both an archer line and support line directly behind. The sides have additional archer lines (towers + ranged units) which can continue to attack the player if they try to run for the spawner, which is well protected at the very back of the camp. This overlapping multi-layered defense is the major component of any complex line formation. It is also believable. Given the available troops, the arrangement of the Twilight forces makes logical sense. A player given the same troops would likely place them in a similar fashion.
Another key part of all well-made complex formations is permanently destroyable strongpoints. In this case, the Frost camp is formidable not just because the units can respawn, but because the towers help to hamper forward progress. When the camp is originally encountered, it is at its strongest. But, if players are careful and destroy the towers before launching a full assault, they increase the chances of taking the camp without being repealed or losing most of their forces. This creates a give-and-take with the camp where it feels like the player and the enemy are actually matching wits against each other. The best complex line formations have a strategic depth that can be degraded or circumvented by smart players, but which acts as a formidable wall to the reckless.
Nightmare Shard - Nature Camp

Similar to the Frost camp, the Nature camp has multiple layers of defense. The Twilight Pikemen slow enemies while they get damaged by a substantial contingent of Twilight Slayers and a well-positioned Twilight Bombard. The camp has 3 forms of CC: slow, blind, and M-knockback. These make it very difficult to reach the spawner which is located very far back in the camp. While the ultimate goal is the spawner, the Twilight Bombard is provided as a solid secondary objective. By destroying it, the player makes any subsequent attacks on the camp much easier. Additionally, one of the most intriguing aspects of this camp is that, absent the single Bombard and Whisperer, all other defenses are T2 or below, while the camp is a T3 camp. It is the perfect example of how a well-designed camp with significant strategic depth can provide a challenge even to higher tier players without the need to utilize stereotypically powerful units. This camp also well illustrates that many complex line formations make use of only a few units with little compositional diversity in the camp as a whole.
Center-based Formations: Crusade
Crusade - West Bottom Camp

Crusade - West Middle Camp

Crusade - West Top Camp

 
Center-based Formations: Siege of Hope
Siege of Hope - Western Enclave

Siege of Hope - Town Guard

Mapmaking Fundamentals - Camp Design (Cont.)

Area Formation - Lodgement
The type of camps a map designer employs has a major effect on the feel of both the map in its entirety and also specific subsections of the map. For example, Mo, which will be discussed below, transitions from a one-path map from T1 to T3, to a lodgement map in T3 & T4. Camp formations in Mo then transition types accordingly. Lodgement maps, or map subsections, are sufficiently different from normal maps that they deserve particular attention. In these types of maps, the player is required to progress and conquer land, as normal, but under the constant threat of permanent or semi-permanent enemy patrols. The patrols occupy a large portion of the enemy power budget, leading to a situation where the camps themselves are often of reduced strength. Many camps in lodgement maps are in fact only half-camps, containing only some of the aspects of line or center-based camp formations. The reason for these seemingly incomplete camps is that lodgement maps are not balanced on a camp-by-camp basis, as is true in the previously discussed maps like Blight and Crusade, but as an area. While each camp on Blight is self-contained, the entire area of a lodgement map should be regarded as a single complex line camp formation. This also means that strategic depth in the given area is not measured camp-by-camp but area-by-area. To help demonstrate this, we will discuss several examples below via visual illustration.
Lodgement Formations: Encounters with Twilight

Encounters with Twilight - Lodgement

As already mentioned, many lodgement style maps feature a series of half-camps guarded by permanent or semi-permanent patrols. In the case of Encounters with Twilight, each half-camp, or strongpoint, is functionally equivalent to a non-respawning frontline. The patrolling Vileblood and Whisperers function as reserve and support lines respectfully. This design encourages a player to either preemptively destroy patrols or to avoid them altogether to isolate enemy strongpoints which are weak on their own.
The patrol units in a lodgement map are highly relevant to the player’s experience, and Encounters with Twilight’s patrols are a masterclass in good camp design. The patrol’s primary goal is to hamper or repel player advances against NPC strongpoints. Since these strongpoints do not respawn, every time a player is able to destroy a target, they permanently weaken the area’s defenses, reducing its strategic depth. Vilebloods therefore represent the perfect reserve line as they can either prevent forward progress until the support arrives via their area of denial on-death effect, or they can force a player forward into an enemy strongpoint by blocking the path of retreat. The Whisperers are good complements, able to function both as a support and archer line. Their damage is decent; they can heal multiple allies simultaneously, restoring the integrity of damaged strongpoints; and provide a large area blind. This creates a dichotomy. The Whisperers discourage ranged units, while the Vileblood discourages slow melee units. Many veteran players of Encounters therefore lean towards swift melee units like Burrowers to snipe strongpoints while avoiding the incoming patrols.
Lodgement Formations: Mo

Mo - Half-camps
If Encounters with Twilight’s patrols are a masterclass in good lodgement area design, Mo’s patrols are the prime example of what not to do. In this section of Mo, the half-camps, or strongpoints, function as the archer and support lines while the patrols represent the frontline. This is a solid design and the strongpoints themselves, both the half-camps shown above as well as the various towers stationed on the center plateau, are well designed and interesting. The issue is that the player will almost never reach these strongpoints to claim them for himself until after the patrols have stopped spawning. This happens primarily because the patrols are too strong, and their spawn points are badly placed. In Encounters with Twilight, the patrol spawn exists at the point farthest from the player’s initial entry into the area. In Mo, the patrol spawns are located closer to the player than the vast majority of strongpoints. Additionally, the northern spawn is so close to the player’s intended strongpoint that it actually becomes a liability for the player to attempt to establish a beachhead in what otherwise should represent an ideal location to facilitate further conquest of the area.
The primary lesson to learn from Mo’s bad example is that not only the composition of patrols is important, but also their location. Patrol spawns should be located as far as possible from the player’s initial entry and expected expansion into the lodgement area. This gives the player the ability to expand without having to worry about enemies spawning in the very midst of what should now be conquered territory. Additionally, it allows the player more time between spawns to move forward and capture and/or degrade enemy strongpoints in preparation for total conquest of the area.
Lodgement Formations: Behind Enemy Lines
While the above 2 maps have lodgement sections, Behind Enemy Lines is a giant lodgement map. The player starts in the center and is required to slowly expand outwardly in all directions under constant siege while preventing the enemy from generating more powerful patrols via Twilight Disciples. Behind Enemy Lines is the synthesis of all the ideas we are covered so far in this document, and it is therefore the perfect conclusion to our analysis of BattleForge’s camp design.
Behind Enemy Lines - Expansion Zones

Zone 1 – Vulnerable initial starting zone.
Zone 2 – Half-camps supported by patrols. Natural expansion zone, guarded by terrain features.
Zone 3 – Hybrid camp design. These camps are simple line & center-based formations simultaneously with destroyable spawners. Fortifiable by the player post-conquest, also permanently reduces patrols and naturally intercepts disciples.
Zones 4 & 5 – Complex line-based formation camps. Permanently safe locations once conquered.
Final Camp – Multilayered complex line-based formation camp. Map ends when destroyed.
When considered zone-by-zone as just outlined, it is easy to see that Behind Enemy Lines moves from simpler to more complex camp formations as the map progresses. Each zone also gives the player tangible benefits, such as a more easily defensible location, easier access to the Twilight Disciple path, and periodic permanent reductions in the quantity of patrols. In exchange though, the player must now defend an increasingly larger portion of the map. Additionally, both permanent spawn locations are sufficiently removed from the player’s own strongpoints and are located outside of the natural progression of the map. This gives the player options in how to respond to incoming threats. Finally, the map contains a large mix of terrain features. Chokepoints are connected to wide pathways, which are flanked by cliffs, both favorable and unfavorable. This allows the player a plethora of ways in which to approach the map.
Behind Enemy Lines - Zone 3 South, Hybrid Camp Design

 

Appendix I: Standard Camp Layout Diagrams

 

 

Greetings Skylords!
A new month; a new Community Update! It's time to bring you up to speed with everything going on in Skylords Reborn!

• Patch Overview Video
Our latest patch, Nature's Awakening, has released! We have made a short overview video to celebrate the occasion, highlighting some of the changes we have made to the game. We hope you enjoy it, and be sure to share it with your friends!

If you want to read the full patch notes, you can find them here. 
 
• Patch Feedback Thread
As always, we highly value your feedback on the changes implemented in our latest patch. To facilitate this, we have once again created a dedicated feedback thread where you can express your thoughts about what you liked, disliked, and any other suggestions you may have.
We kindly request that you provide constructive feedback regarding aspects you would like to see improved, while also sharing the elements you enjoyed. Your input is invaluable to us!
 
• Voice Acting – Apply Now! 
Back in October 2021 we initiated the search for voice actors to enhance the game with new voice lines. The new cards Amii Paladin and Banzai Lord were voiced by community members, bringing these characters to life. At that time, we had plans to expand the range of voice lines in the game further. Unfortunately, due to the absence of an audio editor, we faced limitations in what we could achieve, resulting in the regrettable need to even reject fully recorded lines. Consequently, voice-acting was temporarily put on hold.
However, we are delighted to announce that we now have an Audio Editor on our team, and with our current focus on creating new campaign maps, we are once again actively seeking individuals who are interested in contributing their voices to Skylords Reborn!
We are looking for a variety of voices (both male and female), and encourage everyone who is interested (and has a decent microphone!) to apply. You are also welcome to apply if you did so in the original application round in 2021! 
To apply, fill in a brief survey to provide us with some information about yourself and select which characters you are interested in. We will be in touch with you for a trial script, and select our favourites from the provided recordings.  
 

 
Don't miss your chance to make a lasting impact on Skylords Reborn! Apply today and maybe your voice will be heard in the game!
 

 
• Art Spotlight – Bedrock
In our Stonekin Deep Dive, we previously mentioned our plans for a new tier 4 Stonekin unit based on the Moloch model. Today, we are excited to offer you a sneak peek of this unit by unveiling the artwork we have created for it. Additionally, we would like to share some insights into the process our artist, Spirit Alpha, went through to achieve the final result.
 
Sketch and Early Draft
Spirit Alpha initiates his artwork by creating a sketch or draft, outlining the general ideas to establish the artwork's direction. For this particular piece, we aimed to capture the essence of a formidable Stonekin creature emerging from the water.

It is important to consider the card frame when creating artwork. As you can see, while the left piece looks impressive on its own, the head partially falls off when placed within the card frame. This issue becomes even more apparent when displaying the creature type and charges in the game. This is why working with sketches and exploring various compositions is crucial before settling on a final design in Skylords Reborn.

Settling on a Design
Spirit Alpha explored several other options, some of which are highlighted below, while receiving feedback and suggestions from our art critiques along the way.

The design on the right showcased the most potential, and work continued with that version. 

Finalizing the Design
Although we were fond of the design, feedback indicated that the head of the creature should be tilted to the right instead of the left.

Throughout the process, Spirit Alpha also experimented with various designs for the creature's belly, ranging from a nearly fully closed appearance to a more open one.

Colour Scheme
Ultimately, we opted to retain a more closed design, and significant effort was invested in ensuring that the card followed the Stonekin colour scheme, preventing it from potentially resembling a Frost unit.


Final Adjustments
Spirit Alpha submitted his final design, and our lead artist, Tweeto, made some last minor adjustments to produce the final artwork. One of the modifications involved tilting the "volcano" slightly to ensure it remained within the card frame. Can you identify the other changes? 


Here are Tweeto's final adjustments: 
We are extremely pleased with the final outcome of Bedrock and sincerely hope that you can appreciate the dedication and effort that went into its creation. A heartfelt appreciation goes out to Spirit Alpha for his hard work!
 
• Tournaments and Events
In between our monthly Community Updates, we host various events and tournaments, so be sure to keep a close eye on the in-game event tab and the forum calendar to stay informed and not miss out on any exciting events!
 
• NEW - Community Run Event: Old School Efficiency
Fancy a challenge? Complete Encounters with Twilight on standard using as little power as you can! Please check in tomorrow for more information.
 
 • COMING UP - Official Event #9: Who Dares Wins! - June 17th until June 25th
Look out for our next official event later this month. Do you have what it takes to aid Rogan?
 

• COMING UP - Crappy Community Contest #11 - June 26th until July 3rd
The next CCC will be a creative contest held on the forum. Look out for the forum post on June 26th!



• Host your own tournament / event
Want to host a tournament or event yourself? Please reach out to our Event Organizers, @Metagross31, @Minashigo Hiko or @nukie! We can help you out with various topics and are glad to discuss potential ideas. We can also sponsor the prize pool for your event. If you have a cool idea for a PvE event, or want to host a PvP tournament, please don't hesitate to reach out to us, we will gladly assist you.
 
• Team Changes
We are thrilled to announce that the creators behind the maps used in the previous community event Through Ice and Flames have officially joined our team as Map Designers! With the addition of both Damo and Hrdina Impéria, our team's focus on creating new campaign maps has been further strengthened, and we can't wait to release some exciting content in the future. Welcome both, and thank you for your contribution! 
More than a year after the position was first listed, we have found an Audio Editor in Discoheart! He will be able to help us out with the needed editing for adding new voice lines into the game, both for cards and upcoming campaign maps. We are glad to have him, and excited to continue adding new voice lines into the game. 
 
• Contribute
Interested in joining the team yourself? Skylords Reborn is a community-driven project fuelled by the passion and dedication of over 30 volunteers. We are always on the lookout for like-minded individuals. If you have a passion for gaming, programming, design, or marketing, we invite you to have a look at our open positions!
 

 
• In Conclusion
That's all for this Community Update! We appreciate you taking the time to read through it.
As is tradition, we're including a scratch code as a small token of our appreciation for your support.
The code will reward you with a General booster: APPL-YFOR-VOIC-ENOW
The code is valid until July 1st, when we will bring you another Community Update. 
We're always looking for ways to improve and value your feedback. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to share them with us. We'll be back next month with more updates on our ongoing projects and upcoming features. You can also sign up to our e-mail newsletter here. 

Archive
• Skylords Reborn Documents (Deep Dives, Behind the Scenes, PvP Guide)  
• Overview Community Updates
• Community Update May 2023

Wow that is a ton of changes. Super hate breeding grounds went up in cost but not to high and Lyrish Knights when down in health. I use them often on t3 just because they had low cost, high health but again not to bad. Overall great work guys! 

Absolutely massive! Amazing work, an applause to the devs is in order! 

Super glad to have you ❤️ 

Joined because of this, I looked at those potential featured and thought "I need to make this happen".
Been so long! Those things take a lot of time and effort :X
Cosmetics - Done
Compare Profiles - Done
Community Map Rework - Done
One day, all of those will be done :)

Joined because of this, I looked at those potential featured and thought "I need to make this happen".
Been so long! Those things take a lot of time and effort :X
Cosmetics - Done
Compare Profiles - Done
Community Map Rework - Done
One day, all of those will be done :)

Joined because of this, I looked at those potential featured and thought "I need to make this happen".
Been so long! Those things take a lot of time and effort :X
Cosmetics - Done
Compare Profiles - Done
Community Map Rework - Done
One day, all of those will be done :)