Welcome to the first Balance Pass of 2022! We’ve been working on a number of improvements to the meta at the moment and we’re pleased to reveal the first of those, coming out at the beginning of next season (Season 27). While we are still working on the changes to Shield and some Warlords, this coming feature should drastically improve the Ranked experience.

Going forwards, we are introducing a limit on the recurrence of Warlords. What that means in practice is that once you fight against a Warlord in Ranked, it will not appear for a set number of your next matches. Currently this limit is set to 2, so once you fight a Warlord, you will not fight them again for another 2 matches. The number here may well change, but we have entered in low as we don’t want to adversely affect matchmaking. Should it run smoothly this season we may well increase it in future. Hopefully the benefits of this speak for themselves, but it should encourage much more variance in the opponents faced and much better spacing between repeated opponents. In a session of 5 ranked games for example you will at most face the same Warlord only twice. As well as creating more variance and keeping the experience fresh it provides a unique opportunity for players to flex their decks and anticipate opponents which should also lead to a more diverse meta and range of decks fielded.

Onto the balance change itself – there are a number of bodyguard changes incoming this season, and notably we are looking to be a bit more flexible with changing traits on some of the cards that have struggled over multiple seasons. Traits are integral to the identity of a card, so historically, we’ve avoided changing the trait on cards where possible. For these cards in particular though, their play rate is low, and we’re hoping that the change in trait will open up more options for players.  

Finally, we are not implementing any Warlord changes this season as with the upcoming changes we have in the works, there will be a significant shift in Warlords overall, so we want to keep them as stable as possible for now. With that all said, let’s get into the details of this season’s changes!

Aeldari
Uthrielle – Craftworld Saim-Hann Wraitlord
Trait Change: Deathblow -> Regeneration

The Visarch – Blade of Ynnead
Stat Change: +10 Base Wounds

Ceghallan – Craftworld Ulthwe War Walker
Cost Change: 24 -> 22 (Down 2)
Stat Change: +10 Base Wounds, +15 Base Range

Klaivaulch – Craftworld Saim-Hann Wraithblade
Stat Change: +5 Base Wounds, +3 Base Melee

Kyarna – Craftworld Saim-Hann Wraithguard
Stat Change: +10 Base Wounds, +15 Base Range

Necrons
Engine of Murder – Sautekh Dynasty Canoptek Tomb Stalker
Trait Change: Deathblow -> Fear

Mandate Manifest – Sautekh Dynasty Command Barge
Stat Change: +4 Base Range, +4 Base Melee

Stalking Silence – Szarekhan Dynasty Canoptek Stalker
Stat Change: +6 Base Range

Trayzn the Infinite – Archeovist of the Solemnace Galleries
Cost Change: 31 -> 29 (Down 2)

Tireless Scourge – Nekthyst Dynasty Immortal
Stat Change: +15 Base Wounds, + 5 Base Range

Virus Carrier – Flayed One
Stat Change: +5 Base Wounds, +10 Base Melee

T’au
Anghkor Prok – Kroot Shaper
Trait Change: Furious Charge -> Scout

Shas’ui Mont’yr – T’au Sept Ethereal Guard
Stat Change: +20 Base Wounds, +10 Base Melee

Kor’vesa #0014931 – Vior’la Sept MB3 Recon Drone
Stat Change: +10 Base Wounds, +3 Base Range

Kor’vesa #7700184 – Vior’la Sept DS8 Tactical Support Drone
Stat Change: +3 Base Range

Shas’la Mokel – T’au Sept Pathfinder
Stat Change: +5 Base Wounds, +4 Base Range

Kor’vesa #9119990 – Vior’la Sept MV62 Command-Link Drone
Stat Change: +20 Base Wounds

Servants of the Emperor
Trajann Valoris – Captain-General of the Adpetus Custodes
Stat Change: +15 Base Wounds, +15 Base Melee

Dalat Hap-Uramedes – Adpetus Custodes Allarus Custodian
Stat Change: +10 Base Melee

Custodian Heracal – Adeptus Custodes Vertus Praetor
Trait Change: Furious Charge -> Outflank

Sergeant ‘Stonetooth’ Harker – Catachan Sergeant
Stat Change: +20 Base Wounds

Grathyogg – Astra Militarum Bullgryn
Stat Change: +5 Base Wounds, +3 Base Range, +3 Base Melee

Espern Locarno – Imperial Navigator
Stat Change: +20 Base Wounds, +3 Base Psychic

Rein and Raus – Ratling Twins
Stat Change: +5 Base Range

Dos Drax – Mechanicus Serberys Sulphurhound
Stat Change: +4 Base Range, +4 Base Melee

Stromian Grell – Voidsman-at-Arms
Stat Change: +4 Base Range

Scion Caltus – Astra Militarum Tempetsus Scion
Stat Change: +5 Base Wounds, +7 Range

Space Marines
Brother Moritar – Grey Knights Venerable Dreadnought
Trait Change: Psychic Link -> Precision Shot

Hammer of Titan – Nemesis Dreadknight
Trait Change: Big Game Hunter -> Furious Charge

Agrax Agatone – Salamanders Captains
Trait Change: Furious Charge -> Regen

Sergeant Saphaek – Dark Angels Hellblaster
Stat Change: +15 Base Wounds, +12 Base Range, +2 Base Melee

Brother Gorjan – Blood Angels Hellblaster
Stat Change: +15 Base Wounds, +15 Base Range

Chaos
Mortok Chyann – Crimson Slaughter Aspiring Champion
Stat Change: +15 Base Wounds

Growlx – Sloppity Bilepiper of Nurgle
Stat Change: +15 Base Wounds, +10 Base Melee

Aku Syn – Chaos Renegade Psyker
Stat Change: +20 Base Wounds

Orks
Gooz Blackclaw – Bad Moons Clan Wazbom Blastajet
Cost Change: 49 -> 47 (Down 2)

Turbokrumpa – Bad Moons Clan Nob Warbiker
Stat Change: +3 Base Melee, +3 Base Range

Deffgripa – Goff Clan Nob with Waaagh! Banner
Stat Change: +20 Base Wounds, +5 Base Melee

Baddkrasha’s Smasha Gun – Bad Moons Clan Mek Gun
Stat Change: +10 Base Wounds, +10 Base Range

Skullgob – Bad Moons Clan Flash Git
Stat Change: +10 Base Range

Ramhack Da Spike – Ere We Go! Goff Rocker
Stat Change: +20 Base Wounds, +4 Base Range

Shmoka – Blood Axes Clan Burna Boy
Stat Change: +5 Base Range

Skumbo – Freeboota Gretchi ‘Kaptin’
Stat Change: +3 Base Range, +3 Base Melee

Tyranids
Specimen: LV-083-SD-Θ – Hive Fleet Leviathan Biovore
Stat Change: +10 Base Wounds, +10 Base Range, +5 Base Melee

Specimen: LV-801-FS-Ψ – Hive Fleet Leviathan Gargoyle
Stat Change: +10 Base Wounds, +10 Base Range

Of course there is also the list of cards being released to the general card pool as well.

Necrons
Manifest Nightmare – Szarekhan Dynasty Psychomancer
Rank Unlock: 41

Stalking Silence – Szarekhan Dynasty Canoptek Stalker
Rank Unlock: 41

Space Marines
Brother Kyrolius – Deathwatch Corvus Blackstar
Rank Unlock: 49

Vael Donatus – Deathwatch Sternguard Veteran
Rank Unlock: 27

Chaos
Festerblight – Plaguebearer of Nurgle
Rank Unlock: 16

Marrowseeker- Flesh Hound of Khorne
Rank Unlock: 16

Orks
Shanktoof Squighide – Snakebite Beastboss on Squigosaur
Rank Unlock: 43

Phlemfroth Zappglare – Snakebite Wurrboy
Rank Unlock: 31

Killa da Hog – Snakebite Squighog Boy
Rank Unlock: 25

Ranglegit – Snakebite Beast Snagga Boy
Rank Unlock: 13

Tyranids
Zimot Hayha – Genestealter Cults Jackal Alphus
Rank Unlock: 43

Detswit the Blessed – Genestealer Cults Abominnat
Rank Unlock: 55

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