Greetings!

We've just rolled out Hotfix 5.0.3, bringing with it the changes to Age of Reckoning which we mentioned in our past updates, alongside a plethora of tweaks and fixes!

Here's what we've got:

Age of Reckoning

We've done quite a large balance pass of the Age of Reckoning system in order to try and simultaneously make it less hectic and scale more reasonably, while also maintaining its difficulty to ensure players don't easily max it out every cycle: We've also made the following adjustments to the Grudge Settler units and army rewards granted by the Age of Reckoning to smooth out its impact on the early and late game:

• Grudge targets are now defined based on the factions you share a land border with rather than all "met" factions.

       - While the intent remains the same that we want Grudge targets to scale up/down depending on your local situation, we overlooked some issues that were detrimental to the current gameplay if you revealed too much too quickly beyond your own lands. Apologies, we will continue to monitor the situation with the above change.

• The second reward bracket (Skruff) no longer provides negative Control and Growth and the first reward bracket (Elgi) has had it's negatives slightly reduced. This should make the system feel less punishing if you only manage to reach the second bracket as it acts more like a neutral stage now.
• Age of Reckonings and their subsequent rewards now last for 15 turns (from 10), however we have increased the percentage of grudges required from your local area each cycle to ensure it's still challenging.
• Grudge targets now scale based on campaign difficulty.
• We have squished the amount of grudges in the world along with how many grudges are gained by hostile actions, while this shouldn't create too much of a gameplay difference as the Grudge Targets will scale to match, it should make swings in Grudge Targets feel significantly less drastic.
• Following the number squish, we've reduced the base cost of confederating to 7.5k settled grudges (From 15k)
• Additional starting grudges have been added to the world (especially around the Darklands/Chaos Dwarfs)
• We fixed an issue with sacking settlements not fully clearing the grudges from the target, allowing you to double dip.

       - This fix also fixed an issue where enemy settlements would sometimes display grudges for a different culture (such as "Undead Actions" when the region is owned by beastmen).

We've also made the following adjustments to the Grudge Settler units and army rewards granted by the Age of Reckoning to smooth out its impact on the early and late game:

• Base size of Grudge settler army has been changed from 15 -> 10
• Added a further +3 grudge settler army size to the "Way of The Clans" technology (for a total of +5)
• Added a further +2 grudge settler army size to Thorgrim's "High King" skill (for a total of +5)
• The cap for maximum units reserved in your grudge settler unit pools has been reduced from 20 -> 2
• The cap for grudge settler units in your army has been reduced from 5 -> 3
• Added +1 to the unit cap in army to the warrior guild tech.
• Added a further +1 to the unit cap in army to the Call Upon Oaths of Old tech (for a total of +2)
• Grudge Settler units are no longer free to recruit.
• Added -20% grudge settler unit recruitment cost to the warrior guild tech

Frost Wyrm Rescaling

As part of 5.0.3 we're making a pretty significant change to the Frost Wyrm by reducing its size by roughly a third. (See below)

Envisioned as a mid-tier fast mover, the Frost Wyrm was placed roughly in the brackets of large fast creatures like the Carnosaur, but the unit was also around the size of a Dread Saurian. We've heard your thoughts on the unit's performance since its release and concluded that the Frost Wyrm's concepted role and performance bracket was unworkable at its current size. 

Size is an important balancing factor for our entity level simulations. Generally speaking, being larger exposes you to more potential attackers at the same time, owing to a larger attackable surface area, and so particularly large monsters must be paired with massive health pools, powerful defensive layers or dangerous abilities to survive. The Frost Wyrm was a mid-tier monster stuck in the body of a top-end supremacy-monster. Our reduction instead scales it similarly to a Carnosaur, compacting its stats into a less vulnerable package.  

Additionally, we're making the following stat changes to the Frost Wyrm: Give the unit a spin and tell us what you think!

• Armour: 80 -> 110
• Bonus vs. Large: 0 -> 25
• Max Entities Hit by Splash Attack: 6 -> 5 (this concentrates the weapon strength of the unit on fewer targets, improving its lethality)

General fixes

• Fixed oneshot group vocalisations not triggering, particularly on unit selections and order responses ("Chosen of the Gods!" and all that good stuff)
• Fixed 'Channel Magic!' always resulting in a loss of Winds of Magic. They say the house always wins but we're here to make that statement a bit less absolute.
• Corrected a collision issue with the Thunderbarge that was causing most projectiles to phase through the balloon.
• Fixed an issue where certain plague symptoms could disappear/become unavailable when playing as Festus the Leechlord
• Fixed an issue where Chaos Lords of Nurgle would not ascend to Daemon Princes when playing as Nurgle factions
• Fixed an issue where Chaos Lords of Nurgle would not gain a trait when ascending to Daemon Princes
• Pestigors now have 0 recruitment cost for Beastmen
• Adjusted Dwarf grape shot to be in line with the imperial grape shot. Curtailing excessive shockwave radius around each projectile.
• The Dwarf Dragon Slayer has found his unique axes stashed away under 2000 dead goblins and stopped stealing clothes from the Doomseekers. No wonder he's a Slayer.
• Steam Tanks with Helblasters no longer benefit from the Helblaster upgrades in the imperial gunnery school. Units are not intended to double dip in multiple categories.
• Fixed the effects provided by Miao Ying's quest item set
• Balthasar Gelt's unique skill "Will of the Patriarch" now correctly increases Battle Wizard recruit rank
• Fixed Chaos Sorcerer Lords and Heroes missing certain Marks of Chaos upgrades
• Fixed the Gunnery School upgrade "Ballistics Plating" not functioning
• Reverted oversight causing final transmutation to deal about a quarter the intended damage when not overcast
• Fixed the Runesmith skill "Learned Intuition" having a lord's army scope instead of a hero's army scope.
• Fixed an issue where some mounts could be stolen post-battle, sorry Bubebolos.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Rot Beast to be available to all players, regardless of ownership. (Consider it a moldy, rotting taster.)
• Fix reinforcement popup opening whenever the list of reinforcement updates.
  
• The "Righteous Fury" skill shared by Warpriests and Arch Lector's now provides different effects.
  • For Arch Lectors:
    • Weapon Strength for flagellants: +10% -> +15%
    • Frenzy
  • For Warpriests:
    • Weapon strength for flagellants: Removed
    • Frenzy
• Reduced the number of uses for the "Call of the Wild" amber college ability from 3 to 1.
• The Beacon of Dawn Landmark now generates Slaanesh corruption for Morathi and the favoured corruption for all Daemon and Warriors of Chaos factions instead of always granting undivided corruption.
• Fixed assembly_kit_example.pack presence in mods folder for Assembly Kit on Microsoft Store.
• Cathay - fix Dragon Emperor's Wrath button notification still showing after the action has been performed
• Fleshounds of Khorne were playing the wrong vocalisation tags, resulting in vocalisations cutting out - fixed
• Fixed campaign conversational VO being able to trigger when multiple panels are open and one of them closes and also stopped the lord/hero panel that appears when selecting a lord/hero in campaign from blocking conversational VO
• Fixed an issue where Gyrobombers were still being handled as single entities on the campaign, causing health inconsistencies.
• Fixed an issue where the Lord Magistrate's unit card's colours were being tinted the wrong colour depending on your faction
  
• Fixed an issue where unique herdstone settlements (Altdorf, Kislev etc.) weren't using the herdstone battle map when attacked
• Fixed an issue where certain event feed notifications had a chance to cause a crash.
• Fixed the tooltip in the Greenskin technology tree for Oglok the 'Orrible's trait displaying the wrong effects
• Fixed an issue where Khalida's frontend poison attack benefit would simply state "phase name" when hovered over. Not very helpful, Khalida!
• The Gate Master no longer misplaces his sword and shield when toggled into melee mode.
• Added clearer collision impact sounds for land ship and steam tank
• Where an effect applied only to Flamers and Exalted Flamers of Tzeentch (and sometimes Changebringers), it now always applies to Changebringers and Burning Chariots of Tzeentch as well
• Fixed the portholes on dragon units being too zoomed in
• Fixed an issue where mousing over spell lore selections in the custom battle menu would display the wrong text.
• Reduced clipping of the chaos lord of Nurgle's arm and shield
• Miners weapons are fixed ( now receiving blood properly )
• Fixed some weapons that were appearing too blurred with TAA on.
• Fixed the Gate Master and Exalted Hero of Tzeentch Heroes having the wrong "Mentor" skill
• Beastment Rewards of dread will now always maintain the same original order instead of changing order based on the cost (this is to avoid an issue where sometimes the rewards will go on a third line instead of maintaining 2)
  

• When playing a battle in multiplayer, battle speeds selected by the other players will now be highlighted.

• Fixed an issue where confederated lords that had a loyalty rating (dark elves, skaven) would immediately drop to zero loyalty and rebel if confederated while that lord was in the pool or wounded

• Fixed an issue where the Huntsman General's "Experienced Hunter" skill was giving regular empire archers upgraded crossbow bolts from crossbowmen instead of upgraded arrows.

• Added modifier preview to buildings that provide factionwide resources (such as oathgold)

• Mother Ostankya - fix curses showing in prebattle when reinforcing an ally instead of blessings

• Individual entities will no longer attack while the unit is routing. This was particularly pronounced with Katarin on her sled.

• Fix a placeholder army ability showing in multiplayer if one player takes control of daemon armies spawned from Malakai adventures

• Fix funds field in multiplayer battles not being coloured red when the game version doesn't match

• Fixed some abilities and attributes not being grouped together in the expanded view of the unit information panel

• Fix war coordination button sometimes becoming active after a quest battle even when having no allies

• Fix trade resources appearing as dy_resource after using the Slaanesh dominate mechanic in multiplayer

• Fix mount icon in item set tooltip showing as weapon instead of the correct icon

• Made Grom's Recipe UI top bar behave like it did in wh2, where it opens the panel when clicked

• Fixed a rare crash caused by a lord gaining a mount while the army contains 21 units. (A rare occurrence itself, caused by armies which have lost their lord without replacing them yet recruiting up to fill all 20 slots with units before a replacement returns)

• Fix some units in frontend lord selection not showing in the correct order

• Fix selecting the 'show only unequipped item' checkbox in magic item panel and then switching to ancillary tab causing the ancillary tab to not filter out equipped items

• Added diplomatic relations icon and tooltip to dilemma faction element, so it's easier to tell the relation with the faction from the dilemma (especially useful for dilemmas that give diplomatic relation)

• Added stricter controls on rebel faction to prevent them generating invalid characters that can cause further issues.
• Fixed Multiplayer Chaos Dwarf Ownership flag.
• Fix chaos dwarfs technology notification appearing after all technologies have been researched
• Fixed Skrag the Slaughterer has matched combat animation that leaves enemy body on battlefield
• Fixed Vampire Coast Raise Dead marker not having a tooltip when attached to a settlement
• Fix Visions of the Old Ones unit details tooltip appearing in an odd location that was causing parts of it to go out of screen
• Fix corruption preview for agents entering a region not showing increased values from technologies

Battle Balance

Beastmen

Pestigors

• Recruitment Cost (SP): 650 -> 0

Gor Herd

• Recruitment Cost (MP): 700 -> 600

Daemons of Chaos

Chaos Furies

• Number of Entities: 40 -> 60
• Additional Hit Points: 121 -> 90
• Morale: 35 -> 50
• Armour: 20 -> 25
• Entity Mass: 150 -> 250

Dwarfs

Malakai Makaisson

Malakai has had his missile weapon adjusted from a triple shot scattergun to a triple shot rifle, in order to maintain consistency with his lore.

• Projectile number: 3 -> 1
• Spread: 1 -> 3
• Armour Piercing missile damage: 70 -> 100
• Base missile damage: 30 -> 50
• Penetration: 3 -> 4
• Bullet Mass: 20 -> 25

Thunderbarge

• Additional Hit Points: 12820 -> 11320
• Melee Defence: 10 -> 4
• Armour: 120 -> 90
• Projectile Penetration Resistance: 4 -> 20
• Projectile Penetration Resistance: 4 -> 20

The Spirit of Grungni

• Additional Hit Points: 14840 -> 12340
• Melee Defence: 10 -> 4
• Armour: 120 -> 90
• Projectile Penetration Resistance: 4 -> 20
• Projectile Penetration Resistance: 4 -> 20

Flame Cannons

• Effective Range: 200 -> 240

Grudge Throwers (Grudge Settlers)

• Recruitment Cost (SP): 0 -> 700

Flame Cannons (Grudge Settlers)

• Recruitment Cost (SP): 0 -> 1200
• Upkeep Cost: 325 -> 300
• Effective Range: 200 -> 240

Hammerers (Grudge Settlers)

• Recruitment Cost (SP): 0 -> 1200

Irondrakes (Grudge Settlers)

• Recruitment Cost (SP): 0 -> 700

Longbeards (Grudge Settlers)

• Recruitment Cost (SP): 0 -> 750

Quarrellers (Grudge Settlers)

• Recruitment Cost (SP): 0 -> 600

Slayers (Grudge Settlers)

• Recruitment Cost (SP): 0 -> 900

Gyrobombers

• Additional Hit Points: 812 -> 1054

Gyrocopters

• Additional Hit Points: 312 -> 346
• Base Missile Damage: 6 -> 8
• Armour Piercing Missile Damage: 16 -> 18
• Miniminum Range: 10 -> 0

Gyrocopters (Brimstone Guns)

• Additional Hit Points: 312 -> 346
• Base Missile Damage: 12 -> 14
• Armour Piercing Missile Damage: 2 -> 4
• Miniminum Range: 10 -> 0

Gyrocopters (Trollhammers (Grudge Settlers))

• Recruitment Cost (MP): 800 -> 1000
• Recruitment Cost (SP): 0 -> 1000
• Upkeep Cost: 200 -> 250
• Additional Hit Points: 312 -> 346
• Miniminum Range: 10 -> 0

Empire

Hochland Long Rifles

• Recruitment Cost (MP): 850 -> 900
• Recruitment Cost (SP): 850 -> 900
• Upkeep Cost: 213 -> 225

Nuln Ironsides

• Recruitment Cost (MP): 950 -> 875
• Recruitment Cost (SP): 950 -> 875
• Upkeep Cost: 238 -> 218

Amethyst Ironsides

• Recruitment Cost (MP): 1250 -> 1075

Khorne

Chaos Furies (Khorne)

• Number of Entities: 40 -> 60
• Additional Hit Points: 121 -> 90
• Morale: 35 -> 50
• Armour: 20 -> 25
• Entity Mass: 150 -> 250

Nurgle

Toad Dragon

• Recruitment Cost (MP): 2400 -> 2100
• Recruitment Cost (SP): 2400 -> 2100
• Upkeep Cost: 600 -> 525
• Morale: 85 -> 75
• Turn Speed: 60 -> 90

Chaos Furies (Nurgle)

• Number of Entities: 40 -> 60
• Additional Hit Points: 121 -> 90
• Morale: 35 -> 50
• Armour: 20 -> 25
• Entity Mass: 150 -> 250

Slaanesh

Chaos Furies (Slaanesh)

• Number of Entities: 40 -> 60
• Additional Hit Points: 121 -> 90
• Morale: 35 -> 50
• Armour: 20 -> 25
• Entity Mass: 150 -> 250

Tzeentch

Chaos Furies (Tzeentch)

• Number of Entities: 40 -> 60
• Additional Hit Points: 121 -> 90
• Morale: 35 -> 50
• Armour: 20 -> 25
• Entity Mass: 150 -> 250

Campaign Only

Obsinite Gyrocopters

• Additional Hit Points: 330 -> 366
• Base Missile Damage: 18 -> 10
• Armour Piercing Missile Damage: 8 -> 20
• Miniminum Range: 10 -> 0
• Projectile Velocity: 45 -> 60
• Base Reload Time (Seconds): 9 -> 8
• Calibration Area: 13 -> 3
• Projectile Mass: 3 -> 4

Warriors of Chaos

Chaos Sorcerer Lord of Nurgle (Death)

• Additional Hit Points: 4622 -> 4180

Chaos Sorcerer Lord of Nurgle (Death) [Mount: Chaos Steed]

• Additional Hit Points: 4960 -> 4708

Chaos Sorcerer Lord of Nurgle (Nurgle)

• Additional Hit Points: 4622 -> 4180

Chaos Sorcerer Lord of Nurgle (Nurgle) [Mount: Chaos Steed]

• Additional Hit Points: 4960 -> 4708

Chaos Sorcerer Lord of Nurgle (Death) [Mount: Rot Beast]

• Additional Hit Points: 5786 -> 5486

Chaos Sorcerer Lord of Nurgle (Nurgle) [Mount: Rot Beast]

• Additional Hit Points: 5786 -> 5486

Abilities

Army Abilities

Call of the Wild

• Number of Uses: 3 -> 1

Character Abilities

Hurricane of Death

• Recharge Time (Seconds): 90 -> 120
• Initial Recharge Time (Seconds): 90 -> 120
• Delay until damage is dealt (Seconds): 0 -> 1

Mistwalkers’ Barrage

• Spread: 0 -> 10

Feast of the Maggot Lord

• Target Intercept Range: 100 -> 30

Spells

Soul Stealer

• Winds of Magic Cost: 16 -> 18

The Fate of Bjuna

• Active Time (Seconds): 20 -> 18

Traitor-Kin Upgraded

Phase Stats:

• Direct Damage Amount: 133 -> 100

The Dwellers Below

• Armour Piercing Vortex Damage: 1 -> 4
• Branch damage: removed
• Effect Duration: 1 -> 5
• Starting Radius: 5 -> 20

Dwellers below and its upgrade's performance was too volatile after our previous round of changes. So we've elected to return its damage application to a more standard vortex arrangement, but leave the new randomized flailing branches imparting forces for spectacle.

The Dwellers Below Upgraded

• Armour Piercing Vortex Damage: 4 -> 6
• Branch damage: removed
• Effect Duration: 1 -> 5
• Starting Radius: 5 -> 20
• Expansion Speed (Per Second): 40 -> -20 

The Fate of Bjuna

• Active Time (Seconds): 20 -> 18

Final Transmutation Phase Stats:

• Direct Damage Amount: 33 -> 133
  • This is a reversion to the accidental overwrite of this in 5.0

  
  

Unit Abilities

Coruscating Blast

• Base Missile Damage: 75 -> 50
• Armour Piercing Missile Damage: 175 -> 125
• Radius: 5 -> 4

Spear of Grungni

• Base Explosion Damage: 75 -> 15
• Armour Piercing Explosion Damage: 15 -> 75

Thunderburner

• Recharge Time (Seconds): 1 -> 30
• Direct Damage Amount: ~50 per second -> ~150 per second

Thunderburner Upgraded

• Recharge Time (Seconds): 1 -> 30
• Direct Damage Amount: 0 -> ~50 per second

Whirlwind of Death

• Duration (Seconds): 6 -> 4
• Delay until damage is dealt (Seconds): 0 -> 0.75
• Armour Piercing Vortex Damage: 2 -> 4
• Explosion Force: 50 -> 200
• Starting Radius: 4 -> 0.1
• Expansion Speed (Per Second): 1 -> 100

Whirlwind of Death Upgraded

• Duration (Seconds): 6 -> 4
• Delay until damage is dealt (Seconds): 0 -> 0.75
• Explosion Force: 50 -> 200

Endless Whirlwind of Death

• Duration (Seconds): 6 -> 4
• Delay until damage is dealt (Seconds): 0 -> 0.75
• Armour Piercing Vortex Damage: 2 -> 4
• Explosion Force: 50 -> 200
• Starting Radius: 4 -> 0.1
• Expansion Speed (Per Second): 1 -> 100

Endless Whirlwind of Death Upgraded

• Duration (Seconds): 6 -> 4
• Delay until damage is dealt (Seconds): 0 -> 0.75
• Explosion Force: 50 -> 200

Once again, thank you all for your bug fixes and feedback since the release of 5.0 and Thrones of Decay. As always, please keep talking to us about your experiences over in the CA Community or the Total War Discord server, and keep reporting your bugs over in our dedicated bug report forum.

— The Total War Team