The first huge balancing patch for Axie Infinity Origin went live earlier today. Several fixes were included in the update along with changes made in balancing the game.
Axie Infinity Origin is the third iteration of the blockchain-enabled NFT card-battler and just had an Alpha launch last April 7 to the desktop with hundreds of thousands of players trying it for the first time. Since its launch, there have been a lot of feedback regarding bugs noticed in the game and some issues when it came to balancing as some cards and combinations were overpowered.
This morning, Axie Infinity rolled out its first major patch to Origin making several buffs, nerfs, and tweaks that significantly change the way the game is played. One of the new things is the turn duration for PVP battles. Initially, each turn took 45 seconds before the turn would automatically end. It has now been increased to 60 seconds allowing for more time to think and plan out your turns.
This massive first update for Axie Origin was mainly focused on balancing the game. Changes were made for several cards, runes, charms, and status effects. Of the cards, 23 of them were updated that have mostly nerfed card attacks and effects. One of the most significant changes is probably Shoal Star where the instant-kill requirement has been reduced from 120 HP to 90 HP.
Apart from this, there have also been 11 changes made to runes and 15 to charms with changes mostly limiting the effects those charms and runes have. The list also includes 5 status effect changes.
The Axie Origin patch also addressed several bugs that have been seen since the launch that has affected the overall gaming experience so hopefully the game is also running more smoothly.
The changes have had some significant effects on the current gameplay metas and strategies so players may need to reacquaint themselves or even change playstyles and strategies.
Some notable affected metas include the triple Aqua with Shoal Star for example or the Disable Metas on Reptile/Dusk Axies. These should underpower some of the cards and give a fair fighting chance for other Axies in the game.
Here’s the full list of balancing updates:
| Old | New | |||||||
| Shoal Star | If the target has no more than 120 HP, kill it instantly. | If the target has no more than 90 HP, kill it instantly. | ||||||
| Kestrel | Apply Disarmed for 2 turns. | If Initial, apply Disarmed for 2 turns. | ||||||
| Tiny Turtle | Apply Stunned for 2 turns if this attack causes HP loss to target. | Apply Stunned for 2 turns if this attack breaks enemy’s shield. | ||||||
| Rosa | Cost: 0 Energy | Cost: 1 Energy | ||||||
| ATK: 5 | ATK: 40 | |||||||
| Innate. Apply 2 Poison and Sleep for 2 turns to a random enemy. Banish. | Apply 2 Poison and Sleep for 2 turns to a random enemy. Banish. (Remove Innate) | |||||||
| Tiny Fan | Draw 1 card. Gain 3 Damage Boost. | Draw 1 card. Gain 2 Damage Boost. Banish. | ||||||
| Hollow | Cost: 0 Energy | Cost: 1 Energy | ||||||
| This Axie loses 75 HP. Summon a Trunk. (Trunk has 75 HP. Taunt.) | This Axie loses 75 HP. Summon a Trunk. (Trunk has 60 HP. Taunt.) | |||||||
| Doubletalk | If Initial, apply Sleep for 4 turns. | If Initial, apply Sleep for 2 turns. | ||||||
| Koi | ATK: 120 | ATK: 110 | ||||||
| Green Thorns | Apply 2 Poison x 6 times to random targets. Restore 20 HP to this Axie. | Apply 2 Poison x 5 times to random targets. Restore 20 HP to this Axie. | ||||||
| Nimo (Ears) | Heal: 25 | Heal: 35 | ||||||
| Gain 1 Energy if this Axie’s HP is full. | Gain 1 Energy if this Axie’s HP is full. Banish. | |||||||
| Innocent Lamb | Innate. Select one of this Axie’s skill cards and add it to your hand. Banish. | (Just a text correction) Innate. Select one of this Axie’s skill cards and add a copy of it to your hand. Banish. | ||||||
| Risky Fish | ATK: 90 | ATK: 80 | ||||||
| Risky Bird | ATK: 90 | ATK: 80 | ||||||
| Risky Beast | ATK: 90 | ATK: 80 | ||||||
| Post Fight | ATK: 100 | ATK: 80 | ||||||
| This Axie loses 35 HP. | This Axie loses 20 HP. | |||||||
| Antenna | Shield: 0 | Shield: 50 | ||||||
| Lam | ATK: 65 | ATK: 60 | ||||||
| Cucumber Slice | Heal: 50 | Heal: 45 | ||||||
| Heal your team and apply 5 Healing Boost. | Heal your team and apply 3 Healing Boost. | |||||||
| Serious | ATK: 90 | ATK: 80 | ||||||
| Forest Hero | ATK: 140 | ATK: 120 | ||||||
| Magic Sack | Cost: 1 Energy | Cost: 2 Energy | ||||||
| Retain. Pick a card. Next turn, add 2 copies of it to your hand. Banish. | Retain. Pick a Skill or Secret card on your hand. Next turn, add 2 copies of it to your hand. Banish. | |||||||
| Neo | Look at the top 4 cards of your opponent’s draw pile. Banish. | Retain. Look at the top 4 cards of your opponent’s draw pile. Banish. | ||||||
| Leafy | Cost: 0 Energy | Cost: 1 Energy | ||||||
| ATK: 10 | ATK: 15 | |||||||
| Randomly deal 2 hits. Consume up to 3 Leafs to deal 5 DMG per Leaf consumed. | Randomly deal 3 hits. Consume up to 3 Leafs to deal 10 DMG per Leaf consumed. | |||||||
| All current Mystic Rune will have Solo tag. | ||||||||
| Old | New | |||||||
| Endless Anger | Gain 3 Rage when your turn starts. Each Rage grant 1 bonus DMG. | Solo. Gain 2 Rage when your turn starts. Each Rage grant 1 bonus DMG. | ||||||
| Heart of Ocean | Increase all Axies’ HP by 75. | Solo. Increases all Axies’ HP by 50. | ||||||
| Gloomy Dice | In Odd Rounds, apply Hex to all enemies for 2 turns when your turn starts. In Even Rounds, apply Fear to all enemies for 2 turns when your turn starts. | Solo. Apply Hex or Fear randomly to all enemies for 2 turns in Odd Rounds. | ||||||
| Shady Exchange | Solo.Energy +1 in Even Rounds. Add 1 [Dazed], 1 [Goo], 1 [Void] to your deck. | Solo. Energy +1 in Even Rounds. Add 3 [Dazed] to your deck. | ||||||
| Feather Descend | When your turn starts, grant 2 Feather to your team. | Solo. When your turn starts, grant 2 Feather to your team. This Axie gains back half of the Feather stacks consumed when doing a non-multihit attack. | ||||||
| Regenerator | When your turn start, Cleanse 2 random debuffs if HP is full or recover 10% of max HP if HP isn’t full. | Solo. When your turn start, Cleanse 2 random debuffs if HP is above 75% or recover 10% of max HP if not. | ||||||
| Holy Prayer | Solo. When your turn starts, remove 1 Curse in your Deck. Heal all teammates for 30 HP when successfully remove Curse. | Solo. When your turn starts, remove 2 Curses in your Deck. Heal 10 HP and grant 1 DMG Boost to all teammates when successfully remove a Curse this way. | ||||||
| Gaia’s Embrace | Shielding Abilities also Heal HP equal to 100% of Shield gained but grant 25% less Shield. | Solo. Shielding Abilities also Heal HP equal to 100% of Shield gained but grant 25% less Shield. | ||||||
| Sturdy Fighter | Non-Multihit Attack Abilities deal bonus DMG equal to current Shield. | Solo. Non-Multihit Attack Abilities deal bonus DMG equal to current Shield. | ||||||
| Shield Backup | This Axie’s Shield isn’t removed when enemy’s turn ends. | Solo. This Axie’s Shield isn’t removed when enemy’s turn ends. | ||||||
| Healing Pulse | All teammates regen 8 HP when your turn ends. Increase Healing Ability’s Effect by 20%. | All teammates regen 4 HP when your turn ends. Increase Healing Ability’s Effect by 10%. | ||||||
| Old | New | |||||||
| Leafy Pot | (Enhance any Abilities) All teammates gain 1 Leaf. | (Enhance Skill cards) All teammates gain 1 Leaf. | ||||||
| Mask of Frenzy | (Enhance any Abilities) All teammates gain 1 Rage. | (Enhance Attack cards) All teammates gain 1 Rage. | ||||||
| Bubble Paste | (Enhance any Abilities) All teammates gain 1 Bubble. | (Enhance Skill cards) All teammates gain 1 Bubble. | ||||||
| Trickster’s Card | (Enhance any Abilities) Draw 1 Card | (Enhance Skill cards) Draw 1 Card | ||||||
| Feather Fan | (Enhance any Abilities) All teammates gain 1 Feather. | (Enhance Attack cards) All teammates gain 1 Feather. | ||||||
| Gecko Mask | (Enhance any Abilities) Taunt all Enemies for 2 turns. | (Enhance Attack cards) Taunt all Enemies for 2 turns. | ||||||
| Charm of Vitality I | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +5 | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +4 | ||||||
| Charm of Vitality II | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +15 | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +8 | ||||||
| Charm of Vitality III | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +25 | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +12 | ||||||
| Beast Talisman of Vitality IV | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +20 | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +12 | ||||||
| Beast Talisman of Vitality V | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +35 | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +18 | ||||||
| Aquatic Talisman of Vitality IV | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +20 | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +12 | ||||||
| Aquatic Talisman of Vitality V | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +35 | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +18 | ||||||
| Reptile Talisman of Vitality IV | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +20 | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +12 | ||||||
| Reptile Talisman of Vitality V | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +35 | (Enhance any Abilities) Axie’s HP +18 | ||||||
| Old | New | |||||||
| Feather | When Axie does a non-multihit attack, consume all Feather stacks to deal 2 bonus DMG per stack and heal 2 HP per stack. Max : 10 stack. | When Axie does a non-multihit attack, consume all Feather stacks to deal 3 bonus DMG per stack and heal 1 HP per stack. Max : 10 stack. | ||||||
| Fury | Gain 1 Energy when transforms. Deal double damage. Last for 1 turn. | Gain 1 Energy when transforms. Deal 75% more damage. Last for 1 turn. | ||||||
| Doubt | Gain 20% less HP from Healing. | Gain 50% less HP from Healing. | ||||||
| Bubble | Block 5 DMG/stack. Max: 3 stack. Turn into Bubble Bomb upon reaching 3 stacks. | Block 4 DMG per stack against non-multihit attacks. Block 2 DMG per stack against multihit attacks. Max: 3 stacks. Turn into {Bubble Bomb} upon reaching 3 stacks. | ||||||
| Leaf | Regen 5 HP at the end of your turn. Max stack: 5 | Regen 4 HP at the end of your turn. Max stack: 5 | ||||||