INFERNO CREATURES

Balance Discussion

• The Inferno has received a plethora of buffs to bring its strength and versatility in-line with the other core factions. The addition of Gating, an alternative set of Level 6 units, and multiple casters gives the faction more unique creatures and strategies that provide alternate routes to victory besides Demon Farming.

• All Inferno creatures are considered Demonic. They receive -25% Damage from Fire Magic spells and +25% Damage from Light Magic spells.

• The Imp line can now fly, with the upgrades becoming plentiful disruption-focused units with their ability to strike and return.

• The Gog line has received a minor health buff, with Magogs now dealing slightly more Damage than previously. Players must now decide between the Magog's consistent AOE attacks and the powerful burst casts of the Amalek, the latter of which favours shorter combats facing creatures without magical or fire-based immunities.

• The Hell Hound line remains largely unchanged besides the Cerberus receiving a minor Attack and Defense shift. Fire Hounds are a useful solution for attacking enemy shooters placed behind guards, and have a higher potential damage output than Cerberi.

• The Demon line has received a decent buff with Horned Demons ignoring 30% of enemy Defense, ensuring that Demon Farming remains a viable and powerful strategy if done well. The choice between Horned Demons and Gore Demons comes down to the player's enemies: Horned Demons scale better against targets with higher Defense, whereas Gore Demons gain up to 24% (without Speed buffs) increased Damage and can be used to greater effect against smaller targets.

• The Pit Fiend line has received minimal stat changes to ensure that upgrading from Pit Fiends is more impactful, resulting in Pit Fiends receiving a minor nerf and Pit Lords receiving a minor buff. Pit Spawn are powerful casters that forego their ability to summon Demons to decimate groups of enemies with ease, giving Inferno another way to deal heavy damage at range.

• The Efreet line has received buffs to Efreet and Efreet Sultans' Fire Shield passives, increasing the level of Fire Shield each creature has by one. They have had their costs adjusted as a result of this buff. Efreet Sufis are Master Genies' parallels as they can cast a myriad of negative spells while still hitting hard if necessary.

• The Hell Steed line is a new set of alternative Level 6 creatures that one may recognise from In the Wake of Gods, but they have been greatly changed from their original appearances. They fill a different combat role than Efreet; they are not siege units (unless the player Teleports them behind enemy lines), but are instead tanky brawlers like other horse-based units. The Hell Steed and Hell Stallion's breath attacks provide effective ways to deal with neutral combat quickly and effectively, and the global debuff that Hell Stallions provide ensures that the player's Fire Magic spells truly melt their opponent's units. The Nightmare's passive Fear ability almost guarantees that, in combats with many enemy units, some of their turns will be skipped. Their Death Stare provides a fantastic way to deal with higher level enemy units, making enemies rely on their tactical prowess to effectively deal with them without suffering losses.

• The Devil line has received a poignant buff to all units' Damage ranges. The Devil's Attack and Defense are now equal, and the Arch Devil now prioritises Attack over Defense. Arch Demons are a strong Defense- and Health-based summoner, making up for their lower Attack by giving heroes a potential 8th stack of units without ever having to cast a spell themselves. 1 Arch Demon gates 6 Demons, which effectively grants the player a Citadel's quantity of Demons per Arch Demon cast. Given that 2 Arch Demons are available per week once the Castle is built, this effectively results in the number of usable Demons jumping from 8 per week to 20 per week if Arch Demons are used in combat.