Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: Artifact, Steam, valve

Artifact's Latest Update Focuses on Skill Rating, Leveling, and Balance

Valve has released a new update for Artifact which focuses on the skill rating and account leveling systems as well as some card balance changes, new features, and bug fixes.

With the Build Your Legend update, Artifact now has an independent skill rating system for constructed and draft games. It also includes a new account levelling system that tracks your overall experience within the game and allows you to unlock level icons and a set number of tickets and card packs.

As for the card balance update, Valve set out to change the base methodology of Artifact by no longer following the physical card game design pattern of keeping card changes and bans on the rare side. As Valve details in the patch notes:

Since the release of Artifact, there have been a lot of discussions surrounding this topic. Input came in many forms, some from online discussions, some from direct feedback with players, and some through discussions among our own team members. This caused us to take a step back and spend a bunch of time debating the merits of the different arguments presented.

In the end, we struggled to see the benefits of immutability outweighing the numerous downsides. The average player mainly wants the game quality to be high above all other considerations. Players who focus a lot on deck building would prefer a more diverse and engaging meta to play around. While some card collectors enjoy having a small number of really valuable cards, many others are happier in a world where the full set value isn't overly dominated by one or two cards.

Which means Artifact will see ongoing card balance changes to keep the meta fresh thoughout its life cycle.

You can read the full patch notes here. The card changes and new features are below.

• Axe
  • Base stats changed from 7/2/11 to 6/2/10.
• Bloodseeker
  • Base stats changed from 7/6 to 7/7.
  • Blood Rage (signature spell) mana cost changed from 5 to 4.
• Cheating Death
  • Mana cost changed from 5 to 4.
  • Old Text: "If there is an allied green hero in this lane, allies have a 50% chance of surviving with 1 Health when they would die."
  • New Text: "Active (Cooldown 1): Give a unit a Death Shield this round. May only be used if there is an allied green hero in this lane."
• Drow Ranger
  • Gust (signature spell) Old Text: "Silence enemy heroes this round."
  • Gust (signature spell) New Text: "Silence an enemy hero and its allied neighbors this round."
• Jasper Daggers
  • Gold cost changed from 7 to 5.
  • Old Text: "Equipped hero has +2 Attack and Pierce."New Text: "Equipped hero has +2 Attack and Pierce. Equip Effect: Purge your opponent's effects from equipped hero."
• Lion
  • Finger of Death (active ability) Old Text: "Deal 8 piercing damage to a unit."
  • Finger of Death (active ability) New Text: "Deal 8 piercing damage to a unit. Quicken." (Quicken means "reduce cooldown by 1, but not below 1".)
• Outworld Devourer
  • Base stats changed from 4/6 to 4/7.
• Timbersaw
  • Reactive Armor (passive) Old Text: "Timbersaw has +1 Armor for each of its attackers."
  • Reactive Armor (passive) New Text: "Timbersaw has +1 Armor for each of its attackers. Each of Timbersaw's attackers have -1 Armor."

• Added Skill Rating. Skill rating is specific to a particular time period and game mode (draft or constructed) and ranges from 1 to 75. Once you've earned a rating, it will not decrease this season. Every matchmaking game outside of the Call To Arms featured event contributes to skill rating adjustments.
• Added account levels and unlocks. Every matchmaking game grants experience that contributes to account level. Increasing account level unlocks portraits and a number of event tickets and card packs.
• Added Quicken keyword. On activated abilities, this means "reduce cooldown by 1, but not below 1". (See Finger of Death in the card changes section.)
• Added Equip Effect keyword. On items, this ability will trigger immediately after the item is equipped to a hero. (See Jasper Daggers in the card changes section.)

• Fixed some words being underlined on ability tooltips in-game.
• Fixed the complete deck list not being visible for the opponent in Call To Arms gauntlet matches.
• Fixed some instances of Red Mist Pillager not showing their combat target arrows after being spawned.
• Fixed a number of other minor bugs and issues.
• Updated the localization files.

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