EpicDuel PVP Game Design Notes

April 11, 2025

EpicDuel is back with a truly EPIC balance update covering everything from damage ranges to core balance. If that's not enough, we even threw in some bug fixes and quality-of-life changes for good measure!

Balance Changes

General 

• x30 cores: Reverted all to the same values as their permanent versions. Removed all from shops except the following:
  • Absolution (armor) x30
  • Destruction (armor) x30
  • Domination (armor) x30
  • Fortitude (armor) x30
  • Infinity (armor) x30
  • Supremacy (armor) x30
  • Vigor (armor) x30
• Damage ranges reduced by slighting increasing the lower values (Divisors) and reducing the range multiplier. Divisor changes:
  • Resistance = 0.29, 0.39, 0.48, 0.48
  • Defense = 0.29, 0.39, 0.48, 0.48
  • Bot Damage = 0.39, 0.48, 0.58, 0.58
  • Primary Damage = 0.44, 0.56, 0.62, 0.82
  • Auxiliary Damage = 0.37, 0.56, 0.64, 0.81
  • Gun Damage = 0.37, 0.64, 0.64, 0.84
  • Reduce the multiplier that determines maximum damage/defense from 1.2 to 1.1
• Improved robot damage bonus for lower focus levels:
  • Focus 1: +90 robot damage
  • Focus 2: +120 robot damage
  • Focus 3: +150 robot damage
  • Focus 4: +180 robot damage
  • Focus 5: +210 robot damage
  • Focus 6: +240 robot damage 

All Classes

• Field Medic: Requires +3 → +2 Technology per level

Bounty Hunter:

• Shadow Arts: Removed Dexterity boost
• Venom Strike: 4 → 3 turn cooldown; remove support scaling: Flat 80 poison damage at level 1, +10 per level

Mercenary:

• Hybrid Armor: Removed highest stat boost; Add effect that converts 7% of all outgoing damage to user’s Energy; +2% def/res boost to all levels
• Bunker Buster: +20 damage to all levels
• Surgical Strike: +20 damage to all levels

Tech Mage:

• Concentration: Removed damage reduction; added effect that grants user flat +40 HP for every outgoing attack
• Deadly Aim: Removed Support boost
• Assimilation: Removed Strength scaling: Flat -110 Energy at level 1, +10 per level
• Overload: Improves with Support → Dexterity; 2 → 1 turn cooldown
• Plasma Rain: Improves with Dexterity → Support

Cyber Hunter:

• Plasma Grenade: Add 20% lifesteal
• Proton Cannon: 25% lifesteal → Flat +100 HP gain; 20% energy drain → Flat -100 Energy
• Venom Strike: Removed Support scaling: Flat 80 poison damage at level 1, +10 per level

Tactical Mercenary:

• Tactical Grenade: Removed Support scaling: Flat -110 Energy at level 1, +10 per level; 150 → 170 Energy gain
• Mineral Armor: Remove highest stat buff
• Barbed Grenade: +30 damage to all levels
• Suppressing Fire: +30 damage to all levels
• Annihilation: +30 damage to all levels
• Field Commander: Removed Support scaling: Flat +40 Support boost at level 1, +3 per level; removed increased Rage gain; added effect that grants lifesteal based on 50% of Support boost
• Toxic Grenade: +20 Energy cost; 85% → 100% damage; remove Strength scaling: Flat 80 poison damage at level 1, +10 per level

 Blood Mage:

• Fireball: Removed stun chance; add 15% def/res debuff for 2 turns; +1 damage per 0.32 → 0.3 Strength
• Red Vision: Removed Strength boost
• Blood Shield: 5 → 4 turn duration; 90 → 75 Energy gain; remove Technology boost; remove Support scaling: Static resistance increase values 40%, 43%, 46%, 48%, 50%, 52%, 54%, 56%, 58%, 60%
• Blood Instinct: +1 Dexterity per 3 → 5 Technology; 90 → 75 Energy gain 

Cores:

• Mega Stun Blast: 25% → 20% stun chance
• Paralysis Coating: 25% → 15% stun/crit chance; 15% → 20% defense ignore
• Screaming Soul Spears: 85% → 100% damage; 3 → 2 turn duration
• Ballistic Shield: 13% → 6% deflection chance increase
• Deflection Shield: 13% → 8% deflection chance increase
• Ninja Reflexes: 13% → 8% block chance increase
• Lucky Strike: Multiplicative instead of additive
• Lucky Strike/Aim Assist/Laser Sights/Super Scope: Effects apply to all attacks instead of only basic attacks
• Primary/Gun/Auxiliary Mastery: Remove crit chance increase; +10% weapon damage on basic attacks → Flat +25 weapon damage for all attacks

Robots:

• Azrael’s Affliction P/E: 30% → 20% of current HP as life-stealing poison
• Infernal Overload P/E: 95% → 85% initial damage; 130% → 125% max damage; peaks at round 9
• Asgard’s Fury P/E: 4 → 3 turn cooldown
• Dino Fire P/E/PxE/ExP: 4 → 3 turn cooldown; 10% → 8% of target’s max HP as damage bonus
• Rusted Dino Fire P/E/PxE/ExP: 4 → 3 turn cooldown
• Dragonblade Familiar Drill P/E: 4 → 3 turn cooldown; 20% → 17% of damage to HP and Energy
• Flesh Demigod Judgement P/E: 4 → 3 turn cooldown; 25% → 15% lifesteal
• Infernal/Plasma Super Beam: 91% → 97% initial damage
• Shadowlord’s Severance: P/E: 4 → 3 turn cooldown; 35% → 30% defense ignore 

Bug fixes / Changes:

• Description for Darkeater’s Impaler reads 3 turns instead of 2.
• Descriptions for Ninja Reflexes and Deflection Shield read 50% max block/deflection chance instead of 30%.
• Description for Dualism reads 100% damage instead of 110% (105% AOE).
• Azrael’s Annihilation is sometimes applying the debuff to the user for 2 turns instead of 1. The skill is now tracked via turns instead of rounds so in a 1v1 each player has a chance to react or retaliate. This also helps balance the skill in Juggernaut and 2v2 since the debuff will expire before a character can be attacked twice. This was a unique problem because it was the first skill ever to apply a debuff to both the target and attacker in the same turn.
• Azrael's Doombringer Beauty P/E (NPC): NPC version with a maximum HP drain/gain of 200 and 6 turn cooldown. Added to level 56 and 57 of the Basic Battlepass. Those who already claimed those levels of prizes will receive the bot manually.
• All seasonal robots will now have a permanently available version for Varium-only while the seasonally available one will have a Credit option.
  • Baby Yeti
  • Dark Yeti
  • Ballistic Bunny Bot
  • Electro Bunny Bot
  • Botanical Hazard
  • Dark Botanical Hazard
  • Blood Hawk P
  • Blood Hawk E
  • Lionhart's Avatar P
  • Lionhart's Avatar E
  • Kartherax's Darkspawn P
  • Kartherax's Darkspawn E
  • Cyber Yeti P
  • Cyber Yeti E
  • Monkakazi P
  • Monkakazi E
  • Pirate Bot P
  • Pirate Bot E
  • Phantasm Droid P
  • Phantasm Droid E
  • Cyber Shark P
  • Cyber Shark E

Tags: Nightwraith

April 04, 2025

The Azrael's Doombringer Showcase Battlepass is NOW LIVE! Login now to earn the latest collection of Azrael-themed weapons, armors, morphs, bots, and more crafted with care by Acatriel and Bido!

Good luck and happy dueling to reach level 60 of EpicDuel's latest Battlepass season!

So you all know what you're getting into with the new bots available in this season, the skill descriptions are listed below:

• Azrael's Doombringer Beast P:
  • Azrael's Beast Bash P: Physical overhead smash with a 25% crit chance.
  • Azrael's Annihilation P: Mutually massively reduce defense and healing for 1 turn. 1 turn warmup. This is the first skill to apply a debuff to both the attacker and the target.

• Azrael's Doombringer Beast E:
  • Azrael's Beast Bash E: Energy overhead smash with a 25% crit chance.
  • Azrael's Annihilation E: Mutually massively reduce defense and healing for 1 turn. 1 turn warmup. This is the first skill to apply a debuff to both the attacker and the target. 

• Azrael's Doombringer Beauty P:
  • Azrael's Assault P: A vicious physical onslaught ignoring 15% defense.
  • Azrael's Affliction P: 85% dmg. and inflict life-stealing poison for 30% HP over 2 rounds. Maximum 500 / Minimum 50 HP steal. Can be cured with Medic.

• Azrael's Doombringer Beauty E:
  • Azrael's Assault E: A vicious energy onslaught ignoring 15% defense.
  • Azrael's Affliction E: 85% dmg. and inflict life-stealing poison for 30% HP over 2 rounds. Maximum 500 / Minimum 50 HP steal. Can be cured with Medic.

Balance Changes

• First turn: All players except the one with first strike will have Brace applied.
• Shadow Arts: 7% --> Flat +25 robot damage buff.
• Energy Shield (Tactical Mercenary): Increases by 20 points per level rather than 2 or 1.
• Nanotech Armor: Replaced with new skill, Cyber Armor --> Increase defenses based on a percentage of armor points (43% at level 1, +3% per level for max. of 70%)
• Adaptive Offense: Removed energy drain 
• Captain's Charge: 3 --> 2 turn duration.
• Mastery cores: Only basic attacks deal +10% damage.
• Factions: To combat alting, going forward Faction recruits must be level 40 or higher. Current members of factions can still be under level 40, but all new members must be at least level 40.

Tags: Nightwraith

March 21, 2025

EpicDuel is back with some incredible new Gifter rewards and a light helping of balance changes and bug fixes. Plus, there is a special announcement and explanation concerning the upcoming Battlepass progress.

Balance Change and Fixes:

• Skill/Core Changes
  • Jack Frost Fury P/E: 25% robot damage as MP poison --> Flat -50 MP for 2 turns; keeps initial energy drain based on damage; Can't stack with other MP poison effects
  • Darkeater's Impaler: 3 --> 2 turn duration; 85% --> 100% damage
  • Minotaur's Rage P/E: 25% --> 30% defense reduction; removed stun chance
  • Icy Overkill (gun and aux): 110% --> 100% damage
  • Revolver Revolution: Animation updated to use existing sidearm instead of revolver
  • Bot summon animations: Hide sidearm and auxiliary to improve performance while bot and skill animations play.
• Bug fixes:
  • Primary/Gun/Auxiliary Mastery are not correctly adding +10% damage on normal attacks
  • Vigor x30 (aux): Visual bug displaying +7 Dexterity and +7 Support 
  • NPCs will use Brace sometimes when they cannot use an action instead of freezing and timing out
  • 16 Year Alpha Achievement text error

There is also a known issue in which NPCs can still target users with Lionhart's Shield active. This is mainly seen in 2v2. As a failsafe, the shield has extreme damage reduction forcing the minimum damage values (30-50 depending on attack type). This will have to be the case until an ideal solution is found.

Battlepass and Gifting Rewards Update

Remember when we mentioned in an earlier DN post that the next Battlepass would be ready in March. Well, it's almost April, and still no Battlepass. What's the deal? We knew Gifting rewards would take up a big chunk of the year, but we had no idea until the event ended that we would still owe so many rewards. Lodrian and I have been working constantly for the last 2 months to complete the rewards as efficiently as possible, and while we've made good progress getting the list down to a more manageable level, there are still about 20 more to go.

I thought initially that I could work on rewards during the "day shift" and the Battlepass content on the "night shift." That clearly didn't go as intended and both shifts were devoted to Gifting rewards. I know it seems like these things are taking forever, but please keep in mind it's just Lodrian and I making all the content you see in game, with occasional help from Tomcat and Bido. Even with others helping with content production, old crusty Nightwraith is still the only one who can implement the items in-game. EpicDuel's artists work hard and are very efficient with their time, but the fact remains that I'm THE bottleneck to anything new being added to the game. With that consideration, I will be shifting to focus on the Battlepass almost exclusively until its launch, after which I will shift back to rewards.

I understand that this decision has the potential to upset both Gifters who were expecting their rewards soon AND everyone else in the community who expected a new Battlepass (or any new content, really) soon than later, but it has to be done for the overall health of the game unless folks are willing to wait until Summer for the next Battlepass.

As always, thank you for your patience and understanding. I hope to have the new Battlepass ready as soon as I can before returning in earnest to the Gifting rewards. I wish I could do both at the same time, but we are all confined by the physical bounds of this reality.

NEW Undead Legion Heromart Bundle

XXV Undead Legion - Bundle

Unleash the dark power of Dage the Evil’s Undead Legion Bundle! Embrace your darker side with chilling and terrifying designs straight from the twisted heart of the Undead Legion. These items will send a shiver down the spine of anyone who dares face you. Prove your loyalty as a devoted follower of the Legion!

"If you already own the poster and don't want the bundle to include it use code DAGETHRONEPSTOWNER to receive a discount, you must enter this code at checkout using the same account that the original poster was purchased."

*NOTE: HeroMart Bundles are the best value. You get all the physical products plus digital in-game items and exclusive badges and titles.

This Bundle includes the following rewards in EpicDuel:

• Achievement - Keeper of Underworld
• Weapon - Letum Codex Blade P
• Weapon - Letum Codex Blade E

That's just a taste of the rewards included across AE's main games!

Visit HEROMART now to get this pre-order while you still can!

Tags: Nightwraith

March 14, 2025

The most recent balance update made some big waves! This week we made further adjustments while reverting some changes from the previous update.

Balance changes:

• Reverted Primary damage scaling: 0.41 --> 0.46, 0.52 --> 0.58, 0.58 --> 0.65, 0.75 --> 0.85
• Focus: +1% stat bonus for Focus 1/2, +2% for Focus 3/4, +3% for Focus 5/6
• Double Strike: Improves with Strength --> Dexterity
• Maul: Removed healing reduction
• Overload: +15 --> +20 energy cost per level
• Smokescreen: -5 dexterity reduction for all levels after the first
  • OLD VALUES: 4 7 10 12 14 16 18 19 20 21
  • NEW VALUES: 1 2 5 7 9 11 13 14 15 16
• Proton Cannon: Unaffected --> Affected by Achilles' Phalanx/Color Blast/Consecrated Ground
• Supremacy (Primary) x30: +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +3 Technology, +3 Support --> +5 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Technology, +2 Support
• Supremacy (Sidearm) x30: +3 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +3 Technology, +3 Support --> +2 Strength, +5 Dexterity, +2 Technology, +2 Support
• Supremacy (Auxiliary)x 30: +3 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +3 Technology, +4 Support --> +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Technology, +5 Support
• Eternal Enhance: +3 --> +4 to all stats
• Radiation Burn: 35% --> 15% activation chance

Bug fixes

• Vigor (Armor): Properly set to +6 Dexterity and +6 Support
• Techstalker Bot E: Damage type properly set to Energy
• Malfunction can now stack with other tech debuffs aside from itself
• Debuffs applied by NPCs while the debuff is already active will no longer double stack

Gifting Rewards Update

While a few new custom hairstyles and items went out this week, one new prize is being offered generously by CactusChan: His custom CacBot 9001s are now available at Valestra for all to purchase!

New Achievement

The Fifteen Year Alpha achievement has gone rare permanently to make way for the new Sixteen Year Alpha achievement, celebrating over 16 years of EpicDuel!

Tags: Nightwraith

March 06, 2025

That's right, it's time for the first balance update of 2025! People either dread or rejoice these updates, but this one hits on enough general areas that there should be enough for everyone to chew on regardless of build. As usual, balance is subject to constant change so if you really hate these adjustments, we can always adjust in the future.

General Changes

• Divisor change to adjust Primary, Sidearm, and Auxiliary damage:
  • Primary Damage Divisors: 0.46 --> 0.41, 0.58 --> 0.52, 0.65 --> 0.58, 0.85 -- > 0.75
  • Auxiliary Damage Divisors:  0.42 --> 0.38, 0.65 --> 0.58, 0.75 --> 0.67, 0.95 --> 0.84
  • Sidearm Damage Divisors: 0.42 --> 0.38, 0.75 --> 0.67, 0.75 --> 0.67, 1.00 --> 0.88
• Successful stuns install Brace on the target.
• Brace: 15% --> 10% damage reduction.
• Max stats from items increased to 71:
  • 21 in one stat for primary
  • 18 for armor
  • 16 for sidearm
  • 16 for auxiliary

Class Skill Changes

• Tech Mage
  • Concentration 10% --> 7% damage reduction
  • Overload: Improves with Dexterity --> Support; 1 --> 2 turn cooldown
  • Deadly Aim: 10% buff to Technology --> Support
  • Plasma Rain: Improves with Support --> Dexterity

• Mercenary
  • Double Strike: Improves with Dexterity --> Strength

• Blood Mage
  • Energy Parasite: 2 --> 3 turn duration; 150 --> 100 initial energy drain
  • Plasma Cannon: 15% --> 20% defense ignore
  • Fireball: Improves with Dexterity --> Strength; scaling value 0.28 --> 0.32
  • Fire Scythe: Replaced with Bludgeon

• Bounty Hunter
  • Stun Grenade: Improves with Support --> Dexterity; requires Dexterity --> Strength
  • Static Grenade: Improves with Dexterity --> Strength; deals 70% --> 80% primary damage

• Tactical Mercenary
  • Frenzy: 40% lifesteal at level 1, +2% per level; New values: 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58
  • Suppressing Fire: Added 15% defense ignore

• Cyber Hunter
  • Adaptive Offense: Added 20% defense ignore
  • Proton Cannon: 26% --> 20% energy drain
  • Kernel Panic: Added Technology debuff: Base values -9% Resistance & -9 Technology at level 1, -18% and -18 at max level; scales per 8 Dexterity

Cores/Robots:

• Asgard's Fury P/E: Bonus damage based on energy present instead of missing energy (higher target energy remaining = higher damage) ✔
• Captain's Charge: 40% --> 35% lifesteal
• Revitalization: 6 --> 5 turn debuff; 25% --> 35% defense reduction
• Domination (Primary) x30: +6 Strength, +3 Dexterity --> +7 Strength, +4 Dexterity.
• Domination (Sidearm) x30: +3 Strength, +6 Dexterity --> +4 Strength, +7 Dexterity.
• Domination (Auxiliary) x30: +3 Strength, +3 Dexterity --> +4 Strength, +4 Dexterity.
• Infinity (Primary) x30:  +6 Strength, +3 Technology --> +7 Strength, +4 Technology.
• Infinity (Sidearm) x30:  +3 Strength, +3 Technology --> +4 Strength, +4 Technology.
• Infinity (Auxiliary) x30:  +3 Strength, +3 Technology --> +4 Strength, +4 Technology.
• Destruction (Primary) x30:  +6 Strength, +3 Support --> +7 Strength, +4 Support.
• Destruction (Sidearm) x30:  +3 Strength, +3 Support --> +4 Strength, +4 Support.
• Destruction (Auxiliary) x30:  +3 Strength, +6 Support --> +4 Strength, +7 Support.
• Fortitude (Primary) x30:  +3 Dexterity, +3 Technology --> +4 Dexterity, +4 Technology.
• Fortitude (Sidearm) x30:  +6 Dexterity, +3 Technology --> +7 Dexterity, +4 Technology.
• Fortitude (Auxiliary) x30:  +3 Dexterity, +3 Technology --> +4 Dexterity, +4 Technology.
• Vigor (Primary) x30:  +3 Dexterity, +3 Support --> +4 Dexterity, +4 Support.
• Vigor (Sidearm) x30:  +6 Dexterity, +3 Support --> +7 Dexterity, +4 Support.
• Vigor (Auxiliary) x30: +3 Dexterity, +6 Support --> +7 Dexterity, +7 Support.
• Absolution (Primary) x30:  +3 Technology, +3 Support --> +4 Technology, +4 Support.
• Absolution (Sidearm) x30: +3 Technology, +3 Support --> +4 Technology, +4 Support.
• Absolution (Auxiliary) x30:  +3 Technology, +6 Support --> +4 Technology, +7 Support.
• Supremacy (Primary) x30:  +3 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Technology, +2 Support --> +4 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +3 Technology, +3 Support.
• Supremacy (Sidearm) x30:  +2 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +2 Technology, +2 Support --> +3 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +3 Technology, +3 Support.
• Supremacy (Auxiliary) x30:  +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Technology, +3 Support --> +3 Strength, +3 Dexterity, +3 Technology, +4 Support.
• Prime Strength Boost: +6 Strength --> +8 Strength.
• Prime Dexterity Boost: +6 Dexterity --> +8 Dexterity.
• Prime Technology Boost: +7 Technology --> +10 Technology.
• Prime Support Boost: +6 Support --> +8 Support.
• Strength Boost (Armor): +3 Strength --> +8 Strength.
• Strength Boost (Sidearm): +3 Strength --> +5 Strength.
• Strength Boost (Auxiliary): +3 Strength --> +5 Strength.
• Strength Boost x30: +6 Strength --> +8 Strength.
• Dexterity Boost (Armor): +3 Dexterity --> +8 Dexterity.
• Dexterity Boost (Primary): +3 Dexterity --> +5 Dexterity.
• Dexterity Boost (Auxiliary): +3 Dexterity --> +5 Dexterity.
• Dexterity Boost x30: +6 Dexterity --> +8 Dexterity.
• Technology Boost (Primary): +3 Technology --> +5 Technology.
• Technology Boost (Sidearm): +3 Technology --> +5 Technology.
• Technology Boost (Auxiliary): +3 Technology --> +5 Technology.
• Technology Boost x30: +7 Technology --> +10 Technology.
• Support Boost (Armor): +3 Support --> +8 Support.
• Support Boost (Primary): +3 Support --> +5 Support.
• Support Boost (Sidearm): +3 Support --> +5 Support.
• Support Boost x30: +6 Support --> +8 Support.

Battlepass Preview

We're still working hard on the next Battlepass: Azrael's Doombringer! Though our progress has been slow, we're still chipping away at this next event to replace the current Deltamancer Showcase. If you still have several more levels to grind, you should still have plenty of time to complete the current BP before the next one arrives later in March!

Tags: Nightwraith

February 28, 2025

Epic Replicas Restocked!

The replica rares of Alonzo Harris, S P I D E R, and BadWitch have returned to Oz for another weekend! They were a huge hit last week, and the Gifters were generous enough to give you one more chance to collect them all before they go permanently rare!

• BadWitch’s Beta Brutalizer P
• BadWitch’s Beta Brutalizer E
• Alonzo's Beta Blaster P
• Alonzo's Beta Blaster E
• SPIDER’s Beta Bazooka P
• SPIDER’s Beta Bazooka E

Reward Progress

Many more Gifter prizes went out this week and you may see some if you have a keen eye or happen to be lucky enough to receive one from a generous Gifter! At this point, we are currently at about the halfway point for our prize creation. If we continue to move at a steady pace, all prizes should be completed soon, allowing us to resume our regular update schedule. As always, we thank you for your patience as we work to build the rewards for the top 2024 Gifters. 

1v1 Reward Boost

Due to popular demand, 1v1 Credit and Experience rewards have been increased to be more on par with 2v2 rewards. 

Next Week: BALANCE!

Next week we will finally address balance with a major update. It's been awhile since EpicDuel had a balance update, but that time has allowed the community to brainstorm many interesting ideas which should really breathe some excitement back into PvP.

Tags: Nightwraith