Patch 8.1 Now Live
Patch 8.1 introduces a fundamental Campaign AI prioritization system to reduce army clumping, adds 4 new Cathay landmarks, and delivers a massive balance overhaul for Nurgle, Slaanesh, and Bhashiva.
Key Changes
- 1New Campaign AI prioritization system prevents late-game clumping and encourages offensive behavior
- 2Toad Dragon and Tamurkhan receive massive +2000 HP buffs and damage adjustments
- 3Four new landmarks added to Grand Cathay settlements providing factionwide buffs and hero unlocks
- 4Slaanesh speed-stacking significantly nerfed; army-wide speed buffs now restricted to heroes only
- 5Tzarina Katarin's Ice Court Sled mount made free for all players
- 6New technologies for Tiger Warriors added to the Cathay tech tree
- 7Astrogoth Ironhand's Mechanical Overdrive and Stone Mantle abilities completely reworked
- 8Greenskin heroes and lords granted access to Chariot mounts in campaign
- 9Slaanesh chariots reworked to trade 20 armor for 20 charge bonus
- 10Two new battle maps added to the Black Fire Pass region
All Changes
🤖Campaign AI(3)
- changeCampaign AI: New mechanism added to control AI task prioritization based on turn count to prevent army clumping and idling.
- changeCampaign AI: De-prioritized defensive tasks for late-game AI to encourage more dynamic expansion and competition.
- changeEnd Game Scenarios: Decreased defensive priority for End Game Scenario factions to prevent stalemates and turtling.
🏰Landmarks & Buildings(6)
- newVillage of the Tigermen: Added 'Village of the Tigermen' in Cathay: -15% Tiger Warrior recruitment cost and -20% Sawai lord cooldowns.
- newHouse of Secrets: Added 'House of Secrets' in Shang-Yang: +500 income and unlocks Alchemist hero recruitment with +2 capacity.
- newTerracotta Road: Added 'Terracotta Road' in Nan-Gau: Unlocks Terracotta Sentinels with -10% upkeep and +200 defensive supplies.
- newGrand Maritime Lift: Added 'Grand Maritime Lift' in Shi-Wu: Armies ignore embark/disembark costs and Sea Lane movement reduced by 1 turn.
- changeRampaging Oak: Rampaging Oak Landmark reworked to provide 'Siege Attacker' attribute factionwide and immediate wall breaches for Be'lakor.
- buffSanctum of Quintex: Sanctum of Quintex growth effect is now applied factionwide instead of locally.
📜Technologies & Skills(4)
- newTiger Warriors: New 'Tiger's Call' technology: -10% upkeep for Stalkers and +2 missile damage.
- newTiger Warriors: New 'Honed Senses' technology: +2 recruitment rank for all Tiger Warriors and +10% speed for Dual Axe variants.
- changeDragon-blooded Shugengan Lord: Dragon-blooded Shugengan Lords (Yin and Yang) now have personalized skill lines.
- newGreenskins: Goblin Big Boss, Goblin Great Shaman, and Orc Warboss now have access to Chariot mounts in Campaign.
⚖️Faction Balance(9)
- buffToad Dragon: Toad Dragon health increased from 11,970 to 13,970; AP damage increased to 400.
- buffTamurkhan: Tamurkhan health increased by 2000 on Bubebolos mount; AP damage increased to 450.
- nerfSlaangors: Slaangors health reduced by 600 and charge bonus reduced by 2.
- changeAstrogoth Ironhand: Astrogoth Ironhand's Stone Mantle physical resistance increased to 40% but speed penalty increased to 30%.
- nerfThe Masque of Slaanesh: The Masque of Slaanesh health reduced by 400 and melee defense reduced by 6.
- changeSlaanesh Chariots: Seeker Chariots, Hellflayers, and Exalted Seeker Chariots armor reduced by 20; charge bonus increased by 20.
- buffNurglings: Nurglings health per entity increased by 15 and melee attack increased by 2.
- buffCelestial Dragon Guard: Celestial Dragon Guard and Crossbowmen health increased by 4 per entity and mass increased by 25.
- nerfSlaanesh: Slaanesh speed-stacking nerfed: 'Sleek' and 'Sinful Demeanour' now only affect the hero, not the whole army.
⚔️Battle & Maps(4)
- newMaps: Added two new battle maps (land and ambush) to the Black Fire Pass area.
- changeTzarina Katarin: Tzarina Katarin's Ice Court Sled mount is now available to all players, regardless of Shadows of Change DLC ownership.
- fixSky Junk: Sky Junk 'Eye of the Dragon' ability has been restored.
- buffDark Elves: Lokhir Felheart and Black Ark Corsairs granted the 'Aquatic' trait.
🐛Bug Fixes(4)
- fixPerformance: Fixed a crash caused by Caravan encounters from confederated factions.
- fixCharacters: Fixed an issue where Lords would lose Action Points or Health when changing mounts mid-turn.
- fixBattle AI: Fixed bug where AI would ignore routing units when no other targets were nearby.
- fixGameplay: Resolved issue where underground intercepts would incorrectly trigger minor settlement battles.
Summary
Campaign AI Overhaul
Patch 8.1 focuses heavily on Campaign AI behavior. A new prioritization mechanism has been implemented that adjusts AI tasks based on turn count. In the late game, the AI will now de-prioritize defending key regions and turtling, instead favoring expansion and offensive competition. This specifically targets the 'clumping' and 'idling' issues seen in end-game scenarios.
New Content & Features
Grand Cathay receives significant attention with 4 new landmarks (Village of the Tigermen, Shang-Yang, Nan-Gau, and Shi-Wu) and new technologies for the Tiger Warriors. Additionally, several Greenskin and Orc characters now have access to chariot mounts, and Dragon-blooded Shugengan Lords have received personalized skill lines.
Massive Balance Pass
This update includes extensive numerical adjustments. Highlights include a massive +2000 HP buff to Toad Dragons and Tamurkhan, significant speed-stacking nerfs for Slaanesh factions, and a complete rework of Astrogoth Ironhand's Mechanical Overdrive and Stone Mantle abilities. Slaanesh chariots have traded armor for increased charge bonuses, while Nurgle units like Nurglings and Rot Flies received cost and stat buffs.