Update 26: The Old Blood
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This update is born of our goal to deliver you a motley of content - too much to list out in a letter, but it's all one click away. The Highlights:
GRENDEL: Consume in feeding frenzy fashion with our 42nd Warframe! The Leverian reveals all...
MELEE CHANGES PHASE 2: Melee has evolved again with a focus on TECHNIQUE - Stance/Combo reworks, the return of Equipped Melee, and MUCH more.
VAUBAN & EMBER REWORK: Revisited to better accent their themes and offer more ways to play!
KUVA LICHES: Twisted new Kuva spiked foes await - The death of Grineer bathed in crimson fuels an undying thirst for its creator: YOU.
Welcome to Update 26: The Old Blood! It's a hefty read below that we appreciate you taking the time to go through. Before you get started, you can look forward to a friendly in-game Inbox message with a few items from us to you. We know you've put a lot of time and resources into some of the things we're changing (Melee, Vauban, Ember, etc), so please enjoy these free items by logging in before December 31st 11:59PM ET:
3 Forma
7-Day Affinity Booster
PLUS to those eligible (MR 3+ and account created before we announced the Legendary Core on October 18th) 1x Legendary Core will be delivered in a separate Inbox message! This criteria is necessary to avoid awarding dormant accounts that could use this gift to abuse trading.
There will also be a total of eight time-limited Alerts starting Friday, November 1st @ 2 PM ET until Monday, November 4th @ 2 PM ET:
With the hefty changes that Melee Phase 2: TECHNIQUES brings, you can also expect three Melee-only Alerts to help you get a feel for how the changes performs against the three main Factions in different mission settings. Each Alert rewards a fully built Forma upon completion - giving you even more options to make adjustments to your Melee weapons where you see fit.
The introduction of Kuva Liches brings a special new kind of Relic - Requiem Relics. There are four Relics in total that contain Requiem Mods, the Exilus Weapon Adaptor, and more! For more details, continue down to the Kuva Lich section. To get you a headstart with the Kuva Liches, there will be four Alerts on Sedna that will each reward one of the four unrefined Requiem Relics. Since completing The War Within quest is required to access the Kuva Fortress, these alerts are only available to those that have completed the Sedna Junction and Sedna's Nodes.
As a fun bonus, you can also play an Alert for the "Grendel in Action" Glyph!
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KUVA LICHES:
We Maggots live… not long.
We hope more life… work… killl… maybe Queens notice…
Maybe… they share… the Old Blood.
We are maggots. But eventually even maggots can fly.
Update 26 brings a completely new breed of enemy, gameplay, and reward: The Kuva Liches have arrived. This system is what the Kingpin system, first shown on Devstream #88, has become over time, despite being put on hold for quite some time! This will continue to be expanded throughout Warframe's factions and will be expanded to include a Clan aspect in a future update.
This system is meant to be challenging. It's meant to be a threat. It's meant to posit a vengeful and immortal enemy against you until you can decipher how to defeat them. It will demand your best gear and game knowledge! The Update notes will outline the essentials, the game will teach you the rest. Let's begin, Tenno.
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THE PARAZON:
The Parazon is the first and most crucial piece to taking down your Kuva Lich, but it is not exclusive to the Kuva Lich system. This is a new tool given to ALL Tenno of any level and is now a part of the Tutorial. It is an interactive tool with widespread use in the game, from basics like hacking, to deeper gameplay like decoding the means to Assassinate your Lich.
PARAZON MODS:
We have moved some Warframe Mods (ex: Intruder) over to become Parazon Mods, and are adding new Parazon Mods (listed below). Our approach with these is that they provide benefits to the Parazon's various uses, instead of taking up slots on Warframes. All core Cipher (Hacking) Parazon Mods can be found in Spy Vaults throughout the Origin System, and Assassin (Finisher) Mods can be found on various Bosses!
The Parazon will have 3 Normal Mod Slots, and 3 REQUIEM MOD Slots (covered below).
CIPHER MODS - Think of these as upgrading the tool aspect of 'hacking'. These make hacking easier or give small benefits when hack is completed successfully!
Intruder: + Additional Seconds to hacking.
Live Wire: Shock Enemies within 24 meters while hacking.
Auto Breach: 30% Chance to autohack!
Runtime: +45% Sprint Speed after hack.
Master Key: Unlock nearby lockers after hacking.
Untraceable: Become invisible for 18s after hacking.
Failsafe: 50% Chance to retry a failed hack.
ASSASSIN MODS - These are for the new PARAZON 'MERCY' FINISHERS that can occur at anytime in game on eligible enemies.
Blood for Life: 50% chance to create a Health Orb on Mercy.
Blood for Energy: 50% chance to create an Energy Orb on Mercy.
Blood for Ammo: Mercy refills magazine by 100%
Hit and Rune: On Mercy: +60% Parkour speed for 6 seconds
Out Of Sight: Blind Enemies with 18 meters on 'Mercy' kill.
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PARAZON FINISHERS: AKA 'MERCY'
Parazon Finishers are a new lethal technique that can occur in any mission on almost any unit. They are optional, as you can still kill the enemy without using them. Enemies eligible for Mercy will have a Parazon icon over their head!
REQUIEM MODS:
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New Requiem Mods have arrived and they are the only way to end your Kuva Lich. Your Lich is immortal until you figure out the correct combination of Requiem Mods - the precise order matters, and the only way to glean the order is by seeking 'Requiem Whispers' from your Lich's Thralls and trying them out on you Lich.
The 8 Requiem Mods are:
From brooding gulfs are we beheld
By that which bears no name
Its heralds are the stars it fells
The sky and Earth aflame
Corporeal laws are unwrit
As suns and love retreat
To cosmic madness laws submit
Though stalwart minds entreat
In luminous space blackened stars
They gaze, accuse, deny
Roiling, moaning, this realm of ours
In madness lost shall die
Carrion hordes trill their profane
Accord with eldritch plans
To cosmic forms from tangent planes
We end as we began
Requiem Relics also contain an all new item - a Riven Sliver! A fragment of a sundered Riven. It is known that, with enough Slivers, Palladino is capable of reforging a complete Riven.
Earning Requiem Mods:
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The Void is reacting to the Lich experiments on the Kuva Fortress, and for the first time: Void Fissures are appearing on the Kuva Fortress! But these are unlike the others, and they only respond to REQUIEM RELICS.
There are 4 Requiem Relics - each with 2 Requiem Mods. Collect them all!
You can get Requiem Relics from KUVA FLOOD SIPHON MISSIONS, guaranteed.
You can get Requiem Relics from normal KUVA SIPHON MISSIONS, 30% of the time.
These can be refined like Lith, Meso, Neo, and Axi Relics. A 5th Tab has been added for REQUIEM RELICS in your Void Relic Refinement screen.
Requiem Mods have a limited amount of charges (3), but only consume charges when you successfully kill a Lich. Repeat Requiem Mods in your collection will eventually go to good use.
ONTO THE LICHES:
THE ENEMY:
Killing A KUVA LARVLING is the first step to creating a Lich. These can be found on any regular level 20+ Grineer mission in the Origin System - not including Sorties/Fissure/Quests/Special Regions, etc. for now. They are only available for players who have reached The War Within or beyond, this is the required prerequisite for getting a Lich.
You can only have one Lich active at a time.
The only way to get rid of your Lich is by using your Parazon with the correct Requiem Mods in the correct order - but you won't be able to do this until you've found your Lich. Read on to learn how to do that.
Only you and your Parazon can be lethal to your Lich - your squadmates can help you weaken the foe, but you are the key to victory.
THE HUNT & THE INFLUENCE:
Once your Lich has set its sights on you, the hunt begins. You will know you have your Lich when this Icon appears in your Navigation and Menus, allowing you to view your Lich status at any time: https://gfycat.com/fabulousfrayeddaddylonglegs - Follow the mouse to see everything from Lich Level, Requiem Mod Attempts, and More!
Beware the red stain on the Origin System - the Nodes the Lich influences will be available for you to play by selecting in the Mission screen.
Any node of influence has REWARD TAX. Only defeating your Lich will return all of what was Taxed! The less influence nodes, the lower the Tax.
Influenced Nodes contain LICH THRALLS. You must use your Parazon on these to glean clues on how to destroy your Lich using the correct 3 REQUIEM MODS in the correct order.
Clearing Nodes and Killing Thralls leads to progression toward revealing your Lich's 3 fatal Requiem Mods.
Once you know the 3 Mods, figuring out the Order is a matter of trial and error in battles against your Lich - good luck!
THE FIGHTS:
Your Liches likelihood to hunt you down is indicated by a bar on your Lich menu. The angrier they are, the more likely to spawn. Once you've drawn your Lich out to fight by destroying their Thralls and Influence nodes, fights against your LICH can go one of two ways:
DEFEAT- if your Parazon does not have the proper order of Requiem Mods. You will be defeated, and your Lich escapes, and grows stronger.
VICTORY - if your Parazon does have the proper order of Requiem Mods. You will be victorious.
THE VICTORY!
Defeating your Lich gives you two options:
VANQUISH:
Vanquishing your Lich with your Parazon ends its immortality, and grants you its Kuva Weapon.
CONVERT:
Converting your Lich with your Parazon corrupts it and turns it to your side, and will have a chance to appear in battle to aid you.
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THE KUVA WEAPONS:
When you Vanquish a Lich, you'll get its Kuva Weapon variant that is completely unique to your Lich. The base weapons are as follows, with custom stats depending on your Lich:
Kuva Karak: The custom weapon of a fearsome Kuva Lich. It has greater reload speed, lower recoil, and greater accuracy than the standard-issue Karak rifle.
Kuva Quartakk: Unlike a standard Quartakk, this Kuva Lich variant fires automatically from the hip and reloads faster while retaining its signature feature: annihilating targets with four simultaneous shots.
Kuva Ogris: The custom weapon of a fearsome Kuva Lich. Unlike the basic version the Kuva Ogris fires detonite-infused casings semi-automatically, from a smaller clip, while dealing greater damage per shot.
Kuva Kohm: The Kuva Kohm variant has a higher fire rate than the original. For every shot fired in rapid succession, the Kuva Kohm releases an additional bolt and grows more lethal.
Kuva Tonkor: This Lich-variant grenade launcher hurls mayhem and destruction with an increased reload speed.
Kuva Drakgoon: The Kuva Drakgoon flak cannon sends volleys of intensely hot shrapnel ricocheting around the room that do not slow down. Larger clip size and reload speed. Can be fired in wide or concentrated bursts.
Kuva Stubba (AKA Twin Stubba): Double-fist rapid-fire bursts of pain with these dual-wield variants of the Grineer submachine gun. Higher fire-rate and clip capacity.
Kuva Seer: This variant pistol has higher fire rate and magazine capacity. Superior zoom capabilities, plus projectiles have a small Corrosive burst.
Kuva Kraken: A custom variant that fires three quick shots with a single pull of the trigger, or can alt-fire burst the remainder of its clip. Higher fire rate, magazine capacity and reload speed.
Kuva Brakk: This Lich-variant semi-automatic hand cannon delivers a lot of punch in a small package. Higher fire rate, magazine capacity, and reload speed.
NEW:
KUVA CHAKKHURR - A high-damage flintlock rifle that does additional Damage on head shots!
KUVA SHILDEG - A massive hammer for the smashing!!
KUVA AYANGA - An Arch-Gun that can be turned into a Heavy Weapon with a Gravimag.
OTHER REWARDS AND SECRETS:
If Kuva Weapons or Lifelong Companionship aren't your thing, there's more! The birth of a Kuva Lich from a Larvling has a chance to create a Lich with some added flair - one of Seven new Ephemeras that you can only earn from Vanquishing or Converting your Lich (if it has one equipped)! These are a bit more special and rare, so don't expect every Lich to have one, but we will be balancing over time.
Brand new Market items are available to help jump-start your Kuva world domination if that's the road you wish to take. As with all our Platinum priced Market goods, these Packs are geared towards attaining convenience, at which they are priced accordingly:
Essential Parazon Mod Bundle
A Bundle featuring new Mods for your Parazon that give perks to Hacking or performing 'Mercy' kills on enemies. Purchased Mods are unranked.
Radiant Requiem Relic Pack
- 4 Radiant Requiem Relics, one of each type, I, II, III,and IV.
Kuva Lich Hunter Collection
Get a taste of the Old Blood with this exclusive, one-time purchase, of Kuva Lich items. Includes a full set of Requiem Mods, the Radiant Requiem Relic Pack, Kuva Warframe Armor, and an assortment of Kuva Lich themed color pallets.
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NEW WARFRAME: GRENDEL
Consumer of worlds and everything else.
PASSIVE:
Each enemy consumed grants 50 bonus Armor.
FEAST:
Swallow an enemy whole and store it in Grendel's gut. Not satisfied? Keep eating, but beware, each foe in Grendel's belly slowly consumes Energy. Hold to vomit out stored enemies covering them in toxic bile.
NOURISH:
Consume the enemies in Grendel's gut and nourish nearby squad members with a radial buff.
- Nourished Energy - Energy buff
*Nourished Armor - Armor buff
*Nourished Strike - Damage Multiplier buff
REGURGITATE:
Violently puke out a bile soaked enemy from Grendel's gut, turning the unfortunate creature into a toxic projectile.
PULVERIZE:
Powered by feasting, Grendel curls into a ball and knocks over anyone in his path. Jumping slams Grendel into the ground and generates a damaging shockwave.
Grendel can be earned for free through means based on the lore of his Leverian entry. Once you've listened, you'll begin your hunt for Grendel by acquiring:
These Keys are found in Arbitrations and will expose hidden missions on the planet mentioned in his Leverian for you. Grendel helps those in need - and only those who are truly 'empty' will earn his pieces, guaranteed.
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GRENDEL GLUTT HELMET
Dinner is served. An iconic helm for Grendel.
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SUMBHA SYANDANA
A most curious Syandana and one favored by the gallant gourmand, Grendel.
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MASSETER
Tear and chew through enemies with this unusual crankshaft-style greatsword. Grendel's signature weapon.
When using Grendel with his signature Masseter, he will be immune from crowd-control procs while doing Heavy Attacks.
GRENDEL COLLECTION
It's all you can eat with this collection for the gallant gourmand. Includes Grendel Warframe, Glutt Helm, Masseter Greatsword, Sumbha Syandana and 3-day Credit and Affinity boosters.
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EMBER REVISITED
New Passive: Receive 5% Ability Strength for every enemy within a 50m engulfed in flame (up to a cap).
FIREBALL
Works fundamentally the same as it does now - tap for quick fire, hold to charge for greater impact. Enemies already inflicted by any Heat Status effect will now take additional damage.
Fireball has a casting combo, if you use it multiple times rapidly it gets stronger.
The damage output and charge speed also scale off of one of Ember's newest abilities...
IMMOLATION (replacing Accelerant)
Time for a history lesson! Prior to Update 11.5, Ember's second ability used to be "Overheat", offering an aura of heat damage which also protected her from enemy fire. Almost SIX years later, it's time for this ring of fire to come full circle.
When cast, Ember Immolates herself with protective fire armor. Her current level of self-Immolation is indicated by a unique UI indicator; the higher the heat, the more damage resistance, and the more effective Ember's other abilities become.
The Immolation meter will build slowly at first - using Ember's Fireball or Inferno causes the meter to build faster. But be warned! If the meter reaches maximum, Ember will "overheat" and Immolation will cost progressively more energy per second the longer you stay in an overheated state. To prevent this from happening, use Fire Blast to expel a portion of your heat meter, or toggle Immolation off to reset meter build.
FIRE BLAST
Casting time has been greatly reduced, and the ability now strips armor from nearby enemies. The amount of armor removed scales in effectiveness based on current Immolation levels. On cast, this immediately reduces your Immolation level by up to half.
INFERNO (replacing World On Fire)
Upon casting Inferno, all enemies currently within sight are struck by a fiery comet, lighting each target ablaze in a personal ring of fire. Inferno costs Energy per each target in sight, with the cost capped at 10 targets, at which other enemies are then free.
If an enemy ignited by Inferno comes in contact with another unit, the fire will spread, igniting them as well with a fresh ability duration. Damage of the heat AoE scales with current Immolation level.
With these changes, players will take a more active role in "bringing the heat" to all that stand in their way, with added protection that encapsulates Ember's volatile nature.
Ember Augment Changes:
Fireball: Fireball Frenzy: This augment is unchanged.
Immolation: Flash Accelerant is now Immolated Radiance: Allies within Affinity range will receive 50% of Immolation's Damage Reduction.
Fire Blast: Fire Fright is now Healing Flame: Each enemy hit heals Ember by 25 to 50 based on the level of the Immolation meter.
Inferno: Firequake is now Exothermic: Enemies killed while under the effect of Inferno have a 15% chance to drop an Energy Orb.
**VAUBAN REVISITED **
When revisiting Vauban, we aimed to retain his status as a crowd control powerhouse, while increasing his mobility and lethality to keep up with 2019 Warframe's lightning-quick pace.
TESLA NERVOS (replacing Tesla Grenades)
Instead of sticking to surfaces, these new Tesla Drones will roll around, following the player. Once an enemy comes within range, these Drones will latch on and emit a shock that stuns the target and nearby enemies. Each Drone has a limited number of shock charges before it must be replaced.
Hold cast to summon multiple Tesla Nervoses at once!
MINELAYER
ll four of his mines have been replaced with new options:
- Tether Coil pulls a number of nearby enemies to wherever it sticks, rendering them immobile.
Flechette Orb fires high velocity nails in all directions, inflicting puncture damage to any unlucky enough to be nearby.
Vector Pad lays down a walk pad, granting a boost of speed in a chosen direction (indicated by arrows). Players must be moving in the same direction as the pad to receive a boost, while enemies are affected no matter which way they wanted to go.
Overdriver will latch onto a nearby ally or yourself, enhancing their damage output for a period of time.
PHOTON STRIKE (Bastille moved to #4)
A deployable beacon marks a location on the map. After a short countdown, the area is struck by a massive orbital laser explosion (and yes, it does work indoors).
BASTILLE (combined with Vortex)
Vauban's two marquee powers have been combined into a new and devastating ultimate ability!
When deployed, a Bastille will capture nearby enemies, stripping them of their armor over time. Players standing within a Bastille's radius will gain a temporary armor increase, building up over time based on how many targets are currently being held in the Bastille.
When a Bastille's duration expires, it collapses into a brief Vortex at the center of the cast for easy group kills. Want the Vortex to appear sooner, or last longer? Holding the cast key will collapse all active Bastilles early, or if you have no Bastilles, holding will deploy a new Vortex instead.
Overall, many of Vauban's powers have been streamlined or replaced, making his tools less redundant, and much more versatile for keeping up with the pace of an average Warframe mission.
Vauban Augment Changes:
Tesla Nervos: Tesla Bank: While a target has a Nervos attached, any damage dealt to it will be absorbed by the Nervos and channeled into a 8m burst of Electricity on death.
No Augment for Minelayer.
Photon Strike: Photon Repeater: If Photon Strike hits at least 5 enemies, the next cast will cost no Energy.
Bastille: Repelling Bastille: Since Bastille and Vortex have merged, their Augments have merged as well. Enemies within the Bastille have a 100% chance to be repelled every 4s. Plus, Vortex's duration is increased by 70% of its Maximum Duration for each additional Vortex thrown into it.
Vauban and Ember have been removed from Conclave in the meantime for balancing.
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TITANIA EMPRESS COLLECTION
The trappings of royalty. Includes the deluxe Titania Empress Skin, Hawkmoth Skin for the Dex Pixia exalted weapon, the Mot Skin for the Diwata sword, Titania's Heartwood Armor Set and the Dendrite Gunblade Skin.
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EUPHRATES PET ARMOR PACK
Contains Euphrates Pet Armor for both Kubrow and Kavat, modeled on the intimidating, bladed look of the Tigris Shotgun.
NEW KAVAT:
Introducing Vasca! A true child of the night, and a drinker of life.
How to obtain:
Bring your Kavat to the Plains of Eidolon at night to meet a Vasca Kavat - snoot to snoot. If your Kavat becomes tainted by a Vasca bite, Imprint it and breed 2 together for your own bloodthirsty kitty.
Don't want your Kavat to carry the virus? Visit Master Teasonai in Cetus for the Vasca Curative.
Vasca Precepts:
Vampiric Bite: Vasca's bite bypasses armor, draining her prey of life, adding to her own.
Transfusion: When her master is in bleedout, Vasca sacrifices some of her Health to raise them.
PLUS, new Vasca Floofs can be acquired by Master Teasonai!
Don't feel like getting in a cat fight? Check out the Market for the Vasca Kavat Starter Kit!
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WEAPON EXILUS DESIGNATION + WHY!
Introducing a new Exilus Weapon Adapter that unlocks an Exilus Weapon Mod Slot for your Primary and Secondary weapons, granting you extra capacity to equip utility Mods. You can find the Exilus Weapon Adapter as an Offering from the main 6 Syndicates, from the new Requiem Relics, or in the in-game Market!
These Adapters will be for Primary and Secondary weapons only. Once we have finished making changes to the Melee system, we will re-evaluate the need for a Melee variant.
The conversation of tight capacity already exists without the addition of the Exilus Weapon Mod Slot, so we're making these Slots default Polarities, meaning all Exilus Weapon Mods are - (Naramon) or V (Madurai) Polarity.
If you're familiar with Exilus Mods, they are utility or movement Mods, not sustained DPS grants. Below is a list of eligible Exilus Weapon Mods that sustain the utility intention. Anything not included in this list was deemed DPS affecting and not true 'Utility':
Eligible Exilus Weapon Mods:
Ammo max:
Ammo Drum
Shell Compression
Trick Mag
Mutation:
Rifle Ammo Mutation
Primed Rifle Ammo Mutation
Shotgun Ammo Mutation
Primed Shotgun Ammo Mutation
Pistol Ammo Mutation
Primed Pistol Ammo Mutation
Arrow Mutation
Sniper Ammo Mutation
*VIGILANTE: Supplies
Zoom:
Eagle Eye
Broad Eye
Overview
Air Recon
AERO: Periphery
Movement:
Agile Aim
Snap Shot
Spry Sights
Recoil modifying:
Gun Glide
Double-Barrel Drift
Stabilizer
Vile Precision
Strafing Slide
Steady Hands
Accuracy:
Guided Ordnance
Narrow Barrel
Targeting Subsystem
Silence:
Hush
Silent Battery
Suppress
Holstering Speed:
Soft Hands
Twitch
Reflex Draw
Reload Whilst Holstered:
Lock and Load
Tactical Reload
Eject Magazine
Projectile Speed:
Terminal Velocity
Fatal Acceleration
Lethal Momentum
Oddities:
Adhesive Blast
Cautious Shot
Fomorian Accelerant
Kinetic Ricochet
Tether Grenades
As a result, the following Mods have been tweaked:
General Changes
Ammo Drum increased to +90% Ammo
Shell Compression increased to +90% Ammo
Vile Precision is now -90% Recoil
Drain Reductions (at maximum rank):
Lock and Load from 13 to 9
Tactical Reload from 13 to 9
Eject Magazine from 13 to 9
Vile Precision from 11 to 9
Cautious Shot from 12 to 10
Rifle Ammo Mutation from 9 to 7
Primed Rifle Ammo Mutation from 14 to 10
Shotgun Ammo Mutation from 9 to 7
Primed Shotgun Ammo Mutation from 14 to 10
Arrow Mutation from 9 to 7
Pistol Ammo Mutation from 9 to 7
Primed Pistol Ammo Mutation from 14 to 10
Sniper Ammo Mutation from 9 to 7
Melee PHASE 2: TECHNIQUES
Update 26 brings change to Warframe - it iterates on the game and Melee is no exception. For months Phase 1 has been in your hands, and it's time for Phase 2. What follows is a detailed overview of our design direction and intentions with this new Phase.
We are not touching Melee Riven Dispositions until we get updated data - expect advance notice when we close in on a date for this.
We want you to know how your use of melee and feedback on the systems have helped form Phase 2, and how some changes are included to allow for a more cohesive Melee experience. Our tools made Spin attacks optimal at the cost of the more interesting Melee system, and we're trying to rectify that overall.
Previously we made several changes to the Melee system (as detailed in the Melee Rework Phase 1 Dev Workshop thread) including:
Introducing a new quick-melee attack
Full VFX overhaul on elemental damage types
Aimed Slam Attacks instead of impacting directly below an airborne player.
While select changes are to be rolled back (yes - see below before you react), the rest of the system served as a good foundation for this much more expansive Phase 2.
Please bear in mind that these changes are not set in stone, and some aspects of the new Melee system will be tweaked during the usual QA process. There are some more features being added later on, introduced in Melee Rework Phase 3 at a later date.
So what is covered in Melee Update Phase 2?
THE GAMEPLAY
THE COMBOS
THE TOOLS
Changes to Slam Attacks
Goodbye Channeling, Hello Heavy Attacks and Lifting!
Weapon Stats, Mastery Limits and General Melee Changes
Mod Rebalancing / Functionality
Exalted Weapons
The Screens: Arsenal Changes
THE TECHNICAL BITS
THE FUTURE
- Channelling 2.0 AKA "Rage Mode" and Future Plans!
As you can probably tell, this section is going to be a bit of a lengthy one, so make sure you sit comfortably, drink a nice cup of Greedy Milk and get ready to read all about how you can better turn your enemies into salsa with your favorite melee weapon!
An overarching note before you get started, is that every Melee weapon that was originally a single Elemental damage type has been converted to Physical + Element, allowing for more Status reliability as well (Silva and Aegis excluded given Flame Blade).
THE GAMEPLAY
- Equipping Melee and Manual Blocking!
One of the bigger changes added to the Melee Rework: Phase 1 was the addition of fluid swapping between melee and Primary / Secondary Weapons. However, some players preferred the ability to manually block, making some of their builds less easy to manage. While we restored manual blocking for players playing 'sword alone', it wasn't quite the same.
The good news is that both functions are back! Holding the weapon swap button will equip melee fully again, and the aim button will manually block when in this mode. Holding the Weapon Swap button while Exalted Melee is in play will also lock you into Exalted Melee mode! (Don't worry, Auto Blocking is still a thing!)
We also have redesigned the utility of blocking: Blocking will now prevent 100% of damage, with a blocking angle that is dependent on the melee weapon equipped. All successful Blocks will also add to the new Combo Counter!
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In the above example, sword and shield weapons (such as the Silva & Aegis) have a blocking angle of 70 degrees, centered on the front of the player, where as a dagger weapon (such as the Dark Dagger) will only have a blocking angle of 45 degrees. (Previously all weapons had a locked blocking angle of 45 degrees upon the introduction of Auto Blocking.)
- Dodge Cancel and Tactical Dodging
One of the older and larger complaints of the melee combo system has been the animation locks. Completing 7 step combos feels great, but the animations completely lock you into the movements. We are introducing two new ways to put more control in your hands:
Dodge Cancel - Allows a player to activate a dodge any time during a melee attack to end the combo immediately and dodge out of the way.
Tactical Dodging - Dodging while blocking now performs this Tactical Dodge, keeping the distance short, and allowing you to remain within melee range. This is an effort to not break the flow of combat after cancelling out of an attack, but also if you need to make a quick escape!
**THE COMBOS **
- Stance Changes, Combos and You
By far, the biggest change you will see in the new Melee system is the alterations made to Stances, as well how Combos interact with one another. In the old (current) system, Combos are an effect of button presses, all leading into a chain of animations. In Melee Rework Phase 2, attacks are buttery-smooth and adaptable!
This rework of Combos applies to every Stance, not just the weapon types. For example, Tempo Royale (a Heavy Weapon Stance Mod) will still have different Combos than the Cleaving Whirlwind Stance, even though both Stances fit the Heavy Weapon melee type. The difference now, is that both share a design that uses common movements and attack types.
We also wanted melee attacks to feel more intuitive. For example, if you are aiming down the sights of a primary weapon or blocking incoming fire, and then hit the melee button, you most likely want to get in close! If you are not inputting a movement key while meleeing, it's usually a sign you want to finish off your target. We wanted the new Combos to reflect that that existing movement, and so the new inputs reflect that situational awareness.
In most cases, the following improvements can be applied to any given Stance Mod equipped to a weapon (not just individual weapon types!):
Forward Combo (Forward + Melee) - This allows you to attack without initially interrupting movement with the first 1-3 swings (depending on the weapon Stance). The last attack in the sequence will loop seamlessly into the first, so that you can keep a level of mobility while attacking.
Forward Tactical Combo (Forward + Block/Aim + Melee) - This move is usually a distance-closing opener, bringing you closer to the enemy and getting you within range to continue a harder-hitting string of attacks. The beginning or end of this combo can have a slam effect, allowing you to control the enemy, and during the mid-point of the combo, attacks will be large and sweeping, allowing multiple enemies to be hit.
Neutral Combo (Melee button only) - Hard hitting, movement-free attacks to allow a player to destroy their target. The last attack can either have a knockdown effect, or throw them into the air and hold them there, if one set of strikes does not finish the job.
Neutral Tactical Combo (Block/Aim + Melee) - First hit will likely be a longer thrust or throw of a weapon to increase range. Further attacks will be hard-hitting, and will often finish in a ragdoll effect or a Lifting Attack, as opposed to a knockdown or stagger. Lifting attacks are detailed in Section 7 of this workshop.
Air Combo (Melee while Jumping) - Perform a combo in the air without sacrificing movement.
Hover Air Combo (Back + Melee while Jumping) - Holds the player in place while the combo completes, and overrides the slam attack angle to keep the action going!
Pro Gamer Move Example: Use the first, opening attack in the Forward Tactical Combo (Forward + Block/Aim + Melee) to close the distance on the target, then transition into either a Neutral Combo (Melee Only) or a Neutral Tactical Combo (Block/Aim + Melee) to finish off the target.
All of these fresh Stance changes has shone light on Whip Stances in particular not being as desirable in comparison to the others. We're aware of this and are working on a new Whip Stance!
- Smoother Combo Transitions
In the old system, only the first follow up attack inputted would remain in 'memory' and would execute at the end of the initial attack animation. Any kind of input entered after the initial follow up was ignored until the next attack had started. In the new system, the next attack is being constantly updated, depending on the last input received.
This allows for last-second decisions on combo changes to occur immediately after the first attack has finished. No more waiting for a combo attack animation to end before you can start spamming the attack button again! Embrace the fluidity!
The Combo Counter will be getting a new functionality pass. Rather than just providing flat bonuses to damage, the Combo Counter will now also act as an expendable resource for new heavy hitting combat: HEAVY ATTACKS! This will replace channeling's key binding, and Section 7 below covers those changes. This counter will be increased in a more granular and rapid way, and can be built by using melee attacks, blocking damage, radial damage from Slam Attacks and hits from a thrown weapon (such as the Glaive).
As an expendable resource the Combo Counter should be easy to replenish, and the changes made should reflect how easy you can acquire and spend the Combo Counter resource. In addition, the 'heaviness' of an attack will have a measured difference on the amount of Combo Counter it increases. As a general rule, lighter, swift attacks will give lower additions to the Combo Counter than slower, heavy attacks will. Swing for the fences, Tenno!
A SIDE NOTE: as a result of this new Combo Counter system, certain Mods are changing, but there are also some Mods whose stats will remain untouched, such as Body Count, as it retains the same functionality. All Riven Challenges related to Channeling have been changed to reflect 'Combo Counter'. For example, Riven Mods can now have a + / - to not gain Combo Points on hit. The Mods that will see some changes are listed below, in Section 9.
ANOTHER SIDE NOTE: Abilities that use the Combo Counter (such as Ash, Atlas, etc.) will scale at 25% of their former values, to make up for the ease of building a much higher Combo Counter Multiplier. This value is pending review for balance passes.
Combo Duration is now displayed as a bar underneath your Combo Counter!
THE TOOLS
The ragdoll effect of the Slam Attack is being removed (with some weapon-specific exceptions coughJatKittagcough), however it is being replaced with an effect that will push enemies back or knock them down, giving the player some breathing room, and setting the enemy units up for follow-up attacks.
Melee Rework: Phase 1 introduced the global use of ragdoll effects on Slam Attacks, so this is the second item to be rolled back, and replaced with a better way to rain down death from above!
Also, all Melee weapons have received an updated Slam FX - come on and SLAM (attack), and welcome to the jam!
- Replacing Channeling with Heavy Attacks and the 'Lifted' Status
Channeling will be saying its final farewells in the Melee Rework: Phase 2 update, and instead is being replaced with a new form of Heavy Attack, as well as a new Lifted status effect. As we said before, Channeling Mods will also be changed to support this new system, as well as providing a larger pool of utility to choose from in your builds.
These are the changes planned:
Heavy Attacks (Alt-Fire for Melee) - Heavy attacks can now occur at any time, simply by pressing the Alt-fire button while you have melee equipped or in your hand. This costs all of your Combo Counter (affected by Mods), so make sure you lay down the hurt! If you don't have any Combo Counter active, you will use a Heavy Attack, but it will not benefit from any damage bonus from the Combo Counter.
Heavy Slam Attacks (Jump + Alt-Fire for Melee) - This new Slam Attack will create a new effect on targets, known as the LIFTED STATUS. When a target is Lifted, it is held suspended in the air, allowing a player to follow up on attacks while the target is held helplessly aloft. Again, if you do not have any Combo Counter active, this will act as a Heavy Slam attack without a damage bonus, and minimal Lifting Status.
But what about the Channeling FX you ask? Prime Armor Channeling FX will now appear when the Combo Counter reaches 2!
![[Bug] Kuva FLOOD does NOT reward a new relic with the announced 100% chance. Our whole team just missed out](https://b.thumbs.redditmedia.com/Xf7CFvxsJt_gPaBCA4xv_3KtqO3aMA441hlnEUHzNGs.jpg "[Bug] Kuva FLOOD does NOT reward a new relic with the announced 100% chance. Our whole team just missed out")
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