Patch 0.50 - The Big One

📜 Patch Notes – Major Content Update

This is a massive patch introducing new nodes, engines, Viking effects, relics, and Jarls. It also includes core gameplay reworks that set the foundation for Early Access later this year.

⚔️ New Nodes (from last patch)

• Voyage – Set sail to uncover powerful relics.

• Odin's Mercy – Gain 2 lives, only usable when you have 1 life remaining.

• Gambler's Den – Gamble to double or triple your bet… or lose it all.

• Mystic – Visit any locked node. Only usable when you have 1 energy left.

🛠️ New Upgrade Nodes (from last patch)

• Blacksmith – Increase its rank each visit. Higher rank grants more energy for greater stat gains.

• Hunting Grounds – Gathering 30+ Rations grants a random Rune (rank scales with shop rank).

• Goldmine – Each visit increases its rank. Each rank grants +1 energy.

• Ritual Site – Sacrificing Vikings increases rank. Each rank boosts stat gains from sacrifices by 30%.

⚙️ Engine Building

This patch is the first step toward true engine building beyond combat.

• Nodes will gain ranks in future updates.

• New Engine Abilities show how power can be built over multiple runs.

🛡️ New Viking Runic Effects

• Reflect – Reflect 10% damage back to the attacker.

• Shield of Flesh – Reflect 25% damage back to the attacker.

• Resilient Hide – While above 50% health, gain armor equal to 25% of damage taken.

• Blunted Edge – Remove 5 damage from attackers when struck.

• Curse of Vitality – Remove 25 Max HP from attackers when struck.

• Crippling Blow – Remove 1 Speed from attackers when struck.

• Armor Melt – Remove 50 Armor from attackers when struck.

• Ironhide – Permanently gain +2 Armor on attack.

• Oathblade – Permanently gain +1 Damage on attack.

• Runeblood – Permanently gain +5 Max HP on attack.

• Eternal Bastion – Permanently gain +20 Armor and +10 Max HP on attack.

• Bladebreaker’s Oath – At combat start, reduce Damage to 1, but gain +1 Speed per 10 Damage reduced.

• Huskbound – At combat start, reduce Max HP to 10, but gain +40 Armor per 10 Health lost.

• Oath of Stillness – At combat start, reduce Speed to 1, but gain +50 Max HP and +25 Armor per Speed lost.

🩸 Sacrifice Engine Runic Effects

• Bloodprice Wrath – Deal 20 damage per Viking sacrificed.

• Sacred Mending – Gain 2 Regeneration stacks per Viking sacrificed.

• Bloodforged Renewal – Heal all Vikings for 20 per Viking sacrificed.

• Oath of Return – Heal yourself and gain 2 Regeneration stacks per Viking sacrificed.

• Oath of the Slain – Apply Poison and deal 15 damage per Viking sacrificed.

💰 Goldmine Engine Runic Effects

• Treasurefire – Deal 20 damage per Goldmine rank.

• Fortune’s Favor – Heal yourself and an ally for 20 per Goldmine rank.

• The Healing Hoard – Heal based on gold earned.

• Prosperity’s Gift – Gain 1 Regeneration stack per Goldmine rank.

• Coinforged Blades – Deal damage based on gold earned.

• The Golden Bite – Spend 1 gold on attack to permanently gain +5 Damage.

• Dragon’s Stash – Start combat with +3 Speed if holding 50+ gold.

• Golden Aura – All Vikings gain +20 Damage if holding 75+ gold.

• Greed’s Bulwark – Gain 2 Armor per gold at combat start.

🐺 Hunting Grounds Engine Runic Effects

• Beastheart Endurance – Gain +25 Max HP per rank at combat start.

• Predator’s Strike – Deal 15 damage per rank.

• Pack Instincts – All Vikings gain +5 Damage per rank.

• Feast of Flesh – All Vikings gain +20 Max HP per rank.

• Hunter’s Reserves – Gain +100 Max HP if holding 20+ Rations.

• Great Feast – Gain +35 permanent Max HP if holding 40+ Rations.

• Bloodmeat Tribute – Spend 10 Rations to gain +25 Max HP and +10 Damage permanently.

• Savage Instincts – Deal damage based on total Rations earned.

• Bloodfang Hunger – Gain +1 Ration per rank.

• Howl of the Hunt – Enemies lose 2 Speed if you have 50+ Rations.

🔨 Blacksmith Engine Runic Effects

• Anvilborn – Gain +10 Armor per rank at combat start.

• Bladebound – Permanently gain +1 Damage per rank.

• The Hammer’s Gift – Gain Damage equal to 20% of your Armor.

• Ironforged Plate – Gain +30 Max HP per rank.

• Iron Oath – All Vikings permanently gain Armor per rank.

• Steelfang – Spend gold to gain +10 Armor & +10 Max HP per rank.

📜 Runes → Equipment

• Runes have been replaced with Equipment.

• Over 60 Equipment pieces spread across 3 tiers.

• Equipment provides stat boosts only.

• You can equip up to 4 (duplicates allowed).

• Merging Vikings combines their Equipment.

🔹 New Relics

• Battle Rhythm – 15% chance to gain Haste on attack.

• Bloodlust Aura – 10% chance to inflict Bleed on attack.

• First Ember – Apply Burn to 2 enemies at battle start.

• Opening Wound – Apply Bleed to 2 enemies at battle start.

• Encroaching Frost – Freeze all enemies when a Viking dies.

• Blood Price – Apply Bleed to all enemies when a Viking dies.

• Spring Renewal – Grant Regeneration to all allies when a Viking dies.

• Breath of Yggdrasil – Deal +15% damage while Regenerating.

• Flamefury – Deal +25% damage while Burning.

• Wound Weaver – Gain 2 Regeneration when attacking.

• Rising Fury – Gain +15 Damage when attacking.

• Blood Thirst – Heal 50 when attacking.

• Jarl’s Tribute – Gain +10 gold at the start of each year.

🩸 Raider Engine Relics

• Raider's Warcry – All Raiders gain +10 Damage when attacking.

• Bloodforged Resilience – Gain +1 permanent Max HP when a Raider is attacked.

• Meat for the Many – Gain +5 Rations per Raider when visiting Hunting Grounds.

• War Banquet – Spend 10 Rations to grant Raiders +20 Health, +10 Damage, +10 Armor.

• Feast of Fury – Raiders deal extra damage equal to 400% of current Rations.

• The Great Devouring – Raiders consume all Rations at year start, gaining +5 Damage & Health per Ration.

🔥 Berserker Engine Relics

• Endless Fury – All Berserkers gain +5 permanent Damage at combat start.

• Berserker's Blessing – All Berserkers gain +20 Max HP when attacking.

• Tideborn Rage – Gain +1 permanent Speed for all Berserkers when Voyaging.

🎯 Skirmisher Engine Relics

• Seasoned Skirmisher – Gain +10% permanent stats each year.

• Tactician's Edge – All Skirmishers gain +10 Armor & +5 Damage when attacking.

• Greedforged Blades – All Skirmishers gain +10 permanent Damage when visiting Goldmine.

🛡️ Warden Engine Relics

• Shieldrush – All Wardens gain +1 Speed when attacking.

• Iron Oath – All Wardens gain +1 permanent Armor when attacking.

• Anvilbound – All Wardens gain +20 permanent Armor when visiting Blacksmith.

👑 New Jarls

• Ulfrik Bloodmark

• Halga Lifegiver

• Draeg Bloodwake

🎨 Background Updates

• Backgrounds are now AI-generated for consistency and quality.

• Artist commissions didn’t fit stylistically or were outside budget.

• This ensures the game’s visuals remain cohesive.

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⚔️ Merging Changes

• Damage transfer on merge remains 20%.

• Health & Armor transfer increased to 75%.

• Improves late-game scaling and survivability.

🛡️ Closing Notes

This is a massive update and likely the last major one before Early Access later this year. More content is planned, but stability and polish are the focus for now.

⚔️ Thank you for playing and shaping this journey.