Good Afternoon Scapers'
Today we will be launching our fifth and final (for this project) beta update for the upcoming Combat Style Modernisation.
It’s been an incredible journey since the first beta back in December, and your continued feedback and insights have helped shape this update every step of the way. This week will focus on more number polishing while adding in some additional important touches to round out this beta.
As we mentioned last week The Combat Style Modernisation update is launching on the 2nd of March and not on the previously announced 23rd of February.
Melee
Basic Attack
We're pushing Melee's basic up slightly to better match the styles basic abilities, meaning defaulting to Basic attack doesn't feel quite so bad.
- 115% AVG → 120% AVG
Adaptive Strike
Adaptive strike and Rend's damage values felt confused, we're flipping them so Rend, the longer cooldown ability feels more impactful to use.
- 2H 145% AVG → 130% AVG
- DW 150% AVG → 135% AVG
Rend
- 130% AVG → 150% AVG
Punish
- 110% AVG → 120% AVG
Chaos Roar
- 115% AVG → 110% AVG
Assault
As Assault was a core part of your damage rotation and the first spender ability you gain, it feels odd that it would heal via bloodlust. We've moved that effect over to Dismember, so you get some passive healing over time, while allowing Assault to maintain its identity as your go-to spender.
- 170% AVG per hit → 160% AVG per hit
- Bloodlust:
- No longer heals.
- Now deals 185%-215% AVG per hit
Dismember
Now heals 10% damage dealt on all recasts. We've further extended these hits to make them synergise better with bleed lengthening effects such as the Masterwork Spear of Annihilation.
- Cast 1 :
- 40% AVG 6 hits → 30% AVG 8 hits (same total AVG)
- Cast 2 :
- 125% AVG 5 hits → 100% AVG 6 hits
- Hits every 1.2s → hits every 1.8s
- Cast 3 :
- 125% Initial hit + 100% AVG 7 hits → 120% initial hit + 120% AVG 6 hits.
Pulverise
- 290% AVG → 320% AVG
Flurry
We're modifying how Bloodlust Flurry damage is calculated to allow it to maintain a similar identity to Punish, in that it becomes better at the end of a fight, and moving some of its base power into its bloodlusted effect to make choosing to empower Flurry a more meaningful decision.
- 65% AVG → 70% AVG
- Bloodlust:
- 2% increased damage for each 1% player missing lifepoints → 1% increased damage for each 1% target missing lifepoints
- Cap: 50% hitpoints → 65% hitpoints
Greater Flurry
- 75% AVG → 70% AVG
Magic
Chain
Chain in the early game felt a little lackluster for such a cool effect, we're upping its numbers a little so the AoE value is more clear.
- 72.5% AVG + 25% Copied damage → 80% AVG + 30% Copied damage
Greater Chain
- 92.5% → 90% AVG
Sonic Wave
We're normalising the damage of magic's foundational basics so it's clearer what their purpose is, meaning players in the early and mid-game can rely on the basic attack more when they're not specifically after the other abilities' effects.
- 105% AVG → 100% AVG
- (Greater unchanged)
Concentrated Blast
- 37.5% → 35% Per hit
- (Greater unchanged)
Blast Diffusion Boots
With Detonate gone we needed to give the Blasts a new effect. The aim here was to make something that keeps in line with magic's themes, and kept the boot's usefulness in both single target and aoe scenarios.
- New effect: Grants basic abilities 8% basic ability damage after casting Wild Magic.
Ranged
Piercing Shot
Against live, piercing had seen a few too many buffs with the trifecta of Damage up, a new bonus and extra synergies built into the style. We're normalising it a little so its closer to the live version
- Snipe cooldown reduction 3s per hit → 2.4s per hit
- 65% AVG → 50% AVG
Galeshot
- 110% AVG → 100% AVG
Shadow Tendrils
Shadow Tendrils, like piercing shot had received a few too many buffs with a new bonus effect, a reduced adrenaline cost and increased damage over the live game
- 265% AVG → 220% AVG
Deadshot
- 110% AVG → 115% AVG (per hit)
Ricochet
Greater ricochet by default in the beta was performing very well thanks to the extra shots being decoupled from caroming, which was essentially opening up a perk slot, we're wary of giving Ranged (and greater ricochet) much more power in the end game so we're pulling the power a bit closer to the live game and making the Caroming perk scale harsher.
- First hit: 50% AVG → 80% AVG
- Second/Third hit: 35% AVG → 17.5% AVG
- Fourth+ hit: 12.5% AVG → 5% AVG
- Caroming:
- 5+1% per rank → 2.5% Bonus AD per rank (each hit)
- Total +70% bonus AD greater ricochet at rank 4.
Fleeting Boots
Rapid fire can now move around by default, so we thought we'd give Fleetings a fresh effect, instead of relying on the bonus hit chance they used to give.
- New effect: Piercing Shot reduces the cooldown of Snipe by a further 1.2 per hit. Basic Attack also applies the piercing shot cooldown reduction effect.
Splintering Arrows
Splintering arrows needed updating with the removal of Greater Dazing shot. Our aim here is to make an arrow that performs well in long encounters and synergises with Range's kit; kind of like a Bik arrow that can be used at poison-immune bosses.
- New effect: Applies puncture on all ability hits.
- Puncture now stores 1% ability damage with each stack.
- Puncture now applies 50% of stored damage on first hit. (Remaining 50% over the next 4 hits)
- Puncture now stacks up to 250.
- Puncture stacks now last 30s.
General
Combat Animation Overrides
As part of this update, one of our goals was to reduce overall ability bloat and remove redundant or rarely used options from the combat styles. Some of the abilities we removed had unique cosmetic animations tied to them, so we’ve been looking at ways to preserve those animations by integrating them into abilities that are staying.
For the "Ice" and "Blood Ice" variants of Quake we will be integrating them into Meteor Strike as they share a common ground slamming theme but for Detonate and its animations we haven't settled on which ability would be best suited just yet, but if you have any suggestions on which ability you would think could benefit from them please let us know in the feedback threads!
Tutorialisation
UI tutorialisation has been added for Melee, Ranged, and Magic. These show up when you unlock a new ability and detail what the ability does, with a suggestion on how to use it.
Defensive / Constitution Abilities
- Basics 8% adrenaline → 9% adrenaline
Auras
We have disabled a number of auras which directly impact player-power, to allow for more within each style's core ability kit, or to be redistributed into a reward that is not time limited.
These auras have been listed below. The remaining combat auras will be removed or redistributed within the Aura Overhaul update.
- Knockout
- Brawler
- Runic Accuracy
- Sharpshooter
- Ancestor Spirits
- Berserker
- Maniacal
- Reckless
- Dark Magic
- Regeneration
- Aegis
- Mahjarrat
- Inspiration
- Equilibrium
- Invigorate
As a knock on effect to the above:
- Mahjarrat aura is no longer purchasable in Deaths store
- Berserker, Maniacal, Reckless and Dark Magic are no longer purchasable in War's Wares
- The above auras should no longer appear in the aura interface and if favourited, will be cleared.
- Auras are no longer visible within Xuan's store
Scare Tactics.
Scare tactics unlock now applies the knock-back effect to Impact, Binding Shot & Backhand.
- This can be toggled on/off once unlocked via a right click option on the abilities.
Skill Capes
Perks for each of the skillcapes have been added. These aim to provide some usefulness in combat; whereby anytime you are using that style you want to be using the cape, without being something you feel as though you require before taking part in combat.
- Attack: 2% hit chance increase for Melee attacks
- Strength: Dismember, Slaughter and Massacre heal an additional 2% lifepoints
- Magic: Hex spells last twice as long
- Note: This does not work on Entangle, and Teleblock in PvP
- Ranged: 10% chance not to consume ammo
Kalphite King - Immortality
As Unload and Frenzy are no longer abilities, Kalphite King's Immortality effect was impossible to trigger with two of the three original styles. We've opted to move this effect over to three more niche abilities, that you don't need to use on Kalphite King to trigger.
- Bombardment, Pulverise and Tsunami will now trigger Kalphite King's immortality when the boss is below 30k lifepoints.
- Additionally, we've made 'Best Offence' slightly easier to complete while here by removing a second layer of RNG and increasing the duration of immortality.
- 10% chance to trigger Immortality → 20%
- 6s Immortality duration → 30s
Perks
Energising
There were some concerns that energising granting % hitchance was too overbearing late game, so we're making it flat accuracy meaning it scales better in the early-mid game when the players accuracy is lower.
- Now grants flat bonus accuracy. 50 +25 per rank bonus accuracy
Flanking
- Effect has been reverted to the live version (damage increase for stunning abilities)
Ultimatums
Ultimatums no longer worked with the new adrenaline costs of associated abilities. We're reworking it to be generically useful with ultimates.
- Ultimate abilities gain 3% + 1% per rank damage
How do I join?
Ready to give the Beta a try? Here’s how:
- Jagex Launcher
- Head to the taskbar and close any running instances of the Jagex launcher.
- Click this link.
- The link will load the Jagex launcher then start loading the Beta, logging you in automatically.
- Non Jagex Launcher
- Click this link, then log in as normal.
On first login, your live save is imported into the Beta. You can re-import your save into the Beta once per hour.
Please note that this is a Beta, so not everything shown is guaranteed to make it into the live game. We’ll be working closely with players to refine these updates and bring them to the live game once they’re fully ready!