Update 11.90: Relic Mercy System and easier Faction Wars challenges

Plarium has given a first look at update 11.90. The headline changes are a Mercy System for Relic Crafting and a rework of several Faction Wars Hard Mode challenges, plus smaller quality of life changes to the Arena, the Index and Clan Siege. A second part with more changes is coming, so this is not the full patch notes.

Faction Wars Hard Mode challenges

Update 11.80 lowered enemy HP, ATK and DEF in some Factions. Now the challenges themselves are changing. Four of them were all or nothing, where one slip failed the run. They now allow some forgiveness:

• Weak Hits: "Don't land any Weak Hits" becomes "Do not land more than 10 Weak Hits"
• Buffs: "Defeat all enemies when they have no buffs on them" becomes "Defeat 10 enemies with no buffs on them"
• Healing: "Don't let your enemies heal" becomes "Do not let your enemies heal more than 10 times"
• Active Skills: "Don't let your enemies use any active skills" becomes "Do not let your enemies use more than 10 Active Skills"

The Weak Hits change is the one most players will feel. Unless your whole team was the right affinity, a single stray Weak Hit from an AoE could fail a stage you had otherwise won.

A longer list of challenges will also have their numbers reviewed, including clearing in a set number of turns, keeping HP above a set percentage, placing a number of debuffs, kills under Fear, Bombs, Perfect Veil, ally attacks and counterattacks, and cooldown or buff and debuff duration manipulation. The changes depend on the Faction: some stages get lower requirements and others stay as they are. Plarium will publish a full breakdown for every Faction Crypt. If a crypt has been blocking you, check that list before rebuilding a team for it.

Relic Crafting Mercy System

Relic Crafting gets two Mercy counters that run side by side: Mythical Mercy and Group Mercy. The key rule is that Mercy only counts crafts made entirely with Mythical Crafting Materials. Mix in any other rarity and that craft counts toward neither counter and resets neither.

Mythical Mercy triggers after you spend 1700 Mythical Relic Crafting Materials without getting a Mythical Relic. That means your 17th craft is guaranteed to give a Mythical. Any Mythical Relic resets the counter, whether it came from Mercy or a normal roll. Some Relic Groups cannot produce Mythicals. If Mercy triggers on a craft from one of those, you get a Legendary Relic and the counter does not reset, so the guarantee carries to your next craft that can produce a Mythical.

Group Mercy tracks each Relic Group separately. Spend 700 materials from one Group without getting a Relic from it and Mercy triggers for that Group. You can mix Groups in one craft, and each counts toward its own counter. A Mythical or Legendary Relic from that Group resets its counter.

In practice, one counter guarantees rarity and the other guarantees the Group you want. If you have been burning materials chasing a specific Relic, this makes it easier to plan when to craft and when to keep saving.

Smaller changes

• You can play any Arena mode while Background Multi-Battles are running, so there is no need to pause your farm.
• Champion Filters come to the Index and the Faction menus. You can search by name, Rarity, Affinity, Type, Faction, Aura, buffs and debuffs, and other effects.
• Clan Leaders and Deputies can send an in-game reminder to Clanmates to spend their Siege Scrolls.
• Champions with empty Gear slots are marked on the Team Selection screen before a battle.

What to do

This part of the update does not change the meta, but it removes everyday friction. If you are working through Hard Mode crypts, wait for the Faction breakdown before committing resources. If you craft Relics, use Mythical materials only when you are chasing Mercy.