Unit Balance changes 1.16 → 1.18

[Kawa]

Greetings everyone,

I am new to this forum, but I have been playing Wesnoth in single player for quite some time.

With the release of version 1.18 just a few months away (as per the roadmap found at https://wiki.wesnoth.org/1.17_Roadmap), I am interested in the upcoming unit changes. I enjoy comparing files and hope I am not interfering with the developers or the balance team in any way with this post.

The current status of this is version 1.17.23 (28 Nov. 2023):

DRAKES lvl1

Spoiler:

Drake Burner    Arcane −30% → −10%
Drake Clasher   Arcane −30% → −10% XP 32 → 29
Drake Fighter   Arcane −30% → −10%
Drake Glider     Arcane −30% → −10% XP 25 → 27
Saurian Augur   Arcane 20% → 10%
Saurian Skirmisher Arcane 20% → 10%

DRAKES lvl2

Spoiler:

Drake Burner    → Drake Flare    Arcane −30% → −10% XP 56 → 60
            → Fire Drake      Arcane −30% → −10% XP 56 → 59
Drake Clasher   → Drake Arbiter    HP 62 → 63 Arcane −30% → −10% XP 74 → 57
          → Drake Thrasher   Arcane −30% → −10% XP 67 → 54
Drake Fighter   → Drake Warrior   Cost 32 → 31 Arcane −30% → −10% XP 49 → 57
Drake Glider     → Sky Drake      Cost 28 → 32 Arcane −30% → −10% XP 56 → 53
Saurian Augur   → Saurian Oracle    Arcane 20% → 10% XP 70 → 52
          → Saurian Soothsayer Cost 25 → 29 Moves 6 → 7 Staff 5×2 → 5×3 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 70 → 46
Saurian Skirmisher → Saurian Ambusher Cost 24 → 22 HP 36 → 38 Arcane 20% → 10%

DUNEFOLK lvl1

Spoiler:

Dune Burner   HP 34 → 35 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 28 → 26
Dune Herbalist Cost 14 → 13 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 27 → 25
Dune Rider   HP 34 → 33 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 33 → 34
Dune Rover   HP 32 → 33 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 30 → 28
Dune Skirmisher Arcane 20% → 10% XP 24 → 25
Dune Soldier   Cost 18 → 17 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 30 → 27
Naga Dirkfang  -

DUNEFOLK lvl2

Spoiler:

Dune Burner  → Dune Scorcher   Cost 25 → 23 Flamethrower 9×3 → 10×3 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 49 → 42
Dune Herbalist  → Dune Alchemist  Arcane 20% → 10%
         → Dune Apothecary Cost 27 → 23 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 46 → 35
Dune Rider    → Dune Horse Archer Arcane 20% → 10% XP 46 → 43
         → Dune Raider     Cost 34 → 35 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 49 → 54
         → Dune Sunderer   Arcane 20% → 10% XP 53 → 60
Dune Rover    → Dune Explorer   Arcane 20% → 10% XP 56 → 51
Dune Skirmisher → Dune Falconer   Cost 23 → 29 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 55 → 49
         → Dune Strider    Cost 23 → 29 HP 39 → 42 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 52 → 45
Dune Soldier  → Dune Captain  Cost 30 → 29 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 53 → 52
         → Dune Spearguard Cost 30 → 29 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 53 → 52
         → Dune Swordsman Cost 30 → 28 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 53 → 48
Naga Dirkfang  → Naga Ophidian   Cost 22 → 24 HP 43 → 44 XP 53 → 43
         → Naga Ringcaster Cost 22 → 24 HP 40 → 41 Chakram 7×3 → 8×3 XP 49 → 43

KNALGAN ALLIANCE lvl1

Spoiler:

Dwarvish Fighter  XP 29 → 32
Dwarvish Guardsman Javelin 5×1 → 6×1 XP 33 → 28
Dwarvish Thunderer XP 28 → 25
Dwarvish Ulfserker  -
Footpad      Arcane 20% → 10%
Gryphon Rider    Cost 24 → 23 XP 27 → 32
Poacher        Arcane 20% → 10%
Thief        Arcane 20% → 10%

KNALGAN ALLIANCE lvl2

Spoiler:

Dwarvish Fighter  → Dwarvish Steelclad   XP 52 → 62
Dwarvish Guardsman → Dwarvish Stalwart    HP 54 → 59 Javelin 8×1 → 9×1 XP 60 → 55
Dwarvish Thunderer → Dwarvish Thunderguard Cost 27 → 24 XP 67 → 46
Dwarvish Ulfserker  → Dwarvish Berserker    -
Footpad      → Outlaw        Cost 26 → 24 HP 42 → 47 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 54 → 50
Gryphon Rider    → Gryphon Master    Cost 38 → 40
Poacher       → Trapper        HP 45 → 49 Dagger 4×4 → 5×4 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 46 → 51
Thief         → Rogue        Cost 24 → 25 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 49 → 56

LOYALISTS lvl1

Spoiler:

Bowman     Short Sword 4×2 → 5×2 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 27 → 25
Cavalryman     Blade 30% → 20% Arcane 20% → 10% XP 28 → 31
Fencer        Arcane 20% → 10%
Heavy Infantryman Arcane 20% → 10%
Horseman     Cost 23 → 24 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 31 → 38
Mage        Arcane 20% → 10% XP 38 → 34
Merman Fighter   XP 25 → 24
Spearman     Arcane 20% → 10%

LOYALISTS lvl2

Spoiler:

Bowman     → Longbow     Cost 26 → 23 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 48 → 46
Cavalryman     → Dargoon     Cost 28 → 29 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 67 → 56
Fencer        → Duelist    Arcane 20% → 10% XP 63 → 56
Heavy Infantryman → Shock Trooper Cost 35 → 28 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 77 → 46
Horseman     → Knight      Cost 38 → 50 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 84 → 70
          → Lancer      Cost 44 → 47 Arcane 20% → 10%
Mage       → Red Mage    Cost 38 → 35 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 70 → 58
          → White Mage   Cost 38 → 31 Arcane 40% → 30% XP 95 → 53
Merman Fighter   → Merman Warrior Cost 26 → 24 XP 56 → 42
Spearman     → Javelineer    Cost 25 → 24 Javelin 11×2 → 13×2 Arcane 20% → 10%
          → Pikeman     Cost 25 → 24 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 46 → 48
          → Swordsman    Arcane 20% → 10% XP 42 → 56
 -----------------  → Lieutenant    Cost 34 → 31 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 56 → 60
 -----------------  → Ogre      Cost 30 → 27 Arcane 20% → 10%

NORTHERNERS lvl1

Spoiler:

Goblin Spearman (lvl0) -
Naga Fighter       XP 22 → 23
Orcish Archer      XP 21 → 22
Orcish Assassin      -
Orcish Grunt       -
Troll Whelp      -
Wolf Rider       XP 21 → 24

NORTHERNERS lvl2

Spoiler:

Goblin Spearman (lvl0) → Goblin Impaler (lvl1) -
            → Goblin Rouser (lvl1)  -
Naga Fighter       → Naga Warrior     Cost 24 → 22 XP 46 → 39
Orcish Archer      → Orcish Crossbowman Cost 21 → 22 HP 43 → 46 Short Sword 4×3 → 6×3 Crossbow 8×3 → 9×3 XP 56 → 30
Orcish Assassin      → Orcish Slayer     Cost 26 → 21 XP 70 → 43
Orcish Grunt       → Orcish Warrior     Cost 26 → 23 XP 42 → 47
Troll Whelp      → Troll         Cost 27 → 25 XP 46 → 41
           → Troll Rocklobber   HP 51 → 53 Sling 17×1 → 19×1
Wolf Rider       → Goblin Knight      -
           → Goblin Pillager     XP 28 → 31

REBELS lvl1

Spoiler:

Elvish Archer   -
Elvish Fighter  XP 28 → 26
Elvish Scout  XP 22 → 29
Elvish Shaman -
Mage     Arcane 20% → 10% XP 38 → 34
Merman Hunter XP 25 → 23
Wose     Arcane −30% → −20%

REBELS lvl2

Spoiler:

Elvish Archer   → Elvish Marksman  Cost 31 → 34
        → Evlis Ranger    XP 63 → 60
Elvish Fighter  → Elvish Captain   XP 63 → 60
        → Elvish Hero     XP 63 → 56
Elvish Scout  → Elvish Rider    HP 46 → 49 Bow 9×2 → 11×2
Elvish Shaman → Elvish Druid    Cost 27 → 25 XP 56 → 60
        → Elvish Sorceress  Cost 32 → 34 XP 70 → 63
Mage     → Red Mage     Cost 38 → 35 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 70 → 58
        → White Mage    Cost 38 → 31 Arcane 40% → 30% XP 95 → 53
Merman Hunter → Merman Netcaster Cost 27 → 26 XP 56 → 38
        → Merman Spearman Cost 27 → 22 XP 60 → 38
Wose     → Elder Wose     Cost 27 → 28 Arcane −30% → −20% XP 70 → 56

UNDEAD lvl1

Spoiler:

Dark Adept     Arcane 20% → 10%
Ghost        -
Ghoul       Arcane 20% → 10% XP 25 → 21
Skeleton        Arcane −50% → −20% XP 25 → 27
Skeleton Archer    Arcane −50% → −20%
Vampire Bat (lvl0)   Arcane 20% → 10%
Walking Corpse (lvl0) -

UNDEAD lvl2

Spoiler:

Dark Adept     → Dark Sorcerer Cost 33 → 34 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 63 → 77
Ghost        → Shadow     Cost 38 → 44 XP 70 → 54
          → Wraith    XP 70 → 63
Ghoul       → Necrophage  Cost 27 → 23 Claws 7×3 → 9×3 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 84 → 43
Skeleton        → Deathblade  Arcane −50% → −20%
          → Revenant    Cost 31 → 28 Arcane −50% → −20% XP 60 → 55
Skeleton Archer    → Bone Shooter  Cost 26 → 24 Arcane −50% → −20% XP 56 → 42
Vampire Bat (lvl0)   → Blood Bat (lvl1) Cost 22 → 23 Arcane 20% → 10% XP 49 → 26
Walking Corpse (lvl0) → Soulless (lvl1) -

[Ravana]

I find this format quite useful. Most of the resistance changes affect higher levels too.

[Atreides]

Beautiful chart. And in Christmas colours to boot. ; )

I know the undead best so I'll confine myself to commenting on them. The L1 XP changes seem dead on. Ghouls are too hard to level while skelly's are too easy. I see it over and over. As for the resists well those are trickier to assess. IIRC arcane is actually mostly suffered by the UD in mirror matches from enemy DA's. So it may mainly help skelly's resist those insta nuking L2 mages. The smaller changes of 10% probably don't count for too much.

[Kawa]

Thank you. It is almost Christmas.

I am not experienced enough to evaluate level 2 to 3 changes. However, due to the significant reduction in XP, I may encounter a level 3 character in multiplayer in the future, which I like.

I also prefer playing the Undead and am interested in seeing how the Arcane resistance changes will fare against the Dark Adepts. Additionally, playing against Cavalryman will become more interesting.
Although I favour the Undead faction, I sometimes feel limited in my options. In my opinion, the changes to the Undead faction could provide more diverse gameplay.
In the end, though, you're probably right, that the most significant changes will be noticeable in the Undead Mirror matches.

Furthermore, balancing the factions by changing the XP is an exciting and thoughtful approach.
I am eagerly anticipating the release of version 1.18 to try out the new changes. Many thanks to the developers!

[Atreides]

IMHO balancing via xp/gold cost changes is better than changing stats. Stat changes tend to reign in interesting units and make them more generic. Using the cost as a handicap allows for a diversity of units.

The core unit changes will also affect (somewhat indirectly) custom addon eras since most of them are playable vs the core. e.g. all the custom eras with L1 units that have arcane will sure have a tougher time with core skeletons now. Of course this change has no effect whatsoever on custom skeleton units based on core skeletons unless they are using base units.