Meta-Defining Buffs and Adjustments

Etheria: Restart just rolled out one of its most impactful balance patches to date, targeting the competitive RTA (Real-Time Arena) scene. Following the conclusion of Season 1, the developers have introduced sweeping changes to a wide range of characters and Shells, with the goal of improving team diversity, addressing underused kits, and countering current PvP meta threats like Bloodbath. This patch focuses heavily on buffs, with a few key nerfs and mechanic adjustments that promise to shake up team compositions across all game modes.

Let’s break down the major changes and what they mean for the current meta.

Many SSR units have received stat boosts, skill upgrades, and more impactful utility. The goal is clear: enable more offensive playstyles and encourage rotation-heavy team compositions in both PvP and PvE.

Notable DPS & Utility Buffs

Scarlet Ironveil – Helkid now hits harder with his third skill, increasing from three 110% hits to three 140% hits, and his Shroud Barrier now scales with 330% of his ATK. Allies are granted immunity to debuffs while the barrier is active and gain a 15% Turn Meter boost when it expires.

Hidden Hunting – Hoyan saw a major power spike, with Execution Rite increasing from 450% to 520% base damage. Combined with its bonus scaling based on HP lost, this makes her burst potential significantly more threatening in PvP kill comps.

Queen Bee – Tsukiyo Mi has evolved into a stronger support-DPS hybrid. Her second skill now deals DEF-scaled AoE damage, has a 45% chance to Silence, and reduces cooldowns for all allies and Shells by 1 turn. This makes her far more valuable in extended fights.

Discipline Keeper – Kazami Kazuyo now offers even more utility. Her second skill increases enemy cooldowns by 2 turns (up from 1), and her third skill provides SPD Up and Accuracy Up buffs to the entire team, alongside a cooldown reduction.

Nocturnal Prayer – Borgne received a major buff to his healing and damage output, with single-target damage up to 330% and AoE scaling reaching 520% when fighting multiple enemies. He also now dispels 2 buffs per target, improving his PvP control capabilities.

Order Judgment – Nahor’s reworked third skill now hits twice, each instance with chances to inflict DEF Down, RES Down, and Freeze. This dramatically improves his reliability as a crowd control unit.

Dual Mortgage – Ninfoniel now brings a powerful AoE cleanse. Her second skill equalizes HP, heals 25% max HP, and removes 2 debuffs from all allies — a huge upgrade for PvP stability and boss fights.

Puppet Master – Lilith benefits from damage increases based on HP values and a rework of Graceful Mischief, which now reliably detonates and stuns. She’s looking much stronger for PvE wave clear and even PvP.

Alluring Enchantress – Xiada now gains ATK, Effect RES, CRIT DMG, and damage reduction per Soul Flames evolution, capping at 3 stacks. These buffs shift her toward a bruiser-resilience role, rewarding players who stack buffs and survive longer fights.

Celestial Rain – Celince gets early-game shielding value. Her passive now applies a 30% Max HP shield at battle start, offering extra protection for squishier comps. Her third skill also applies CRIT Rate Down and Forgetfulness.

Wild Rampage – Rin now has a guaranteed 100% chance to Taunt and apply ATK Down, up from 75%. This makes her a much more reliable PvE disrupter and defensive Arena tool.

Several SR units also got a helping hand:

Musou Blade – Tsutomu, Sunshadow – Nell, and Necro Miner – Victor received base stat upgrades. Victor’s scaling buff now grants 12% damage per 10% HP lost, giving him a more consistent damage curve.

Tranquil Rest – Kazuyo the Reverie had the Sleep duration on her basic reduced from 2 turns to 1, and her Turn Meter pushback also drops from 15% to 10%, slightly reducing her lockdown potential in PvP.

One of the most discussed changes comes to Codex of Magic, a dominant Shell in PvP. Its core effect remains — granting a cooldown-free skill use and SPD buff — but now in PvP, any skill that doesn’t go on cooldown due to Codex will permanently gain +1 turn to its cooldown. This effectively reduces the long-term value of Codex abuse in drawn-out matches and rewards careful planning rather than brute-force openers.

Alicorn now dispels 3 debuffs instead of 2 and boosts Effect RES for each.

White Fang’s CRIT DMG stacking increased from 6% to 8%, but max stacks reduced from 10 to 8 for faster ramp-up.

Halloween now has a 100% chance to reduce a random skill cooldown, up from 80%.

A new mechanic called Close Combat now triggers based on total Animus actions. After 20 cumulative actions, damage dealt by both sides increases by 20%, and healing/shields are reduced by 20%. This helps avoid drawn-out matches and stalls, forcing more aggressive and decisive gameplay in high-level Arena and RTA.

This patch marks a major step forward in Etheria’s ongoing balance efforts. By elevating underused characters like Nahor, Ninfoniel, and Xiada — while reigning in dominant Shells like Codex — the developers are pushing for a healthier, more dynamic competitive landscape. The PvP “Close Combat” mechanic is especially welcome, curbing toxic stall tactics and opening the door for more creative, tempo-focused teams.

Whether you’re a hardcore RTA player or just looking to improve your PvE roster, this is a great time to re-evaluate your builds, invest in new Animuses, and experiment with refreshed strategies.