<body><div data-contents-type="text"><br class="ProseMirror-trailingBreak"></div><div class="fr-toc fr-disabled" data-contents-type="toc" contenteditable="false"><div class="fe-toc-inner"><ol><li><div data-contents-type="text"><a href="#alpha-Raids-1">Raids</a></div><ol><li><div data-contents-type="text"><a href="#alpha-Raid_Improvements-2">Raid Improvements</a></div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text"><a href="#alpha-Iron_Heart's_Fortress_Raid_Rebalancing-3">Iron Heart's Fortress Raid Rebalancing</a></div></li></ol></li><li><div data-contents-type="text"><a href="#alpha-Skills-4">Skills</a></div><ol><li><div data-contents-type="text"><a href="#alpha-Class_Skill_Update-5">Class Skill Update</a></div></li></ol></li></ol></div></div><div data-contents-type="text"><br class="ProseMirror-trailingBreak"></div><h2 id="alpha-Raids-1"><strong>Raids</strong></h2><div data-contents-type="text"><br class="ProseMirror-trailingBreak"></div><h3 id="alpha-Raid_Improvements-2"><strong>Raid Improvements</strong></h3><div data-contents-type="text">Fixed an issue where certain raid bosses could be killed before their Limit Barrier ever triggered.</div><ul><li><div data-contents-type="text">Added a new Defensive Stance passive to raid/boss NPCs level 80 and above (Blood Alliance Arena raid/boss minions excluded) that limits incoming damage to a percentage of the boss's max HP, guaranteeing a minimum clear time for a full-damage 5-player group:</div></li></ul><div class="tableWrapper"><table class=""><colgroup><col><col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text"><strong>Level Range</strong></div></td><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text"><strong>Expected Clear Time</strong></div></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">80 – 84</div></td><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">120 seconds (2 minutes) or more</div></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">85 – 89</div></td><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">180 seconds (3 minutes) or more</div></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">90 and above</div></td><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">300 seconds (5 minutes) or more</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div data-contents-type="text"></div><ul><li><div data-contents-type="text">Players who break through the Defensive Stance receive additional rewards.</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Steel Citadel (Hellbound) raid rewards received a minor buff: added the new Enchantment Scroll as a drop. Steel Citadel's reward tier is comparable to The Pagan Temple, Kelbim's Castle, Aztacan's Temple, and the Ice Lord's Castle, but it had been left off the new scroll's drop list.</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">No changes have been made to the Priest Raid at this time, as the current raid structure already provides an appropriate higher-difficulty raid experience. The team will continue to monitor raid difficulty and consider further adjustments if needed.</div></li></ul><div data-contents-type="text"><br class="ProseMirror-trailingBreak"></div><h3 id="alpha-Iron_Heart's_Fortress_Raid_Rebalancing-3"><strong>Iron Heart's Fortress Raid Rebalancing</strong></h3><div data-contents-type="text">Investigated reports that the Iron Heart's Fortress raid was clearing too quickly on some servers, cutting into the PvP the raid is meant to create.</div><ul><li><div data-contents-type="text">Upon review, the current raid difficulty is considered too low, with high-level groups able to complete it in a very short time. Based on these findings, the raid difficulty was adjusted as following:</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Added the new Defensive Stance passive (damage limited to a percentage of max HP rather than a flat cap) to the raid's mid-bosses — Toad Cannon, and Double / Drill / Fist / Pistol Golem — and its final boss, Gigantic Golem. Estimated effect on a representative server:</div></li></ul><div class="tableWrapper"><table class=""><colgroup><col><col></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text"><strong>Boss</strong></div></td><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text"><strong>Expected Effect</strong></div></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">Toad Cannon (1st mid-boss)</div></td><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">Increased clear time</div></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">Double / Drill / Fist / Pistol Golem (2nd mid-boss)</div></td><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">Increased clear time</div></td></tr><tr><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">Gigantic Golem (final boss)</div></td><td style="padding: 4px 8px;"><div data-contents-type="text">Increased clear time</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div data-contents-type="text"><br class="ProseMirror-trailingBreak"></div><h2 id="alpha-Skills-4"><strong>Skills</strong></h2><div data-contents-type="text"><br class="ProseMirror-trailingBreak"></div><h3 id="alpha-Class_Skill_Update-5"><strong>Class Skill Update</strong></h3><div data-contents-type="text"><strong>The following skills have been expanded:</strong></div><ul><li><div data-contents-type="text">Aggression</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Aggression Aura</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Rain of Fire</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Aura Flare</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Blazing Circle</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Curse Death Link</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Corpse Burst</div></li></ul><div data-contents-type="text"></div><div data-contents-type="text"><strong>The following skills have had their Attack Power increased by 20%:</strong></div><ul><li><div data-contents-type="text">Judgment</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Shield Stun</div></li><li><div data-contents-type="text">Shield Strike</div></li></ul></body>