🧪 Early Information on Season 5 Provinces & Gameplay [Part of The Beta Beat V47,49]

Gameplay Help & Tactics
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NOTE: Please do not, under any circumstances, share IMAGES OR VIDEOS from Beta in this or any public Forum thread. Violations can cause players to lose their Beta accounts, or threads to be closed down.

This thread is to provide early insights and discussion on the Season 5 Provinces and Gameplay.

For information and discussion on the Season 5 HEROES, please see:

For information and discussion on the Season 5 SUMMON PORTAL, please see:

Don’t get too attached

Details from Beta, especially brand-new Beta content, don’t tend to be very reliable for actual release.

It’s incredibly common that features are changed during Beta testing, or sometimes even after testing but before release. That is, after all, the purpose of Beta testing.

So I wouldn’t get too attached to any of this — it’s not unheard of for entire portions of features to be removed or reworked, or for radical changes to functionality to be made.

The launch date for Season 5 has been shown as 2022-04-21T06:00:00Z in the previous Beta version.

Season 5 Provinces

Overview

The map for Season 5 is set up more like the Season 1 or 4 map than Seasons 2 or 3. The map wanders in a right direction with Province 1 at the left and the last Province 33 (latest seen) at the right .
There is some blurred part on the map, which suggest that there will be more provinces later.

There are {33} Provinces shown in the current view, but I assume the final number will be 36, which will be match wth the number of provincies in Season 3.

We don’t know yet whether additional Provinces may be part of the initial release of Season 5, but it seems likely that they may be released 3 Provinces at a time, just like Season 2 and 3 and 4 were. As such, I expect that Season 5 (map content) will likely be released over the course of a year — but that’s just my own speculation, so please don’t presume it’s accurate.

Normal and Hard Modes

Much like Season 2 & 3 & 4, there are Normal and Hard Modes for each Stage, and the Normal Mode must be completed to unlock the Hard Mode.

The Hard mode is functions like Season 3 or 4 so you must complete previous hard stages first to play the current level.

Enemies

All norrmal enemies have a mana bar and they have a special skill, which consist of:

  • 400% damage to the target
  • One additional effect from these:
    • Reduce the Mana of the target by 25%.
    • Target gets -60% attack for 5 turns.
    • Target gets -60% defense for 5 turns.
    • Target gets -60% mana generation for 5 turns.
    • The target receives 240 Poison damage over 5 turns.
    • The target gets -75% decrease for any healing received for 5 turns.
    • The target is immune to new status effect buffs for 5 turns.
    • The attack bypasses defensive buffs. This includes counterattacks.
    • The target gets -21% accuracy for 5 turns. Chance to miss also applies to offensive Special Skils.

All enemies has some resistance (which can be different per enemy type on the same level) or other passives.

These are the resistance options I saw so far:

  • This character has innate resistance against
    • incoming negative effects and damage from Minions.
    • mana reduction.
    • status ailments and negative effects that affect mana generation. Doesn’t apply to status ailments that stop mana or steal mana
    • status ailments and negative stacks that affect defense. Applies also to status ailments that affect elemental defense.

Or if there is no resistance, then one of these passives are given to enemies:

  • Duration of the first 3 status ailments this character receives from Special Skills is decreased by 1 turn.
  • Received damage is reduced by -20% for the first 3 times this character receives damage from Special Skills.
  • This character receives 20% mana at the start of the battle.
  • Receives +24% mana generation for 3 turns when this character receives a status ailment or a negative stack.
  • First time this character casts special Skill that deals damage, additional +30% is added to it’s power.
  • This character recovers 10% health when they receive a status ailment or a negative stack.
  • This character recovers 5% mana when they receive a status ailment or a negative stack.

These passives are visible for the enemies before you enter the battle.

WE Costs

The WE Costs for Season 5 appear comparable to Season 2 and 3 and 4.

S5:1-1N is 6 WE, and S5:1-1H is 10 WE — exactly the same as Season 2 & 3 & 4.

Dunes Coins

Also like Season 2 & 3 & 4, the first time a Stage is completed, a reward is given in Dunes Coins — which are just like Atlantis / Valhalla / Underwild Coins, but for Season 5.

Just the same as Season 2 & 3 & 4, Normal Mode Stages reward 3 Dunes Coins, and Hard Mode Stages reward 5 Dunes Coins — and there appear to be 10 Stages per Province, so it’ll be the same 80 Coins per Province that Season 2 & 3 & 4 had.

Also like Atlantis/ Valhalla Underwild Coins, 100 Dunes Coins are required for a free Season 5 Summon.

:diya_lamp: Amulets

They can be used for beneficial effects for Season 5 stages, and they are unlucked during your progress in the map.
You can read more here:

Stage Properties

  • Reckless Regeneration The Iteru River

    • The enemies in this battle have the power to regenerate their health, but fight reckelssly and leave their defense open.
      The battle takes place near the Iteru River. Here all enemies periodically regenerate boosted health in exchange for slighty lowered defenses.
      The Iteru River effects are applied every 5 turns.
      • All enemies regenerate 575 boosted health over 5 turns. Boosted health can exceed max HP. This effect can’t be dispelled.
      • All enemies get -10% defense for 5 turns.

  • Agile Adversaries Kemythian City

    • The enemies in battle faster than usual.
    • This battle takes place near a Kemythian City. Being in the proximity of a city has caused all enemies to become Hyperactive ! Hyperactive enemies have improved mana generation but their accuracy is impaired.
      • All enemies get have +25% mana generation. This effect can’t be dispelled.
      • All enemies have -10% accuracy.
      • Accuracy ailments are -10% more effective against enemiest.

  • Raging Tempestuous Sandstorm

    • This battle takes place in a Raging Tempestuous Sandstorm.
      • All Heroes receive damage every 3 turns.
        (Note: 100 damage is dealt in Normal difficulty.)
      • All Heroes’ Troop damage is reduced by -100%.
      • Troop deals -50% less damage.

  • Mana Curse Cursed Tombs (adjusted in V49)

    • All Heroes’ and enemies’ Mana Speed is changed to Very Slow.
    • All Heroes and enemies receive a large amount of mana every 5 turns.
    • This battle takes place in Cursed Tombs. Here mana is scare, but Troops deal more damage.

      - Mana Speed is set to Very Slow for all Heroes and enemies.

      - Troops deal +50% more damage.

Brand new Stage effects in V49:

  • Order of the Pharaoh
    • The battle is affected by the Order of the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh has ordered all Heroes to take damage and to have lower defenses.

      - All Heroes must take damage every 5 turns.

      All Heroes must receive the following status ailment every 5 turns:

      - All Heroes get -20% defense for 5 turns.
  • Barrier of the Pharaoh
    • This battle take place under the Barrier of the Pharaoh where enemies gain defense against Special Skills!

      All enemies receive the following buff every 5 turns:

      - All enemies get +60% defense against Special Skills for 5 turns.

Missions

Staff indicated that this is work in progress, but so far we have seen these missions:

  • Complete Season V
    Solve the mystery of the Dunes
    • Rewards: Standard Rewards (300 Dunes Coins, 2 ETT and an Avatar is visible only)
  • Defeat Season V Bosses
    • Defeat 50 30 Furious Hippopotamuses
    • Reward: Avatar
  • Defeat Season V Enemies
    • Defeat 400 250 Ibises
      • Reward: Avatar
  • Season V Amulets
    • Ankh Mastery:
      Complete 10 65 stages with Ankh Amulet
      Reward: 2 Summon tokens
      Reward: 5 gems
    • Was Spectre Master:y
      Complete 10 ?? stages with Was Spectre Amulet
      Reward: 3 Summon tokens
      Reward: ?? gems

Province & Stage Properties

Several names are updated in the V47 Beta Build 3. I have removed the old names, and just added the new ones.
Now the first province has also a stage effect, but now only every odd stage (1,3,5,7,9) is a special stage.

NOTE: There are 10 Stages in Province 1, just like there are in each of the Season 2 & 3 & 4 Provinces; if not the case this will be updated.

Stage Effect Number Province Name
The Iteru River 1 Enter Kemyth
Reckless Regeneration
The Iteru River 		2 The Port
Agile Adversaries
The Iteru River 		3 Lush Island
Raging Sandstorm
Tempestuous Sandstorm 		4 Preciptous Peaks
Mana Curse
Tempestuous Sandstorm 		5 The Sandstream
Tempestuous Sandstorm 6 Ravine of Wind
Kemythian City 7 Caiza Outpost
Kemythian City 8 Tanat Farmlands
Kemythian City 9 Tanat
? 10 Kemythian Detour
? 11 Tombs of Dispair
? 12 Tombs of Hope
? 13 Greener Pastures
? 14 Forest of the Pharaoh
? 15 Savanna of the Pharaoh
? 16 Pyramids of the Pharaoh
? 17 Caiza
? 18 Caiza Farmlands
? 19 Falcon Ridge
? 20 Sunrise Cape
? 21 Sunrise Falls
? 22 Silent Dunes
? 23 Oasis
? 24 Pools of the Pharaoh
? 25 Ascent of Assassins
? 26 Peak of Assassins
? 27 Secret Forest
? 28 Forlorn Vallery
? 29 Forlorn Massif
? 30 Forlorn Hlllow
? 31 Deathless Dunes
? 32 Tombs of Devestation
? 33 Secluded Pyramid
? 34 ?
? 35 ?
? 36 ?

For a full list of items currently in beta testing, as well as their related threads, please see:

11 Likes
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What a slog! Or maybe it will even out?

Most of these look like negative effects. Season 4 challenged our team building to often not use a strong color. It looks like season 5 we’ll go back to using strong color, but we’ll face an additional challenge depending on the stage.

It’s different. But will it be enjoyable, or just an annoyance along the way?

11 Likes
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Gut feeling from reading these says, annoyance.

19 Likes
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well I can’t say I’m surprised… All recent mechanisms tend towards making it harder to complete, which requires more use of battle items and make you feel your heroes are weak… Nad more or more you tend to ask yourself: Why do I need to get so much stress out of a GAME? It’s hard to find all those enjoyable honestly…

7 Likes
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Annoying effects and I’m being a lot generous. Imagine playing and replaying stages dozens of times with that slogs :clown_face::skull:

6 Likes
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The question would be whether it’s like season 2 – in certain stages there is an extra challenge – or if every single stage has a negative effect. I am hoping (and tending to assume) the former.

2 Likes
7

Me too.

These two seems to be very annoying on first read.

7 Likes
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Same /:

IMO, buffs are always more pleasant to play. Towers are only tolerable because of the funny buffs that provides a very different and really adorable gameplay factor. If we only had the poison, item cuts and others they would be terrific.

5 Likes
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hmmmm. but at least the amulets sort of balance… though seem of these seem quite annoying indeed.

4 Likes
10

Love the very slow stage ideas. I have lots of already slow heros so they will be relatively more powerful while getting those big mana boosts.

10 Likes
11

Good point, I hadn’t though of it that way. A different but similar reason compared to Rush, as to use your Slow heroes :+1:

3 Likes
12

Sounds like gameplay as annoying as Valhalla. Hope I am wrong but agree with most sentiments already expressed.

1 Like
13

Yeah this doesn’t sound appealing. Can see this causing me to suffer the boredom and lack of interest as Valhalla. Completed normal prior to S4, but it’s so boring that am still only on Jotunheim on hard. Can do the levels without using mats but it is like watching paint dry to play…

4 Likes
14

I’m very interested in the Very Slow mechanic. I’ve long felt that Very Slow in a war/raid setting would be less dependent on board luck than the Very Fast mechanic.

5 Likes
15

What don’t you like about S3, personally I enjoyed those levels much more than S4 which feels like a slog. I loved the challenge of the special tiles

1 Like
16

The enemies just seem to have an abnormally high defence and health so it feels like it takes forever to clear them out. The tiles were fun the first while, but the only challenge is that you can’t move them, other than that everything they do is a plus. I’d have enjoyed the gameplay aspect more if perhaps they’d added in something like if you don’t have the corresponding colour in your team then you get the reverse effect e.g no blue hero, if you match blue rune you get Def down instead of enemy etc it would’ve created a challenge. As it is I just find it tedious knowing I won’t die but it taking so long due to hp/Def level.

I think the reckless regeneration and mana curse stages could cause the same for me.

2 Likes
17

So does that mean zero tile damage ? Clear stage with only hero specials ?

1 Like
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I read that as it negates the attack effect of the troop.
So if a hero has 500 attack and a troop with 10% attack, the 10% would be irrelevant and the hero would hit with the base 500 attack with each tile.

2 Likes
19

Well, this does not sound like fun. I’m ok with different… But come on… At least make the tiles do something fun.

1 Like
20

Bring it on! I like the vs mana feature it sounds like an interesting challenge. Agree that it may balance/even things out for already slow heroes.

1 Like