[PC/XBO] Halo Wars 2

Heroes
All Hero units have been adjusted to make them more powerful and available more quickly and be a potent force in the early, mid, and late game. They are more vulnerable initially, but are also more powerful when fully upgraded, so protecting them will pay off as they gain Veterancy. Heroes have been balanced between leaders to make them more competitive with each other. Lower armor benefits and increased damage from Tier 3 Vehicles and Artillery while garrisoned makes it easier to pry them out of their defenses.Spartan Alice, Jerome and Douglas

• Starting HP reduced -50%
• Basic DPS increased +67%
• Cost decreased from 450/450 to 200/250
• Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced from 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
  3. Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -11%
  4. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +29%
  5. Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -19%
  6. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +19%

Forgehog

• Starting HP reduced -40%
• Basic Autocannon DPS increased +68%
• Basic Cobra Cannon DPS increased +67%
• Cost decreased from 500/400 to 250/220
• Build time reduced from 45 to 30 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced from 450/650/850 to 325/550/650 power
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
  3. Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -4%
  4. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +31%
  5. Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -7%
  6. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +29%

Kinsano’s Cyclops

• Starting HP reduced -33%
• Basic Flamethrower DPS increased +66%
• Basic Anti-inf Flamethrower DPS increased +66%
• Basic Anti-building Flamethrower DPS increased +43%
• Cost decreased from 500/400 to 250/300
• Build time reduced from 45 to 27 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced from 450/650/850 to 325/550/650 power
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
  3. Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -11%
  4. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +29%
  5. Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -19%
  6. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +19%

Sgt. Johnson

• Starting HP reduced -50%
• Basic Minigun DPS increased +67%
• Basic Artillery DPS increased +67%
• Cost decreased from 450/450 to 200/250
• Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced from 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +10%
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
  3. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +29%
  4. Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -7%
  5. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +36%/+14%

Commander Jerome

• Starting HP reduced -50%
• Basic Hydra DPS increased +54%
• Basic Hydra Vehicle DPS increased +55%
• Jerome’s Mantis Laser DPS increased +50%
• Jerome’s Mantis Missile Launcher DPS increased +60%
• Cost decreased from 550/450 to 350/250
• Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced from 600/800/1000 to 450/600/750
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus unchanged
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
  3. Mantis Upgrade 1 damage bonus reduced -14%
  4. Mantis Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
  5. Upgrade 2 damage bonus increased +8%
  6. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +29%
  7. Mantis Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -7%
  8. Mantis Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +42%
  9. Upgrade 3 damage bonus increased +17%
  10. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +36%/+19%
  11. Mantis Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -7%
  12. Mantis Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +36%/+19%

Brute Warlord

• Starting HP reduced -25%
• Hammer DPS increased +72%
• Cost decreased from 450/400 to 200/250
• Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
  3. Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -4%
  4. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +38%
  5. Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -7%
  6. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +36%

Atriox’s Chosen

• Starting HP reduced -44%
• Bruteshot DPS increased +72%
• Cost decreased from 450/400 to 200/250
• Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus increased +4%
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +17%
  3. Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -13%
  4. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +31%
  5. Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -16%
  6. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +20%

Elite Honour Guard

• Starting HP reduced -50%
• Sword DPS increased +66%
• Cost decreased from 450/400 to 200/275
• Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus reduced -9%
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +33%
  3. Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -9%
  4. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +33%
  5. Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -4%
  6. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +19%

Hunter Captain

• Starting HP reduced -50%
• Starting SP reduced -6%
• Beam DPS increased +29%
• Beam lifesteal reduced -24%
• Cost decreased from 450/400 to 200/225
• Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus unchanged
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
  3. Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -8%
  4. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +35%
  5. Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -11%
  6. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +32%

Arbiter

• Starting HP reduced -50%
• Sword DPS increased +66%
• Rage Sword DPS increased +52%
• Cost decreased from 550/450 to 350/250
• Build time reduced from 40 to 30 seconds
• Upgrade cost reduced 400/600/800 to 300/450/600 power
• Upgrade effects reworked:
  
  1. Upgrade 1 damage bonus unchanged
  2. Upgrade 1 HP & SP bonus increased +13%
  3. Upgrade 2 damage bonus reduced -4%
  4. Upgrade 2 HP & SP bonus increased +35%
  5. Upgrade 3 damage bonus reduced -11%
  6. Upgrade 3 HP & SP bonus increased +32%

Hero Veterancy

• All Hero Veterancy requirements increased:
  
  
  1. Level 1 vet requirement increased +108%
  2. Level 2 vet requirement increased +100%
  3. Level 3 vet requirement increased +67%

Garrisoned Heroes

• Damage vs. Heroes in Garrisoned increased for Tier 3 Vehicles and Artillery units

Buildings/Units:
Choppers and Jackrabbits have been adjusted to bring them closer to each other. Jackrabbits now have guns without requiring an upgrade which makes them, and UNSC leaders, more competitive against Banished units from the start of the match. Ram damage has also been reduced to balance the impact of those attacks on Tier 1 units.

Chopper health and damage lowered slightly, build time increased by 1 second:

• HP reduced -13%
• DPS reduced -15%
• Upgrade no longer increases speed or HP
• Build time 25 sec -> 26 sec

Jackrabbit health and damage increased slightly:

• 
  
  • DPS increased +14%
  • HP increased +9%
• Jackrabbits now start with the guns by default, gun upgrades no longer needed.
• Jackrabbit drone upgrade, cost increased from 350 to 450 and time from 25 to 30 seconds

• Ram damage reduced against Hero units, Infantry and Scout units
  
  
  • Ram damage vs. Heroes reduced -63%
  • Ram damage vs. Infantry reduced -28%
  • Ram damage vs. Scouts reduced -45%
  • Ram is a little more responsive and has less wind-up time

Key Tier 2 Vehicles (Mantis, Warthog, Marauder) have been adjusted to improve their impact and cost-effectiveness in the mid and late-game while Tier 3 UNSC Vehicles (Colossus, Grizzly, Kodiak ) are now more powerful to improve their competitiveness against their Banished counterparts. Reavers have increased rate of fire which makes them a more potent anti-air threat and Shrouds are less effective at intercepting projectiles requiring more of them to achieve the same levels of protection.

Mantis health and damage increased:

• HP increased +20%
• DPS increased +10%

Colossus damage and health increased slightly, build time reduced:

• HP increased +15%
• DPS increased +15%
• Build times reduced from 48 to 42 seconds

Warthog health and damage increased:

• HP increased +15%
• DPS increased +10%

Marauder cost and population requirement lowered, missile slow reduced:

• Cost 400 -> 320
• Population Cost reduced 5 -> 4
• Missile 70% -> 50% slow

Grizzly damage and health increased slightly, build time reduced:

• HP increased +8%
• DPS increased by 15%
• Build times reduced from 58 to 48 seconds

Kodiaks will now fire more often when targets are within range:

• 
  
  • Post fire delay reduced from 3-3.2 seconds, to 2.6-2.8 seconds
• Shroud now has a slower recharge rate on its anti-projectile defense
• Reavers now have an increased rate of fire (same overall DPS but overkill has been reduced)
• Reinstated Turrets gaining damage improvements from Fortify upgrades

As always the Halo Wars 2 team will continue to monitor gameplay data and player feedback to help inform future updates and adjustments to balance and game mechanics. Please continue to share your feedback here on Halo Waypoint!