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4.2.4 Patch Notes - Raynor, Artanis, Swann Changes

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The focus is all on the co-op commanders in this latest StarCraft 2 patch, with Artanis, Raynor and Swann, all three getting some buffs across the board and changes to masteries. There's also a lot more other commander tweaks and a whole bunch of co-op fixes as well, in addition to some very minor adjustments to versus at the end.

Blizzard Logo4.2.4 (source)

Co-op

Artanis

  • Orbital Strike energy cost decreased from 50 energy to 25 energy.
  • Orbital Strike cooldown decreased from 60 seconds to 30 seconds.
  • Shield Overcharge cooldown reduced from 300 seconds to 180 seconds.
  • Dragoon damage increased from 14 (22 vs armored) to 14 (28 vs armored). Damage increased from weapon upgrades from +2 to +1 (+3 vs armored).
  • Dragoon base range increased from 5 to 6. Range after Singularity Charge increased from 7 to 8.
  • Phoenix base damage increased from 5 (10 vs light) to 7 (12 vs light).
  • Psionic Storm upgrade cost decreased from 150/150 to 100/100.
  • Khaydarin Amulet upgrade cost decreased from 150/150 to 100/100.
  • Khaydarin Amulet research time decreased from 90 to 60.
  • Plasma Surge upgrade cost decreased from 200/200 to 150/150.
  • Plasma Surge upgrade research time decreased from 120 seconds to 90 seconds.
  • Shield Overcharge Cooldown Mastery replaced with Shield Overcharge Duration and Damage Absorption Mastery. Shield Overcharge Duration and Damage Absorption Mastery Mastery increases the durability and duration of Shield Overcharge by 3% per point up to 90%.
  • Warp Charge Cooldown Reduction Mastery replaced by Energy Regeneration and Ability Cooldown Reduction Mastery. This Mastery increases the energy generation and ability cooldowns of all of Artanis' units by 1.5% per point, up to 45%. Affected abilities include the Zealot's Charge and Whirlwind, the Immortal's Barrier, the Reaver's Create Scarab, the Phoenix's Graviton Beam, and the Tempests' Disintegration. High Templar and Archons will have their energy regeneration increased. 
  • Artanis' Level 2 upgrade, Guardian Shell, now provides 15% life and shield regeneration for friendly units.
  • Guardian Shell Life and Shield Restoration Masteries now provide 0.5% additional unit regeneration per point, down from 1% per point. Maximum additional restoration reduced from 30% to 15%.

Han & Horner

  • All of Horner's units' Tactical Jump abilities no longer require vision of the target area.

Karax

  • Mirage base damage increased from 5 (10 vs light) to 7 (12 vs light).

Raynor

  • All Raynor’s Factory and Starport units now receive 20% gas cost bonuses instead of 20% mineral cost bonuses.
  • Banshees now gain +2 range when cloaked.
  • Battlecruisers can now shoot while moving.
  • The Battlecruiser's Yamato Gun cooldown decreased from 100 seconds to 60 seconds.
  • Replaced Stimpack Duration Mastery with Research Cost Reduction Mastery. Research Cost Reduction Mastery reduces the costs of all research by 2% per point, up to a maximum of 60%.
  • Medic Heal Damage Reduction Mastery replaced by Mech Attack Speed Mastery. Mech Attach Speed Mastery increases the attack speed of Raynor's Factory and Starport units by 1% per point up to a maximum of 30%.
  • Hyperion cooldown Mastery increased from -3 seconds per point to -4 seconds per point. Maximum bonuses increased from -90 seconds to -120 seconds.
  • The Battlecrusier's Tactical Jump no longer requires vision of the target area.

Swann

  • SCVs now benefit from the Level 1 Vehicle Specialist upgrade, which reduces the SCV's build time by 20%.
  • SCVs now benefit from the Level 15 Mechanical Know-How upgrade, which increases the SCV's HP by 20%.
  • Hellbat HP increased from 135 to 235.
  • Cyclone cost decreased from 150/150 to 150/100.
  • Targeting Optics upgrade cost decreased from 150/150 to 100/100.
  • Targeting Optics research time decreased from 90 seconds to 60 seconds.
  • Mag-Field Accelerator upgrade cost decreased from 200/200 to 100/100.
  • Mag-Field Accelerator upgrade research time decreased from 120 seconds to 90 seconds.
  • Thor 330mm Cannon animation cast start and finish times decreased from 2 seconds each to .5 second each.
  • Thor 330mm Cannon cast range increased from 7 to 10.
  • The Wraith's Pulse Amplifier upgrade has been reworked. It now has the following functionality: When the Wraith is moving, the damage of its Gemini Missiles is increased by 100% and the damage of its Burst Lasers is increased by 300%.
  • The Wraith's Displacement Field upgrade now provides Wraiths with 20% additional movement speed when cloaked.
  • Decreased the deceleration of Wraiths from 2.6 to 1.25.
  • Increased the attack arc of the Wraith’s Burst Lasers and Gemini Missiles weapons from 0 to 90.
  • Increased the Wraith's turning rate from 720 to 1440.
  • Decreased the time between the Wraith's Burst Laser attacks from 1.7 to 1.25.
  • Reduced the damage point of Wraith's Burst Lasers and Gemini Missiles from .167 to .0446.
  • The Hercules' Tactical Jump no longer requires vision of the target area.
  • Enemy units near the target of a Drakken Laser Drill's attack will now try to find and attack any units providing vision for the laser.
  • Increased the life regeneration of Regenerative Bio-steel from .6 per second to 2 per second.
  • Laser Drill Build and Upgrade Time Mastery renamed to Laser Drill Build Time, Upgrade Time, and Upgrade Cost Mastery. It now reduces the build time, upgrade time, and upgrade cost by 1.5% per point up to a maximum of 45%.

Bug Fixes

Co-op

  • Normalized the repair rates of all mechanical Protoss units.
  • Alarak
    • Correctly added the Psionic tag to Alarak's Mothership.
  • Artanis
    • Fixed a typo in Artanis' Plasma Surge upgrade.
    • Fixed the hotkey hookup of Artanis' Psionic Storm upgrade in the Templar Archives.
  • Dehaka
    • Correctly renamed the ground armor labels of Dehaka's Primal Locusts, Explosive Creepers, and burrowed Impalers.
  • Fenix
    • Fixed a bug where canceling warp-ins would trigger Fenix's Avenging Protocol.
    • Updated Fenix's level 6 upgrade tooltip for "Fenix Upgrade Cache", to reflect the updated damage values.
    • Updated Fenix's level 4 upgrade tooltip for "Shock Troop Research Cache" to reflect the updated Ricochet Glaives upgrade.
  • Han & Horner
    • Updated Han & Horner's level 7 upgrade tooltip for "Dominion Starport Upgrade Cache" to reflect the updated Wraith attack speed increase.
    • The Strike Fighter Platform now has the Select Worker button while building.
    • Fixed a bug where Widow Mines were not receiving armor upgrades while they were burrowed.
    • Fixed a hotkey issue related to the Theia Raven.
  • Raynor
    • Fixed an issue where Raynor's level 15 upgrade, Mercenary Munitions, was providing slightly too much attack speed.
  • Stukov
    • Correctly added the Biological tag to Stukov's Apocalisk.
    • Correctly added the Armored tag to Stukov's Aleksander.
    • Fixed an issue where the Apocalisk was dealing its splash damage to its primary target.
    • The Apocalisk' Burrow Charge ability now correct does spell damage instead melee damage.
    • The Infested Colonist Compound now has the Select Worker and Halt buttons while building.
    • The Infested Bunker now has the Select Worker and Halt buttons while building.
  • Swann
    • Fixed a bug where Swann's ARES Bots were not stunning enemies.
    • Slightly decreased the number of periods of the Lock-on ability to avoid applying fractional damage.
    • Fixed a bug where the Cyclone's Lock-on ability was doing too much damage to Dehaka.
    • Fixed a bug where Swann's KMC Auto-Loaders upgrade was providing slightly too much attack speed.

Versus

  • The Overseer’s and Observer’s deacceleration will no longer delay the activation of the Oversight and Surveillance Mode abilities.
  • When casting Parasitic Bomb on the same target multiple times, the glow effect will display properly and will not disappear prematurely.
  • When using Neural Parasite on a Viper that used Parasitic Bomb, the Parasitic Bomb effect will not change ownership.

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These are some very serious buffs to Artanis, Raynor and Swann. I haven't played coop in years (before the mutator update), but I didn't know they were THAT far behind the other commanders.

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      Tempest
      Cost reduced from 300/200 to 250/175 Supply reduced from 6 to 5 Hit Points and Shields reduced from 300/150 to 150/125 Speed increased from 2.632 to 3.5 Acceleration increased from 1.4875 to 2.8
      We want to keep the Tempest’s identity as a mobile long range weapons platform but give it a number of changes to make it both more interesting to fight against as well as more desirable in maxed-out army situations. At 450 total health, the previous Tempest had one of the highest health-to-cost ratios of all air units. By reducing its overall health, we can emphasize the weakness of the Tempest—overrunning it with numerous smaller units—as well as freeing up design space to make its strengths more interesting.
      Increasing speed without reducing damage or range will allow Tempest players to better position their units. This is designed around the idea that the Tempest is a large warship that trades durability for range and speed. Reduction of cost and supply is aimed at feedback we have gotten over time that in late-game scenarios against Zerg, Tempests are not desirable due to their supply and low effectiveness for cost versus targets other than Brood Lords. Against Terrans, Tempests already have a place fighting Battlecruisers, or more commonly, Liberators. After these changes, Tempests will match up well against these targets but will have to be extra careful around Vikings and Thors due to their decreased health pool.
      Carrier
      Graviton Catapult upgrade removed Hit Points and Shields increased from 250/150 to 300/150 Build time decreased from 86 to 64 seconds Interceptor build time increased from 6 to 11 seconds Interceptor damage decreased from 5x2 to 8x1 Interceptors will get +1x1 per Air Attack upgrade instead of +1x2 For the Carrier, we want to make changes that allow players to show their skill in controlling this powerful capital ship. One of the main pain points with Carrier power is that it is very front-loaded in terms of burst damage. Currently, the Graviton Catapult upgrade allows the Carrier to deploy Interceptors to easily overwhelm the sorts of rapid-firing units that could soft counter it, like Hydralisks and Marines. This makes the interaction between Carrier groups and opponents highly lethal—either kill the Carriers quickly, or be quickly destroyed. By removing the Graviton Catapult upgrade, reducing Interceptor damage, and increasing Carrier hit points, we hope to reduce how immediately lethal Carrier encounters are for both sides.
      Increasing Interceptor build time is aimed at making one of the soft counters to Carriers, killing their Interceptors, more reliable. We’re also reducing the Carrier’s build time, partly to offset the increased time it takes for them to come up to full power, since Carriers will still start with four out of eight Interceptors available. Also, since the burst damage of the Carrier is reduced, we have more room to allow them to be produced faster as opponents should be under less pressure to quickly amass their counters.
      Mothership
      Time Warp now also reduces the attack speed of enemy units and structures by 50% in addition to slowing by 50% Time Warp has remained unchanged since the removal of the Mothership Core. Since the old Time Warp was balanced around being on an early game unit, we wanted to increase the power of this ability to make it better fitting for a high-tech unit. By reducing attack speed this reinforces the ability’s zoning potential. It can also be especially effective against entrenched enemy positions by weakening static defenses without outright killing them.
      Shield Battery
      Shield Battery Restore will now work on units under the effect of the Phoenix Graviton Beam This will allow Shield Batteries to be more effective against low numbers of Phoenix harass. As a result, Phoenix play will need to be more of a commitment if the opponent builds Shield Batteries.
      Assimilator
      Health and Shields reduced from 450/450 to 300/300 Lowering the overall life of the Assimilator brings it more in line with Refineries and Extractors.
      Gateway
      Once Warp Gate research is complete, newly built Gateways will automatically transform into Warp Gates on completion Ideally, once Warp Gate research is done, newly built Gateways are always transformed into Warp Gates. This isn’t the most strategic or mechanics-intensive decision, so we are testing out making it automated.
      General
      New countdown timer added to the start of matches played in the Testing Matchmaking queue We’ve received feedback that players would like to test the addition of a countdown timer at the beginning of matches. This could help players have a smoother transition from the loading screen to the start of a match by reducing uncertainty about when the game starts. Thus, we’ll be feeling out this change in the Testing Tab.
      This is our first pass of changes for our post-BlizzCon update coming in November. As with previous design updates, these changes are balanced towards being more noticeable, with new changes being added or some being removed over the testing period—but that’s where you come in! Starting on Tuesday, you’ll be able to hop into the Testing Matchmaking queue, try out the changes, and let us know what you think. Good luck and have fun!
       
    • By Starym
      This patch brings preparations for the War Chest: BlizzCon 2018, which will be available on August 9th and feature a whole lot of new skins, banners and bonus items for other Blizzard games. You can check out the preview of the chest and the rest of the patch notes, which feature a lot of bug fixes focused primarily on co-op, below:
      War Chest Season 3 (source)
      The next War Chest is arriving soon. Check out the skin trailer we debuted at GSL vs the World.
      Below is a collection of all the new loot you can expect for each of the three races.
      New Cosmetic: Banners
      The third season of the War Chest brings with it a new cosmetic item: banners. Banners are a new way to customize your look in StarCraft II, and are displayed whenever you load into a game in Versus or Co-op. Each War Chest you purchase comes with its own race-specific banner, and if you pick up all three, you’ll also receive the exclusive “random” banner for those that let fate choose their race..
      Co-op Boost
      Along with all these new items, the War Chest also includes a 50% boost to experience earned when playing Co-op. Unlike previous War Chests, this boost will not be limited to 30 days—it will be active for the entire duration of the War Chest event. This means you’ll have from August 9 until December 6 to level up your favorite commanders.
      Bonus Items
      Those who purchase the bundle will receive the “random” banner as well as the following items claimable in other Blizzard games.
      War Chest: BlizzCon 2018 will be available for purchase starting August 9. You can purchase the race of your choice for $9.99 each, or you can buy the bundle for $24.99.
       
      4.5.0 Patch Notes (source)
      General
      The War Chest: BlizzCon 2018 has been added in preparation for its global launch on August 9. Over 70 new items will be available including new skins, portraits, sprays, emoticons, and a new cosmetic: banners. Learn more in our preview blog. Bug Fixes
      General
      The In-game music that plays while not in a match will no longer play over campaign cinematics and cutscenes. Versus
      Fixed an issue that caused the Mass Recall and Strategic Recall targeting cursor to not match the actual size of the affected area. Fixed an issue that caused the Anti-Armor timer to appear on the info panel of friendly units.   16-Bit – Increased the brightness of certain areas that appeared too dark on Low graphics settings. Fracture LE – Fixed an issue that caused certain doodads to appear as placeholder spheres in the Editor and missing in the game client. Blueshift LE – Fixed terrain textures that were not aligned with certain mineral deposits. Co-op Missions
      Kerrigan – The Hydralisk Den can no longer morph into a Lurker den while it is evolving an upgrade. Nova – Fixed an issue where attempting to immediately unload units after using Tactical Airlift would cause the units to be dropped off in their original location. Cradle of Death Fixed the mineral arrangement for the left main base. Added lights to the ramps leading outside of the center bases to help guide players to the next objective. Fixed more doodads where units could be teleported to and become stuck. Malwarfare – The UI Minimap Icons for Kill Bots and Suppression Towers are no longer the same. Miner Evacuation – Replaced missing environment art. Part and Parcel – Fixed an area of the map where units could be dropped and become stuck. Campaign
      Nova Covert Ops Replaced missing environment art on the mission “Night Terrors.” Troopers now benefit from infantry upgrades. The Blazefire Gunblade’s damage is now shown correctly in the info panel. Legacy of the Void – The Swarm Queen now has the correct unit model on the mission “Amon’s Fall.” UI
      Zerg melee attack upgrade no longer displays as a blank icon when looking at the Upgrade info panel during a replay. Known Issue
      Player Portraits can appear blank or missing when loading a replay. Previous patch notes.
    • By Starym
      It's time for another anniversary, and this time it's StarCraft 2 that's celebrating with in-game goodies! We're getting a cake profile portrait, double the co-op XP and, most importantly, fireworks and banners upon command center/nexus/hatchery completion! So happy birthday to SC2 and let's get in there and get those great rewards and harvest that XP bonus until July 30th!
      8th Anniversary (source)
      It’s hard to believe that it’s already been eight years since the release of Wings of Liberty. Eight years of the most amazing esports moments. Eight years of the most passionate and hardest working gamers in the world.
      To celebrate our anniversary, we’re giving away a yummy cake portrait to every player who plays one game during the promotion. StarCraft II demands a lot of brainpower so enjoy some sugar while earning ladder points.

      In-game, the workers are joining in on the celebration, but instead of wearing hats or stuffing their bodies with glitter, they will proudly fly banners and launch fireworks every time they complete a base structure. Party supply rental fees are costly in the future, however, so the signs will come down after some time.
      And finally, as a thank you for everyone who has continued to support StarCraft II, we’re activating a 100% bonus to the base experience gained in Co-op commanders and for leveling up individual races in Versus. Now is a great time to max out Commanders or earn levels for your off races.
      The celebration begins today and lasts until July 30 so don’t wait to jump in and celebrate StarCraft II’s birthday.  As always, thank you for your continued passion and love for the game.
    • By Starym
      Not much to say here, as this minor patch changes Kerrigan's Mutalisk upgrade and adds a bunch of bug fixes for co-op missions and versus mode.
      4.4.1 (source)
      Co-op Missions
      Kerrigan’s Mutalisk upgrade Severing Glave has been reworked. Will now remove the damage penalty from each bounce but will no longer increase its damage. No longer provides 100% bonus damage to armored units. Bug Fixes
      Co-op Missions
      Nova: Fixed the Nuke and Holo Decoy Cooldown Mastery tooltip to correctly read it decreases cooldowns by 3 seconds per point.   Raynor: Fixed an issue that caused the Research Resource Cost Mastery to not function correctly. Zagara Fixed an issue that caused Banelings from the Baneling nest and Banelings morphed from Zerglings to not benefit from the Baneling Attack Damage Mastery. Fixed an issue that caused the Scourge’s Virulent Spores upgrade to not function. Dead of Night: Chokers will once again use their choking ability. Cradle of Death Fixed an exploit that allowed Alarak to be unkillable on Cradle of Death. Fixed an issue where units could get transported under Stone’s Transport Compound and become trapped. Stone’s Transport Compound can no longer be cloaked. Fixed several incorrect icons for Co-op units. Versus
      The Renegade Missile Turret now has a burning animation. Fixed an issue that sometimes caused Widow Mines using the Special Forces skin to display a slower than normal burrow animation.   Removed the ‘Attack’ and ‘Stop’ commands from Pylons in the hotkeys menu. The Anion Pulse Crystals upgrade no longer shows an internal string when using the Wings of Liberty expansion level. A Widow Mine using the Mira’s Marauders skin now shows the burrow particle effect. Previous patch notes.
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