Hero Tactic Thursday’s Dev Blog!
Version 0.81 — Building a Damage Point System
Hey everyone, Guillermo here. Welcome to a sneak-peek into V0.81 of Hero Tactics! We heard your feedback and went back to the drawing board. Today I want to walk you through a new idea to make actions more consistent and easier to balance across sets: a Damage Point System.
The goal is simple. Every Action Point (AP) should map to a predictable amount of damage. Abilities attached to that action then subtract or add “value” from that baseline. This lets us compare cards apples to apples and tune them without guesswork.
Why a Damage Point System?
It creates a clear standard for designers and playtesters.
It makes early game and late game decisions feel fair.
It helps us price abilities so they feel powerful without being broken.
I’m giving extra weight to the first AP to set a strong floor for turn one plays. After that, damage grows at a steady pace.
Baseline Damage by Action Points
These are the starting numbers before any abilities are applied.
1 AP → 6 damage
Turn one needs to feel meaningful. This is roughly twice a basic attack.If an effect is attached, it usually costs 1–2 damage, so a typical 1-drop with an effect lands around 4–5 damage.
2 AP → 9 damage
This is a bump from the current 7–8 range.If it hits two targets, split the damage as evenly as possible.
Effects still subtract 1–2 damage depending on impact.
3 AP → 12 damage
These become more consistent workhorses.Can target multiple enemies but not full-board. Split the damage evenly.
4 AP → 18 damage AoE
Medium frequency for true AoE effects.24 damage if the effect also hurts a Summon.
5 AP → Big AoE and Ultimates (That’s right!)
These are the flashy finishers. They help close games or flip a board.
Rule of thumb: Abilities deduct from damage to pay for their utility, unless noted as a positive tradeoff like Recoil or Two-Turn Attack.
How Ability Pricing Works
Each ability has a damage adjustment that reflects its impact on the game. You can think of it like a budget. Start with the AP baseline, then add or subtract points based on the attached effects.
I’ll drop the list here as bullets so we can turn it into a nice table later.
Damage Adjustment Reference
Blind: −2
Burn: −1 per Burn counter, −2 additional if it also hits another target
Companion: −1
Enrage: −2
Foresight: −1, −2 if Foresight 4 or more
Immune: −1, −2 if Immune 3 or more
Intimidate: −2
Recoil: +1, +2 if Recoil 3 or more
Mill: −2, −3 if Mill 4 or more
Mute: −2
Paralyze: −3
Summon: −3
Pierce: no change
Poison: −2 per toxicity level
Protect: −2 per target it protects
Rejuvenate: −1 per target
Shield: −1 for every 3 shields it grants
Taunt: −5
Two-Turn Attack: +3
Note: We heard the feedback loud and clear – Poison has changed. It now scales by toxicity level. More to come!
Gameplay Scenario
A few quick calculations to show how this works in practice.
Example 1: 1 AP poke with utility
Baseline: 1 AP → 6 damage
Add Foresight 2: −1
Final damage: 5
Example 2: 2 AP split shot
Baseline: 2 AP → 9 damage
Targets two enemies, split evenly
Add Burn 1 to each target: −1 total for Burn, −2 extra for the additional target
Final damage pool: 6 total, split 3 and 3, each also gets Burn 1
Example 3: 3 AP heavy disable
Baseline: 3 AP → 12 damage
Add Paralyze: −3
Final damage: 9
Example 4: 4 AP AoE with Summon clause
Baseline: 4 AP → 18 AoE
Card also hurts Summons → rises to 24 AoE
Add Intimidate: −2
Final AoE damage: 22
Example 5: 5 AP Ultimate with Recoil
Baseline: 5 AP → big AoE finisher
Add Recoil 3: +2
Add Pierce: no change
You trade some survivability for extra damage. High risk. High reward.
Multi-Target and Splitting
When a card hits more than one target, split the damage as evenly as possible. If there’s an odd point, the controller chooses where the extra point goes unless the card text says otherwise.
What We’re Testing Right Now
How valuable should the first AP be compared to the rest
Where to set the exact breakpoints for AoE
How many points each disable should cost at different intensities
Whether Recoil and Two-Turn Attack need a tiny bump or reduction after more games
Tell Us What You Think
This is a starting point. I want to hear your thoughts. Tell me what feels off, what feels great, and why. The more specific you are, the better we can tune this. If you say you don’t like something, please explain what it did to your game state or how it changed your decision making.
Which AP tier felt too weak or too strong
Which ability costs felt incorrect
Any combos that became unfun or auto-picks
Where you felt your choices were limited by math instead of strategy
Drop your feedback in Discord. I’ll be reading everything.
Thanks as always for helping us shape Hero Tactics.
