Stoneshard Update – Two-handed Maces

The upcoming early access update for Ink Stains Games’ turn-based RPG Stoneshard is going to introduce two new ability trees. One of them will support two-handed maces, a new weapon type that’s all about delivering slow deliberate hits that do a lot of damage and inflict various stun-adjacent status effects.

Here’s what you can expect from the new tree:

Hello everyone!

In today’s devlog we’ll tell you about the first of the two new ability trees, which will be added to the game with the Equipment Update II – two-handed maces!

Let’s start with the general structure of the ability tree:

Just like ability trees of other two-handed weapons, 2h maces have 10 abilities: 5 Actives and 5 Passives. Their overall theme is controlling the battlefield with Stuns, Dazes, Knockbacks, Debuffs while dealing large amounts of damage with powerful, but slow strikes.

Let’s have a closer look.

Active Abilities

Mighty Swing – the first of the two opening Active abilities is a buff which grants bonus Weapon, Armor, and Bodypart Damage, as well as extra Stun Chance for the next turn.

Other than that, it also synergizes with the rest of 2h mace abilities: if “Mighty Swing” is active when you activate them, they receive additional properties.

Unstoppable Force – the second opening Ability. It performs a strike on three adjacent tiles with a large bonus to Knockback Chance and Armor Damage.

Additionally, for each enemy you successfully Knock back, it reduces Skills Energy Cost for the next few turns.

If “Mighty Swing” is active, successfully Knocking enemies back also puts their abilities on Cooldown for a few turns.

Skull Crusher lets you perform a one tile dash and swing at the enemy’s head with bonus Stun Chance and Bodypart Damage

If “Mighty Swing” is active, this skill also burns the percentage of the target’s Energy equal to the percentage of its missing Health.

Slaughter – a stance-based skill, customary to all Weapon ability trees. It grants bonus Crit and Knockback Chance, reduces Skills Energy Cost, and increases Armor Penetration with each stack of its effect. On top of that, every 3rd attack has 100% chance to Daze.

If “Mighty Swing” is active, using this ability will deliver a strike to a random adjacent enemy.

Forceful Slam – the final Active ability, which can be used to either start a fight or finish off a stunned enemy.

First, “Forceful Slam” marks a tile, skipping a turn. If the next turn this tile is occupied by an enemy, the character will deliver a strike with a significant bonus to Crit Chance and deal bonus damage (scaling with the target’s Max Health) for each remaining turn of Daze, Immobilization, or Stun affecting the target.

If “Mighty Swing” is active, this skill also weakens the enemy occupying the marked tile, applying them with extra Damage Taken and reducing their Control and Move Resistances.

Passive Abilities

• Blow after Blow – killing enemies with 2h mace attacks and abilities grants the effect of “Mighty Swing” for the next turn and a bonus to Energy Restoration for the next few turns.
• Unbalance – Knocking enemies back with 2h mace attacks and abilities applies them with extra Fumble Chance and reduces their Control Resistance and Dodge Chance for the next few turns.
• Bonebreaker – attacks against enemies without Armor or with their Armor Durability lower than 50% gain bonus Bodypart Damage. Attacks against enemies with their Armor Durability higher than 50% gain bonus Armor Damage.
• Severe Concussion – Stunning, Dazing, or Immobilizing enemies with 2h mace attacks applies them with a debuff to Move Resistance and increases their Fumble Chance for a few turns.
• Revel in Battle – killing enemies while under the effect of “Slaughter” replenishes 20% Max Energy. Killing enemies while under the effect of both “Slaughter” and “Mighty Swing” additionally reduces the ability tree’s active Cooldowns by a few turns.

That’s all for now. Until the next time!