Sword & Solace, the seventh major free update for the strategy game Northgard, is here. This patch delivers plenty of improvements, including a reworked UI and some changes to the multiplayer GP system, among others.
Better User Interface
The developers acknowledged that there were some inconsistencies in the way information and choices were presented. Thus, they improved the user interface in the Sword & Solace update.
Now, more contextual information is available to tell you more about the different game options and their impact. For example, your rank is now displayed on the main menu. Furthermore, the clan selection screen now has animated backgrounds for each of the different clans The dev team adds more information about each clan as well, making it easier for people who are new to Northgard to understand their unique aspects.
Multiplayer and an Improved GP System
There are a few key changes to Northgard’s multiplayer aspect. First, the dev team reworked how Glory Points (GP) is calculated. Everyone will start the new season at 300 GP. The first 10 games will serve as placement matches and you’ll now win or lose more GPs depending on the outcome, meaning you’ll reach a rank closer to your skill level much faster than before. Second, at the end of future seasons, GP will again be recalculated based on your rank in the previous season.
Third, there’s a new rank tier called Gemstone that sits between Gold and Rimsteel. Along with that are new tier ranges, which you can find below:
- Wood
- 0 to 199 GP
- Stone
- 200 GP to 399 GP
- Iron
- 400 GP to 599 GP
- Gold
- 600 GP to 799 GP
- Gemstone
- 800 GP to 999 GP
- Rimsteel
- 1,000 GP
It is also important to note that you can only enter a multiplayer lobby if you are roughly in the same GP range as the host. This range is currently set at 150 difference.
Update Highlights
- Bodyguard (50 Military XP)
- Your Warchief can recruit a Bodyguard
- This unit will taunt nearby enemies to protect your Warchief
- Rally (3,000 Military XP)
- Your Warchief can use the Rally ability: Your military units gain a 30% attack speed and movement speed bonus for 5 seconds
- Call to Arms (500 Military XP)
- Call to Arms is a passive ability placed on your Town Hall. Every six months, the homeland sends you Militias to help you defend your territory
- The militia is a defensive military unit that cannot leave the allied territory
- Hold the Line (3,000 Military XP)
- You can place spike walls in a zone that will deal damage when an enemy tries to engage
The full patch notes can be found on the game’s official Steam page.
Northgard Sword & Solace update is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
