Merge Tactics Mid-Season 10 Balance Changes: Ruler Quests and Troop Adjustments

The August 4th patch for Merge Tactics Mid-Season 10 focuses on refining Ruler quest balance, adjusting key troop stats, and strengthening underused traits. Goblin Queen and Tomb Queen receive quest objective changes to improve competitiveness, while Golden Knight and Skeleton Dragon face nerfs to reduce dominance. These changes aim to diversify the meta and encourage new strategies heading into the season finale.

What's New

Goblin Queen quest objectives reduced to 2/8/20
Golden Knight HP reduced to 1000 and hit speed slowed to 0.8
Baby Dragon HP increased to 900
Forest Trait grants 15%/30%/60% Bonus Hit Speed at 2/4/6 breakpoints
Valkyrie's Axe radius increased to 2 tiles with 100% split damage
Fisherman's Hook slowdown duration increased to 3 seconds

Ruler Quest Rebalancing

Goblin Queen's quest objectives are reduced to 2/8/20, making her more competitive among Rulers. Grand Warden and Royale King face increased quest difficulty, with objectives shifting to 3/10/20 and 2/3/4 respectively. Spirit Empress and Tomb Queen also see adjustments to balance their dominance and viability in lower-tier arenas.

Troop Stat Adjustments

Golden Knight receives a significant nerf with HP dropping to 1000 and hit speed slowing to 0.8, shifting focus to his dash damage as a primary asset. Baby Dragon and Firecracker are buffed to 900 HP and 100 damage respectively, enhancing their frontline and DPS roles. Boss Bandit gains 1200 HP and improved HP growth, while Magic Archer and Skeleton Dragon face mixed adjustments to balance their impact.

Forest Trait and Equipment Changes

The Forest Trait now provides 15%/30%/60% Bonus Hit Speed at 2/4/6 breakpoints, making it a more impactful choice for ally-focused builds. Fisherman's Hook gains 3 seconds of slowdown duration, improving its utility in crowd control. Valkyrie's Axe is reworked with a 2-tile radius and 100% split damage, altering its role in area denial strategies.

Rulers

Goblin Queen

Quest Objectives: 3/10/25 → 2/8/20 (-33%/20%/20%)

Grand Warden

Quest Objectives: 2/8/20 → 3/10/20 (+50%/25%/0%)

Royale King

Quest Objectives: 1/2/4 → 2/3/4 (+100%/50%/0%)

Spirit Empress

Quest Objectives: 3/15/50 → 3/20/60 (+0%/33%/20%)

Tomb Queen

Quest Objectives: 3/20/60 → 3/15/50 (-0%/25%/16.7%)

Echo Sage

Ruler Quest Objectives: 2/6/18 → 1/3/7 (-50%/50%/61%)

Grand Warden

First Shield AOE: 1 tile → 3 tiles (+200%)

Tomb Queen

HP inherited from Tombstone: 100% → 150% (+50%)
Hit Speed: 0.5 → 0.6 (+20%)

Troops

Baby Dragon

HP: 800 → 900 (+12.5%)

Boss Bandit

HP: 900 → 1200 (+33%)
HP Growth: 1.4 → 1.6 (+14%)

Firecracker

Damage: 80 → 100 (+25%)

Golden Knight

HP: 1200 → 1000 (-17%)
Hit Speed: 1 → 0.8 (-20%)

Magic Archer

Damage: 70 → 80 (+14%)
HP: 800 → 400 (-50%)
Hit Speed: 1 → 0.8 (-37.5%)
Damage: 80 → 50 (-20%)

Traits

Forest

2/6: 0 → 15%
2/6: 0 → 15%
4/6: 0 → 30%
4/6: 0 → 30%
6/6: 0 → 60%
6/6: 0 → 60%
Slowdown Duration: 0s → 3s
Durability: 6 → 5 (-16.7%)
Radius: 1 → 2 (+50%)
Durability: 10 → 3 (-70%)
Split Damage: 50% → 100% (+50%)

Meta Impact

Golden Knight's nerf reduces his dominance, opening space for Baby Dragon and Firecracker in frontline and DPS roles. Goblin Queen's easier quests make her a stronger Ruler pick, while Tomb Queen's adjustments improve her consistency. The Forest Trait's buffs incentivize synergy-based builds, and Valkyrie's Axe rework shifts its use toward high-impact area control. Players should prioritize adaptive strategies that leverage the new quest thresholds and trait synergies.

See the full Merge Tactics patch history: /updates.

Source: Clash Royale.