As we approach the official launch of Shroudfall and move out of the beta phase this year, we have taken a major step forward with the help of our dedicated beta testers. All factions have been updated for 2025 to ensure a balanced gameplay experience and to align with the first edition rulebook changes, set to be published in Q2 2025.
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to testing, balancing, and making Shroudfall an even better game!
The new unit cards are now available for download! You can find them both in this blog post and in the Rules & Resources section. Additionally, an overview of all faction changes is provided at the end of this post.
Unit Cards:
Updated rules to be published in the first edition rulebook
The first edition rulebook is already in the works and will be published towards the end of the 2nd quarter of 2025. This update aims to make the core rules more intuitive, featuring clearer presentations, updated examples, and adjustments to enhance game flow. Rest assured, the essence of Shroudfall's gameplay remains unchanged; our focus is on refining your gaming experience - and vastly improving our current rulebook layout.
Still some of the planned rules updates are already integrated in the unit cards and we will update the existing rulebooks within the next week to reflect these changes.
The most important addition is the "Slam" rule:
Furthermore there will be a handful of additions to the common passive rules, with the first one now, in the updated card set, being:
Reach X" (Weapon Profile): Units with this common passive ability change the reach of their 'Weapon Profile' to X" during their activation.
Expanding the Armies
Reinforcements are on the way! As we gear up for the March tournament, we're rolling out new miniatures to ensure every faction stands on equal footing. The Bloodthorne will gain even more ways to spread their relentless corruption, while the Umbral Veil is set to receive their first dedicated ranged troops. Meanwhile, the Silver Line is preparing to deploy a sturdy new infantry unit built for defense…
Join the Community
As we embark on this new chapter, we invite you to join our growing community. Share your experiences, provide feedback, and stay updated on upcoming events and releases by visiting our blog and joining the discussion on Discord.
Thank you for your unwavering support. Together, we've shaped Shroudfall into the immersive tabletop experience it is today, and we look forward to the adventures that await us!
Balancing Change Log:
Silver Line
Overall, we are very satisfied with the performance and playstyle of the Silver Line. This faction is designed to build its gameplay around strong profile values, both defensively and offensively, while having limited access to control effects. The key skill for any Silver Line player is making decisive choices about when to commit their powerful but expensive units and when to take a more cautious approach to engagements.
Faction ability:
Factoion ability 'Chain of Command' reworded and target requirements slightly adapted
Removed: "Order: Secure the perimeter"
Gained faction ability "Order: Cautious Advance!"
Count Wealton Adamant, the Third
Points costs reduced to 22 (previously 24)
Essence reduced to "Red" (previously "Red, Yellow")
Major Byron Kildare, Master of the Armoury
'Vent Steam' renamed to 'Kinetic Discharge' and trigger simplified
'Guardian Protocols' was changed from an aura ability to an ability affecting one unit directly
'Assault Overdrive' no longer inflicts damage on affected units
Riflemen
Points costs increased to 25 (previously 24)
Lost passive ability 'Combined Shot'
Guardian Defiants
Points costs increased to 27
Lost active essence ability 'Taunt'
Lost: 'Throwback'
Gained active essence ability: 'Wall of steel'
Gained passive ability: 'Knockback'
Guardian Brawlers
no changes
Guardian Lawbringer
Points costs increased to 27
Gained reactive essence ability 'Shrapnel shell'
Goblin Scouts
DEF increased to 7 (up from DEF 6)
Gained passive ability 'Not picky'
Lost passive ability 'Hard to hit'
Goblin Demolition Crew
DEF increased to 7 (up from DEF 6)
Gained passive ability 'Not picky'
Lost reactive essence ability 'Going out with a boom'
Lost passive ability 'Hard to Hit'
Captain Katheryn Stromridge
Points up to 16 points (up from 14)
Lost active essence ability 'Whirlwind Strike
Lost reactive essence ability 'No one is forgotten'
Lost passive ability 'Accurate Strike'
Gained active essence ability 'Whirlwind Dance'
Gained active essence ability 'Steel Rush'
Gained active essence ability 'Anger Issues'
Gained critical Devastating Blow (Y)
Gained passive ability 'Cleaving Strike'
Chosen of the Spirit Tree
The Chosen of the Spirit Tree have been the meta-leader over the past year, maintaining a slight edge over the Silver Line and the Umbral Veil. With their ability to control the battlefield and influence the placement enemy models, they excel in scenario-based play while remaining resilient and difficult to remove quickly. Some units have received a few more changes and you will notice some point increases and adjustments throughout the faction to better align them with the intended power level.
Faction Mechanic
The Faction mechanic was streamlined, so that the interaction with FOREST terrain becomes easier and clearer for players. Chosen of the Spirit Tree units starting an activation within a FOREST terrain feature now automatically generate a grey essence crystal. Chosen of the Spirit Tree units ending an activation within a FOREST terrain feature may remove 1 point of damage.
First Servant of the Spirit Tree
Lost keyword DISCORD
MOV reduced to S
Gained new 'Attuned' faction ability, changing his MOV value to M for the activation
'Perfected Chi Strike' changed to either place the enemy model hit or inflict a melee damage roll
Nekari, Supreme elementalist
Leadership 'Elemental Overload' reworded
Passive ability 'Elemental Crescendo' now only infuses damage rolls.
Serene Sentinels
HP value lowered to 4 (previously 5)
Melee range reduced to 1" (previously 2")
Serene Dragons
Points changed to 28 (up from 27)
Lost active essence ability Resonating Strike
Melee weapon damage reduced to YYYG (down from YYYY)
Gained passive ability 'Brutal Strike (1)'
Gained active essence ability 'Deflection'
Serene Sages
Active essence ability 'Chi Shift' placement ranged reduced to 1" (down from 2") but lost 'once per activation' restriction
Faction ability 'Attuned' changed. Placement range reduced to 1".
Stormcaller
Arcane hit value increased to YYGG (from YYGG)
New faction 'Attuned' ability granting the Stormcallers Critical: Shocked.
Razhu, Dragonclaw
Points cost changed to 21 (up from 17)
Lost active essence ability 'Uncontrollable Rage'
Lost reactive essence ability 'Defensive Strike'
Lost reactive essence ability 'Bond of brothers'
Gained active essence ability 'Unyielding Offense'
Gained active essence ability 'Furious Roar'
Gained reactive essence ability 'Countercharge'
Gained passive ability 'Backswing'
Faction ability 'Attuned' changed
Chaku, Dragontail
Point chost changed to 19 (up from 16)
Active essence ability 'Calm Leadership' renamed to 'Inspiring Roar'
Lost reactive essence ability 'Brotherhood Bond'
Gained active essence ability 'Resonating Strike'
Gained passive ability 'Reach 3" (Dragonfang)'
Faction ability 'Attuned' changed
Brewmaster
Points cost changed to 16 (up from 14)
Arcane hit reduced to YYGG (down from YYYG)
Damage value of 'Dragonfire Breath' reduced to YYGG (down from YYYG)
Active essence ability 'The good stuff' changed
Active essence ability 'Another Round' now grants 'Elusive (1)' (down from 'Elusive (+1)')
Lirana Greenleaf, the Whispering Grove
no changes besides wording corrections
Beastbane Slayer
Points cost changed to 18 (up from15)
Lost active essence ability 'Carnage'
Lost reactive essence ability 'Anger issues'
Gained active essence ability 'Uncontrollable Rage'
Gained active essence ability 'Intimidating Roar'
Gained reactive essence ability 'Fighting Frenzy'
Passive ability 'Winding up' changed
Faction ability 'Attuned' changed to Critical: Devastating Strike (Y)
Beastbane Vanguard
no changes besides wording corrections
Umbral Veil
The Umbral Veil was slightly lagging behind the Chosen of the Spirit Tree and the Silver Line throughout the 2nd half of the year. Furthermore their faction mechanic proved to be a bit too confusing on the battlefield with their access to multiple 'Eixir' abilities on their various MONSTROSITY units. Therefore the faction mechanic got further streamlined, now providing a standardized buff to all MONSTROSITIES. In context of this rebalancing, we also wanted to further emphasize the interaction between ALCHEMIST units and MONSTROSITY units.
Faction Mechanic
While we streamlined the core interaction between both unit types, we also added an additional active essence ability to all ALCHEMIST units, giving them the option to alchemically surge a friendly MONSTROSITY unit, granting them in the short term more output, at the cost of severely weakening its next activation. Additionally a new passive ability has been added to provide ALCHEMIST units with a bit more protection.
Elixir abilities removed throughout the faction and replaced with a generic buff for all MONSTROSITY units when activating within 2" of a friendly ALCHEMIST
Active essence ability 'Alchemical Surge' added
Passive ability 'Beloved Creator' added
Dr. Horatio Ashcroft, Architect of Anarchy
Active essence ability 'Force Strike' update to work like a 'Slam'
Active essence ability 'Shift' placement range decreased to '...completely within 2" ' (reduced from '... within 2" ')
Lost reactive essence ability 'Look out Sir!'
Gained new passive ability 'True Strike Serum'
Gained passive ability 'Beloved Creator'
Eleanor Ravenswood, the Phantom Baroness
Phantasm reworded
Mirror image reworded
Lost passive ability 'Elusive (1)'
Gained passive ability 'Beloved Commander'
Gained passive ability 'Mistveil Tonic'
Mirror Image passive ability 'Web of Illusions' changed
Mirror Images lost passive ability 'Elusive (1)'
Transmuted Fleshcrafters
Ranged hit value changed to YGGG (down from YYGG)
Ranged weapon RNG changed to 6" (up from 4")
Lost active essence ability 'Concentrated Pressure'
Passive ability 'Catalyst Injector' changed
Gained passive ability 'Accurate Shot (1)'
Gained passive ability 'Beloved Creator'
Transmuted Poisoncrafters
Points changed to 24 (up from 23)
Lost active essence ability 'Accelerated Healing'
Active essence ability 'Alchemical Fumes' simplified and essence cost reduced to R (down from RY)
Gained passive ability 'Beloved Creator'
Gained passive ability 'Suffocating Flames'
Shadowstalker
Melee hit value changed to YGGG (down from YYGG)
Lost reactive essence ability 'Reversal'
Lost faction ability 'Elixir: Shadowmeld Tonic'
Gained reactive essence ability 'Dodge'
Passive essence ability 'Remote Dose' changed
Gained passive ability 'Duelist'
Ironbound Brute
Points changed to 14 (up from 13)
Melee hit changed to GGGG (down from YGGG)
Melee damage changed to YYYG (down from YYYY)
Lost ranged weapon profile
Lost faction ability 'Elixir: Ironskin Potion'
Active essence ability 'Retaliation' cost reduced to YY (down from R)
Passive ability 'Ensanred' changed to work with melee attacks
Gained passive ability 'Reach 4" (Chain Sweep)'
Spinebreaker Brute
Melee hit value changed to YGGG (down from YYGG)
Melee damage value of 'Improvised Club' changed to YYYY (down from RYYY)
Lost faction ability 'Elixir: Strifetonic'
Goreclaws
Melee hit value changed to YGGG (down from YYGG)
Lost passive ability 'Critical: Shred'
Lost passive ability 'Wild Throw'
Lost faction ability 'Elixir: Strikeflux'
Bloodthorne
The Bloodthorne were released towards the end of 2025 and their performance on the battlefield is in line with both the power level as well as the intended playstyle for the Bloodthorne, being a very aggressive faction.
Faction mechanic
Twisted Fertilization changed to only fact the activated unit
Morgath, the Elderwood Scourge
Active essence ability 'Cursed Precision' changed to inflict the 'Hexed' condition
Ilyanna, the Seed of Sorrow
no changes
Vineheart
Active essence ability 'Corrupted Guidance' changed to a reactive essence ability
Active essence ability 'Sporesurge' costs updated to A/ YY (down from only YY)
Razorleaf Stalkers
Melee hit value changed to YYYG (up from YYGG)
Razorleaf Hunters
Points cost changed to 27 (up from 26)
Bloodoak Juggernaut
HP value changed to 6 (down from 7)
Melee hit value changed YGGG (down from YYGG)
Passive ability 'Heavy Impact' changed to 'Crushing Impact' now inflicting 'Slam (Y)'