Intro

Devs released the post-launch patch:
https://blog.godsunchained.com/2022/04/26/mortal-judgement-post-launch-patch-notes/

TLDR: despite some questionable calls, I'm more or less OK with the patch. My biggest critique is that the balance team needs to pay more attention to the timing of their changes. Don't needlessly upset the community by future-proofing cards that currently suck. You've got time to address them when they become a problem.

Divine Order

Giving Finnian Fruitbearer the wild tag: love it. Now Staff of Roots works with him. Wildfire other wild things, too.

Ring of the Siren was 4 mana?! It's still probably not great, but 3 is better than 4.

Core Cards

Buffs

• Sentient Amphora – Mana Cost Changed
  • Change mana cost from 2 to 1
• Triumvirate Prophet – Stats Increased, Mana Cost Changed
  • Change stats from 1/2 to 2/2
  • Change mana cost from 3 to 2
• Crystal Rain – Text Changed
  • Change text from “Deal 2 damage to each enemy creature.” to “Foresee 2. Deal 2 damage to each enemy creature. ”

All solid changes. No one is really playing the first two, but the changes are in the right direction.

Nerfs

• Zealous March – Text Changed
  • Change text from “ Fill your board with 2/2 Acolytes. Each of your creatures gains protected.” to “Summon four 2/2 Acolytes with protected.”

A nerf was needed. You're still getting 8/8 worth of stats and 4 separate protected bubbles. It's still a good card, but nowhere near as oppressive.

• Vexing Vicar – Text Changed
  • Change text from “Frontline. Protected. Ward.” to ”Protected. Ward.”

Yes to this nerf as well (and yes I play light quite a bit). He's a worse Shadowscryer true, but Light has plenty of ways to buff him. Magic does not. He's still good.

• Witherfingers – Text Changed
  • Change text from “Hidden. Roar: The three strongest enemy creatures gain burn +2 and go to sleep.” to ”Roar: The three strongest enemy creatures gain burn +2 and go to sleep.”
• Valewarden Minotaur – Strength Decreased
  • Change strength from 5 to 4
• Solem Lecturer – Stats Decreased
  • Change stats from 4/4 to 4/3

Yes to all of the above. Valewarden is still probably too much value, but this is a small step in the right direction. Better than taking the hammer to him.

• Arrow of Rage – Mana Cost Increased
  • Change mana cost from 1 to 2

My first "wha?" moment. I'm not seeing a whole lot of Arrow of Rage spam in the meta. Never have. The only thing I can think of is that getting 2x AoR from Sage of Renewal was great and that's now impossible. Maybe they should just change Sage of Renewal to give you the same three options every time (Compost, Arrow of Range, or something else). In any event, they over-nerfed SoR, so no one runs her anyway.

• Arkmonian Onslaught– Text Changed
  • Change text from “Give each friendly Amazon+3+2 and twin strike.” to “Give each friendly Amazon +3 strength and twin strike.”

This is my strongest disagreement with the patch. I can take a guess as to the reasoning, and it has to do with the echo 1/1 cards. Removing the 2 health buff from them means they are less effective post-buff at clearing boards. You basically have to go face and then sacrifice them, which is honestly still decent.

However.

Onslaught is a core card. It's not going to be locked. Amazons are underperforming in the current meta, and this card is the win condition for the deck. There was no rush to nerf this now. Doing so has made the meta less diverse by completely removing this archetype.

Mortal Judgement

Buffs

• Scuttler Sentry – Strength increased
  • Change strength from 1 to 2
• City Sniper – Health increased
  • Change health from 1 to 2
• Encumbered Looter – Strength increased
  • Change strength from 1 to 2.
• Pools of Nemesis – Health increased
  • Change health from 3 to 4.
• Hero-In-Training – Strength Increased
  • Change strength from 1 to 2.
• Bestowing Saint – Health increased.
  • Change health from 1 to 2.

Nice change to Pools of Nemesis, but otherwise, none of the changes make the cards playable. Maybe Encumbered Looter. We'll see where they go from here.

Nerfs

A bunch of reasonable changes for the most part. Nerfing War cards is just egregious, though. Devs have plenty of time to implement these nerfs, so I don't see why they don't just wait. Priorities are important, and needlessly upsetting your community for zero balance in game is just a bad move.

I think Unannounced Arrival is actually better than it was.

The combination of a 4 mana body plus even more AOE is definitely interesting.

Changes

• Albino Hydra – Text changed
  • Change text from “Roar: Deal 6 to your opponent’s god.” to ”Roar: Deal 6 damage to the strongest enemy creature.”

Interesting. The obvious comparison to make is to Oryx:

Honestly, I think I like it a little better. Oryx's one advantage is you can play it on an empty board and it goes face. However, it's much more common that they will have something on board that you want to take out. Hydra is a Frost Giant with 3 extra damage for 1 more mana.

6 damage at 7 mana is important: kills Demos.

• United Reinforcements

This card has completely changed. I don't hate it. If you are ahead on the board, this card can help you further your lead. If you are behind, it gives you excellent creature draw. I'm assuming it draws from your deck only - not any random creature.

No Anubians?

The elephant in the patch notes: no Anubians were nerfed. Didn't even make the "watch list". This is perhaps the biggest fail of the patch. Devs left the dominant deck untouched while kicking War and Amazons while they were down.

I hope in the future, the balance team will consider their impact on the community and prioritize accordingly. Leaving Sign of Strife at 1/4 for a few weeks wouldn't have been a big deal.