It’s been a long time since we’ve done a Halo update, and a lot of balance tweaks have come up since then. All of this is coming alongside the release of Forerunner’s Legacy.
Rules
Critical Hit
If you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll, you ignore the target’s damage resistance and shield armor for that attack. This rule is in place for two reasons: it will help low level NPCs remain a threat to higher level players, and it will help PCs fighting against armored opponents by allowing them to get lucky strikes against vulnerable components. This rule only applies against the primary target of an attack.
There is currently no plan to implement this rule into StarCraft.
Morale Changes
You cannot gain morale from a check or action that you spent morale on.
Weapon and Armor Upgrades
Weapon and armor upgrades are more expensive the more upgrades you have on an item. The cost is multiplied by number of upgrades. If you already have an item with upgrades, and apply a new upgrade, you must remove the old upgrade an apply a replacement upgrade with a multiplied cost.
Therefore, if you were applying improved potency and improved precision to a weapon, both upgrades would cost twice as much. If your weapon already had improved precision and you applied improved potency, you would have to remove the improved precision upgrade and apply a new one with the multiplied cost.
New Weapon Traits
Projectile: Designed for certain powerful ordinance, roll a d20 when an attack with this trait misses. On a 1-10, it deals half damage. On a 11-20, it deals no damage.
Target Lock: Designed for the rocket launcher, you can make a target lock as a move action. If you attack with the weapon that turn, it gains +10 accuracy and ignores concealment.
UNSC Weapons
SAW: gained the recoil trait, but also increased to 23 damage (from 18)
DMR: went down to 20 damage (from 21), increased to distant range (from long), fire rate decreased to average (from fast), and power rating went down to +3 (from +4)
SMG: increased to 18 (up from 16)
Combat Shotgun damage increased from 16 to 18
Flamethrower: increased to fast attack speed (up from slow)
Railgun: reduced to 40 damage (down from 60), power rating reduced to 5 (down from 10), gained the projectile trait, cost reduced by 10,000
Spartan Laser: based accuracy increased to +6 (up from +3)
Rocket Launcher gained the new Target Lock trait
Covenant Weapons
Gravity Hammer penetration reduced by 10. The powerhouse weapon trait now prohibits the gravity hammer from gaining any additional strikes from any source. It also went down from +5 accuracy to +2
Energy Sword lost the piercing trait and gained the penetration 20 trait. Its speed has been reduced from average to slow.
Both the Gravity Hammer and the Energy Sword now gain 25 strikes from a single battery, instead of 100
Needle Rifle: average attack speed (down from fast)
Carbine: average attack speed (down from fast)
The Fuel Rod Gun gained the new Projectile trait
-Several vehicle weapons also gained the Projectile trait: Heavy Plasma Cannon, Fuel Rod Cannon, Fuel Cannon Array
-The Eternal Blade weapon upgrade now increases the energy sword to a 100 strike capacity off a single battery.
-The Shade Turret now has 200 hit points
Combat Augmentation Changes
Coordinate now gives a bonus shift action, not a full move action. The extra bonus increases your shift speed
-Defensive Formation now relies on an adjacent ally and only gives ½ morale bonus to defense. You gain +1 morale bonus for each extra bonus.
-Precision Strike squad leadership no longer gives accuracy. Now, it gives penetration equal to ½ morale bonus for every squad member participating in an attack, +1 penetration per squad member for each extra bonus
-Deadly Sweep now specifies that you cannot spend additional morale on the attack role
-Evasive Maneuvers now makes the attack not deal half damage upon a missed area attack. However, it requires spending 2 morale.
Vehicle Rules
Major Change to Speed Levels:
When driving, a vehicle moves forward a number of squares in the direction that is facing equal to its current speed. Their current speed, and the vehicle’s capabilities, determine their speed level. A moving vehicle has one of two speed levels: Combat Speed and Cruising Speed. A vehicle moving up to thrice its acceleration rating is moving at Combat Speed, and while it must move a number of squares equal to its current speed each turn, and gains several turns every round. Vehicles moving at combat speed can make up to four 90 degree turns every round but must at least 25% of their current speed before each turn.
Once a vehicle exceeds triple its acceleration rating in speed, then it is moving at cruising speed. A vehicle traveling a cruising speed does not gain any free turns; it only turns by using pilot maneuvers.
Changes to Pilot Maneuvers:
Changed all pilot maneuvers to not require a certain speed level
Extreme turn now only allows a 90 degree turn
Targeting Assist now causes you to lose a standard action on your turn if you fail the check.
The vertical movement of flying vehicles at combat speed is now a 2 to 1 transfer; you gain 1 square of vertical movement for every 2 squares of forward movement sacrificed
Three Covenant vehicles have received elaboration on their movement capabilities: the ghost, spectre, and wraith. Now, they can move different directions without changing their facing, but it costs double the normal squares.