Patch date: . Guide reviewed 2026-11-05. Historical changes can be superseded; use current definitions for a match today.
How this guide was prepared: AI-assisted analysis with a separate source-check pass against archived official notes. Practical decisions are reasoned suggestions, not player-tested results or measured win-rate evidence. A small hotfix receives a short guide rather than a reconstructed full build.
Original update sources
Recorded topics: Heroes. Dates refer to the update named in the notes; a mirrored post can be published later.
Coordinate Healbane coverage before duplicating it
What changed: Healbane stacks diminish more aggressively. Valve gives combined healing reduction of 54.7% at two stacks, down from 57.8%, and 72% at four, down from 82.2%. This changes overlapping applications rather than establishing a new single-application value.
How to adapt: Keep Healbane conditional on dealing spirit damage to the healing target. If teammates already maintain it, compare the benefit of another application with a missing defense or control tool. Do not add the percentages or assume a second buyer is always wasteful: separate targets and gaps in coverage still matter.
Respect Apollo’s successful deflection
What changed: Riposte’s pommel hit now disarms and ends a preexisting parry on the target. Its T2 duration bonus rises from 0.6 to 0.7 seconds. Itani Lo Sahn’s T3 damage bonus rises from 50% to 60%.
How to adapt: Bait Riposte before committing to a melee sequence and avoid treating an already active parry as an escape from its pommel follow-up. Melee resistance can address damage but does not prevent the disarm or restore the canceled parry. These changes support retaining Apollo’s close-range identity without moving every purchase into damage.
Budget Baba’s protection and brew timing
What changed: Baba loses spirit-resistance scaling and 10% melee damage per boon. Granny Long Legs’ melee and debuff resistance fall from 30% to 25%. Baba’s Brew moves to a 28-second cooldown, 0.13 burn-DPS spirit scaling and a 1.6-second cycle.
How to adapt: Recheck the brew selection timing before a planned barrier, silence or burn. A reduced resistance window makes entering several enemies less forgiving; keep the existing survival-first spending when pressured. The brew nerf alone does not establish that replacing the Threadsap caster core with melee items is worthwhile.
Recheck Celeste’s reach and control at the relevant tier
What changed: Dazzling Trick’s T3 silence bonus falls to 0.75 seconds. Radiant Daggers’ base range falls to 25m, with range on T2 and the 6% spirit-amp effect moved to T3 in the notes. Shining Wonder has less slow, a 170-second cooldown and a 15m bounce range. Valve lists its T2 damage bonus as 80; the captured Build 6851 API still lists 90.
How to adapt: Check the actual upgrade tier before attempting a ranged setup and leave less reliance on the silence or slow to secure an escape. Retain the charge-based dagger profile as a tactical option, but do not calculate a lethal threshold or a new item priority from the disputed Shining Wonder bonus. This source check does not resolve that API discrepancy.
Separate Danny’s reduced sustain from Mo & Krill’s buffs
What changed: Danny’s Close The Deal bonus against targets below half health falls from 75% to 55%; Strix Salvo spirit scaling falls by 8%. Chimera Mk1 T2 healing falls to 125 with 1.7 spirit scaling. Mo & Krill gain stronger Scorn hero healing, 0.5m Burrow radius, stronger Sand Blast T2 slow and dash restriction, and 50 rather than 40 Combo health per kill.
How to adapt: With Danny, allow for less recovery from a Chimera hit and avoid assuming an old low-health finishing threshold. Against Mo & Krill, apply anti-heal during recovery and protect yourself before Combo connects; a larger Burrow area also calls for more spacing. These are different sustain changes, so neither justifies a blanket change to all healing or weapon builds.
React earlier to Harrow and recheck Rat King’s timing
What changed: Nurse Harrow gains 8% bullet damage; Lurking Terrors’ vertical angle rises from 50 to 65 and fear buildup falls from 2 to 1.75 seconds. Rat King gains bullet damage and ammo, while meleeing Scrap Grenade extends its fuse by only 0.25 seconds. Rule, Ratannia! gains movement speed and a T1 cooldown reduction of 25 seconds.
How to adapt: Against Harrow, turn away and leave the cone promptly rather than expecting spirit resistance to stop fear buildup. Against Rat King, recheck grenade timing and the aura’s availability before committing; do not reuse the old fuse-extension rhythm. Retain bullet defense when his weapon pressure is the threat, rather than assuming these buffs make every matchup require the same counter.
Follow the affected decisions
- Apollo build and counter guide
- Baba build and counter guide
- Celeste build and counter guide
- Deadman Danny build and counter guide
- Mo & Krill build and counter guide
- Nurse Harrow build and counter guide
- Rat King build and counter guide
- Healbane item reference
Verify your match build · How current recommendations are checked
Earlier and later records
Archive coverage currently ends 2026-11-04; sources last successfully checked 2026-11-05. A source check does not establish a post-patch win rate.