Sheltem the Dark
The HotA 1.8.0 update is primarily a major content update: it adds a new faction, a new town, and notable tools for mapmakers. For regular players, the most important things are the arrival of Kronverk, balance changes, and several adjustments affecting games and templates.
Most Important Changes for Players
1. New Town and Faction — Kronverk
The main change of this version: the new town of Kronverk, a new faction, heroes, creatures, external dwellings, and the faction skill Runes have been added. This is effectively a brand-new playstyle and a new meta for maps and templates.
2. No Kronverk Campaign Yet
The faction has been added, but there is no dedicated Kronverk campaign in this version yet — it is promised for future updates.
3. New Snow Object — Zaimka
A new object, Zaimka, has appeared on snow maps: when visited, it grants 300–500 gold or 3–5 Gremlins/Kobolds once. This is a small but noticeable boost for early scouting and starting economy on snow.
4. Eagle Eye Strengthened
The chance to learn a spell before battle has increased from 10/20/30% to 30/40/50%. The skill is still situational, but it is now significantly less useless, especially on maps with a large number of mages and spells.
5. Old Necromancy Artifact Values Restored
Necromancy artifacts now again grant 5/10/15/30% instead of the weakened 2.5/5/7.5/15%. This is a noticeable boost for Necropolis and necromancy-based builds.
6. Loynis Banned on Mirror Templates
This is an important fix for competitive play: Loynis will no longer appear on mirror templates, reducing the impact of strong starting/magic imbalances.
7. Important Battle and Map Bugs Fixed
Notable among them: fixed crashes with casting creatures and Automatons, the bug with passing through Quest Gates without completing the quest, issues with Berserk, Crystal Dragons in mines, and the display of arrow tower damage. These fixes make the game more stable and fairer.
8. Expanded Quest Log Now Available Without HD Mod
A convenient feature from the HD mod is now in HotA even without HD. For players, this makes tracking Seer's Huts, Border Guards, and Quest Gates easier.
9. 2 New Maps Added
The maps "Advance of the Ice" and "Invasion" have been added to the game.