Greetings!
We will be bringing all North American and European servers offline tomorrow, January 31st 2012, at 8:00 AM EST (14:00 CET) for the deployment of Game Update 1.4.5. At this time we anticipate that all servers will be back online no later than 3:00 PM EST (21:00 CET).
As always, please be sure to check the Herald for updates regarding this downtime.
Highlights of 1.4.5 include:
Relics
The impact of the recent Skaven invasion has been felt far and wide across the land. The increased tunneling and incursions have uncovered a series of hidden tunnels below the Fortresses in all of the home lands. Within these forgotten tunnels laid Relics of a bygone era, imparted with a power that can affect the entire realm. These relics represent a force that neither side wish for the other to hold and as such they have been locked up tight within their respective fortresses. New deployments and camps of defenders are available to assist the stalwart in guarding their relics. With the hint of power and whispers of how the Relics call out to each other across the land, the race is on to capture and hold these objects of power!
Fortresses
With the discovery of relics of power beneath them, the Fortresses have once again become a strategic foothold for the realms to defend and invade. With resources stretched thin, the realms have appointed defenders for the fortress proper, but have put out a call to all available guilds and alliances to step up and assist the land in providing shelter for the relics. Resources are available should the right defenders step up and help to keep the relics safe. Step forward, claim the honor and plant your flag at the fortress or at any of the new defender camps. Or take the battle to the enemy and steal their relics in their moment of weakness. An arduous journey awaits those brave enough to try, but sacrifice is required for greatness!
Grovod Cavern
The battle for domination doesn't only take place on the ground or on the sea, but underground as well! With the return of Grovod Caverns, players from both realms will be able to battle for control of this strategic underground asset by utilizing the same technology implemented recently in the keep battles. By assuming control of Skaven troops, each realm will need to work together to claim a victory. For the mechanics and a quick run-down on the rules for the new Grovod Caverns, see the scenario section of the Realm vs. Realm notes.
Scenario Shakeup
In addition to the return of Grovod Caverns above, the tide of battle continues to shift! A number of old scenarios are making their return, some are retiring for the moment, and others are shifting tiers. Not only that, but some scenarios are returning slightly changed! The line-up is based on player feedback from our Dev Discussions in the forums, so be sure to vote for the next batch of scenarios!