The Astral Spire: A detailed overview
Hello everyone! We’re excited to finally tell you more about our next update, 9.1 – The Astral Spire!
This update introduces a new system that allows players to unlock and upgrade account-wide bonuses that will apply to various systems and mechanics across Gems of War. It’s a major new feature that gives more opportunities for progress, each with a focus on different elements of the game. We’re also revamping the new game experience with the Library – a new early game progression system that replaces the Adventure’s Path. But we’ll get into that below.
After you reach level 50, you’ll get access to the Astral Spire, along with the first 7 boards. Each board is themed to an area of Gems of War.
Additional boards are planned to be released in the future, but we’re starting with Hero skills and Allied troops (one board for each mana color).
Let’s dive into it!
The Astral Spire will be available at the top of the World Map.
Above is one of our first Astra Spire constellations, “The Crown,” which focuses on Hero skills. You can see the backgrounds of the unlocked nodes, match their tier – Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Each board has 3 different tiers of nodes: Bronze (4 pointed star), Silver (6 pointed) and Gold (12 points), and 1 Capstone.
Ranging from 100 to 300 Star Stones to unlock these nodes, and 400 Star Stones to unlock the first level of the board’s Capstone.
Capstone level 2 then costs 50 Star Stones, level 3 is 52 Star Stones, level 4 is 54 Star Stones and so on. Increasing incrementally up to the max level of 50.
Note: As the Astral Spire currently can not be reset, please make sure you read the bonus description before purchasing. There is a confirmation message before any Star Stone purchase as well!
You can only unlock a Star or Capstone if you have unlocked the one before it. Making your way around the constellation board until all are unlocked.
Nodes and Capstones are unlocked with Star Stones.
Star Stones are a resource that will be available from Daily Plunder (one per day) and Weekly Goals (once a month) for players who have the Astral Spire unlocked. As well as two offers within the Specials tab of the Shop.
Star Stone Daily Plunder tasks will always take the place of the bottom left node. “Exalted” Goal text on the left will be updated before release.
Sirrian, why did we change from Bastions to Astral Spire?
As many of you may remember, this feature was originally called ‘Bastions’. The idea was the same though – provide skill trees full of bonuses that also allowed players to re-tune elements of the game they found frustrating.
After some consideration, we believed that having a Keep in Guild Wars, and having an actual Bastion here was doubling-up on the whole castle thing thematically. The idea of an ‘Astral Spire’ on top of the ‘Library’ (another feature we were developing for 9.1) seemed a natural fit. Also, constellations with Skill Trees actually felt more natural than buildings with Skill Trees, so it was a series of thematic wins all round.
Mechanically-speaking though, it’s exactly the same system we wanted, just wrapped in a different flavor.
As we already mentioned, each board is themed, with their own Capstone and a variety of nodes (Bronze, Silver and Gold) that can be unlocked by spending Star Stones.
You can view your Astral Spire bonuses in the Hero profile screen or within the Astral Spire boards themselves, either by tapping the ‘?’ under the board name or by viewing the applied bonuses in your Troop screen.
NOTE: Any bonus/ability that specifies “troops” means it will apply to non-hero troops, and anything that specifies “your Hero” will only apply when your Hero is on your attacking team.
Any that specify “from Spells” only trigger from the actions described in the troop spell. It does not include Traits unless stated otherwise.
Nodes will appear to have a grey boarder and background, if they are locked.
The coloured boarder and background will transition to colour once unlocked.
But be aware the icons themselves (shown below) are always coloured, if locked or unlocked.
Feedback has already been shared
| Board | Bronze (100 Star Stones each) | Silver (200 Star Stones each) | Gold (300 Star Stones each) | |
| The Crown (Hero Skills) | +3 Armor for your Hero +3 Life for your Hero | +2 Magic for your Hero +4 Attack for your Hero |  | Vanguard Gain +5 Attack, Life and Armor if your Hero is in first position |
 | All Skills +3 to all Skills for your Hero | |||
| The Chalice (Blue Allies) | +2 Attack for Blue troops +3 Life for Blue troops +1 Magic for Blue troops +3 Armor for Blue troops | +4 Attack for Blue troops +6 Life for Blue troops +2 Magic for Blue troops +6 Armor for Blue troops |  | Purification +20% cleanse chance to Cleanse at the start of your turn Chance to trigger at the start of the players turn |
 | Surging Power +15% Blue Mana Surge chance Bonus is applied after Masteries are calculated | |||
| The World Tree (Green Allies) | +2 Attack for Green troops +3 Life for Green troops +1 Magic for Green troops +3 Armor for Green troops | +4 Attack for Green troops +6 Life for Green troops +2 Magic for Green troops +6 Armor for Green troops |  | Life Force +20% bonus Healing/Life gain from Spells |
 | Surging Power +15% Green Mana Surge chance | |||
| The Lion (Red Allies) | +2 Attack for Red troops +3 Life for Red troops +1 Magic for Red troops +3 Armor for Red troops | +4 Attack for Red troops +6 Life for Red troops +2 Magic for Red troops +6 Armor for Red troops |  | Skull Frenzy +15% chance to gain an extra turn when matching Skulls |
 | Surging Power +15% Red Mana Surge chance Bonus is applied after Masteries are calculated | |||
| The Dove (Yellow Allies) | +2 Attack for Yellow troops +3 Life for Yellow troops +1 Magic for Yellow troops +3 Armor for Yellow troops | +4 Attack for Yellow troops +6 Life for Yellow troops +2 Magic for Yellow troops +6 Armor for Yellow troops |  | Empowered Portal +20% skill bonus to my summoned troops This is applied after any other bonuses. That includes any troop bonuses you have unlocked in the Astral Spire that are applicable. |
 | Surging Power +15% Yellow Mana Surge chance Bonus is applied after Masteries are calculated | |||
| The Bat (Purple Allies) | +2 Attack for Purple troops +3 Life for Purple troops +1 Magic for Purple troops +3 Armor for Purple troops | +4 Attack for Purple troops +6 Life for Purple troops +2 Magic for Purple troops +6 Armor for Purple troops |  | Battle Hex 15% chance to Curse all enemies when the battle starts Applies at the start of the battle |
 | Surging Power +15% Purple Mana Surge chance Bonus is applied after Masteries are calculated | |||
| The Mountain (Brown Allies) | +2 Attack for Brown troops +3 Life for Brown troops +1 Magic for Brown troops +3 Armor for Brown troops | +4 Attack for Brown troops +6 Life for Brown troops +2 Magic for Brown troops +6 Armor for Brown troops |  | Bountiful Gems +1 to Gems to any Gem Creation from my SpellsTriggers when the player casts a spell that creates Gems, adding an extra Gem at each Spell step. It does not trigger from Gem creation Traits. For example; Create 8 – will create 9 Create 4, then create 5 – will create 5, THEN create 6. |
 | Surging Power +15% Brown Mana Surge chance Bonus is applied after Masteries are calculated | |||
The bonuses and graphics may still be in the process of balancing and adjusting. So, they may be different when the update goes live.
Q: What about troops that have more than one mana color?
They will get the bonuses that apply to the boards that match any of their mana colors!
For example, Baba Yaga is Green/Purple, so it would get the bonuses from both the Purple and the Green boards.
A troop with 3+ mana colours? Same thing.
Q: If I fight myself, will the opponent version of me have the Astral Spire bonuses?
No, they are just considered an enemy in the data so they will not have any of the bonuses that you will have while attacking them.
This does mean you can see your boosted team attacking, compared to if you didn’t have any of the Astral Spire benefits.
Q: If I unlock Extra Turn on Skull matches from the Red board, does this only apply to red troops?
No, it applies to all allied troops on your attacking team. If a description does not mention a restriction to the ability, then there is none. It does not matter if the board theme is specific.
The same can be said about Extra Enemy turn on the Blue board; this will apply in all battles where you are attacking, even if you have no Blue troops on your team!
Q: But it’s just when I am attacking? What about when my team appears in PvP or Guild Wars?
All bonuses unlocked from the Astral Spire only apply when you are attacking.
So, when someone faces you in PvP (your defense team), your Astral Spire bonuses do not apply.
They also do not apply in Guild Wars at all. Even in your attack team.
Additionally, the Hero Board buffs only apply if your Hero is on your attacking team.
Q: I have a trait on my Weapon that creates Gems. Does that get the Gem creation bonus?
No, any bonus within the Astral Spire that affects Gem creation only applies to Gems created by Spells (weapons or troop spells), it does not affect traits.
All descriptions only apply to Spells, and not traits, unless it is stated otherwise.
Q: I purchased the +3 to All Skills bonus, but I am not seeing Magic/Attack/Armor/Life listed in the bonuses for the Hero Skills board?
The list of specific Attack, Armor, Life and Magic bonuses (grey text), are only displayed once you unlock their nodes.
They do not also include the +3 to all skills for your hero bonus (blue text).
Once the Magic bonus is purchased, it would look like this. You can see the +3 to all skills in blue at the top, then the individual stat bonuses under it.
You can see the +2 Magic is now displayed, as that node is unlocked. In total, this player would get a total of +5 to their Hero magic. +2 from the Silver Magic bonus and then +3 from the Gold All Skills hero bonus.
Players will also be able to view the total active bonuses. Shown below
Q: Along with the +3 to all Skills for my Hero, I also have the +1 to Magic for Purple Troops, but I don’t see a total +4 Magic being applied to my Hero, who has a Purple Weapon equipped?
All bonuses from The Crown (Hero Skills) board are only applied to the hero, whereas all other boards that have a bonus that is applied to “troops” are only applied to non-hero troops.
Having your hero equipped to your team means that the hero gets any unlocked bonuses from the Hero board. Then all other troops on your team will get any bonuses applicable from the other Allied troop boards you have unlocked.
Q: What are some other examples of troops that are affected by the “20% chance to ignore “Lethal” spell effect?
Here is a list of a few troops that have a spell that can instantly destroy an opponent troop.
- Dullahan
- Only triggers when it tries to kill the players’ first troop, not when it sacrifices an allied enemy troop
- Executioner
- Grimborn Bloodeye
- Lady Morana
- Maelstrom Dago’Nath
- Matron Velenne
- Nightarrow
- P4-NTH4
- Scylla
- Sironia
- Skulker
- Smash-O-Bot
- The Archduke
- Ubaset
- Zuul’Goth
Q: My first troop is Frozen, so I cannot get an extra turn from 4+ matches. How does that work with the Red Allies Gold node Extra turn chance on Skull Matches?
If your first troop is Frozen AND you have the chance for extra turns of Skull matches unlocked in the Astral Spire, then the Astral Spire bonus has a chance to trigger on matches of 3 Skulls, but it will not trigger on Skull matches of 4 or more due to being Frozen.
As mentioned, each board has one Capstone.
Capstones cost 400 Star Stones to unlock, and they start at level 1. Capstones are the only bonuses you can continue to upgrade within the boards.
With each level, the bonus increases! Capstones can be upgraded up to level 50.
| Board | Capstone | Progression | |
 | The Crown (Hero Skills) | Hero’s Bane -X% to all Enemy Hero Skills | Increases by 1% per level |
 | The Chalice (Blue Allies) | Time Warp X% chance for Enemy to miss Extra turns from Spells and +4 matches Triggers on each instance where the enemy can earn an extra turn | X% chance increases by 1% per level |
 | The World Tree (Green Allies) | Withered Gems Reduce Enemy Gem creation by X with a X% chance to reduce by 1 more The bonus is applied when an enemy casts a spell that creates gems; each spell stage triggers this effect For example: Create 17 – will reduce to 14, chance to reduce to 13. Create 6, then create 5 – will reduce to 3, with a chance to reduce to 2, THEN reduce to 2, with a chance to reduce to 1. | Level 1-19: reduce by 1 with X% chance to reduce by 1 more (increments by 5%) When you go from level 19 to level 20, your % chance to reduce creation is reset to 0% Level 20-39: reduce by 2, with X% chance to reduce by 1 more (increments by 5%) When you go from level 39 to level 40, your % chance to reduce creation is reset to 0% Level 40-50: reduce by 3, with X% chance to reduce by 1 more (increments by 5%) |
 | The Lion (Red Allies) | Waning Portal +X% chance to negate each Troop summoned from an Enemy Spell or Trait Triggers when the enemy summons a troop and applies the chance to fail. Each troop summoned is one instance of the chance to fail being applied. | X% chance increases by 1% per level |
 | The Dove (Yellow Allies) | Expel Blessings +X% chance to cast Dispel on all enemies when my turn begins Chance to trigger at the start of the enemy turn | X% chance increases by 1% per level |
 | The Bat (Purple Allies) | Blighted Change Reduce enemy Gem conversion by X with a X% chance to reduce by 1 more Works the same way as enemy gem creation reduction | Level 1: reduce by 3 with 5% chance to reduce by 1 more Level 2-19: reduce by 4 with X% chance to reduce by 1 more (starts at 10%, increments by 5% each level) When you go from level 19 to level 20, your % chance to reduce conversion is reset to 0% Level 20-39: reduce by 5, with X% chance to reduce by 1 more (increments by 5%) When you go from level 39 to level 40, your % chance to reduce conversion is reset to 0% Level 40-50: reduce by 6, with X% chance to reduce by 1 more (increments by 5%) |
 | The Mountain (Brown Allies) | Death Ward +20% chance to ignore instant Kill Effects (except Devour) from Enemy Spells and Traits For example; Troops such as Lady Morana and Dracos-1337 that have a chance to instantly destroy an opponent troop This also includes Traits that apply the same effect. It is not triggered whenever an enemy troop deals enough damage to destroy a troop or if the troop has a chance to destroy an allied troop. To see what troops are included, you can filter “Lethal Damage” in Spell Effects in the Troop collection, and review the spell descriptions | X% chance increases by 1% per level |
Again, the bonuses and graphics shared above may still be in the process of balancing and adjusting. So, they may be different when the update goes live.
The Library is an updated tutorial system for new players!
With that, we will be transitioning from Adventurers Pass to The Astral Spire and the Library.
Players under level 50:
All unspent Adventurer’s Keys will be used, and all rewards will be given.
All tutorials already completed, based on your level, will also be marked as completed and available to collect the new Library rewards.
You then continue through the Library as normal, and once you reach level 50, you will get access to the Astral Spire.
Players level 50+:
All tutorials in the Library will be marked as completed, and the rewards from the Library will be available for collection.
The Astral Spire will be automatically unlocked.
Players who have an active Adventurer’s Pass:
Any unspent Adventurer’s Keys will be used, and all rewards given.
Any unclaimed or yet-to-be-unlocked rewards from the Adventurers Pass will also all be collected and given. Yes, even if you had not unlocked them yet.
There will be a large pop-up to tell you that these rewards are all being collected, and list everything you have been rewarded.
If these are not collected, they will be mailed out.
The Library Pass
The Library Pass is a one-time purchase that triples the rewards given for completing the tutorials within the Library.
You can also purchase the Pass after completing and collecting any of the tutorial rewards. The bonus rewards for purchasing the Library Pass, for any tutorials you have already completed and collected, will be received upon purchase of the Library Pass.
This is different to the other Premium Passes, where any unlocked rewards are mailed out.
From Sirrian: Making a game that lasts more than decade is breaking new ground. Some MMOs and MOBAs got there first, and it’s been helpful to watch their journey, and one thing they all encounter is how balance and meta can swing around over time, and become a little frustrating. That’s a natural evolution of having thousands of pieces of content that can interact in so many unforeseen ways.
The key goal of Astral Spire has been to give mid-to-late-game players a mechanism where they can tune some elements of the game that have become more frustrating over time. Really hate enemy gem spam? Then focus on the Withered Gems Capstone in The World Tree… it can gradually take the edge off that frustration.
A secondary goal of Astral Spire is to create another staple system of the game that can expand for years to come. We always strive to create ‘space’ to work in – systems that can expand and allow other areas of the game to expand with them. Having a new, clear way of providing bonuses allows us to scale up and create more end-game-specific content, that will hopefully keep the game exciting for another decade.
We have more Constellation Boards planned to release, but only a small number every year. These boards will initially be themed to Kingdoms or troop types.
As for their capstones, we’re going to keep that under wraps for now, but not every capstone will be about nerfing enemies, and some might even apply scaling bonuses to popular game modes.
And that’s everything!
We will be releasing the patch notes for 9.1 this week as well, which will be a simplified explanation of the Astral Spire and The Library, as it will refer you to this blog for a full detailed breakdown.