The September balance update landed on September 8th, and it hits some of the most-played cards in the game. Evolved Elite Barbarians lose reach and Rage time, Freeze gets shorter, Fireball chips less off a Crown Tower, and Hero Mega Minion stops being a tower-damage machine entirely. A few forgotten cards get a lift too.
Quick answer: Seven cards were nerfed (Hero Balloon, Battle Ram Evolution, Elite Barbarians Evolution, Freeze, Fireball, Ice Golem, Zappies), three were buffed (Ronin, Spirit Empress, Goblin Cage), and six received reworks (Hero Mega Minion, the Wizard family, Bomber, Battle Ram, Golem). All numbers are scaled at Level 11.
Battle Ram and Golem sight range: both are now easier to pull with buildings
The most quietly important change is a targeting one. Battle Ram’s sight range goes from 5.5 to 6.5 tiles (+18%), and Golem’s goes from 7 to 7.5 tiles (+7%). Both cards were slipping past standard building placements that other win conditions get pulled by. With wider sight, a Tesla or Cannon in a normal defensive spot has a much better chance of grabbing them before they reach the Princess Tower.
Practically, this means Golem pushes need more support to avoid getting dragged off-lane, and Battle Ram cycle decks can no longer count on the same tight placements to bypass a building.
Elite Barbarians Evolution, Battle Ram Evolution, and Hero Balloon nerfs
Evolved Elite Barbarians take the heaviest hit. Their spear range drops from 3.5–5 tiles down to 3–4.5 tiles (-10%), and their Rage duration falls from 2.5 seconds to 2 seconds (-20%). That is a second consecutive round of cuts to the same two stats, and it gives defenders more time to answer before the pair connects.
Evolved Battle Ram loses knockback, from 2.5 to 2 tiles (-20%). Earlier nerfs to Battle Ram Barbarians already dulled the card, and the Evolution absorbed more of that than intended, so the knockback reduction is the trade for its new sight range.
Hero Balloon’s Skeletrooper landing damage drops from 263 to 230 (-13%), continuing a run of cuts to how much value the troopers generate the moment they hit the ground.
Freeze and Fireball lose duration and Crown Tower damage
Freeze goes from 4 seconds to 3.5 seconds (-13%). Its damage buff earlier gave the spell real flexibility, and its use rate climbed past what the design team considers healthy for a card that shuts down defenses outright. Half a second is enough to change how many hits a frozen tower or troop loses.
Fireball’s Crown Tower damage drops from 172 to 159 (-8%). Its damage to troops is untouched. The change targets spell-cycle play specifically, since Fireball’s speed and instant output made it the most efficient way to grind a tower down from a distance.
Ice Golem trades hitpoints for a longer slow
Ice Golem’s hitpoints fall from 1315 to 1228 (-7%), while his death slow duration rises from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds (+25%). Last year’s health buff made him too much of a tank for 2 Elixir, so the power moves out of his body and into his effect. He soaks slightly less, but the slow he leaves behind lasts noticeably longer.
Zappies, Ronin, Spirit Empress, Goblin Cage, and Bomber stat changes
Zappies get a second straight hit speed nerf, from 2.2 to 2.3 seconds (+5%). They had become the shared ingredient across several of the strongest decks, and the slower attack is aimed directly at those pairings rather than the card’s stun utility.
Ronin gets his footing back. Hit speed improves from 1.4 to 1.3 seconds (-7%), a partial answer to the stat loss that came with a bug fix to his parry timing. He clears distractions faster now.
Spirit Empress deals 320 ground and air damage, up from 309 (+4%). For a 6-Elixir single-target troop, her output was sitting too low relative to her cost.
Goblin Cage’s Brawler climbs from 1080 to 1121 hitpoints (+4%). The base building had been sidelined since its Evolution was trimmed, and the extra health puts the Brawler back in range of surviving defenses it was losing.
Bomber is a two-part change. Base damage drops from 225 to 212 (-6%), while Evolved Bomber’s bomb bounce distance grows from 2.5 to 3 tiles (+20%). The Evolution reaches further across a lane; the base card hits a little softer.
Wizard rework: stronger base card, weaker Evolution and Hero forms
Wizard was leaning entirely on his upgraded forms, so power moves back into the plain card. Damage rises from 281 to 304 (+8%), which lets him take out Firecracker and Archers with one fireball. The trade is a slower opening shot, with first attack time going from 0.4 to 0.5 seconds (+25%).
Wizard Evolution’s shield drops from 192 to 176 hitpoints (-8%). The practical result is that the shield no longer survives a Giant Snowball. Hero Wizard’s ability duration falls from 5 seconds to 3.5 seconds (-30%), cutting him down to two Tornadoes per activation instead of three.
Hero Mega Minion rework: no Crown Tower damage, warps back to start
This is the biggest behavioral change in the patch. Hero Mega Minion’s Crown Tower damage reduction goes from 75% to 0%, meaning the warp no longer contributes tower damage at all. Warp damage against troops rises from 399 to 422 (+6%) to compensate.
He also returns to where he started. After the warp target is taken out, or after 3.5 seconds pass, he snaps back to his original position instead of staying deep in enemy territory. The ability is now purely an assassination tool rather than a way to force chip damage.
Full list of September 2026 balance changes
| Card | Change |
|---|---|
| Hero Balloon | Skeletrooper landing damage 263 → 230 (-13%) |
| Battle Ram Evolution | Knockback 2.5 → 2 tiles (-20%) |
| Elite Barbarians Evolution | Spear range 3.5–5 → 3–4.5 tiles (-10%); Rage duration 2.5s → 2s (-20%) |
| Freeze | Duration 4s → 3.5s (-13%) |
| Fireball | Crown Tower damage 172 → 159 (-8%) |
| Ice Golem | Hitpoints 1315 → 1228 (-7%); slow duration 2s → 2.5s (+25%) |
| Zappies | Hit speed 2.2s → 2.3s (+5%) |
| Ronin | Hit speed 1.4s → 1.3s (-7%) |
| Spirit Empress | Ground and air damage 309 → 320 (+4%) |
| Goblin Cage | Brawler hitpoints 1080 → 1121 (+4%) |
| Hero Mega Minion | Warp damage 399 → 422 (+6%); Crown Tower damage reduction 75% → 0%; warps back after a kill or 3.5s |
| Hero Wizard | Ability duration 5s → 3.5s (-30%) |
| Wizard Evolution | Shield hitpoints 192 → 176 (-8%) |
| Wizard | Damage 281 → 304 (+8%); first attack 0.4s → 0.5s (+25%) |
| Bomber Evolution | Bomb bounce distance 2.5 → 3 tiles (+20%) |
| Bomber | Damage 225 → 212 (-6%) |
| Battle Ram | Sight range 5.5 → 6.5 tiles (+18%) |
| Golem | Sight range 7 → 7.5 tiles (+7%) |
Note: Every number above is measured at Level 11. In most cases, a change to a card’s base form also carries through to its Evolution and Hero versions, which is why the Wizard damage buff applies across all three of his forms even though only the base card is listed for it.
Taken together, the patch pulls power away from cards that generated free tower damage and pushes it toward defensive interactions. If your deck relied on Fireball cycling, Freeze locks, or Hero Mega Minion chip, expect to rebuild around a different plan.
