Verdict: v0.109 is at its best when it changes a decision instead of merely changing a number. Dowsing Rod makes route planning part of a starting relic, and Eidolon asks Necrobinder to curate the Exhaust pile. The weaker changes reduce flexibility without adding a comparably interesting choice.
What this rating measures
This Heat Check ranks design impact and run quality, not raw card strength. A high rating means the change creates useful decisions, communicates its cost, and gives the player room to adapt. A low rating does not automatically mean the affected card is weak.
The review applies only to beta v0.109.0. The main branch remains v0.107.1, and early beta evaluations can move as players find better lines.
Hot: Dowsing Rod makes the map part of the relic
Dowsing Rod adds a quest that completes after five question rooms and becomes Abundance. That is excellent starting-relic design because the cost is visible but seed-dependent. The route may offer five convenient rooms, or it may ask the deck to skip the exact hallway fights and campfire it needs.
Abundance is exciting without being fully deterministic: choose from three upgraded Powers and play the selection for free that turn. The relic produces stories because two runs with the same character can pay its cost differently. Read the Neow relic guide for the route checks.
Hot: Eidolon becomes its own archetype
Old Eidolon turned a large Exhausted hand into Intangible. New Eidolon plays every Ethereal card in the Exhaust pile, then Exhausts. That is not a balance nudge; it is a different card.
The rework creates three decisions: which Ethereal cards deserve a slot, when the pile has enough value, and which combat turn should cash it out. It can also fail honestly when drawn before setup. That combination earns a high rating even before the final power level is known.
Top tier: Ambergris is a potion with a route plan
Neow's Sacrifice gives Ambergris and adds Guilty. Healing half of maximum HP and gaining an immediate extra turn is enormous. The potion slot and bad deck card keep the decision from becoming automatic.
The best part is that Ambergris changes routing before it is used. A player can target an elite or protect a slow boss setup. It is not only emergency healing; it is permission to take a calculated risk.
Elite: Well-Laid Plans is stronger and less comfortable
Keeping the full hand removes the selection UI and opens larger combo turns. It also keeps every mediocre leftover. That makes discard, hand space, and fresh draw more important than before.
This is good friction. The card no longer feels like a universal Silent tax, although moving it to Rare also means fewer runs can build around it. The Well-Laid Plans guide explains why the rework needs real hand clearing.
Mid: rarity changes are doing heavy balance work
Taunt becomes Common, Bloodletting becomes Uncommon, Cruelty becomes Uncommon, and Dominate becomes Rare. None of these labels appear in combat, but they change how safely a player can speculate on future support.
Bloodletting's move is the most disruptive. Expensive Ironclad decks can no longer assume common Energy support will appear. That may be healthy for balance; it is not especially exciting for the player who discovers the change after committing to a curve.
Cold: History Course loses a source of invention
History Course now repeats only Attacks. Restricting the output is understandable, but repeating a Skill created more unusual deck and combat puzzles than simply repeating damage. The new version will be easier to evaluate and less likely to produce broken utility loops. It is also less likely to produce a memorable run.
Final ranking
v0.109 earns an 8.4 because its largest reworks have clear identities. The patch is not universally more powerful, and it should not be. It gives several classes new questions to answer while reminding players that rarity can change a build as much as card text.
For the complete decision-by-decision breakdown, read the v0.109 strategy guide.
FAQ
Is this a final tier list?
No. It is an editorial rating of beta changes on July 20, 2026. The final values and community consensus can move before promotion to main.
Why rate a nerf highly?
A nerf can improve the game if it creates a clearer tradeoff or opens more viable decisions. This list rates design and play impact, not whether every number increased.
Should main-branch players change their decks now?
No. Keep using v0.107.1 values on main. Use these guides to prepare for or test the beta, and label the branch in any shared build advice.