December 2025 Balance Update: The Rise of the Astral Demons

Overview

The December 2025 Balance Update has arrived, bringing with it a wave of changes that significantly impact several prominent families. This month, Small Giant Games seems to have focused heavily on refining the Astral Demon and Institute/Forsaken families, while also sprinkling in some love for the Beauty and the Beast crew.

If you have been holding onto heroes like Xshahr, Paimon, or Khatrox, your patience is about to pay off. Let's dive into the details of what is changing and how it might affect the current meta.

Astral Demon Family Overhaul

The Astral Demons have received arguably the most significant structural buff in this update. The developers have not only improved their existing family bonus but also introduced a potent new passive skill that addresses one of the most critical aspects of modern gameplay: mana control.

Family Bonus Buff

Old: 60/85% chance to cleanse a random status ailment from the Hero when receiving Special Skill damage.
New: 60/85% chance to cleanse all status ailments from the Hero when receiving Special Skill damage.

Analysis: This is a massive improvement. Previously, cleansing a single random ailment was often unreliable, especially against ailment heavy teams. Now, simply getting hit by a special skill has a high probability of wiping the slate clean entirely. This makes Astral Demons significantly more resilient on defense.

Passive Skills Update

New Passive Added (Hinder Mana): Reduces the amount of mana increased by Special Skills, Passive Skills, family bonuses, and status effects by -80%. This effect applies to all enemies in battle.
Resist Negative Mana Effects (Replaced 'Resist Mana Status Ailments'): Now grants immunity to mana reductions in addition to status ailments and negative stacks that affect mana generation.

Analysis: The "Hinder Mana" passive is a game changer. It essentially acts as a blanket suppression on enemy mana generation mechanics that rely on anything other than tiles. This shuts down passive mana gains and family bonuses that fuel rush strategies. Coupled with complete immunity to mana reduction, Astral Demons effectively become the ultimate anti control mana specialists.

Hero Specific Changes

Xshahr: Health boost increased to 45% of damage dealt (up from 40%), and damage to a random enemy when boosted increased to 250% (up from 190%).
Paimon: Direct damage increased significantly from 440% to 580%.

The Institute and Forsaken Families

The insanity mechanic is getting dialed up. The goal here seems to be accelerating the ramp up time for these heroes and making the payoff for reaching high insanity levels much more dangerous.

Passive Skill Buffs

Eldritch Pact:
- Chance to revive as Eldritch Host doubled to 10% per 10 Insanity (max 100%).
- Transform chance when defeated by own skill is now a guaranteed 100%.
Eldritch Host:
- Stats buffed: Attack/Defense up to 1200.
- Direct damage up to 400%.
- Insanity inflicted up to 35.
Branded by the Old Ones: Damage increase per Insanity buffed to 6% (max 60%).

Mechanic Updates

Fear: Defense reduction deepened to -40%, and damage to random ally increased to 160%.

Hero Specific Changes

Khatrox: Insanity inflicted increased to 25 (up from 20); Max stored damage cap raised to 1500 (up from 1000).
Prof. Morryster: Insanity inflicted increased to 50 (up from 45); Defense reduction vs Special Skills deepened to -44% (from -34%).
Demhalar: Insanity inflicted increased to 35 (up from 30).
Kadath: Insanity inflicted on target increased to 55 (up from 50).

Analysis: These changes make the Institute heroes much scarier in prolonged battles. The guaranteed transformation and increased revival chances mean they are stickier and more punishing if you don't deal with them quickly.

Beauty and the Beast Family

A mix of adjustments here, focusing on making the family mechanics more impactful and the individual heroes hit harder.

Passive Skill Adjustments

Revival Health Reduction: Now reduces revival health by a massive -80% (previously -50%). This is a hard counter to revive heavy teams.
Heal on Cleanse/Expiry: Heal amount increased to 15%.

Hero Specific Changes

The Beast: Direct damage increased to 460% (up from 430%).
Rose de Flo: Humility threshold for max power lowered to 50 (down from 60). Now gives +150 Attack (Growth) at max power, or +100 otherwise.
Wiglaf: Damage per defeated ally cap increased to +30% (up from +25%); Special damage boost buffed to +50% (up from +40%).
Bonga: Tokri Minion inherited HP increased to 30% (up from 27%) and Attack increased to 30% (up from 22%).
Evelyn: Direct damage increased to 320% (up from 290%) (Costume version to 310% (up from 280%)).
Reuben: Direct damage increased to 340% (up from 310%); Status ailment damage reduction buffed to -80% (from -75%).
Hanitra: Health boost per dodge increased to 450 HP (up from 425 HP).
Balur: Direct damage increased to 580% (up from 530%); Bleed damage increased to 612 (up from 519) over 3 turns.
Leadria: Spirit of Spring Minion health boost increased to 120 HP (up from 100 HP).
Faeona: Direct heal increased to 46% (up from 45%); Healing increase buffed to +35% (up from +30%).

Other Notable Updates

Construct Family

Minion Core: Killer Bot Minion inherited HP increased to 27% (up from 22%). A solid durability buff for all Construct minion summoners.

Mechanic Update: Soul Connection

Soul Connection effects are now correctly categorized: they are considered ailments when cast on enemies and buffs when cast on allies. This clarifies interaction with cleansers and dispellers.

Late Additions & Fixes

Liora: Her damage was underperforming. It has been adjusted to scale from 350-385% to the target and 220-255% to others, fixing the fixed damage issue.
Classic 3 Costume Bonus:* The maximum costume bonus for Rare Classic Heroes has been increased to +18% Attack / +18% Defense / +23% Health / +5% Mana.

Final Thoughts

This update is clearly trying to push older families back into relevancy. The Astral Demons are the clear winners here; the new "Hinder Mana" passive is incredibly strong and could easily make them top tier choices for defense teams again. The Institute changes are fun but might still be too niche for fast paced wars, though they will be terrifying in Rush Attack tournaments.

The buff to the Classic 3-Star Costume Bonus is a nice nod to newer players and tournament enthusiasts, ensuring those foundational heroes remain competitive in their rarity bracket.

As always, the real test will be in the arena. Good luck, and may the boards be in your favor!