Hi everyone,

We're starting the BETA for our next tactical RPG! It's called Shieldwall Chronicles: Swords of the North and is built on the Demon's Rise engine but with loads of improvements and much better graphics and audio.

If you'd like to help us test it, please come to the Discord server to get a beta key:

https://discord.gg/3rT8Cua

All the best,

- Fixed a bug that crept in last patch that prevented the game from running.

- Fixed the bug where navigation was not working correctly in the tutorial levels.
- Redid lighting and light mapping with updated engine for a better and more realistic look.

This update brings some major improvements to the vendor and also fixes a long running bug with the end turn button disappearing. There are also some changes to prevent odd navigation behaviour reported on some levels.

- Fixed a bug where pressing the End Turn button while a unit was performing a move or attack would cause the end turn button to disappear.
- Shop keeper now sorts items in categories by item type. Amulets, rings, weapons, etc. are now in separate categories.
- Removed the old "cheap, normal, premium" item categories.
- Items are now sorted in ascending order of price.
- Fixed a bug where characters with no missile attacks were showing missile attack stats in the shop keeper character stat screen.
- Several minor bug fixes.
- Fixed a bug where characters would sometimes walk off the board. Please note that when this occurs, the character instead instantly teleports to the target tile. This is not ideal visually but does prevent an otherwise game-breaking event. Hopefully, this can be further improved in future updates.

Quick preview of some big improvements being made to the shopkeeper. The 3 different boxes of items (premium, normal, cheap) have been replaced by a different box by item type. This box is now sorted by item cost in ascending order.

This way, you'll be able to find the exact item you'll want and see which you'll be able to afford very easily. If your character wants a new magic ring, you'll have an array of rings to choose from with just a single click, for example.

- Added a new mercenary for hire in the tavern. The Battle Priest is a tough, well-armoured cleric able to cast several buffs and healing abilities.
- Dragon Hunter character model redone to be more detailed and appear more in-line with other dwarves in the game.
- Dwarf Ironguard character model redesigned.
- Treasure chests now always drop one of three new, high-value collectibles. The new collectibles are a large gold drop, a potion of destruction and a potion of invulnerability.
- Added a new tooltip that appears when the mouse hovers over a tile. This tooltip displays terrain effects, collectible details and a summary of enemy units with their hit points, action points, and counter attack details.
- Added a new party-member summary on the left side of the screen that displays each surviving party member’s hit points and a small icon to denote whether that unit can attack, move or perform any abilities this turn. Pressing any of these icons also focuses the camera on that character and makes him or her the actively selected character.
- Removed zero value items as rewards for completing a level. Instead, players will instead gain an additional 500 gold for completing the level if the random reward item has zero gold value.
- Scaled up the shop vendor screen to be easier to read.
- Fixed a bug where the wrong patrol level would be checked off as completed when patrol levels 5 or later were completed.
- Fixed a bug where characters would navigate off the screen if trying to move to certain tiles on patrol mission 10.
- Fixed a bug where unchecking the “persistent corpses” option would not cause corpses to be hidden automatically.
- Fixed a bug where the inventory stat screen incorrectly capped certain characters’ dodge and attack skills at 100.
- Fixed various minor bugs.
- Added some limits on the number of times several Steel Golem abilities can be used per battle for game balance reasons.

Based on a user request, a new mercenary will soon be signing up to explore the ruins. The Battle Priest will be accessible from the tavern as one of the sell-swords that can be added to any party in exchange for some gold.

A tough, grizzled warrior with several morale and healing buffs, he should provide some solid, front-line support for any adventuring party.

Here is a preview of the new dwarf models that will replace the current models for the Dwarf Iron Guard and Dragon Slayer classes. Hope you like them.

Also, on the left of the screen is a WIP of the new party summary UI that will show all 6 party members, their current hit points and an indicator as to whether they have any movement, attacks or abilities available to them.

- Fixed a bug where a new game could not be made using one of the pre-made teams.
- Fixed a bug where the Stone Priest's "Strength of the Earth" spell could not target a friendly unit as it was supposed to.
- Fixed a bug where the Walking Cannon's "Entrench" ability also prevented adjacent units from moving.