Mythical Kettle Drum

[JuggernautJ]

I hate (no, really.. hate...) to be overly negative but I can't help but notice that the British Kettle Drum Mythical is for sale at the store and...

It is a 1% "Step-Up" Sale that starts at 2,500 Crowns, the 2nd Step is 4,500 Crowns, the 3rd Step (of which 12 are required to get to the 4th Step) is 6,000 Crowns (each of 12).
At the 4th Step the Drum is free! BUT it takes 79,000 (!) Crowns to get there... with a (roughly) 14% Chance to get the Kettle Drum before the 4th Step.

The new, 5th ability for the Kettle Drum is to add to Mortar Troop Attack Speed starting at 7%.

But, we've all been expecting/dreading (or, in the case of a few, asking for) the Mongols Coalition, which (among other things) increases Mortar Troop Attack Speed to be Nerfed.

We've seen this (twice) before.
BHG sells an item that buffs a particular troop type (Fighters, Bombers) then nerfs that troop from other sources.
So, I have to ask, is this going to happen again???
Why would BHG so transparently set us up for that kind of bait-and-switch?
But just as relevant, why would they set themselves up for the kind of blow-back this would send their way?
Again. They must see it coming... right?

Am I barking up the wrong tree here?
Should one believe that BHG isn't going to nerf the Mongols Coalition and blithely spend up to 72,000 Crowns for a Mythical Kettle Drum?
Or, to phrase it another way, just how stupid does BHG think their customer base is and why, in the name of heaven, would they set themselves up for this kind of a response???
I mean, I sincerely hope I'm dead wrong but I just can't see investing in the Mythical Kettle Drum under these circumstances... not without some kind of guarantee that history isn't going to repeat itself.

I would really like to have the Kettle Drum Mythical but...
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me thrice, shame on me.

 

[nobodyknowsthetrouble]

At the 4th Step the Drum is free! BUT it takes 79,000 (!) Crowns to get there... with a (roughly) 14% Chance to get the Kettle Drum before the 4th Step.

I don't really like the idea of 1% gambling boxes in general.
But I think you've miscalculated: 14% is reached after about 16 boxes.
In the third step, however, we buy the 16th to 195th box (85.x% chance of getting it before then).
That means it's exactly the opposite; you have roughly a 14% chance of not(!) getting it before the fourth step.

I completely agree with your paragraph about bait and switch.

 

[Harlems369th]

I hate (no, really.. hate...) to be overly negative but I can't help but notice that the British Kettle Drum Mythical is for sale at the store and...

It is a 1% "Step-Up" Sale that starts at 2,500 Crowns, the 2nd Step is 4,500 Crowns, the 3rd Step (of which 12 are required to get to the 4th Step) is 6,000 Crowns (each of 12).
At the 4th Step the Drum is free! BUT it takes 79,000 (!) Crowns to get there... with a (roughly) 14% Chance to get the Kettle Drum before the 4th Step.

The new, 5th ability for the Kettle Drum is to add to Mortar Troop Attack Speed starting at 7%.

But, we've all been expecting/dreading (or, in the case of a few, asking for) the Mongols Coalition, which (among other things) increases Mortar Troop Attack Speed to be Nerfed.

We've seen this (twice) before.
BHG sells an item that buffs a particular troop type (Fighters, Bombers) then nerfs that troop from other sources.
So, I have to ask, is this going to happen again???
Why would BHG so transparently set us up for that kind of bait-and-switch?
But just as relevant, why would they set themselves up for the kind of blow-back this would send their way?
Again. They must see it coming... right?

Am I barking up the wrong tree here?
Should one believe that BHG isn't going to nerf the Mongols Coalition and blithely spend up to 72,000 Crowns for a Mythical Kettle Drum?
Or, to phrase it another way, just how stupid does BHG think their customer base is and why, in the name of heaven, would they set themselves up for this kind of a response???
I mean, I sincerely hope I'm dead wrong but I just can't see investing in the Mythical Kettle Drum under these circumstances... not without some kind of guarantee that history isn't going to repeat itself.

I would really like to have the Kettle Drum Mythical but...
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me thrice, shame on me.

I'm fairly certain we've had this discussion before, but I'll be happy to reiterate.

The fighters' nerf without a heads-up was a blunder; we admitted that and promised to do so for future changes and releases. We gave you a heads up that we'd address bombers, we've given you a heads up that we'll be tackling the Paratrooper attack speed, and we've also given you fair warning about coalitions. These have been put out at various times throughout 2025, post Fighters update, and are accessible through both DomiNations World and here on our forums.

Again, we cannot promise that we won't make changes to things in the future; that is the nature of our type of game and others like it. As we add new things, it can impact other aspects of the game that we deem necessary to update, or we make updates based on our design intentions.

 

[SPUUUU9]

Additionally i Do not get why the Kette drum is not good for you to buy because if whatever got nerfed you will still be able to Attacke with a certain percentage better than all the players who Do not have the advantage of the Kette drum... Same for the Bomber artifacts or whatever artifact... If you have it you have the advantage...

 

[Rollin]

These days you can get artifacts for many times cheaper than back then… $60 for a mythical artifact is „normal“. They cost $150-$200 years ago lol ?

Mortars are out of control atm, i rly wonder how they dont nerf them… they are way stronger and faster then Bomber without the nerf

 

[King Crimson]

I hate (no, really.. hate...) to be overly negative but I can't help but notice that the British Kettle Drum Mythical is for sale at the store and...

It is a 1% "Step-Up" Sale that starts at 2,500 Crowns, the 2nd Step is 4,500 Crowns, the 3rd Step (of which 12 are required to get to the 4th Step) is 6,000 Crowns (each of 12).
At the 4th Step the Drum is free! BUT it takes 79,000 (!) Crowns to get there... with a (roughly) 14% Chance to get the Kettle Drum before the 4th Step.

The new, 5th ability for the Kettle Drum is to add to Mortar Troop Attack Speed starting at 7%.

But, we've all been expecting/dreading (or, in the case of a few, asking for) the Mongols Coalition, which (among other things) increases Mortar Troop Attack Speed to be Nerfed.

We've seen this (twice) before.
BHG sells an item that buffs a particular troop type (Fighters, Bombers) then nerfs that troop from other sources.
So, I have to ask, is this going to happen again???
Why would BHG so transparently set us up for that kind of bait-and-switch?
But just as relevant, why would they set themselves up for the kind of blow-back this would send their way?
Again. They must see it coming... right?

Am I barking up the wrong tree here?
Should one believe that BHG isn't going to nerf the Mongols Coalition and blithely spend up to 72,000 Crowns for a Mythical Kettle Drum?
Or, to phrase it another way, just how stupid does BHG think their customer base is and why, in the name of heaven, would they set themselves up for this kind of a response???
I mean, I sincerely hope I'm dead wrong but I just can't see investing in the Mythical Kettle Drum under these circumstances... not without some kind of guarantee that history isn't going to repeat itself.

I would really like to have the Kettle Drum Mythical but...
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me thrice, shame on me.

I wouldn't normally say this but at least having the drum is going to give you a boost you don't currently have.
But yeah, l understand your trepidation. At the very least, the 7% speed increase is a small counter to the impending nerf.
Better to get some/most of what you want than none of it. Only you can decide if what you end up with is worth it.

 

[zeltum]

I managed to bag the drum on the very 1st chest from the first 2500 crowns. Had tomgo outside and check i hadnt stepped in some sh1te. Went a bought a lottery ticket after that. (Lost miserably )

 

[Apophis]

Harlem - I’m going to push back more directly, because your reply largely sidesteps the actual issue.

You framed this as “we learned from Fighters and we’ve provided heads-ups since then,” but that’s not the claim being challenged. The claim is that BHG repeatedly monetizes power in a specific area and then later devalues that same area through broad balance changes. And that “heads-ups” are either too vague, too late, or not backed by numbers to be meaningful for purchase decisions.

Here’s where your argument breaks:

1. “We promised heads-ups” is not the same as “we acted early enough to be fair.”
   With Bombers, the “warning” only started after many players had already sunk substantial tokens/resources into artifacts and builds. At that point, a heads-up isn’t consumer protection. It’s damage control. If the communication happens after the investment wave, it doesn’t prevent the harm you’re claiming to avoid.
2. “We warned you we’ll tackle X” is too non-specific to be actionable.
   Saying you’ll “address Bombers / Paratrooper attack speed / Coalitions” does not help anyone assess risk unless you provide at least one of:

• what exactly will change (mechanic)
• how much (numbers / range)
• when (timeline)
• who is affected (scope)
• and what mitigation exists (if any)

Without that, players are being asked to spend tens of thousands of Crowns on faith.

1. “We can’t promise we won’t make changes” is a disclaimer, not an answer.
   No one is asking for a promise of “no balance changes ever.” The question is whether you are selling a premium item right now that you reasonably expect to be devalued soon by already-known design direction. Your response avoids the core linkage entirely: Kettle Drum’s Mortar Attack Speed buff versus anticipated Coalition nerfs.
2. The severity matters. And current nerfs aren’t “tuning,” they’re functional invalidation.
   What’s driving the backlash is that recent “tackling” has often been so heavy-handed that the unit becomes borderline unusable. If the practical outcome is “this troop is no longer viable,” then the ethical bar for transparency is higher, not lower. And yet you’re not providing targets, deltas, or any numeric justification. “Design intentions” without numbers reads like “trust us,” and that’s exactly what players no longer want to do after being burned.

So here are the concrete questions your reply did not answer. And these are the ones that matter for whether this sale is reasonable or predatory:

A) Will Coalition changes (including Mongols, if applicable) reduce Mortar Troop Attack Speed effectiveness in any way (direct nerf, stacking cap, diminishing returns, interaction changes)? Yes or no.

B) If yes: what is the magnitude you’re targeting (even a range)? If you can’t share exact numbers, share the intent in quantifiable terms (e.g., “we’re aiming to reduce effective mortar DPS by ~X% in typical endgame setups”).

C) What is the timeline relative to the current Kettle Drum Step-Up sale? If this is landing soon, selling the item now without specifics is exactly why it looks like bait-and-switch.

D) If the change materially reduces the value of Kettle Drum’s new ability shortly after purchase, what mitigation are you offering? A refund/exchange window, compensation, or at minimum a pre-sale disclosure of the risk.

Right now, your message boils down to: “We post warnings sometimes, but we can change anything at any time.” That is not reassurance. It’s a reason not to spend 72,000+ Crowns.

If BHG genuinely wants to avoid repeating the Fighters/Bombers trust collapse, then you need to stop relying on vague forum posts and start providing decision-grade transparency: scope, numbers (or ranges), timing, and mitigation. Especially when you are actively monetizing the same stat you may soon nerf.

And to be honest, I’m not expecting a real answer to this. I mainly wanted to show how unhelpful these statements are in practice, because they give players no concrete basis to make an informed decision before spending.

 

[Harlems369th]

A) Will Coalition changes (including Mongols, if applicable) reduce Mortar Troop Attack Speed effectiveness in any way (direct nerf, stacking cap, diminishing returns, interaction changes)? Yes or no.

B) If yes: what is the magnitude you’re targeting (even a range)? If you can’t share exact numbers, share the intent in quantifiable terms (e.g., “we’re aiming to reduce effective mortar DPS by ~X% in typical endgame setups”).

C) What is the timeline relative to the current Kettle Drum Step-Up sale? If this is landing soon, selling the item now without specifics is exactly why it looks like bait-and-switch.

D) If the change materially reduces the value of Kettle Drum’s new ability shortly after purchase, what mitigation are you offering? A refund/exchange window, compensation, or at minimum a pre-sale disclosure of the risk.

Right now, your message boils down to: “We post warnings sometimes, but we can change anything at any time.” That is not reassurance. It’s a reason not to spend 72,000+ Crowns.

If BHG genuinely wants to avoid repeating the Fighters/Bombers trust collapse, then you need to stop relying on vague forum posts and start providing decision-grade transparency: scope, numbers (or ranges), timing, and mitigation. Especially when you are actively monetizing the same stat you may soon nerf.

And to be honest, I’m not expecting a real answer to this. I mainly wanted to show how unhelpful these statements are in practice, because they give players no concrete basis to make an informed decision before spending.

Your feelings are valid, and we've not made any unit truly 'unusable'.

A) Yep, these things are possible.

B) We'll be making drastic changes that we'll divulge when we're done developing them.

C) Can't really give a timeline as meta could change in favor of or against a given build at any given time.

D) Kettle Drum would still be viable and have a value, which would be subjective for each player; should we deem it necessary, we'll address it then.

It's not a reliance on vague statements; it's truth. In Magic: The Gathering or any TCG, you either play into the active set of cards at that given time of release, or stick with the format you have. The same applies here. The choice is entirely up to you whether you want to buy into the set (in this case, the artifact), but it's impossible to say that we won't make a change down the line.

 

[Apophis]

Your feelings are valid, and we've not made any unit truly 'unusable'.

A) Yep, these things are possible.

B) We'll be making drastic changes that we'll divulge when we're done developing them.

C) Can't really give a timeline as meta could change in favor of or against a given build at any given time.

D) Kettle Drum would still be viable and have a value, which would be subjective for each player; should we deem it necessary, we'll address it then.

It's not a reliance on vague statements; it's truth. In Magic: The Gathering or any TCG, you either play into the active set of cards at that given time of release, or stick with the format you have. The same applies here. The choice is entirely up to you whether you want to buy into the set (in this case, the artifact), but it's impossible to say that we won't make a change down the line.

Harlem - you basically confirmed the problem.

• You say no unit is “unusable,” but you provide no numbers. That’s semantics, not evidence. Players don’t mean “literally cannot be deployed.” They mean “non-viable relative to comparable investment.”
• You admit the exact scenario being discussed is possible.
• You confirm “drastic changes” are coming, but refuse to share scope, magnitude, or even a coarse timeline. “Meta can change” is not an explanation for withholding basic disclosure about planned balance work that you are actively developing.
• You push all risk onto the player: “it will be viable,” “value is subjective,” “we’ll address it then.” “Viable” without numbers is meaningless, and “we’ll address it then” is the opposite of consumer protection.

Here’s why that matters in practice: whether it’s spending up to ~72,000 Crowns on a Step-Up Mythical, or investing months of tokens and resources into artifacts and a build, the decision is the same. Players are being asked to commit significant real money and/or long-term progression into a stat direction while you simultaneously acknowledge that drastic changes may invalidate that direction, and you provide no quantifiable risk disclosure upfront.


The MTG/TCG analogy also fails. TCGs have predictable structures and decision-grade disclosures: set release cadence, format rules, rotation expectations, and when bans/restrictions happen they are explicit and measurable. Here it’s the opposite: spend now, details later.


At that point, it’s not “the choice is entirely up to you.” It’s pay now, find out later. And if that’s the operating model, the game becomes fundamentally not investable for anyone trying to make rational long-term progression decisions. It also confirms for me personally that there’s no reason to actively play again, because mid-term planning and investment are treated as disposable.

 

[Harlems369th]

Harlem - you basically confirmed the problem.

• You say no unit is “unusable,” but you provide no numbers. That’s semantics, not evidence. Players don’t mean “literally cannot be deployed.” They mean “non-viable relative to comparable investment.”
• You admit the exact scenario being discussed is possible.
• You confirm “drastic changes” are coming, but refuse to share scope, magnitude, or even a coarse timeline. “Meta can change” is not an explanation for withholding basic disclosure about planned balance work that you are actively developing.
• You push all risk onto the player: “it will be viable,” “value is subjective,” “we’ll address it then.” “Viable” without numbers is meaningless, and “we’ll address it then” is the opposite of consumer protection.

Here’s why that matters in practice: whether it’s spending up to ~72,000 Crowns on a Step-Up Mythical, or investing months of tokens and resources into artifacts and a build, the decision is the same. Players are being asked to commit significant real money and/or long-term progression into a stat direction while you simultaneously acknowledge that drastic changes may invalidate that direction, and you provide no quantifiable risk disclosure upfront.


The MTG/TCG analogy also fails. TCGs have predictable structures and decision-grade disclosures: set release cadence, format rules, rotation expectations, and when bans/restrictions happen they are explicit and measurable. Here it’s the opposite: spend now, details later.


At that point, it’s not “the choice is entirely up to you.” It’s pay now, find out later. And if that’s the operating model, the game becomes fundamentally not investable for anyone trying to make rational long-term progression decisions. It also confirms for me personally that there’s no reason to actively play again, because mid-term planning and investment are treated as disposable.

I can't give you information we haven't solidified yet.

Currently, there are no 'not viable units.' Units have varying degrees of difficulty in achieving success at different stages of play.

We disclose information well in advance (ex. Fighters rebalance info dropped 5/28/25. Mythical Spitfire didn't release until July, and the Legendary has been in the game for quite some time.)

How you choose to progress in DomiNations is entirely up to you.

 

[devilden]

I don't really like the idea of 1% gambling boxes in general.
But I think you've miscalculated: 14% is reached after about 16 boxes.
In the third step, however, we buy the 16th to 195th box (85.x% chance of getting it before then).
That means it's exactly the opposite; you have roughly a 14% chance of not(!) getting it before the fourth step.

I completely agree with your paragraph about bait and switch.

Haha nice joke I opened 100 or 120 chests didn't get it ? Is that 85% chance you mentioning better not blabber nonsense

 

[nobodyknowsthetrouble]

Haha nice joke I opened 100 or 120 chests didn't get it ? Is that 85% chance you mentioning better not blabber nonsense

If you dont understand basic math, then dont blame other people

 

[King Crimson]

I can't give you information we haven't solidified yet.

Currently, there are no 'not viable units.' Units have varying degrees of difficulty in achieving success at different stages of play.

We disclose information well in advance (ex. Fighters rebalance info dropped 5/28/25. Mythical Spitfire didn't release until July, and the Legendary has been in the game for quite some time.)

How you choose to progress in DomiNations is entirely up to you.

You should never try to argue with harlem - don't you know he's never wrong?

Ps: "We can’t promise we won’t make changes” is a disclaimer, not an answer - couldnt agree more.
It's their get out of jail card.

 

[Krauserthesecond]

1. The severity matters. And current nerfs aren’t “tuning,” they’re functional invalidation.

This is SO true and relevant. Please dial down your nerfhammer a bit.

 

[JuggernautJ]

....In Magic: The Gathering or any TCG, you either play into the active set of cards at that given time of release, or stick with the format you have. The same applies here. The choice is entirely up to you whether you want to buy into the set (in this case, the artifact), but it's impossible to say that we won't make a change down the line.

And this is exactly why I stopped buying MTG after the second set: The need to keep buying all new sets every few months in order to remain competitive (or to play at all in "legal" tournaments).

If this is the business model you intend for DomiNations going forward then you have lost me as a customer.