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Updated on 19 March 2025

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Patch 2.8.1 – Baldwin nerf – what should players do?

Understanding Baldwin’s Nerf in Patch 2.8.1

With the arrival of Patch 2.8.1, one of the most significant changes is the nerf to Baldwin, the Magic Wind Immortal. Baldwin has always had an interesting place in the meta, often acting as a support mage rather than a primary damage dealer. His ability to increase magic damage taken by enemies made him a strong secondary pick, particularly in hybrid magic teams. However, with this recent nerf, Baldwin’s role has changed dramatically, leaving many players questioning how to proceed.

This guide will break down the changes, analyze their impact on gameplay, and provide recommendations on what to do next if you’ve been using Baldwin in your setups.

What Changed?

The patch adjusted Baldwin’s Hurricane ability, and the full patch note reads:

The [Hurricane] has been adjusted to: Summons Tornado that deals Magical Damage (Damage Rate 306%+42%/level) to 1 random enemy troop. After hitting a target, Tornado has a chance of splitting into two which will continue to attack nearby enemy troops. A tornado can split up to 2 times (Chance of the first split is 75%, Chance of the second split is 50%).

Official patch notes found here.

At first glance, this might not seem like a huge shift. However, the biggest change is the removal of Baldwin’s magic damage debuff. Previously, Hurricane also increased the target’s magic damage taken by 30%, making Baldwin a valuable enabler for strong mage-focused teams.

Now, Baldwin is simply a magic damage dealer, and without his utility, his role becomes much more limited.

Why Does This Matter?

Baldwin has never been the hardest-hitting mage. His ultimate damage was always slightly behind other top-tier mages, but his debuff utility made him valuable. Here’s why this change is significant:

  1. No More Magic Damage Amplification
    • Baldwin can no longer increase the damage output of other magic-heavy teams. Previously, he was an excellent support mage for strong casters like Wu Zetian, Himiko, Merlin, and Loki.
    • Without the debuff, his value as a team enabler is gone, and he has to compete purely as a damage dealer.
  2. Weaker Passive Skill Synergy
    • Since Baldwin no longer buffs magic damage taken, his own attacks (like Annihilation and other passives) are weaker.
    • He no longer benefits from his own ability, meaning his overall output is lower.
  3. Impact on Specific Team Compositions
    • The Baldwin-Wu Zetian Fire Nuke Build loses its synergy, making it far less viable.
    • Wind-based teams may no longer benefit from a magic-based setup.
    • Even in Wind compositions, Atalanta and physical damage teams are now more effective choices.

How Does This Affect the Meta?

Previously, Baldwin carved out a niche as a secondary magic enabler, but now he is just a damage dealer without extra utility. This effectively removes him from most competitive setups.

  • Wind Magic Teams Are No Longer Ideal
    • Without Baldwin’s debuff, pure Wind magic setups are much weaker.
    • Atalanta now becomes a stronger pick for Wind teams, focusing on physical damage instead.
  • Fire Magic Teams Lose a Key Component
    • Baldwin no longer makes sense in fire teams like Wu-Baldwin-Cyrus.
    • Instead, players should look to a more traditional fire build with Cyrus and Wu Zetian.
  • Baldwin’s Overall Viability Drops
    • He can still deal some damage, but his value as a supporting mage is gone.
    • Other mages like Himiko, Merlin, and Wu Zetian now outclass him completely.

What Should You Do if You Have Baldwin?

1. Transition to Atalanta in Wind Teams

If you were using Baldwin in Wind setups, now is the time to switch to physical damage.

  • Atalanta is a much stronger choice in Wind compositions, focusing on consistent physical damage.
  • Wind teams now lean towards physical-based strategies instead of magic damage.

2. Move to a Different Mage

If you were using Baldwin in a magic team, consider replacing him with a stronger, more reliable mage.

  • Himiko – One of the best alternatives, offering higher damage and crowd control.
  • Merlin – A consistent magic damage dealer with higher concistent damage.
  • Wu Zetian – A mage with potential for high burst damage procs, and with the chance she is now the same as Baldwin just better as her chance for multiple hits is almost as high but without damage reduction.

3. Avoid Investing in Baldwin Further

Since Baldwin’s value has dropped significantly, it is not recommended to continue investing resources in him. Unless a future patch buffs his damage or restores his magic debuff, there are better options available.

4. Adjust Fire Team Compositions

If you were using Baldwin in Fire Mage setups, switch to Cyrus-Wu Fire builds, which remain highly effective without needing Baldwin’s old debuff.

Checkout this Cyrus Fire team if you are in need of a new direction for your fire team

Final Thoughts

While Baldwin wasn’t a top-tier meta pick before, he had a valuable niche role due to his magic damage debuff. Now that this has been removed, his overall effectiveness is significantly lower, and his place in high-level team compositions is questionable.

If you’re currently using Baldwin, consider switching to Atalanta in Wind teams or investing in a stronger mage like Himiko or Merlin. This nerf may seem small, but it effectively removes Baldwin from his supportive enabler role, making it hard to justify using him over other Immortals.

If you’re looking to stay competitive, now is the time to adjust your strategy and move forward with a stronger setup.

Published: 19-03-2025