0.42.4 Every animation polished — burn when the arrow lands, real slams and the Sky Hawk's rider
Other patches
The animation polish pass finishes the unit-animation review: of 206 recorded clips, 193 now pass the fresh review and none is left unfinished (the 0.42.3 recording was 123 / 69 / 14). The rest are small looks that keep being polished.
General
All charging units
- First hit: after the wind-up→on arrival
Mender Hero kit
- Bodyguard spawn: stacked on the Mender→spread along the road
- Burn waits for the shot to land. A looping effect that started mid-loop lost its head start, so burning targets flamed up before the projectile arrived; every Burn skill (Ember Caster, Pyromancer, Cinder Engine, Basilisk) now ignites exactly when the hit lands.
Vanguard
Halberd Knight Unit
- Stands closer to its target; the polearm regrips before the swing.
Sky Hawk Unit
- A small archer rides the hawk and shoots the attack arrow — no more wind-blade stand-in on the basic attack. Basic attack: wind blade→archer's arrow. Stun Strike keeps the wind blade for now.
- The effect loads before the first frame, so the attack is visible from the first hit.
Warden Hero kit
- The shield faces the target in every clip — no more edge-on plank overhead.
- Shield Wall frames the barrier dome closer.
Ballista / Cannoneer
- Siege Shot leaves a shorter muzzle flash and shows its roof impact; craters stay small.
Stone Sentinel Unit
- The aura ring pulses to the aura's real reach with a brighter source ring.
Lightbringer / Marksman / Arbalester
- Cast poses: the Arbalester aims its crossbow and the bolt flies tip-first; the Marksman's casts lost the back-turn; the Finish It mark rides the arrow.
Grove
Barkguard, Magma Brute, Treant Colossus
- Real two-handed slam animations — Ground Slam, Slam and War Stomp play a dedicated slam clip, with the impact landing on the contact frame.
- War Stomp still shows no stun stars: its stun is 0 in the balance, so showing stars would lie to you.
Orc Bruiser Unit
- Ground Slam dust has volume instead of flat plates; Thorns throws short needles that end on the attacker.
Ogre Chieftain Unit
- Quagmire pounds the ground instead of spinning; the club hits on the damage tick.
Volleyer Hero kit
- A readable bow draw and release, aimed at the target; Scatter Shot arrows land on their targets.
Champion Hero kit
- Quake is a two-handed overhead slam with cracks and an earth heave; Battle Cry got a soft glow instead of a blood-pool disc; the cleave sweeps at weapon height.
Goblin Hexer / Plague Witch
- The Witch's Plague orb launches from the caster's hands and lands before the ring shows.
Ember
Fire Elemental Unit
- A middle-sized, hotter crown flame that reads as a pillar; the Immolation ring is back.
Magma Brute Unit
- The slam pose matches the sim's damage tick.
Infernal Unit
- Hounds spawn with an orange flash, staged side by side; hit puffs are fiery sparks instead of beige blobs.
Ash Dragon / Cinder Wyrm
- The breath jet starts on the damage tick; the Wyrm's shot is a proper dart, and its poison trails read as drips, not leaves.
Skeleton Runner Unit
- Berserk flames ride the drawn chest without hiding the skeleton; the death burst plays around the falling body.
Smoke Witch / Obsidian Guard
- The smoke bolt is darker with a visible smoke impact; Thorns shows dark obsidian spikes with ember glow.
Fixes
- Drifting cloud shadows and sun-ray beams no longer brighten recordings mid-clip (recording-only; the game is unchanged).
- A ranged unit's victim keeps its place when a point-blank Finish It executes.
- Effects that start partway through their loop fade in over their first 0.15 s instead of popping.