Backpack Hero “Tote-ally Rebalanced” update announced, patch notes

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch eShop

A new Backpack Hero “Tote-ally Rebalanced” update has been announced, which should roll out on Nintendo Switch in the future.

This is a “massive” update focusing on rebalancing most of Tote’s items and introducing new ones. There are 42 rebalanced items, 4 rebalanced relics, and 31 new items. Pochette will be getting her own balance update in the future as well.

Backpack Hero Tote-ally Rebalanced update patch notes

REBALANCED TOTE ITEMS

Acorn Sap – block 10 -> 12 block
Annotated textbook – 2 mana a turn, draw 1 carving -> 3 mana a turn, draw 2 carvings
Banner shield – uncommon -> common, 14 block -> 10 block
Begonia – changed effect to: when mana flows through, add 2 mana to mana network, and add 2 poison to everyone
Bone Lance – on summon 14 damage -> on summon 10 damage, piercing to all enemies. Common -> uncommon
Brother’s Bow – uses kin and arrows now
Brother’s ring – adjacent -> column and row
Carved Blade – summon cost now 0
Cherry Bomb – no longer banishes. Does damage on Discard. Can no longer be used. Damage boost lasts until discard. Base damage 5 -> 4 boost damage 5 -> 3
Cosmic Crossbow -> uncommon -> common
Cordyscepter – changed effect to: 3 uses per combat, on summon, deal 5 damage to all enemies. On use, deal 16 damage to the enemy. On out of uses, deal 7 damage to self.
Cursed Sap – changed effect to: each turn add 4 burn to self, on sap match 3, draw 1 carving
Dark Ledger – 3 mana to summon -> free, on kill give 1 energy -> On kill give 3 mana
Daughter’s Diary – all weapons get +2 damage -> weapons in a diagonal line get +3 damage. Scaling energy cost per turn
Dreaming Ring – uncommon -> common
Dreaming Sword – +2 per carving played -> +1 per carving played
Edlewood Branch – 5 block -> 6 block, added effect: if in hand on turn end, -5 gold
Energy Carving – Must be placed on bags edge
Energy Point – must be placed on top row
Enoki Mushrooms – on discard give 10 block -> on discard give 12 block
Ethereal Quiver – creates spirit bolt above and below -> creates spirit bolt to the right
Flowering Arrow – on use deal 7 damage -> on use deal 7 damage and draw 1 carving
Gem Carving – removed self discard
Green Heart – Effect is now “when an adjacent item kills an enemy, heal 8. On turn end banish”
Lucky Carving – buffed luck slightly, added effect -> if in hand on turn end, banished
Mana Sap – for each mana in this row gain 1 mana -> for each mana in this row and column gain 1 mana
Mushroom Axe -> No longer costs money to summon
Oak Stump – added on use add 5 block. Can be used 1 time a turn
Overgrown Arrow – on out of uses discarded -> on out of uses discard and draw 1 carving
Rafflesia Shield – 10 block -> 30 block. Added effect: on summon, lose 1 max hp
Reeds – added effect +1 block for each adjacent item
Renewal – added effect, items this is played on uses are reset this turn
Ring of Dreams – each turn add 1 mana -> each turn add 2 mana
Shiitake Mushroom – on discard +3 rage -> on discard +4 rage
Sister Spear – Rare -> Uncommon
Spiky Carving – on turn end, discard
Rose Arrow – added effect: on use draw 1 carving
Tree Shield – changed on summon effect to on use. Now 0 cost summon, 1 energy to use. 14 block -> 8
Unstable Sword – changed effect to: 3 mana to summon, when mana flows through, deal 7 damage to enemy. On kill, add 3 mana to connected
mana network and discard. Legendary -> Rare
Wand of Dreams – changed effect to: 1 energy to summon, 1 mana to use. On use deal 5 damage to enemy. When a carving one space away is summoned this item is used. Rare -> Uncommon
Wiz Buckler – on use 2 block -> on use 4 block

REBALANCED TOTE RELICS

Tote can now find Alloy and Shield Spirit
Wasp Honey – every three carvings played, deal 3 damage to all enemies -> every four carvings played, deal 5 damage to all enemies
Reverse Hourglass – limit increased to three
Lilypad – when a carving is discarded, add 1 mana to mana network.. Carvings in this row gain -1 energy to use and +2 mana to use.

NEW TOTE ITEMS

Arc Blade – when a carving is discarded, deal 4 damage
Big Sister’s Bell – each turn, create a random dream kin in an adjacent or diagonal empty space.
Blessed Sap – on match 4, create a blessing, banished
Brother’s Brazier – when an adjacent kin is used, add 2 burn to all enemies. On use, all adjacent kin are used, and are banished
Dark Deal – relic, on combat start, create a blessing. If you take damage, this item is disabled for 2 combats and a curse is created. When a curse is used, it deals 1 damage to everyone. When a blessing is used, heal player 1
Dry Mana Root – Manastone, 0/5, common
Dynamite Fruit – carving. This item can be played over other items. Discards carvings under this. On clear (toss) deal 2 damage to every enemy. For every card in discard pile +1 damage
Ghost Mushroom – For every empty space in this row +2 block. When a consumable in this column is used +4 block and discard. Ghostly
Gnarled Wood – on clear carvings (toss) deal 4 damage
Kudzu Bow- curse, carving, bow. If in your hand at the end of the turn deal 7 damage to self. On discard, deal 7 damage to self. 0 cost to summon 1 energy to use. Each turn create a kudzu arrow in a space to the right (rotational). On use the first arrow to the right (rotational) is used
Kudzu Arrow – arrow, weapon, projectile. Each turn deal 2 damage to self. On use this item is destroyed. On use, deal 7 damage. For each empty space to the right (rotational) +5 damage
Lost Brother’s Sword – kin, carving, curse, weapon, melee. 1 energy summon. On summon deal 5 damage to everyone. If in hand at the end of the turn deal 5 damage to self. Each turn deal 5 damage to everyone. On use this item is discarded, deal 10 damage to everyone
Magic Morel – mushroom, each turn add 2 mana to connected mana network. When a connected consumable is used, add 10 mana to connected mana network
Moldy Planks – can be used one time per combat. On use add 4 block. When a carving is summoned, +2 block this turn
Mother’s Wish – must be placed at bags edge. When a diagonal kin item is used, draw 1 carving
Mystic Leaf – 2 energy to summon. If you do not take damage this turn, create a blessing and banishes. On discard, banishes self. On take damage, banish
Venomous Lotus – each turn, add 0 poison to everyone. For each carving in this row/column + 1 poison per turn
Pot of Giving – blessing, may be used once a turn, on use draw 4
Potent Nectar – manastone, carving 2/2. Each turn add 1 to mana network
Puffball – mushroom, on summon create mushivs in empty adjacent spaces. When a consumable 1 space over is used, discard
Mushiv – can be used 1 time each turn. Has 3 total uses. On use deal 4 damage. On out of uses, destroy
Purple Cort – mushroom, on summon, draw 1 carving. When a consumable to the left is used, draw 3 carvings
Pure Sap -blessing, on match 3, deal 15 damage to enemy. Does not discard or destroy
Root Ring – can be used 1 time a turn. When a carving is summoned, this item is used. On use, draw 1 carving
SnapDragon – on take damage deal 8 damage to enemy, discard
Spell Fragrance – on take damage, add 4 mana to mana network, this carving is discarded
Staghorn Jelly – mushroom, each turn deals 7 damage to the enemy. When a consumable one
space over is used, deal 14 damage and discard
Sundial – relic, cannot be placed on bags edge. If any item is adjacent or diagonal to this, this item is disabled. Each turn, add 1 energy. On any carving discard, draw 1 carving
Thorn Blade – 4 uses. Each turn this item is used. On out of uses, deal 30 damage to all enemies and uses are refreshed. On take damage, deal 10 damage to self and this carving is banished
Vajra – blessing, whenever a carving is summoned deal 2 damage to all enemies. Whenever a carving is discarded, add 3 block to self
Willow Staff – carving. This item can be used 3 times per combat. On summon this item is used. On use deal 12 damage to enemy. On out of uses, add 8 mana to connected mana network and uses are refreshed

POCHETTE CHANGED ITEMS

Apple – heal pet 5 -> remove 5 poison
Banana – 10 -> 8 hp
Ball of Yarn – Rare -> Uncommon
Bobble Toy – Uncommon -> Rare
Bone Bomb – 10 -> 16 damage
Bowtie Collar – Common -> Uncommon
Bug Helmet – added effect: if this item is not on the top row: disabled
Canned Food – Common -> Uncommon
DreamCatcher – Rare -> Uncommon
Dry Herb – 2 -> 1 burn
Giant Turnip – Changed effect to: Pet Gains: when mana flows through, add 1 block to self.
Conductive. Uncommon -> Rare
Honey Reserve – 2 -> 4 slow
Impressive Stick – increased size to four spaces long
Insidious Buckler – now gives poison to everyone
Jam – Uncommon -> Common, reduced healing to 5
Leadership Whistle – removed destroy effect and changed it to a once per turn use. Increased cost to use to 1 energy
Little Knife – Changed effect to: Pet Gains: when a weapon in a diagonal line is used, deal 1 damage to enemy
Onion Grass – when an adjacent weapon is used, gain +2 damage until use changed to when a diagonal weapon is used
Pet Bed – added effect: Pet Gains: if there is an item adjacent or diagonal, this item is disabled
Quills – 1 -> 2 spikes
Raw Steak – 3 -> 4 rage
Refreshing Herb – Uncommon -> Rare. Changed effect to: Pet Gains, if there is an item two spaces away, this item is disabled. Each turn add one energy to self
Rubber Boot – 1 -> 2 block
Shell – 1 -> 2 block
Skipping Stone – changed effect to: Pet gains: when a weapon in this row is used, gain 2 block to self
Sleeping Bag – added effect: cannot be placed on bags edge
Spicy Treat – 2 damage -> 3 burn
Spirit Book – Legendary -> Rare
Tasty Morsel – 10 -> 6 hp
Whip – added effect: on use deal 3 damage to adjacent friendlies, increased use per turn limit to 2

Thanks to Jaspel for the patch notes above. We have more information about the game here.