Uncle Ector's review of the Halloween Store

Pumpkin Bomb This is a Holiday version of Wym's Fiery Pin, a very nice burning item. Personally I prefer items without Firestorms, since you're going to get two Firestorms from Firehide Robes and two more from a tokenless Azgul's Orb, and you aren't going to need more. A burning wizard should struggle to maintain the card versatility, since he cannot attach two copies of the same card to the enemies.
Still, the Bomb is so beautiful that I completely support your desire to buy it just for the collection

Sugar Rage This is a Holiday version of God's Rage. It's totally awful, of course. The picture isn't much attractive, so I guess you should skip it.

Tasty, Tasty Staff Now here we have something very unique. Five of six cards are new! They aren't overpowered, but they are different. Tongue Storm isn't better than Arcane Burst, it's even worse due to the shorter range. Tongue Lash is just a mediocre attack. The only really strong card here is Tongue Grab. Too bad we have only one such card here for two yellow tokens.

Werewolf Boots This is a Holiday version of Garalem's Boots. They are very effective tokenless boots, especially for a wizard or a stabbing warrior. If you really like Garalem's Boots, you should buy the Werewolf's Boots, since they are much more beautiful

Fang Shield This is a Holiday version of Spiked Shield. It's good enough to pay 500 gold for it, and it's beautiful enough to buy it.

Haunted Stick Now we have another version of Weighty Wand. I'm not the fan of it, and the new picture isn't much better than the old one.

Spritastrophe Another unique item with various attacks. Very unstable and not very powerful.

Vankenstein's Staff This is a variant of Staff Of Peril. I am not a fan of such staves.

Argy Bargy Brand Sneakers Now this is the item I really like. Not that Ooze Shove is going to be extremely effective, but I can spend 100 gold on the item with the unique card.

Devil Trident It's just a bit more flashy Trident. Nothing to write home about.

Infected This is like a suicide bomb. Stupid, but still lethal. Did I buy it? Actually, I've bought two - the second copy was in Daily Deal. The price isn't very high, after all.

Wicked Broom It's just a Big Stick with a better picture. But the picture isn't so great to buy it, alas.

Witchy Robes Just a good old Tempest Robes, heavily nerfed and barely playable. The picture isn't great enough to buy it.

Black Cat Buckler A much more beautiful version of Parrying Buckler. An instant buy for me

Hell Cauldron This is a Holiday version of Fragile Juju. The only case where the non-Holiday item is more beautiful than the Holiday version

Muscle-Bound Boots Do you think they are also a Holiday version of some other boots? I did. But they are unique! Not that I'm a big fan of them, they really worth 25 gold.

Trickster Wand This is a Holiday version of Caustic Wand, and I like it very much. Sometimes you want some acid, but you aren't ready to spend a yellow token on Acidic Gland, and then you take Caustic Wand and spit acid like a cobra. This version is MUCH more beautiful, so I've grabbed it immediately.

Blazing Skill This is Charged Opal. Pay 5 gold just for the picture

Skeleton Suit I don't like neither the cards, nor the picture. If you do, buy it.

The Deadonomicon The cards are awful, but the picture is awesome! Much better than the original, Tome Of The Withering Source. Pay 5 gold for the picture like me.

 

You didn't rate the treasures

 

How can I rate them? I'm not an art expert, if such people can be trusted at all. Everybody has his own opinion on the pictures. If you like the picture, buy it - that's all I can say about the treasures.

Overall, I'm a bit disappointed. All the unique items aren't playable enough IMHO, but, most importantly, they aren't "unique enough". You should use more copies of the unique cards. I'd buy a decent staff with 2-3 Tongue Grabs, but not with the one copy. Same about Festering Guts - you should place two copies to make the skill really fun and playable. Do you fear that zombies are going to overrun the MP ranks? And same about the Ooze Shove.

 

Clearly this guy hasn't heard that the stuff from AA#3 was where the unique stuff came from.

 

It's a shame that Tongue Storm can't benefit from Blind Rage, because that would make it very, very interesting for dwarf wizards.

You're a very grumpy man, Ector New content is new content and each item adds inexorably to the depth and richness of gameplay.

 

Clearly I didn't. All these items are very poorly designed. I could do much better

 

l o l

(Translation: submit to AA at earliest opportunity or never post on these forums again )

 

Don't you think that if such items can win no sane game designer would participate in such "contests"? If you want to allow players to create fun items, but don't want power creep or any metagame changes at all, just confirm this. But who's going to design new items after that?

 

If you looked at the thread, you would know that it is for making fun items with no meta-game changes(they aren't even being tested!).

 

Slander! Slander! Slander! Slander!

Am I doing it right?

 

No, I think you mean libel.

 

I could design new wonderful items that wouldn't be overpowered, but would change the metagame. I could design the items that would be barely playable and extremely cornercase. But why would I create the absolutely unplayable items? There is no sense in wasting time on that.

Let's say: you aren't doing enough Many players could design really good and balanced items and make the game better. Why don't you allow them?

 

I'm going to chalk this one up to a language barrier, because there's no way you meant those words as a response to what I was asking you. Anyway, thanks for the laughs. Carry on

 

Well for one, some players don't even understand how item levels work. Someone might foolishly advocate for a double Festering Gut skill. What level would that item even be, over 9000?

 

Oh crap... Please don't tell me that if somebody made the Festering Guts "Amethyst" that really means it's very powerful. Using your characters as the suicide bombers would never be overpowered, even if the skill had all three Festering Guts, since the opponent usually controls when he's going to kill your character, not you.

 

Ok, I won't tell you.

Oh, I forgot. There is just no possible way to do damage to yourself. You certainly can't go hitting your own party members.

 

Where is the facepalm smile when I need it so much?
Yes, you can hit your party members. But the suicide tactics still isn't going to become a winning strategy. You need to get one of your chars killed, and you aren't guaranteed to deliver the last blow. The opponent sees your Guts and can scatter his characters in time, or get his Cushioning Armor, or just Purge the Guts. Moreover, even if you would succeed to move the living bomb close to two enemies and deal 18 damage to them (which requires some cards and actions), would you automatically win after that? No! Rocket Charge is very unstable and requires a setup, but it's much more reliable strategy than Festering Guts.

 

And to think I almost resisted commenting this time. I could use that facepalm smiley right about now. Make mine a double.

 

you can not purge festering guts.
and yes suiciding your own guys isn't a winning strategy, but it certainly is fun trying to make it work.

 

I wish I would have seen a second copy in the Daily Deal, just so I can be one skill closer to completing the set. Oh wellz.