The Daily Deal

I've been running a build that relies on just that from time to time, taking advantage of the fact that getting a hold of 2 copies of Tasty, Tasty Staff from the get-go was easy for me. It's settled down at about the 1630 mark, which isn't bad in the scale of things. While I definitely felt like my old build was better mechanically, running a control/damage hybrid wizard designed to take advantage of melee buffs to potentially dish out 7-9 damage range 5 attacks has been a lot of fun.

 

I dunno, the mocassins feel more reactive and rely on the opponent position to close all the gap at once, if you aren't packing enough step attacks getting in the right position might be harder and if you are you might want to consider a double flanking move boot maybe, it just seems harder to pin down or chase things with the mocassins, that's all.
Note, I tried the mocassins and was pleased, it's just that having a reactive move and a move that can be difficult to use around corners, feels different that having a move 4 and a move 8

 

Good points. Diamond Moccasins is worse against the dreaded corners. I'll just say that even though Sparkling Cloth Armor is a reactive card, turning all damage you take into Walks is so good against wizards, the class you're most likely trying to chase down, that it's usually worth more than a movement card. I think Brutal Charge and Dangerous Maneuver are about on par in terms of movement so if you're asking me to pick between Sparkling Cloth Armor and Wild Run, I'd go for the armor just about every time.

 

Unholy Nimbus

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Chain Harness on a divine armor is a joke. With the divine armor slot taken you have terrible boot and dwarven skill armors to boost like Weakened Armor and Toughened Hide Strips. Your only other option is Polearm Slash, which doesn't tend to stick around as armor too long. Unholy Frenzy is massively more playable now that it slightly buffs spells and self targets. This makes Unholy Nimbus the best tokenless buffing armor which is huge for token hungry buff priests. However, it is not a big priority item and one of the easiest legendaries to acquire. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
No, just no. To it's credit, the art for Unholy Frenzy suggests that it buffs you with righteous mutton chops.

Substitutes
Hide Of The Frenzied (C), Mail Of Righteous Anger (C), Savage Plates (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I don't know how many Unholy Nimbuses I've sold but I imagine it's one of the legendaries I've found the most frequently.

Epics
Flashing Longspear- The best weapon for Penetrating attacks but Double-Edged Sword usually wins out for also including useful step attacks.
Mail Of St. Aulx- Both Cleansing Ray and Shimmering Aura are too narrow for general use. If you want to play with Inspiring Armor I would try any of the other 3 divine armor options.
Trickster's Blade- Adding Hard to Block to a low damage attack is hilariously bad. Sure, your tiny Tricky Stabs get through but your opponent gets to save blocks for the heavy hitters.

Notable Rares
Rageblood Dagger (B)- Movement is one of if not the most important part of the game but at the same time, too much movement and you'll just be sprinting towards a beating. Step attacks are one of the best ways to add mobility without diluting your deck with movement cards. Rageblood Dagger not only gives you the much coveted step attacks but also a good deal of damage as well, and all while charging only minor tokens. If you're willing to forgo a good chunk of damage for your step attacks, Lochaber Axe gives you access to Nimble Strikes at the same token cost.
Stormward Pauldrons (P)- Grounding Plates alone is enough to make Stormward Pauldrons notable for spark heavy modules. What gives it a big boost over other Grounding Plates armors is that all 3 card have high armor values while having keep rolls with room for improvement. This makes Stormward Pauldrons a natural pairing with Enchanted Harness. If you do decide to try out a Harness strategy, make sure to savor that feeling of invincibility before a timely Sundering Strike brings it all crashing down. Try Mail Of Absorption if you just want a non-Encumbering Grounding Plates heavy armor.
Trainee Command (P)- If you're looking for a playable tokenless human skill then look no further. Just about everything else has a nearly unplayable card. Bloodied Block at least trades 1 for 1 and Vulnerable is a manageable cycling trait. The only other 2 skills to consider are Novice Guidance for the incredibly powerful Jump, Soldier!, and Novice Command which upgrades your team movement card at the cost of making your block visible and requiring giving up priority to use.
Vampire's Blade (B)- Vamps have a tendency to fall in and out of favor but there's no denying that they are strong. One of the biggest contributors to their continued success is how few tokens they generally need. Vampire's Blade not only fits the tokenless theme but is also one of the best vamp weapons period. You can't get more than 4 vamp attacks on a divine weapon and Vampire's Blade is the only one that fills out the rest of the item with cycling traits. Loner can be painful at times, especially in singleplayer where you're not only more likely to be outnumbered and surrounded but also might start within striking distance of the mobs. While there isn't another suitable tokenless vamp weapon, there are a couple legendary options with Bynzer's Black Speartopping the list. You could also opt for the uncommon Lifesuck Spear, though at only 2 vamp attacks I'd rather just dual wield Vampire's Blade and take my chances with Loner. The two cycling traits also make Vampire's Blade a good divine weapon for priests looking to draw specific cards, in which case Sacrificial Axe is also an option

Spoiler: Rare Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
Who need legendaries and epics when you have rares like these? This item is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any item that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards or combination of cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.

 

Just wanted to say thanks for your item reviews Peon. I make a point of reading them, even though generally I don't buy much of anything, just because they help me learn more build options. On the other hand, you write so much useful stuff every day, I wouldn't want you to burn out, so take it easy! At this rate, you'll have every CH item of rare and above reviewed soon enough.

Thanks again!

 

Same! Its the only Legendary that I have sold 2+ of (sold 4 of them) - I dont know why its the most dropped legendary.

 

Well, if you farm single-player at all that would explain it - as I remember, if you get a legendary drop from one of the first few modules, the loot table is very small, so you're much more likely to get one of these than you are to get any particular legendary from a higher level module.

 

Stormward Pauldrons is the best for armor with a minor token because it has 39 dots(not for dwarfs though), while mail of absorption has 31, and those reliable mail options only have 30.

 

It also has encumbrance which is bad for the class that needs mobility the most and a hilariously unreliable thickened mail.

Raw dots aren't everything, you could have armor that blocked 11 damage at 6+ but three of those wouldn't make for an option more desirable than mail of absorption.

Before CoC came out I had 0 of Unholy Nimbus. Now I have a Crown of Chaos and 3 of Unholy Nimbus. And there's one sitting in DD. It's also the only legendary I have a full set of.

Fancy that.

 

Okay, what does "dot" mean in this context?

 

(7 - (required minimum roll))*protection. Reliable mail has a minimum roll of 1 and a protection value of 2 so it'd result in (7-1)*2 = 12.

It's basically a silly way of saying "average damage reduction". And "three thickened mails are as good as two reliable mails!".

 

You have never played Settlers of Catan? In that game you have a hex board of various terrain producing their corresponding resource, and on each of these hexes is a number which has to be rolled for everyone with a city or settlement adjacent to get resources from it, these numbers also has dots to help you know how many chances they have of success. You roll 2 dice every turn and you add them together to determine which tiles produces.(a 10 tile would have 3 chance to produce: 6+4, 5+5, or 4+6)

 

Thanks. I figured it was functionally equivalent to "average damage reduction," but had no idea what that might have to do with dots. (I'm not a Settlers fan.)

 

Focused Thinker
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Focused Thinker has 2 things going for it. It removes handicaps that are Purge proof and it's the only human skill with cards that fully replace themselves. The bad news? Handicaps themselves are few and far between. You are only going to face handicaps if you run into a radiation priest using cards like Radiation Bomb. That is of course unless you bring your own handicaps to the party. Items like Enormous Mattock and Sacrificial Axe offer handicaps that card cycle and effectively reduce your deck size. They make drawing your best cards more likely but at fairly steep costs if you aren't packing answers. While Lateral Thinking is technically an answer, it is also a huge Catch-22. You need to have a significant amount of handicaps in your deck to even consider Lateral Thinking over more useful cards. At the same time, the more handicaps you put in your deck, the more likely you are to draw a handicap off of Lateral Thinking itself. What's the use of discarding a handicap if it's going to be replaced by another? This makes Focused Thinker better as a backup plan to Arrogant Armor. And at a major token, what an expensive backup plan it is. If I were to run Lateral Thinking, I would opt for the minor token Trained Tactics instead, especially if using a major token Arrogant Armor item like Bern's Untouchable Mail. But what about wizards that don't have access to Arrogant Armor? They don't really need it. All their best handicap trait cycling items have Combustible (harmless against non-burning opponents), Squeamish (easy to play around using attack buffs and non-targeting spells), and/or Vulnerable (if you're getting hit you're probably not winning anyways). Would not purchase

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There are a couple handicap heavy modules in the EttSC expansion but you would be better served going with Arrogant Armor. When it rains handicaps it pours so you'll want the permanent solution that Arrogant Armor offers. This isn't an option for wizards of course but you can always bring a priest along packing answers like Genetic Engineering. Oh, and if you're looking for a way to deal with self imposed handicaps, there's an easy cost effective way to do it. Don't play any. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
None

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I'm much too Arrogant to do any thinking though I do have one just in case.

Epics
Sergeant's Helm- There are better Advanced Battlefield Training helmets, there are better team movement helmets, and you can get Enchanted Harness on your helmets instead.
St. Ozark's Blade- More blocks than any other divine weapon but all the cards are so meh. If you want some extra melee blocks on your priest you can always try Crespin's Shroud for Cause Fumbles.
Xander's Boots- Ulalia's Boots are cheaper to equip and arguably better with 2 Flanking Moves.

Notable Rares
Blackeye Hammer (V)- Blackeye Hammer is a cheaper less mobile version of Atchocl's Spear. While it isn't particularly powerful, Blackeye Hammer does decent damage for only costing a minor token. If you're willing to shell out a bit more gold you can get Maquah Of Ancient Blood, which is slightly more painful but more useful with its Unnerving Strikes.
Superb Evasion (N)- Elvish Scamper is the best overall team movement card provided you play elves and whatever you're fighting against isn't. While it may seem like a big risk to play such a situational card, there are some non-obvious factors that make Elvish Scamper perform better than it does on paper. First of all, it's nearly risk free in singleplayer as elven mobs are few and far between. In multiplayer, you will almost never come across elven wizards and support priests. Elf wizards have notoriously low hp and elf priests don't have much to gain from racial skills. You are most likely going to face elf warriors and vamp priests in which case you're not likely going to need the Elvish Scamper to chase down targets anyways. If you do happen to use Elvish Scamper against an elf bearing opponent, keep in mind that you choose where to move first. You'll never be able to get next to an opposing elf if your opponents choose to run away and similarly, you'll never be able to run away if you started your move next to an elf. You'll also want to be careful not to give opponents the opportunity to gang up on your own characters which is best accomplished by keeping your party close together. Elvish Scamper is one of the best reasons to run an all elf party and Superb Evasion is the best way to get it.

Spoiler: Rare Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
Who need legendaries and epics when you have rares like these? This item is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any item that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards or combination of cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.

 

Superb Evasion and elf vamps are particularly good on the geomancer adventures.

 

The only way I find that adventures enjoyable.

 

I'll note that Arrogant Armor tends to get blown away by Radioactive Pulse so it won't help for long in EttSC, meaning you might actually want the pile of Lateral Thinkings rather than investing in Arrogant Armor. I still agree with the overall item assessment (Do Not Purchase), though.

 

Good point, though you're just as likely to discard Lateral Thinking if you have it in hand so it's only better when you draw it immediately after being handicapped. I'd rather take the Arrogant Armor gamble.

 

Gzellin's Boots

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Gzellin's Boots is similar to Wlakwa's Boots in that you get 2 different powerful cards and a third mediocre card. However, while I'd consider running Wlakwa's Boots, Gzellin's Boots is out of the equation. Why? Card power level aside, the major difference between the two lies in the alternatives available. You can't get more than 1 copy of Team Walk on boots. You can get multiples of both Energizing Move and Escaping Run. Both cards are good but you will more than likely want one over the other for any given build. Play more copies of the card you want and you're more likely to get what you want. The powerful items with single copies of great cards make up for lack of consistency with card quality. Energizing Move and Escaping Run are great but not good enough to carry an item by themselves. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
I've said it before the last time Escaping Run boots came up. I don't think they have a place in singleplayer. Energizing Move on the other hand is great for chasing down ranged mobs so I'd lean towards more copies of those if you're having trouble in that area. Or you can just forget about boots and play wizards instead. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Lum's Moccasins (E) : Escaping Run
Japper's Energy Boots (E) : Energizing Move
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I don't usually go for Escaping Run or Energizing Move boots and I've got better boots for both.

Epics
Foley's Footwear- Both Violent Spin and Wild Run can help get you out of sticky situations though I personally like the valuetastic Jump Back on Vinorkin's Boots more.
Lizard Hide Boots- Leap is a terrible way to Fly, which isn't necessary for the vast majority of gameplay anyways. Nimble Strike and Flight Aura tend to be more token intensive, but they are much better ways of Flying.
Rusty Healing Armor- Rusty Healing Armor may be the best tokenless divine armor for heals but its cards are highly underwhelming.

Notable Rares
Staff Of Winter (N)- There are staves with better cold spells, there are staves with bigger variety of cold spells, but no other cold staff has the same level of consistency and damage. While packing the odd cold spell isn't unheard of, cold wizards themselves aren't very popular. Other good options include Frosty Staff, which trades damage for encumbrance stacking potential against 4+ movement and Staff Of The Arctic, which trade even more damage for a better chance to hit the rest of your team multiple targets.
Vampire's Blade (B)- Vamps have a tendency to fall in and out of favor but there's no denying that they are strong. One of the biggest contributors to their continued success is how few tokens they generally need. Vampire's Blade not only fits the tokenless theme but is also one of the best vamp weapons period. You can't get more than 4 vamp attacks on a divine weapon and Vampire's Blade is the only one that fills out the rest of the item with cycling traits. Loner can be painful at times, especially in singleplayer where you're not only more likely to be outnumbered and surrounded but also might start within striking distance of the mobs. While there isn't another suitable tokenless vamp weapon, there are a couple legendary options with Bynzer's Black Spear topping the list. You could also opt for the uncommon Lifesuck Spear, though at only 2 vamp attacks I'd rather just dual wield Vampire's Blade and take my chances with Loner. The two cycling traits also make Vampire's Blade a good divine weapon for priests looking to draw specific cards, in which case Sacrificial Axe is also an option.

Spoiler: Rare Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
Who need legendaries and epics when you have rares like these? This item is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any item that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards or combination of cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.

 

Blox's Unyielding Bulwark
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
The bar for major token shields is set extremely high due to Aegis Of The Defender. Laser Block is a neat block that always "draws" you an attack but the usefulness of that attack will vary. With straightforward card draw blocks, you generally know the quality of card you'll be getting and it's much more likely to mesh with your strategy since you presumably put that card in for a reason. You could be playing high variance items of course but even then, I'd put Defender's Block as a clear favorite due to it's ability to protect teammates. Then there's the matter of how similar Blox's Unyielding Bulwark is to Throon's Quick Laser. Replacing a Surging Shield Block with a Dodge to downgrade the equip cost to a minor token is a deal I'd make in a heartbeat. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Don't buy legendary shields. Ever. You will always know what you'll be up against so you can prepare accordingly with either Parry or Catch Arrow. These lower rarity card draw shields will net you 2 to 3 cards, all for a much cheaper equip cost I might add, whereas Blox's Unyielding Bulwark only rarely puts you up 2 cards. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Aegis Of Aversion (E) , Croker's Lucky Laser Shield (E)

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. If I were to play a Laser Block shield I'd use Aegis of Aversion on low attack support characters and Croker's Lucky Laser Shield for everyone else. On a character with fewer attacks, Aegis of Aversion has the potential to outperform Aegis of the Defender since a cycling trait is much more preferable to a Weak Chop. While it doesn't have a second top tier block, Croker's Lucky Laser Shield does net you 2 cards. Also, both shields have all purpose blocks which is a huge plus.

Epics
Helm Of Reinforcement- The poor man's General Jelom's Helm. It's a close enough substitute that I'd buy it if you really want to build around Enchanted Harness.
Ogre Plate- For being only slightly better than Reliable Mail, Enchanted Mail is crazy overvalued at emerald quality. A crappy Shimmering Aura as filler is the nail in the coffin. Look for the much more reasonably valued gold cards, Grounding Plates and Barbed Platemail instead.
Sergeant's Helm- There are better helmets for all 3 cards or better versions of those cards.

Notable Rares
Emberfloat Mantle (V)- Very few robes have Sparkling Cloth Armor and even fewer have Firestorm. Emberfloat Mantle is the only one to have both. While that makes it the second best choice for both cards, it is still an incredible value item. Firehide Robes is the obvious choice for a Firestorm wizard though Sparkling Cloth Armor is significantly better against melee than Resistant Hide. Thin Sparkling Cloak has an extra copy of Sparkling Cloth Armor but its popularity took a nosedive after the Vulnerable nerf. For having good anti-melee capabilities and a cycling trait all while remaining tokenless, Emberfloat Mantle is a great all-around choice of robes.
Witchy Robes (N)- If there's one thing people tend to shy away from it's uncertainty. Whirlwinds are definitely random, it even says so in the card text. While I can't tell you where everything will land, I can tell you that it will be a pain in the butt for your opponent. Camping out on a victory square? Whirlwind. Finally got within striking distance of your wizard? Whirlwind. Got blocks waiting for a juicy target? I hope Whirlwind is good enough for you. Being able to inconvenience the entire opposing side is incredibly powerful. Tempest Robes Witchy Robes gives you two more cracks at Whirlwinds and a Resistant Hide to boot. You also have the option of the legendary Uula's Whirling Robes for an Arcane Shell but at the cost of a Whirlwind Enemies which isn't worth it.

Spoiler: Rare Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
Who need legendaries and epics when you have rares like these? This item is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any item that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards or combination of cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.