The Daily Deal

Crap... I guess Strongarm was yesterday. I thought it was today. One of the few Legendaries I'd want another one or two... =(

 

Noooooo!! today i was thinking "i hope strongarm wasn't in the daily deal yesterday" OMG

 

No strongarms here

 

Mind. Blown. I'm a sucker for not swapping out stuff between levels. Does the warrior slow things down much or is 2 Firestorm wiz enough? I must say that even with Combustible, the fact that you can unload all of your warrior's attacks before firing off Firestorms takes most of the sting out of it so I'd still be fine playing Blazing Shortsword instead.

 

Quick Jon's Axe

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Obliterating Chop has never been very good and Unnerving Strike is decent but overrated. It all comes down to how valuable Dodge is. I have not tried to make a Dodge heavy build since the nerf and I haven't faced it more than a handful of times so I don't know for sure if it is viable anymore. I do know that if I had the choice between keeping a Dodge or a strong attack/armor at the end of turn, I would choose to discard the Dodge most of the time. It isn't worth holding on to a card that is spectacular 1/3 of the time when you could save a consistently good card instead. If a card isn't powerful enough to hold on to then I don't want it in my deck in the first place, especially if it uses up 2 major tokens. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Dodge is good at helping you not lose but you should be focusing on winning for speed farming. That means you want as many big attacks as possible. You could argue that Obliterating Chops can count as 20 damage since it isn't too hard to hit multiple targets but I think you'd be better off with a Bloodchopper. At the end of the day, if your weapon doesn't have all attacks or traits to draw you into attacks it probably isn't worth playing. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Bec De Corbin (E) The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I think Reaper's Scythe is better though I didn't buy that either. The coolest thing about Quick Jon's Axe to me were the Dodges and Bolg's Club Of Evasion just did it better.

Epics
Cinetotl's Robes- Leap is rarely better than Walk. You can't even use it to escape when you're cornered since 2 squares still lands you next to the enemy character. Mystical Drakehide is also not worth spending a token on.
Lt. Morrison's Helmet- Helmets don't get more tricksy than this but Dodge isn't what it used to be and Barge runs into too many melee blocks. It's better to spend the token on shield or boots to up your defense.
Naradoc's Boots- Solid boots but you're essentially spending a token on a single copy of Immovable. It's usually better to throw on Mouse Boots and call it a day.

Notable Rares
Overheated Force Suit- I normally shy away from Emerald cards but seeing as you get a Force Field out of the deal and Arcane Feedback is fairly harmless, Overheated Force Suit is a slam dunk. Plus, who doesn't love Lava Pool?
Storm Circlet- Cheap Firestorm for fledgling farmers.

 

I tend to use 2 x FS wizards with a savage/nimbus priest in 1-9 lvl adventures. It works really well, especially since I don't have enough good FS items for 3 wizards. (and I don't think I'd play 3 x FS wizards even if I had enough good FS items for them)

One thing is for sure: I'll NEVER play warriors in 1-9 lvl adventures.

 

I have enough for just about anything (well maybe not 9 The Strongarm warriors) and I find melee parties to be faster for a few of the lower levels. In particular, Valley of Tezkal; Crystals of Chronak; Crystals of Chronak; Order of the Core; Melvelous the Magnificent; Gladitorial Arena, Qualifiers; and Gladiatorial Arena, Finals all have fewer mobs and/or larger maps where Firestorm isn't as efficient.

 

It turns out @Drakkan used 1 Blazing Shortsword in the build he posted. I use 3 strongarms in mine. I like the concept of no-swap builds, but when loading an optimized party is faster, that's what I'll do. I only use this one for levels 2 & 3, because 3 wiz is faster for the next block. (At least for me.) I now run adventures in blocks by party type: 2 wiz/war, 3 wiz, 2 war/prst, 2 wiz/prst, and 3 vamp. I jump around the map more, but save a bit of load time.
I have 3 accounts and run them all, so that's usually 70-80 adventures daily. Sometimes more if I have an active club membership, the LF hunt goes long, or I just feel like it. Speed means a lot.

 

My God... your title is aptly deserved. I thought you were only farming one account... ><

 

I feel like Rusty Buckler deserves to be mentioned as a notable rare. Surely, Dodge isn't as good after the nerf, but its still a very decent card, and in conjunction with the 2 Parryes make this a pretty nice shield for its cost.

Granted, lots of other dodge shields are available, though at higher rarities.

 

Ring Of Bifurcated Healing

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Big heals like Greater Heal are generally going to be better than smaller multi target or team heals because that's how most damage is dealt. Even when you do get full value out of a Twin Heals, you might still have a severely wounded character that your opponent has been focusing his or her attacks on. That is why I don't like small heals period. To make matters worse, Ring of Bifurcated Healing is clearly inferior to Yochxti's Sacred Bundle. Twin Heals has a slightly better range than Triple Heals but that is rarely going to come up. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny Pinching Singleplayers
You will prevent way more damage from a single Impenetrable Nimbus than you would heal from any spell. I can't think of a single module where I'd rather have heals instead. The new EttSC expansion has a few Handicap heavy levels that could potentially push off a Nimbus but even in those you need only rinse and repeat. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Elphala's Healing Ring (E) , Frennik's Soulstone (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. Heal priests might be a tad more playable with better big heal items from the expansion but Twin Heals is still gosh darn awful.

Epics
Icicle Shield- Flimsy Block is actually a lot more playable than it seems since it blocks annoying stuff like Telekinesis but I still think Underdog's Shield is a better all purpose block shield.
Inkdark Halberd- Too many weak attacks, not enough good spells.
Ripping Mace- Very versatile divine weapon that does everything a support priest wants aside from buffing.

Notable Rares
Displacing Staff- Punishing Bolt is incredibly useful for one shotting mobs for low level quests. Staff Of Chask is better and a playable multiplayer item but Displacing Staff is a cheap substitute.
Enormous Mattock- Great attacks and trait cycling if you have a way to slough off the Large Weapons.
Stormward Pauldrons- Electricity immunity is a godsend against wyverns and wisps. Stormward Pauldrons is also a good option to buff with Enchanted Harness with 3 high armor value armors.

 

Ekkerg's Amulet

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
In my opinion there are three ways to go about building a wizard. Pure offense, highly controlling, and the kitchen sink. Burning wizards fall into the pure offense category. They are the only ones with arcane item support for burning attacks like Glob Of Flame. Controlling wizards devote their arcane items to spells that aren't aimed at killing but rather slowing down the game so that virtual card advantage takes over. This can be done by encumbering the enemy with frost spells like Cone Of Cold, moving the enemy away directly with slide cards like Telekinesis, or throwing down barriers like Flash Flood. In each case, the goal is to prevent opposing characters from using attacks and thus discarding them to hand size each round while you use ranged attacks or terrain attachments to chip away at their hp. There are wizards that fall in between but they tend to lean towards one side or the other. On the other hand, the kitchen sink wizard uses anything and everything in an attempt to throw stuff against a wall and see what sticks. These wizard are unfocused and unpredictable. You won't have much control over what you draw or when you draw it but hopefully you can use this to confuse your opponents more than yourself. This is where Ekkerg's Amulet and similar items come in. Glob of Flame wants to kill fast, Cone of Cold wants to slow the game down, and Stone Spikes does a little of both depending on the situation. Will you be able to use it in a well tuned deck? Probably not. Can you use it effectively even though the cards are used to accomplish different things? Possibly, the cards are all strong in a vacuum. Would I personally purchase Ekkerg's Amulet? Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There is only one question you need to ask yourself when it comes to arcane items for singleplayers. Does it sayFirestorm or Volcano on it? It doesn't? Well then, see you all tomorrow!
.
.
.
In all seriousness though, unfocused cards like Ekkerg's Amulet are awful during the campaign unless your strategy involves all three cards. Not drawing what you need is backbreaking when you're up against an emotionless AI that doesn't change tactics based on previously played cards. You are much better off getting items that have more copies of the particular cards you want. That way, even if you do want Cone of Cold, Glob of Flame, and Stone Spikes in the same deck, you can cobble together your own Ekkerg's Amulet Frankenstein from different items while still being able to break them apart for more focused builds. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Writing that wall of text made me lazy. Click [Expand] on the wiki page to see what items with the card fit your budget.
Cone Of Cold
Glob Of Flame
Stone Spikes
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I have a soft spot for weird strategies but jamming random cards together doesn't count.

Epics
Icicle Shield- Solid tokenless shield but I prefer Underdog's Shield.
Pacifist Trickery- Best on a character that has stuff to do while they are afflicted with Frightened. Holy spell heavy priests come to mind. Utility cards like Telekinesis and Whirlwind also count...if you've got the cajones to run an elf wizard.
Wex's Mail- Shimmering Aura sucks. Crafted Mail is just a more random Reliable Mail.

Notable Rares
None

 

St. Yatzie's Genetic Console
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Genetic Engineering is one of those cards that looks fantastic on paper but falls short in actual use. Getting 3 random boost cards is a crapshoot. You can wind up with boosts for attack types you don't use or even boosts meant for a different class. Even worse, Adaptable added an "Adaptable to X" boost for every damage type to the card pool so you can wind up with immunity to something irrelevant. If you're thinking about using Genetic Engineering as a way to get rid of handicaps and debuffs think again. You can roll the same boost multiple times and when that happens you get one less boost for each duplicate roll. Granted, the odds of that happening are relatively slim but a Purge that also removes any buffs and boosts you had as well is no bueno. A solo copy of Radiation Bomb is not worth playing two do nothing cards. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Given how ridiculously good buffs are for speed farming, it would be foolish to gamble them away for random boosts. If you aren't using buffs for some reason and you want a way to deal with harmful attachments then you are better off using Arrogant Armor as a permanent solution. There is no reason to run Genetic Engineering unless you are heavily incentivized access to better cards. Again, one Radiation Bomb does not cut it. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
None

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. Don't need Genetic Engineering when you're already perfect.

Epics
Blackhammer- You get some nice attacks if you can find a use for Wings Of Faith. Not particularly worth it otherwise.
Eric's Elemental Confusotron- I'm not a big enough fan of Hypnotic Beacon or Cone Of Cold to play a crappy short range cone spell like Magma Spray. Command Stone and Overheated Mesmerizer are much better.
Yaro's Scepter- Decent for Firestorm farming but not enough better than cheaper options like Orb Of Flames that I'd be willing to shell out for it.

Notable Rares
Buckler Of Protection- All purpose block shield that also draws cards. Yes please.
Orb Of Flames- Cheap Firestorm.
Staff Of Winter- One of the best cold staves.
Vampire's Blade- You need to be careful of the Loners but Vampire's Blade is one of the best vamp weapons and a good option for a tokenless trait cycling divine weapon.

 

Since we currently have a bug (of sorts) preventing you from purging away handicaps coming from various radiation cards, Genetic Engineering probably is among your best defenses against radiation-heavy strategies.

It's true that the boosts you get are completely random, but you can indeed get some amazing combinations. Bottom line, the boosts you're gonna roll are pretty much granted to never hurt you (a few exceptions could be named), and you are getting 3 for the cost of only one card. Which is a net benefit, most of the time. So it is a gamble, but one you're very much likely to win.

Granted, an Arrogant Armor would work as well (if not better) vs handicaps, but comes with the disadvantage of also removing beneficial attachments. And, obviously, casting exactly the buffs you do want, pushing away unwanted cards in the process, is much better all around. Also, cycling-heavy builds probably aren't going to benefit much from it. But it's not like Genetic Engineering actually was that irremediably bad.

That being said, I wouldn't buy the Genetic Console either. It's a very niche item, at best.

 

St. Yatzie's Genetic Console was my first new legendary drop after the release of EttSC. Sold it almost immediately away.

The latest new legendary drop for me was Richie's Frigid Laser. Seems it will suffer the same fate as the console.

 

On the plus side, every time you roll up a combination of three ridiculous boosts, you can yell "Yahtzee Yatzie!"

 

I'd like this twice if I could.

 

Luke's Iron Hand

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
There's no question Luke's Iron Hand is a fantastic item but is it better than Ring Of Appropriation? To answer that you need to compare Telekinesis with Gusts Of War. They have the same range and slide values so it's all about the shiny add-ons. Teleport is at its best on map that are difficult to navigate. Telekinesis someone though a wall or across impassable terrain and the short walk to get back turns into a marathon. It also has the advantage of not being an attack. You can play it through Frightened, doesn't trigger Blind Rage, and a bunch of other random benefits. Not doing damage also preserves cards with Savage Curse and doesn't trigger enemy cards like Sparkling Cloth Armor and Martyr Blessing. On the other hand, Gusts of War is much better when you need the ability to target more than on thing. It gives you breathing room after a Dash, Team! ambush. You can push an enemy off a victory square and immediately replace it with a teammate. When you suspect a Defender's Block you can target a non-important character with the first hit to draw the block out. Both cards have their benefits and there will be situations where each one will be better than the other. Still, Luke's Iron Hand and Ring of Appropriation are so close that it's hard to pay 2000 extra for a card that sometimes might not even be better. Would not purchase unless you have a huge gold reserve.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Not only should you not buy control items but Ring of Appropriation is going to be better most of the time. There are going to be more enemies to target and they move in groups making it much easier to get surrounded. The campaign maps also tend to be much more forgiving to navigate than multiplayer maps rendering Teleport fairly useless. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Ring Of Appropriation
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Yes, but not today. I think Telekinesis has such a bigger upside than Gusts Of War but I don't think I'll every need more than the 4 I purchased previously.

Epics
Morbo's Pendent- I don't think I've ever seen Teleport Self played outside of leagues. I could see using it on a Firestorm wizard to get to the center of the map but that's about it.
Terminator Mask- Spacediver's Face Screen is better.
True Mail- Good but it's usually better to play Perilous Ringmail and save the token for something else. Still, it's nice to have access to a double Reliable Mail heavy armor so pick it up if you have extra gold and don't have one yet.

Notable Rares
Acrobat's Aegis- Two great blocks and a cycling trait. All 3 are particularly good against wizards.
Buckler Of Protection- The minor token shield I'm most interested in after Parrying Buckler. Lifesaving Block is horrendous in the early game but blows people out once some blows have been traded.
Spacediver's Face Screen- My pick for best Mimetic Crown helmet. Zero G Combat Helm is interesting but I can't imagine running a Sprint, Team! build that doesn't dedicate all its major tokens to weapons.

 

I think the upside of both cards is great. Gust can move your warrior two towards their mage and their mage two towards your warrior and by that decreaseing the distance by four. But beeing able to teleport someone through a wall is just priceless. But that is possible only on a few maps.

 

Is it worth the invesment if you have some Asmod's Telekinetic Chain? I'm not sure if I'll use it enough for the price