The Daily Deal

If it had been a separate review there'd be no problem. When you go through an itemized list of everything you think I got wrong, especially when it's all opinions, it takes every ounce of my willpower to not defend myself. I won't because I'm tired of arguing and I don't want history repeating itself every time the same set of items pops up.

 

Larkin's Orb (P)

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Both Short Perplexing Ray and Cone Of Cold are great control cards against melee characters. Opposing wizards are less susceptible since they can keep out of range of Short Perplexing Ray and can continue attacking through encumber effects. What it really comes down to is how often you will use both cards on the same wizard. If you regularly add some cold spells to your Short Perplexing Rays then I see no reason to pass Larkin's Orb up. However, you can get more focused items for both effects that allow you to create more types of wizards. Would not purchase unless you see yourself equipping it often.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There are much better things to spend a major token on than control spells. In fact, just don't play control spells if possible. Short Perplexing Ray and Cone of Cold are particularly bad since they don't have a secondary use of moving your team around. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Farzil's Perplexing Horn (E) - Short Perplexing Ray
Hasek's Icy Ring (E) , Hylithia's Wand (E) , Xochu's Icy Circlet (E) - Cone of Cold
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I could easily see myself using it if it were minor token but as is, minor token Telekinesis items usually get the nod over Short Perplexing Ray.

Epics
Unholy Cudgel (V)
A Gloomthirst that trades a little card draw for higher damage attacks. I would be more inclined to use Coruscating Blade since support priests usually aren't to concerned with attacking. However, there's nothing wrong with wanting to have a backup plan.

Wlakwa's Boots (P)
Fine pair of boots with 2 of the most powerful movement cards available but I just can't see myself ever running them over Sliding Boots or Zachary's Boots/Pergop's Slippers.

Xander's Boots (P)
Ulalia's Boots are cheaper to equip and slightly more powerful with 2 shots at the Cantrip Flanking Move.

Notable Rares
Advanced Ferocity (NU)
There is only one item with War Cry that isn't a helmet and you're looking at it. Getting rid of blocks can be useful when you know they're there but that isn't what makes Advanced Ferocity special. Rather, it's the massive amount of cards it lets you burn through. Sure, other dwarf skills have Dwarven Battle Cry but Advanced Ferocity is the only minor token skill that also gives you a cycling trait. There is no better skill to help you find the cards you need when you've got an all dwarf farming party. However, I would hold off on using it in multiplayer. Not only are you risking giving free cards to your opponent's dwarves but you're also forgoing incredible defensive options like Toughness when you do so.

Automatic Shield (N)
You need to be in a module where the mobs use Burst, Cone, or Linear attacks (or whatever the attacks those annoying chess pieces have are) and you also need to be using a melee party. If those two things fit whatever you're doing say hello to your new best friend. Why not just spam Impenetrable Nimbus and be done with it you ask? Well, you don't need to remain glued to your priest and you're not always going to draw a Nimbus every turn. This is a very situational item but it is definitely one you should keep in mind as future modules come along.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It 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 rare 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 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.


You could probably engineer a situation where this item wouldn't suck but it's more trouble than it's worth.


This item makes me sad and will probably make you sad too if you buy it. There are no circumstances where I'd consider playing this item.

 

@Ector As a relatively new player still figuring out where to go with my builds, I'm grateful for your input on the positives of Advanced Crushing! As amazingly helpful as reading peonprop's reviews is, it's great to see alternative views as well when making decisions on what to buy like this! BUT...I do wish it had been done in a less petty and vindictive manner. Not saying that you are petty or vindictive, mind! It is just how posts made in such a manner come off, at least to me. Picking apart the review of another person rather than simply letting your own review stand on its' own merits - something I've seen you do in other posts in this thread for other items - only serves to reflect poorly on your view and give more credence to the alternative viewpoint, which is a shame as I do like some of the points you made. Again, not trying to be insulting, just hoping that in the future you can provide more input without having to call out the views of peon or anyone else in the process.

@peonprop Might I ask what your opinion would be on viable alternatives to the Crushing line for the Martial Skill slot? Unlike the Arcane and Divine Skill slots, none of the traits here particularly jump out at me as something to look for in purchasing, so more insight into what's considered valuable here and why would be appreciated.

 

Like you said, there aren't any traits like Dimensional Traveller, Firestarter, Talented Healer, Altruism etc. for warriors. For that reason, I think one shouldn't compare Martial Skills to other class skills.

So stop chasing for trait synergies. If you want traits aka card cycling, stick with tokenless Novice Bruising, Novice Impaling or Novice Slicing (SP chop warriors only).

If you have token to spare, then concentrate on to the non-trait card: Team Walk (Savvy Attacker) is one of the most used martial skills. If you want to gamble, consider All Out Attack. Impaling Stab (Superb Implaing) might be an option too, maybe even Parry (Careful Attacker) for some niche situations.

I wouldn't downgrade other warrior items, let alone weapons, for anything else.

 

Yup. I would use any of the skills @Pawndawan mentioned with priority towards Savvy Attacker and Superb Impaling if you're going to spend a minor token. Both have powerful hard to come by cards worthy of the token. Obviously, Advanced Crushing is preferable if you've already got a Crushing build but a lot of us are lowly Bejeweled Shortsword wielding peasants. And some of us are well off Bejeweled Shortsword swinging bourgeoisie because it's that good.

 

This is from SP perspective, but I have a slightly different take than @Pawndawan on a couple of skills. If you're running chops (Gladiatorial Arena, Finals, map 1 and Riddle of the Gnome Lords are two instances that come to mind), I consider Advanced Chopping to be well worth the token.
Advanced Crushing is very expensive and probably not worth buying for most players, but if you find one it can be useful. Example: The 1st and 3rd maps of Valley of Tezkal have Creepers whose armor is immune to sharp weapons, so I use Hefty Stout Clubs and Advanced Crushing. The warrior's other tokens are used for movement boosts to get around the map in good fashion. (Which is to say, to pin and/or gang up on a target.)
In the campaign, you will sometimes find yourself with an extra token. As peon said, Savvy Attacker and Superb Impaling are pretty standard go-tos, depending upon the map.

 

Ector, Peonprop has tirelessly devoted himself to this thread for the purpose of bringing clarity to others, and as evidenced by the many, many likes and positive comments posted at him, it is well-received.

What have you done? Bashed on his well-thought-out points with your views that advanced crushing is "the best" trait in the game with some views that aren't so well-thought-out.

1. It's terrible. I bought it. Gold tokens are a rarity, and needed elsewhere for warriors, end of story.
2. Criticism of someone's viewpoints is fine, but telling them they are blatantly wrong in the very thread they have devoted their time to, to make this game better for others...well, that now shows me what you're really like.

Why don't you make your own, parallel thread, where your own reviews can be expressed? At the very least, stop wasting your time, Peons time, and people like myself's time, with your un-tested reviews, antogonism, and cloudy thought-processes.

Before you think of replying, don't. Just don't. A sign of maturity is taking criticism on board and not needing to react. Like Peon has done. Like you should do.

It's blatantly clear now you are a troll. Everyone-

Don't FEED the troll.

 

Eh, Ector isn't a troll. He just has a hard time responding to comments in a non-combative manner. He has strong views and expresses them in an assertive fashion. Personally, I think that is a mistake in this thread, considering the HUGE amount of time and effort peon has put in here (thanks again peonprop!), and the degree to which the community appreciates it. In my opinion, Ector would have been much better off saying something like "Peon's views aside, I think: X" or even "I think peonprop is wrong here because: X."

Ector brings another perspective, which is always welcome in a thread like this. I just feel that it could have been expressed in a better fashion.

 

Well said, Mel. Ector isn't a troll, but many find his style of arguing a point disagreeable.

 

Hawlic's Glowing Shirt

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Chain Harness is very weak in terms of damage prevention so you need to run armors with triggers to make them worthwhile. Without access to the heavy armor slot, you are limited to Spiked Mail. If dealing 2 damage from getting hit with melee attacks sounds lackluster to you that's because it is. Increasing the odds of triggering slightly does not make it much better. It is best to avoid Chain and Leather Harnesses altogether but if you do end up running them it's even more important to keep the heavy armor slot free for heavy hitters like Barbed Platemail. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Ditto. I'll just add that the deterrence factor roll boosting Harnesses have on human players is gone singleplayer.

Substitutes
Quornic's Armor (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I did however find one. Enough to make one snazzy as heck lil' person.

Spoiler

Epics
Flaming Sword
Actually not the worst weapon in the world but Flaming Sword significantly overcharges you for a slightly higher damage Blazing Shortsword.

Lattimore's Relic
Past me would have given just about anything with Soothing Darkness a frowny face. Present day me wonders if Soothing Darkness is actually playable in some extreme circumstances. If so, Lattimore's Relic is one of the best ways to get it. There's also the legendary Glasod's Dark Eye but I'm not plopping down 2.5k gold to find out.

Master's Battleaxe (P)
Kinda fails the "better than Bejeweled Shortsword?" test but then again, so does almost every weapon. Decent budget option for Chop fans.

Notable Rares
Buckler Of Protection (P)
Defender's Block not only breaks one of the rules of the game by allowing you to block back attacks but also draws you a card. While Lifesaving Block is a dead card in the early game, it is backbreaking when it works and it makes Buckler of Protection the best card drawing minor token shield with all purpose blocks. The legendary Ichabod's Buckler has slightly less dead early game and drawback free blocks in Wounded Block to go with your Defender's Block.

Frosty Staff (N)
The large variety of Cold spells on Frosty Staff allows you to stack Encumber better than any other staff. This is great if you just want a couple Cold spells on a control wizard but it only applies to targets which move 4 or greater. Also, if you're running a more dedicated Cold wizard, you'll already be packing Cone Of Colds from arcane items in which case you'd be better off with the more straightforward Staff Of Winter. Alternatively, you can opt for the legendary Staff Of The Arctic if you just want to Encumber everything in sight.

Marmot Boots (V)
Warriors typically spend 6 tokens on weapons leaving a measly 2 to dole out over the other item slots. This makes good tokenless items all the more appealing. Marmot Boots give you long, mostly unconditional movement cards for no tokens. If you are able to splurge on a legendary, Hawkwind's Moccasins are easily the way to go.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It 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 rare 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 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.


You could probably engineer a situation where this item wouldn't suck but it's more trouble than it's worth.


This item makes me sad and will probably make you sad too if you buy it. There are no circumstances where I'd consider playing this item.

 

Elemer's Pine Staff

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
The two copies of Subtle Parry are what makes Elemer's Pine Staff stand out from most staves. Your wizard gets slightly better at surviving against melee characters at the cost of having 2 useless cards against opposing wizards. That may be the right call when you expect to face a lot of melee teams but the problem with Elemer's Pine Staff is that it doesn't go far enough. If you're going to put in stuff for a particular matchup, it better swing the odds heavily in you favor. That's why I prefer Staff Of Chask. Pushback Parry is not only more reliable but also punishes step attacks, which melee characters will lead off with more often than not. Sure, Punishing Bolt's short range is not so great against wizards but by playing a melee block staff you're already essentially giving up on that matchup. You're banking on facing more melee parties so make your melee matchup fantastic and leave Elemer's Pine Staff to the sissies with a fear of commitment. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
I'm not a fan of blocks that don't draw cards in singleplayer. If you're getting attacked by stuff that triggers the card draw on Subtle Parry, odds are you don't need blocks in the first place. Most of the time, you're better off drawing action cards over blocks on melee characters so adding blocks to wizards is out of the question. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Silver Fir Staff (E) , Voltstaff (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. Here's a little something to take the sting off of a disappointing offering.

Spoiler: Lil' People Made Out of Lousy Legendaries

Ok, so I cheated and used Wym's Lavastaff instead. Sue me.

Epics
Bloodfoot Wand (P)
Great cards for a control wizard. You could also use Runestone for a more even control card to damaging terrain ratio but not all wizards can support Squeamish.

Impervious Panoply (NV)
Arrogant Armor is more likely to hurt than help since it shuts of buffs and boosts. However, it becomes much more appealing when you're guaranteed to come across negative attachments, from running handicaps or fighting against attachment spamming mobs as examples. Impervious Panoply is the most well armored minor token option if you don't mind the Encumber from Heavy Armor. Alternatively, you could splurge the legendary Vinorkin's Cuirass or, if you've got the major token, Bern's Untouchable Mail.

Manhunter (P)
Only playable if you want extra melee blocks as you can get Maquah Of Ancient Blood for block hosing instead.

Notable Rares
Displacing Staff (NV)
One hp quests can be very tricky. For lower levels where tokens are scarce, you need a high damage ranged attack that allows you to stay away from melee mobs/kill ranged mobs before they can get a shot off. Punishing Bolt is that attack. Mobs groups have shared hands which makes Punishing Bolt all the more punishing. Displacing Staff is widely unplayable and less efficient compared to the best minor token Punishing Bolt staff, the epic Staff Of Chask, but it's a good deal cheaper if you're not planning on using either staff outside of quests.

Focused Cleansing (P)
While not as obviously powerful as other priest traits, Holy Presence offers a highly useful effect with a sprinkling of heals. Bonus points for not relying on running any particular type of priest spell allowing Unholy heavy priests to have a trait to fall back on. Holy Presence also gets rid of handicaps from enemy cards, something that a regular Purge effect fails to do. The biggest thing holding Focused Cleansing back is the existence of Novice Ablution. Two copies of the key card plus the ever useful Purge for no tokens is often too good a deal to pass up. Still, if you've got a spare minor token and no clear priest trait synergies to take advantage of, Focused Cleansing is a great option.

Nuclear Pistol (BN)
When you start getting to the point where major tokens are available in the campaign, the mobs start to some serious damage. Firestorm loses some of it's luster as you risk taking too much damage getting into position. That's where Volcano comes in. You get to hit everything from the comfort of your starting squares. Nuclear Pistol pairs that with Dual Laser Beacon, which not only stacks well with other terrain attachments but can also act as a difficult terrain speed bump. Alternatively, the epic Magma Scepter gives you a copy of the aforementioned Firestorm that is still useful for dishing out the final points of damage. Those looking for a good multiplayer Volcano item can turn to the epic Overheated Mesmerizer.

Ritual Straps (B)
Ritual Straps is one of the best tokenless divine armors. It helps keep you alive and ahead on cards with Lifesaving Block, gives you access to the incredibly useful Purging Burst, and all while allowing you to use your tokens elsewhere. If I could buy and play only one divine armor, Ritual Straps would be it. It is that good.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It 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 rare 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 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.


You could probably engineer a situation where this item wouldn't suck but it's more trouble than it's worth.


This item makes me sad and will probably make you sad too if you buy it. There are no circumstances where I'd consider playing this item.

 

Nasrum's Moccasins (N)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
With respect to damage prevention, Enchanted Harness often isn't going to be more effective than stacking a bunch of more token friendly Reliable Mails. Most characters will only have one high armor value target to boost. Where enchanted harness shines is improving the rolls of armor with secondary abilities. Whether it's Barbed Platemail or Mimetic Armor, they go from minor annoyances to "attack me at your own peril" cards. Warriors have access to Helm Of Reinforcement and General Jelom's Helm but what makes Nasrum's Moccasins so great is that it allows non-warriors to join in on the fun. Investing a major token in defense usually crimps your offensive or support capabilities and the best items to roll boost cost even more major tokens so defense needs to be your number one game plan. Granted, it's an expensive game plan that falls apart to armor removal and Penetrating attacks so it isn't particularly popular. However, given the right metagame, say a vamp heavy one perhaps, Enchanted Harness shenanigans can be a fun thing to explore. Would purchase if you want the roll boosting capabilities, especially for non-warrior builds.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Anything that takes away from your damage clock is a big no no. Reliable Enchanted Harness builds take up too many of your precious major tokens. Armor removal is fairly rare, but so are Purge effects. It's better to have a support priest on Impenetrable Nimbus duty than doing anything that will defang your offensive characters. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
None

Did Peon Buy It?
Yes, but not today. After I first got Nasrum's Moccasins I went all out and paired it with Helm of Reinforcement, Yolotli Armor, and Crazy Sal's Halberd. I was pretty much invincible...until I got wrecked by a Sundering Strike. I have not touched Nasrum's Moccasins since but trying to make a Mimetic Armor/Mimetic Crown deck is on my to do list. I have also thought about Officer's Harness hoarding nonsense but it looks like someone beat me to it.

Epics
Barreling Club (P)
Bejeweled Shortsword's less damaging more controlly cousin.

Spitting Flames
Hot Flames is no Firestarter and Spitting Flames doesn't even give you more than one.

Stargod's Raiments (U)
There are few ways to get Cushioning Armor and even fewer ways to get Bless. Those that don't like Bless can turn to Zod's Vile Spaceplate instead.

Notable Rares
Nuclear Pistol (BN)
When you start getting to the point where major tokens are available in the campaign, the mobs start to some serious damage. Firestorm loses some of it's luster as you risk taking too much damage getting into position. That's where Volcano comes in. You get to hit everything from the comfort of your starting squares. Nuclear Pistol pairs that with Dual Laser Beacon, which not only stacks well with other terrain attachments but can also act as a difficult terrain speed bump. Alternatively, the epic Magma Scepter gives you a copy of the aforementioned Firestorm that is still useful for dishing out the final points of damage. Those looking for a good multiplayer Volcano item can turn to the epic Overheated Mesmerizer.

Sacrificial Axe (N)
There is a relatively small pool of divine weapons with good spells so sometimes it's correct to skip them altogether and use the tokenless Sacrificial Axe for trait cycling. This is especially true if the spells you want are only available on divine items. Pressing Bashes give you late game options for capturing victory squares as well as keep opposing characters off your back. Combine them with careful positioning and the Vulnerables aren't too big of an issue against melee. They do make you weaker to ranged characters so if you are expecting to face them, you may want to opt for Vampire's Blade for less risky trait cycling instead.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It 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 rare 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 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.


You could probably engineer a situation where this item wouldn't suck but it's more trouble than it's worth.


This item makes me sad and will probably make you sad too if you buy it. There are no circumstances where I'd consider playing this item.

 

Perilous Agility
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Flanking Move is a great card for ranged characters and step attackers since it allows you to get into attack range without giving up priority. However, elf wizards are too squishy to see widespread play and elf warriors using step attacks have more incentive to run Cautious Mobility. Even Stab warriors tend to have some number of step attacks due to itemization, with Double-Edged Sword and Tango Spear being popular options. There are some more unique archetypes that might find use in Perilous Agility like Stab vamps or Radiation Bomb priests but you really need to want those extra copies of Flanking Move. Double Flanking Move is already available to all races on the boots slot. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Cantrip is fairly useless against the AI. There is no surprise factor to take advantage of so Flanking Move is just a way of gaining priority at end of turn. As boring as it may be, singleplayer is often just dwarf territory for their higher hp. Elves come into play when you need to chase down ranged characters but you're either going to be taking advantage of Elven Maneuvers or Elvish Scamper. If nothing else, you'll movement cards that move you more than 2 squares. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Clever Mobility (E) , Superb Footwork (C)

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. You need to tempt me with something way more spicier than Flanking Move to get me to give up race specific cards.

Epics
Holy Knight Armor (N)
The best Arrogant Armor divine armor.

Old Saint's Armor
Not the best Arrogant Armor divine armor.

Ripping Mace (P)
Lacking in buffs but it has great attacks and a little bit of everything else a support priest would want.

Notable Rares
Ebony Prayer Beads (V)
While a little slow and vulnerable as attachments, the card draw that Ebony Prayer Beads offers is almost unparalleled for a minor token divine item. Though a bit painful, you can get similar card advantage from Incense Of The Caged Demon which benefits from a cycling trait. If you have a major token available the obvious upgrade would be Mokad's Reeking Skull.

Nuclear Pistol (BN)
When you start getting to the point where major tokens are available in the campaign, the mobs start to some serious damage. Firestorm loses some of it's luster as you risk taking too much damage getting into position. That's where Volcano comes in. You get to hit everything from the comfort of your starting squares. Nuclear Pistol pairs that with Dual Laser Beacon, which not only stacks well with other terrain attachments but can also act as a difficult terrain speed bump. Alternatively, the epic Magma Scepter gives you a copy of the aforementioned Firestorm that is still useful for dishing out the final points of damage. Those looking for a good multiplayer Volcano item can turn to the epic Overheated Mesmerizer.

Tough Leather Cap (P)
Both All Out Attack and Dash, Team! can be extremely powerful given the right circumstances which makes Tough Leather Cap one of the few minor token helmets worth investing a token in. All Out Attack gets much worse when you run a lot of low damage utility attacks like Nimble Strike and is extremely weak to blocks and Toughness so I would hesitate before throwing Tough Leather Cap on any warrior. Your other option for All Out Attack is Necalli Cap, which is much less impressive once you no longer need the speed boost. On the command front, you can upgrade to Sprint, Team! using various helmets, with the legendary Forrtesque's Feathered Cap and Wenham's Leather Coif topping the list. And if you're just looking for the best all around minor token helmet, my pick would be Angry Jack's Helmet with it's solid mix of armor, team movement, and melee buffing.

Xipil Ring (NV)
Volcano is one of the best cards for singleplayer farming but is fairly difficult to get a hold of. Xipil Ring not only gives you a bargain basement price for Volcano but also only costs a minor token to equip, allowing you to use it in mid level modules as well. If you're willing to shell out a little extra gold, the epic Magma Scepter gives you a Firestorm as well which also makes it much more playable in multiplayer.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It 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 rare 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 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.


You could probably engineer a situation where this item wouldn't suck but it's more trouble than it's worth.


This item makes me sad and will probably make you sad too if you buy it. There are no circumstances where I'd consider playing this item.

 

...I'll talk a bit then, I'm kinda bored. I'll just mention items I like from these... so basically peon's choices.

Holy Knight Armor - It's the best variant for Arrogant Armor on priests, for all-round purposes. While I do agree having Mail Of St. Oxivia probably helps for a support priest in radiation heavy deck, it's also 5 times as expensive. And Holy Armor can heal all of your team when it's standing close to radiation tiles, so... yay!

Ripping Mace - I really love this thing more and more. For starters, I think it's amongst the best items with Inspiring Presence, let alone the best epics. It packs 4 incredibly versatile cards along with that and a step attack! The sad point about it is the fact that it requires 2 minor tokens. Most of the divine items take these minors, so it's kinda problematic. But if you can use it as one of the divine weapons, by all means try it. It's good!

Ebony Prayer Beads - Pretty cool item for not-Altruism users, good for Altruists too! The draw provided by it is really nice, especially because it's literally a draw without any questions asked. I'd even say Bad Luck has its uses... Now that I mention it, I kinda want to try out one possible use for that! So... I'm thankful I'm writing that small review. Thanks peon! Back to the item... Very legit option for drawing, at 100 gold it's a steal actually!

Nuclear Pistol - For a single player, it's basically an upgrade from Magma Scepter, a very good campaign-clearing item and I'd probably buy it for the campaign alone. For multi-player... I hate this thing with passion. Not because it's horrible or it could be so much better, but because it's the nightmare for somebody playing a small amount of moves (at times). Something important about Dual Laser Beacon that I rarely see being done... You can place both of these beacons SEPARATELY! You don't need to glue them together. So keep that in mind. If you don't have 12 of these, be sure to get some of it! You won't regret it.

Tough Leather Cap - I'd like to call it a more extreme version of Angry Jack's Helmet. All Out Attack is no doubt a game changer in a warrior's hands. Dash, Team! allows for pretty quick rotation. These two cards alone are worth a minor token. I'd probably pick it up even if the third one was something like Slowed. But it's not, it's Toughened Hide Strips, a direct upgrade from Mail in that it can heal you when you discard it... and if you're a good Warrior, you will, eventually, do just that, because you'll get Reliable Mail or something else from your wishlist that you included in your deck. All in all, very good and underrated item. Seems like that's the theme for this Daily.

Xipil Ring - Cheaper and weaker version of Magma Scepter, but for Single Player it's all worth it. You know, Volcano. It's good because you're facing a silly AI that prioritizes getting closer to you, and, therefore, using all of their moves immediately. So they all get to have 8 damage right of the bat! And the best part - they never learn!

 

wohoo, Page 99! 99 everywhere!

 

Dianon's Staff (P)

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Dianon's Staff is a discounted Deadly, Deadly Staff so you need to decide whether or not the lower cost is worth it. If you're not using major tokens on staves you really only need them for racial skills and boots since there are very few good major token arcane items and robes. There isn't a right or wrong answer. There are plenty of great tokenless racial skills and boots and there are also incredibly powerful major token options for both. You also need to decide if you want Deadly Spark to begin with. Burst spells do pretty much the same things as Deadly Spark but better. The only real advantage over burst spells is the addition of Hard to Block and I don't think that's enough. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Deadly Spark may be able to hit multiple targets but not nearly as many as Firestorm. Hard to Block makes it better against things with magic blocks like goblins but you are limited to staves for any spark spells making spark wizards unreliable in general. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Staff Of Peril (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I don't think it's good enough for multiplayer and I'd rather have 2 copies of Volcano than 4 of Deadly Spark in singleplayer.

Epics
Croker's Lucky Laser Shield (P)
Major token shields need to pass the Aegis Of The Defender test. To be honest, I don't even think Croker's Lucky Laser Shield beats Buckler Of Protection though it is the only Laser Block shield with 3 all purpose blocks. Aegis Of Aversion is better on support priests that don't rely on unholy spells.

Reckless Warp Boots (P)
Fine pair of boots but I'd go for Shielding Warp Boots or Rocket Boots instead.

Salazar's Sandals (V)
Good Team Walk boots to use until you get a hold of Captain Cedric's Boots.

Notable Rares
Manifold Healer (N)
Talented Healer a vamp priest's best friend. Not only do you get incidental heals from all your vamp attacks but by making them Cantrip, you can chain them together and suck people dry out of nowhere. With so many of the best vamp items requiring minor tokens or less, there is almost no reason to not play the major token requiring Focused Healer. That is of course unless you're using a vamp in a low level module. When major tokens aren't available, Manifold Healer is the next best thing.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It 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 rare 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 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.


You could probably engineer a situation where this item wouldn't suck but it's more trouble than it's worth.


This item makes me sad and will probably make you sad too if you buy it. There are no circumstances where I'd consider playing this item.

 

Glasod's Dark Eye

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Soothing Darkness is too slow as emergency heals so you need to be in a position where the injured character can remain untouched for a few turns. This is normally incredibly difficult and the addition of encumber just makes it harder. You can sometimes use it as a pseudo attack repellent but this is highly dependent on your opponent's cards. If they have what it takes to dispatch your character immediately all you've done is make your character slower and easier to gang up on. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Soothing Darkness is at it's best in singleplayer. You generally don't care about movement against melee mobs and the AI isn't smart enough to go after a critically injured character. Buff up the character closest to the action and you are pretty much guaranteed to get full value. However, Glasod's Dark Eye has 2 things going against it. Heals are almost always worse than buffs. Frenzy buffs and card draw will help you win faster while the best Soothing Darkness can do is help you not die. For that, Impenetrable Nimbus is superior. The thing that really pokes Glasod's Dark Eye out is Lattimore's Relic. You get the same 2 crappy copies of Soothing Darkness for a much cheaper price. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Lattimore's Relic (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I'm willing to believe that there's some Soothing Darkness build out there that is mildly playable but Lattimore's Relic is more versatile and much cheaper.

Epics
Jygpin's Healing Ring (P)
One of the best minor token healing items.

Sharp Shell
Perilous Ringmail and Spiked Tlahuiztli are the go to tokenless heavy armors for most. Even Dependable Mail is better than Sharp Shell.

Turnbull's Energy Vest (P)
Fine but I prefer Explorer's Force Suit and Overheated Force Suit. Both have higher impact cards.

Notable Rares
Displacing Staff (NV)
One hp quests can be very tricky. For lower levels where tokens are scarce, you need a high damage ranged attack that allows you to stay away from melee mobs/kill ranged mobs before they can get a shot off. Punishing Bolt is that attack. Mobs groups have shared hands which makes Punishing Bolt all the more punishing. Displacing Staff is widely unplayable and less efficient compared to the best minor token Punishing Bolt staff, the epic Staff Of Chask, but it's a good deal cheaper if you're not planning on using either staff outside of quests.

Perfect Ferocity (NU)
There is one reason and one reason only to pick Frenzy Aura over double Blind Rage dwarf skills and it isn't the bad Rusty Armor impression. Adding Penetrating to melee attacks is crucial for vamp priests. They have lower damage attacks that get doubly screwed over by damage prevention since every point of damage dealt is a 2 point life swing. Having access to 2 Frenzy Auras is the biggest reason to go dwarf with your vamps so Perfect Ferocity is a must for short bloodsuckers.

Skipping Boots (P)
If that Reliable Hide Armor were any half decent movement card instead, Skipping Boots would undoubtedly be one of the best tokenless boots. As is, it is still above average and one of the few ways to get Healing Dash for vamps. Those packing answers to handicaps or counters to Halt also have the option of going for Boots Of Discretion.

St. Xarol's Axe (P)
When you are farming the lower level modules, 5 damage is the sweet spot as it puts you out of Weak Block range that those darn Kobolds seem to never run out of. Being able to hit two things at the same time is just icing on the cake. If there is a priest in your low level farming party, St. Xarol's Axe is an excellent choice.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It 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 rare 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 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.


You could probably engineer a situation where this item wouldn't suck but it's more trouble than it's worth.


This item makes me sad and will probably make you sad too if you buy it. There are no circumstances where I'd consider playing this item.

 

Is Perfect Ferocity really a "must" for a vampire dwarf? I usually use Raging Battler, because trading a Frenzy Aura for a Blind Rage seems like a wash unless you're sure you'll be facing lots of armor (BR has one less damage, no Penetrating, and it can hurt you, but it usually lasts longer and doesn't take up space in your hand). In MP I'd also rather have a Reliable Mail for free than Dwarven War Cry for a major (especially considering how many opponents use dwarves).

 

Must may have been too strong a word. Does everyone use Raging Battler on their dwarf vamps? Or other skills?

 

I haven't used a Dwarf Vamp in MP in quite a while, but I have been using triple Dwarf Vamps for a lot of the EttSC adventures, and Perfect Ferocity works quite well there. A lot of damage boosting and card draw.