Peon's Not So Daily Deal

Axander's Robes
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
With the pool of good wizard buffs being limited to pretty much only Unholy Wellspring, getting damage boosts from armor become far more crucial. While not an unplayable item in a vacuum, Axander's Robes is simply worse than minor token options. All you really want is the Arcane Shell but you're stuck paying for the Leap that decided to tag along. For that same major token you could get the far superior Robes Of White Wylla. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Buffing a Firestorm is just not as good as shoving more copies into your deck and sometime being immune with Firehide Robes. On the rare occasions you aren't using Firestorm, you're probably using wizards in a controlly way in which case damage is secondary to survivability. In any case, there are better options for damage boosting robes that are cheaper on your wallet. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Cotton Wizard's Robes (C) , Cursed Wizard's Robes (C)

 

Axe Of The Titans (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
There is nothing wrong with replacing attacks with blocks but you need a good reason. Maybe you want your extra blocks for a tanky warrior to draw out attacks or control victory points. Maybe you'd rather have Surging Blocks so you can get up close and personal with wizards instead of impotently waving from a distance with a full grip of attacks. Whatever your reason, the blocks are the most important part of Axe of the Titans. Obliterating Chops are nothing special so you might as well swap them for a pair of Strong Bludgeons for a massively discounted double minor token cost on Bolg's Big Iron Plate. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Don't even think about swapping out attacks. Anything that drags out the level instead of ending it sooner is a big speed farming no no. Requiring two major tokens is another notch in the flashy unnecessary item column. If you're worried about reaching ranged mobs feel free to use any other slot to boost movement capabilities. Heck, use support humans with card like Run, Team! if you need to. With warriors, you just need to find the biggest stick with the largest numbers in the corner and ring in the New Year with a Pulverizing Bludgeon. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Dancer's Dagger (E) , Spear Of Dancing (R) , Blocking Mace (C)

 

Azan's Icy Bulwark (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Icy Block suffers from a bad case of nerfitis. Requiring a major token is also a huge downside. Even though Aegis Of The Defender is widely regarded as the best shield, the major token holds it back from seeing universal play. Azan's Icy Bulwark provides a less impactful effect making it even less likely to see play. Encumber 2 is annoying to play against but it doesn't warrant a major token investment. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
My rule for major token shields is the same as the one for legendary shields. Don't even think about it. You are going to get a lot more mileage out of your major tokens from attacks. If you have tokens left over go for better armor. If that's also taken care of go with card drawing blocks like Parry which not only draws you more attacks but also only require a minor token. Encumbering one mob when there are 10 more waiting their turn for a whack at you is pretty miserable. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Frozen Shield (E)

 

Azgul's Orb (BN)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayer
Dedicated Firestorm builds have gone the way of the dodo. A Firestorm wizard needs to get close to the enemy to do anything which is the opposite of what wizards want to do. So why is everyone going crazy over Azgul's Orb? It is the only arcane item with 3 burning attacks that aren't crappy low range cone spells like Fire Spray. A dedicated burning wizard will most likely have spent 4 tokens on staves and 3 tokens on arcane items. If you want to spend a token on Focused Pyromancy you will need a tokenless arcane item. Your other option is to run Novice Pyromancy but the downgrade of Firestarter to Ember Spray is massive when compared to Flame Jet/Glob Of Flame to Firestorm. Would get Azgul's Orb if you want a tokenless arcane item for a burning wizard

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
One word. Firestorm. Go buy it already.

Substitutes
Gaudekki's Orb (E)

 

Barnum's Burning Bauble
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
While Barnum's Burning Bauble isn't a bad item it is worse than other legendary options. Most burning decks do not actively want Firestorm. It is fine to have a couple as finishers but you are likely to already have a few copies from Firehide Robes and Azgul's Orb. If you're looking to build a Firestorm wizard, something I haven't seen since the range nerf, then you will want double Firestorm items instead. Look for items that only have Flame Jet and/or Glob Of Flame. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Welcome to Singleplayerland, where up is down, black is white, and the countryside is ablaze from all the Firestormin. If you are just starting out with your Firestorm farming party you will basically want any old Firestorm item you can get your grubby mitts on. Barnum's Burning Bauble is better than most single Firestorm items but it is also way more expensive. There are plenty of rares and epics to choose from, with Magma Scepter being the cream of the crop. I would rather pick up 5 or more mediocre Firestorm items than 1 slightly better legendary. If you do want to splurge a little, hold out for Azgul's Orb, Brin's Storm Locket, and Chartwell's Ring. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Gaudekki's Orb (E)

 

Barnum's Staff (N)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
If you didn't pick up Staff Of Embers, here's your chance to purchase its twin. Barnum's Staff trades one copy of Ember Burst for access to two way more playable than Burning Fingers burning cards. I would not fault anyone for going one way or the other. "But Peon, which one would you pick?" They both have their merits, there's no right or wrong answer. "Quit copping out on us!" Ok fine. If you had asked me a few months ago I would have told you Barnum's Staff hands down. I hate drawing weak cards so I avoid putting them in decks whenever possible. However, what previous me didn't realize was how insanely powerful burst spells are. The biggest problem wizards have is getting line of sight on targets. Ember Burst is one of the few ways to shore up this weakness. You have more than enough powerful targeted spells from arcane items that you can afford to run a weak one to boost the number of burst spells. All too often, you'll find you have nothing to target and will need to discard something at end of turn anyways. Burning Fingers is at least a decent block checker/attachment pusher offer. Still, that is only my opinion. Barnum's Staff is very powerful and makes for a solid purchase. "You suck Peon." Duly noted.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
If it doesn't have Firestorm or Volcano I'm not interested. You can burn things safely in small batches with Barnum's Staff if you want. Me, I will just be nuking everything.

Substitutes
None

 

Beater (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
There are very few playable weapons for a minor token or less and Beater does the second most damage out of all of them. There are two reasons that make it a poor purchase though. The most obvious one is that it does nothing special besides saving a token for elsewhere. For a slight dip in damage output you could get some Unnerving Strikes from Maquah Of Ancient Blood or Dangerous Club. The other reason that holds Beater back is that you can get the same damage out of tokenless options. The Strongarm and Blazing Shortsword (if you count the burning damage) both do 42 damage as well. What you are paying for with Beater is consistency but at the cost of power from some other part of your deck. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
As much as it pains me to admit, Firestorm is not the panacea that I've been making it out to be. There are a few modules that have fairly small amounts of enemies with high hp where farming is much faster with a Mass Frenzy melee party. Melvelous the Magnificent is a great example. He has high hp, constantly runs out of Firestorm range, has Shimmering Aura when you do get close enough, and has Hover for any Volcanos you're packing. It is a lot faster and way more satisfying to run up and smack the living daylights out of him. While Beater is one of the best options for the job I still can't recommend it when there are so many cheaper options. You can spend your hard earned gold on an item that helps for a few levels or save it for something that works better for just about everything else. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Blazing Shortsword (E), Blackeye Hammer (R) , Maquah Of Ancient Blood (E)

 

Bendolth's Pauldrons (U)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Barge is a fantastic control card, especially on a character that you don't want enemies to hassle. Unfortunately, being a melee attack pretty much guarantees it will run into a block. Being a tokenless armor is a huge plus. While no other divine armor has controlling cards like Barge, there are plenty of decent tokenless options that don't bust the piggy bank. I could see equipping Bendolth's Pauldrons if you happen to come across one in a chest but would not purchase for essentially one copy of Barge.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayer
Barge is never dead but it doesn't have much value aside from the damage. There are fewer maps with victory squares and if you just want another attack you can equip Glowing Hide Armor. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Dark Chain Shirt (E), Glowing Hide Armor (C), Ritual Straps (R), Rusted Angel Mail (U): tokenless

 

Berian's Locket (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Berian's Locket is an oasis in a desert of crappy tokenless arcane items. Everywhere you look there's an Ember Spray or Maze staring back at you. While Glob Of Flame and Stone Spikes are great cards in a vacuum, there just aren't many wizards that want both of them at the same time. A burning wizard would rather have Azgul's Orb and a control wizard would rather have Asmod's Telekinetic Chain or Rod Of Palver Pree. Berian's Locket goes best on a wizard that wants extra kick from arcane items and isn't relying on Firestarter, so most likely a spark or burst wizard. Even then, Telekinesis type cards are usually preferable as insurance against getting rushed or moving an enemy character back onto freshly spiked ground. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
What are you doing fooling around with Berian's Locket? Go pick up some flowers and a box of chocolates and beg Firestorm to take you back. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Rod Of Palver Pree (E)

 

Bern's Untouchable Mail (N)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Arrogant Armor is one of those cards that comes at a steep cost so you really need a good reason to play. Not being able to buff up your warrior or rely on racial skills can put you on the back foot against more humble enemy characters. You might get hit with a Radiation Bomb here or a Cone Of Cold there but in general, you aren't going to face too many attachments. To make Arrogant Armor worthwhile you will need to bring your own with Enormous Mattock being the poster child of handicap items. You get to shrug off those handicaps and the attacks are beefy enough to overcome not being buffed. Alternatively, you can utilizes teammates that regularly dish out attachments indiscriminately like a Radioactive Spray priest or a trigger happy Cone Of Cold wizard. Long story short, Bern's Untouchable Mail is absolutely great at what it does but most people don't need it. Only purchase if you plan on building around harmful attachments.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There are only a few modules with truly devastating attachments and they happen to be high level so the major token cost isn't a big issue. However, there are two strikes against Bern's Untouchable Mail when it comes to farming. First of all, you obviously need to use a warrior. Warriors make for great beatsticks in modules where you're up against fewer mobs but the attachment heavy modules tend not to fit that description. In addition, not being able to use beneficial attachments bars you from employing the ultimate easy mode strategy of loading up on Impenetrable Nimbuses. I'm sure there are farming builds that make good use of Bern's Untouchable Mail but I'm willing to bet that they are only used for one or two modules and aren't that much more effective compared to more traditional builds. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Impervious Panoply (E) , Emperor's Plate (E)

 

Bewlin's Baffling Bauble (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Whether or not you should buy Bewlin's Baffling Bauble really depends on what you want out of it. If what you're looking for is a way to get away from an overly friendly warrior Short Perplexing Ray will get the job done but items like Ring Of Appropriation do the job better for a lower token cost and have added utility in moving around your own troops. On the other hand, if you're looking for a way to neuter an unsuspecting warrior so that the rest of the team can go in for an easy kill, a little hand disruption will do the job nicely. In a pinch, you can target your own party to get a Shuffle out of it but that is really stretching it. Unless you've got a mixed class party that can take advantage of Short Perplexing Ray, I would pass on it.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Short Perplexing Ray has no place in singleplayer. The AI is dumb enough that you can usually avoid getting attacked just fine from movement alone. When you do get trapped or surrounded, a Telekinesis will most likely help you out more than a random discard. Hand sizes also tend to be larger so that random card is often negligible. Tack on the major token cost and you've got an item that is limited to higher level modules. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Farzil's Perplexing Horn (E)

 

Bimson's Glowstone Robes
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Shimmering Aura is a narrow card that isn't even all that good in the right matchup. What it is good at is allowing items to remain tokenless with its relatively low quality. However, Resistant Hide pretty much has the tokenless robe market cornered. Not only does it grant Immunity to a significant chunk of magic attacks but it also isn't completely dead against melee attacks. Granted, you aren't able to get more than one copy of Resistant Hide but if you're that desperate for Shimmering Auras you can always turn to boots like Vira's Shoes. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
While you'll always know whether or not Shimmering Aura will be of use, I still prefer Resistant Hide robes simply because they pack more of a punch. Whether it comes in the form or Firestorms from Firehide Robes or Stone Spike from Rockshard Robes, I tend to favor offense over defense in singleplayer. This is especially true when a mediocre card like Shimmering Aura is among the best options. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Shimmerwing Robes (E) : Shimmering Aura
Rockshard Robes (E): Stone Spikes

 

Bleneth's Frenzy Charm (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
There are very few tokenless divine items worth playing and even fewer with good buffs. Bleneth's Frezy Charm is near the top of the list but Shuddering Relic is a fantastic substitute and sometimes a superior option. With all the class and race traits going around, having Unholy Frenzy risks something more important getting knocked off. I wouldn't use Mass Frenzy over Unholy Wellspring for wizard parties but they are great if you have at least one other melee character. Definitely worth purchasing.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Strong cards? Check. Low token cost? Check. All of my melee farming parties look to cram as many Mass Frenzies as possible on the buff priest. Shuddering Relic does an admirable job but getting Unholy Frenzy for a damage burst turn and not having to deal with Vulnerable is well worth becoming a disciple of Bleneth. While it is less of a buy in singleplayer both due to how dominating wizard parties are and Shuddering Relic being such a good substitute, anything that says Bleneth on it is a solid pick up.

Substitutes
Shuddering Relic (R)

 

Bleneth's Frenzy Medallion (B)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
This is the best minor token source of Mass Frenzy for a melee team. The only other comparable item is Bleneth's Frenzy Tome but I really don't like putting Savage Curse on characters that have a lot of armor and blocks that they will want to hold on to. You won't find a better deal on Mass Frenzy with shady characters like St. Hongjin or Dworia. Even the venerable St. Olf gives you a 1 to 1 deal on minor tokens and Mass Frenzy. When you want the best of the best, always choose Bleneth for all your foaming at the mouth needs. Highly recommend purchasing.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Anything with Bleneth on it is worth picking up. Requiring only a minor token makes Bleneth's Frenzy Medallion more usable than the all powerful Bleneth's Skull. A lot of farming parties rely on casting Mass Frenzy as quickly as possible and there is no better way than to shove a bunch into your deck. If you're worried about drawing redundant copies if you put too much Mass Frenzy in your deck you can gripe about it to all the dead mobs at your feet. That said, Bleneth's Frenzy Tome is just better for getting that extra bit of damage. Hold out for the Tome if you can but still worth picking up for melee parties.

Substitutes
None

 

Bleneth's Frenzy Tome (B)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
While Unholy Wellspring is arguably the best attack buff for all classes in a vacuum, its increased quality compared to Mass Frenzy and, even more so, Savage Curse leads to the inclusion of undesirable accompanying cards and/or a major token equip cost. Bleneth's Frenzy Tome hits the sweet spot of being both powerful and affordable making it the best divine item for buffing melee attacks in terms of damage output. Getting twice the boost using Savage Curse over Unholy Frenzy is often worth the hassle of discarding, especially when you get to choose when to fire it off. While Bleneth's Frenzy Medallion usually gets the nod in terms of consistency, having a higher power ceiling is certainly still worth considering. Highly recommend purchasing.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
I don't often use melee parties for farming but Bleneth's Frenzy Tome is my go to divine item for the handful of modules where they are superior. The drawback of Savage Curse is nearly nonexistent when your only concern is dealing as much damage as possible. Running into blocks is almost never and issue so cashing in non-attack cards for 4 damage a pop is a steal. Highly recommend purchasing.

Substitutes
Dworia's Soulstone (E)

 

Bleneth's Skull (B)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Mass Frenzy is the premier buff for melee parties. Six Frenzy spread out across the team is just better than anything else available. While it doesn't replace Unholy Wellspring for wizard buffing, it does make mixed class parties a little more palatable. You'll often want Bleneth's Frenzy Medallion or Bleneth's Frenzy Tome instead for the more lenient cost, but if you can spare that major token, there is no reason why you shouldn't be salivating over Bleneth's Skull. Highly recommend purchasing.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
The major token requirement makes it less of a slam dunk than something like Bleneth's Frenzy Tome in singleplayer. While worth considering, it's hard to justify buying something you'll only be able to use in higher level modules, especially if you're not using melee parties. But hey, if you've got extra gold lying around I say go for it.

Substitutes
None

 

Bloodchopper (N)
Chops are some of the least used attacks because of how weak they generally are. At a respectable 10 damage, Obliterating Chop is the exception. Having dabbled briefly in the art of fine Choppery, I have to say that Chop isn't as bad as it looks. However, it requires gameplay that is foreign to most warriors. You'll want to send in your Chopper in solo, preferably to a centralized victory square so your actions seem less suspicious. Don't show your hand to the first sucker that walks up to you. Spend your time buffing or moving your other characters. When your opponent sends in that character for the kill as they are wont to do, BAM! Let the Chopping commence. Most players will bite the bullet and let you Chop away because what are the odds you've got more Chops? Well, you my friend are dual-wielding Bloodchoppers so there's more where that came from. This is not a strategy for the feint of heart and it's incredibly major token intensive in the weapons slot but it sure is a fun change of pace over your run of the mill warrior. There is nothing better than Bloodchopper if you want play around with Chops.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Obliterating Chop is great in singleplayer. No building around Chop is necessary. You will always have targets against melee mobs that mindlessly move in for the kill. Be aware of trees and skeletons with slash attack immunities and you can pretty much turn your warrior into a walking lawnmower. That said, wizards are still top dog when it comes to hitting multiple targets. Spamming Firestorm and Volcano will do the trick more often than not. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
None

 

Bloodshield Of Xoc (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
It isn't much of a secret that I had an unfavorable opinion of Bloodied Block but this is one card that I'll admit I wildly misevaluated. I've previously argued that Bloodied Block trades with the weakest attack at your opponent's disposal making it much worse than something that has a chance of failing against test attacks. While this makes you an underdog in a Parry heavy melee environment, I failed to consider other matchups. Bloodied Block is secretly one of the best magic blocks available. No need to adjust your monitor, you read right. I said magic block. The average wizard has a much smaller damage range compared to other classes, meaning that test attack isn't going to do much less than the subsequent ones. More importantly, the first spell they sling at you is likely going to be a control spell like Telekinesis to gain some breathing room. Having a decent to guaranteed shot of blocking control spells, even those assisted by Spark Generator, can often mean the difference between getting an attack in and doing nothing for the rest of the round. Bloodshield of Xoc is the best source of Bloodied Block and also gives you a gap closing Disorienting Block to boot. I am still of the opinion that it is better to over prepare for melee attacks than to hedge against spells but getting a timely back attack off of Disorienting Block can lead to the occasional blowout. Purchase if you want to prepare for a wizard heavy metagame.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Do not buy legendary shields. Blocking the initial attack is a much bigger crapshoot since the AI throws attacks at you at random. If you're spending a token towards shields, drawing a card from cheaper Parry, Catch Arrow, and Defender's Block shields will on average have more of an impact. Also, you will always know what you're facing so using narrow melee or magic block shields is not an issue. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Acrobat's Aegis (R) , Backflip Buckler (E) ,Jaguar Buckler (E) , Terror-Forged Shield (E) , Boggling Shield (R) , Shield Of The Tumbler (E)

 

Absolution (N)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Absolution is basically a Bahoxl's Maul with a Sparkling Cloth Armor attached. If you haven't had the pleasure of messing around with Sparkling Cloth Armor, it is nuts. Support and ranged characters get the most use out of it through escaping melee opponents. Having to use a move or step attack in between every hit will put a huge damper in any warrior's plans. Likewise, Vengeance on a support priest will act much in the same way. Getting this effect on an attack has both advantages and disadvantages. It's exceedingly nice to have a decent sized attack on support characters because your damage dealers are going to bite the dust eventually. I can't count how many times I've been knocked down to a solo support priest and wishing I wasn't drawing a hand full of buffs turn after turn. That said, it's not often you'll want to hold on to an attack over a good armor or block card at the end of turn. This is especially true if you are running a dwarf priest with Blind Rage card cycling in the dwarf skill slot. However, for all intents and purposes, Vengeance should be treated as a Sparkling Cloth Armor that never triggers. Having access to an extra copy that you can smack someone with should the need arise is simply amazing. What isn't amazing are those Cleansing Rays tacked on at the end. Unless you are building a Terrain generating team, Cleansing Rays are just too weak to run. If you are going for a Terrain build in particular, Absolution is a top tier option. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother picking it up.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
I love me some Volcano farming and Absolution is just perfect for the mid levels where you don't have access to major tokens. However, you are paying 2k gold for a Vengeance over Bahoxl's Maul and the Scrooge in me shudders at the thought. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Bahoxl's Maul (E) , Nanahut's Morningstar (E) , Blinding Blade (R)

 

Advanced Ethereality
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
The Ethereal Form card pool looks like a mishmash of mostly middling to downright awful cards. Wizards generally want heavy hitting spells or controlly cards for positional/card advantage. Ethereal form offers neither. If that wasn't bad enough, the variety of cards doesn't lend itself to any cohesive strategy. Add on the uncontrolable timing of forms in general and you have a recipe for disaster. Even if for some reason you wanted to go Ethereal, Advanced Ethereality isn't even the best legendary for the job. The same major token will get you Focused Ethereality. Getting armor removal in the form of Hex Of Dissolution is just not worth it. Getting incidental armor removal from arcane items isn't difficult and the arcane skill slot should be reserved for traits and powerhouse cards that aren't readily available. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Farming is all about consistency. Forms are for embracing the fun of randomness. The problem with Etheral Form is that it just isn't that much fun either. Perhaps the most interesting thing you can do is Doom something every once in a while but the odds of pulling it off let alone drawing it are slim. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Corrosive Ethereality (E)