Peon's Not So Daily Deal

Hawlic's Handy Axe
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Hawlic's Handy Axe is an embarrassment of a weapon. Heck, it hardly passes for an axe with only a Weak Chop. It's single redeeming quality is the Nimble Strike and there are far superior options for your Step 2 needs. Rageblood Dagger is pretty much the same utility with a much stronger set of cards. If you truly need Nimble Strikes, Lochaber Axe has you covered. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
When it comes to double minor token weapons it's Infused Greatclub or bust. Maybe you'll want Rageblood Dagger every once in a while but anything else and you're doing it wrong. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Rageblood Dagger (R)

 

Hawlic's Robes
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
There aren't enough attachments running around to warrant running Mystical Wyrmhide. The most commonly used ones you'll run into are Burning attachments and Resistant Hide is much more useful as it negates the up front damage while also hosing the occasional Spark attack. However, the meta is always changing and the day may come when Radiation Bomb, Spark Of Undeath, or some newfangled attachment card becomes all the rage. Even then, Leather Harness is such a dead card most of the time that you'll want basically anything else. A roll check of 2 to trigger Mystical Wyrmhide's effect is already spectacular so you don't need to rely on Harness enhancing. Viridian Dragoncloak gives you extra attachment protection in Mystical Drakehide and the miser's copy of armor removal is always welcome. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There aren't many attachments running around that are a huge concern. It's nice to have something for those rare instances where attachments are a major annoyance but Viridian Dragoncloak is more consistent and way cheaper. You could also bring melee characters as they have access to the ultimate anti-attachment armor in Arrogant Armor. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Boltswap Robes (R), Coatl Robes (R), Hutul's Robes (E), Viridian Dragoncloak (R) , Aloysi's Cloak (E) , Spacedragon Warpcloak

 

Hawlic's Surging Shield (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Surging Shield Block is meant for one thing. Chasing down wascally wazzards. Being able to block a spell and move in for the kill while retaining priority is huge. The biggest problem with Hawlic's Surging Shield is the major token cost. Warriors weapons are incredibly token hungry so defense usually winds up being an afterthought. Vamp priests are much more likely to be able to fit a major token shield in but let's just pretend you've got the major token to spare. Now you need a good reason to play Hawlic's Surging Shield over Aegis Of The Defender, arguably the best shield in the game. You can have Surging Shield Block, fantastic against wizards but not much better than a Block against everything else, or Defender's Block, great against just about everything. The vast majority of blocks you'll face off against are going to be Parry and you are putting yourself at a significant disadvantage if your own blocks don't generate cards. Put all that together and it's really hard to justify playing let alone purchasing Hawlic's Surging Shield. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
A free Walk on blocks is not enough to close the gap against ranged mobs. They have a tendency to have 4 or more base movement so things like Slippery Shield would be more useful for extra movement. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Jaguar Buckler (E) , Quick Buckler (E) , Spiked Shield (E) , Wedge Shield (E)

 

Highbolt Jerkin
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Never mind that Leather Harness is terrible, Highbolt Jerkin is strictly inferior to Aranak's Chain Web (way less stylish too). It would be one thing if Highbolt Jerkin were cheaper or powerful enough that a slight drop in card quality would be acceptable but it is neither. Would not purchase. If anyone is wondering, I wouldn't purchase Aranak's Chain Web either.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There are a few modules where electricity immunity really shines like Cliffs of the Wyverns and Lair of the Yellow Dragon. However, if you aren't looking to boost armors with secondary triggers, it's best to avoid Leather Harness and Chain Harness altogether. You can get better armors with Grounding Plates for much cheaper. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Mail Of Absorption (R) , Stormward Pauldrons (R) , Patchwork Storm Plate (R) , Galvanized Zombie Plates (E) , Vigilant Panoply (E) , Spaceproof Carapace (E) : Grounding Plates

 

Heartripper (B)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Punishing Bolt is a high variance card but when it's good it outdamages every other staff in the game. Heartripper is awful against wizards as they can empty their hand while staying out of range. However, if you are packing enough control cards, you can regularly strand attacks and melee blocks in opposing melee characters' hands. This translates to 8 to 10 damage the next turn depending on who has priority. Being arcane lets you take advantage of Spark Generator traits and the 0 base damage allows you run Squeamish items for free. While some map rotations favor wizards, melee parties are generally more popular so you can expect to get good use out of Heartripper. Highly recommend purchasing.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Heartripper excels against bosses. You can regularly get double digit Punishing Bolts as they tend to have massive hand sizes. While Heartripper can make some instances much less of a headache, it isn't worth investing in if you don't regularly grind the boss levels and Staff Of Chask can be a decent substitute in a pinch. That said, if you have extra gold lying around Heartripper is worth considering.

Substitutes
None

 

Holy Hellyn's Breastplate
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
There aren't enough attachments going around making Arrogant Armor more trouble than it's worth. Not being able to self buff as a priest is a major downside. What Arrogant Armor is actually good for is taking advantage of handicap cycling and protecting against self imposed negative attachments from things like Walpurgis Night. Most priest attachment based handicaps are relatively innocuous so you only really need Arrogant Armor for the latter. Either way, you'll want to draw Arrogant Armor as soon as possible so the various divine armors with 2 copies are far superior. Plus, Soothing Darkness is just bad and a nonbo with Arrogant Armor to boot. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There are some instances where Arrogant Armor is really useful but you'll want the cheaper and more consistent divine armors with double copies. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Axamander's Ringmail (E) , Old Saint's Armor (E) , Untouchable Plate (E) : Arrogant Armor

 

Hu La Houp's Vicious Circle (N)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Props to @Lucky Dice for creating this head spinner of a weapon. Berserk Spin is a unique card but for all intents and purposes, it is a Strong Chop in multiplayer. You will almost never be surrounded by all 3 opposing characters so 2 is about all you can hope for. My rule of thumb with Chops is that if it isn't good enough as a single target attack, it isn't worth playing. Unfortunately, that rules out everything but Obliterating Chop and Massive Chop. You can bend the rules a bit by warping your build to accommodate Chops. However, even if you load up on buffs and maximize your odds of hitting multiple targets, Hu La Houp's Vicious Circle is barely better than a Simple Axe and a lot more token intensive. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Ample supply of Berserk Spin fodder that comes to you? Check. Cards like Invisibility popping up to make non-targeting attacks actually matter. Check. If there's one place Hu La Houp's Vicious Circle truly shines it's singleplayer. The double major token cost limits it to high level modules but you only encounter untargetable mobs in later modules anyways. Still, wizards have a much easier time with those and you can work around the untargetability with Purging Burst. Hu La Houp's Vicious Circle just doesn't do enough damage to be warrant purchasing, even for those hard to hit situations. Would not purchase.

Substitutes

 

Huetotl's Firebrand (B)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
This is the divine weapon to have for a Mass Frenzy priest. Three awesome attacks, two copies of the best melee buff, and a Triple Heals thrown in for spice. It is basically an upgraded St. Olf's Fiery Pike so the big question is should I splurge for the deluxe model? Well that really depends on your build. Having good attacks isn't all that important for a buff priest unless things go awry. If you are picking between having better support cards or stronger attacks, it's generally better to go with buffs and stuff. However, if that major token isn't doing much for you elsewhere, having a way to close out games where your main offense has fallen is huge. Highly recommend purchasing.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
All you really want are the two copies of Mass Frenzy so St. Olf's Fiery Pike is the sensible choice given the lower token cost and similar attacks. However, Huetotl's Firebrand is extremely powerful and the Sundering Strike does a fair amount of work against armor and Toughness. I am a sucker for powerful items and while it pains the cheapskate in me I say go ahead and purchase this bad boy if you have spare gold.

Substitutes
St. Olf's Fiery Pike (E)

 

Hylithia's Robes (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Arcane Shell is low impact but if you have the spare token there's worse things to spend it on than a small damage boost. However, Officer's Harness is the type of card you accept as filler when there is nothing better. Both Robes Of Avak Seth and Uula's Whirling Robes have higher impact cards I would gladly run over Officer's Harness and Malevolent Robes runs circles around the rest with a cycling trait and no token cost. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
If you're looking for a damage boost you are probably better off with Arcane Aura. It isn't hard to avoid getting hit if you use other characters to draw out attacks so you won't be discarding Arcane Aura unless you're self damaging. For wizards relying on self damaging spells like Flash Of Agony, Malevolent Robes is just better. It draws a card and Big Zap is actually decent damage. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Malevolent Robes (R), Turnbull's Energy Vest (E)

 

Iberial's Boots (N)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Iberial's Boots have very limited use. You don't want to use them on melee characters because giving up mobility against wizards is a big no no. You don't want to use them to prevent self damage because attacks and traits that do self damage have low token requirements so you'd rather have Reliable Mail boots. The only situation in which you'd want Shimmering Aura boots is a wizard/support priest on wizard matchup where you need tokenless boots. Even then, the small advantage from token savings is not worth having dead cards against melee parties. Splurge for Reliable Mail boots like Quellic's Boots if you feel you need more armor but avoid Shimmering Aura like the plague. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Shimmering Aura is pretty nice when you know what you're up against ahead of time. However, Vira's Shoes are almost as good and a fraction of the cost. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Vira's Shoes (E), Chadwick's Clogs (E)

 

Ichabod's Buckler (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Defender's Block is the best block in the game. Many builds can only spare a minor token for shields. Ichabod's Buckler is a minor token shield with Defender's Block. Seems like buying it is a slam dunk right? Well Parrying Buckler would like a word with you. You are going to be facing off against at least 3 copies of Parry the vast majority of the time. If you aren't playing your own Parrying Buckler you will simply be outgunned against melee characters. Having all purpose blocks does bump up your win percentage slightly against wizards but it isn't worth giving up the Parry arms race for. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Never buy legendary shields. Card draw is still important but you have perfect knowledge of what you'll be facing so you can just swap between cheap Catch Arrow and Parry shields. If for some reason you still want Defender's Block, Buckler Of Protection is a fine substitute. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Buckler Of Protection (R) , Defensive Buckler (R) , Cherry Shield (E), Aegis Of The Bat (E) , Aegis Of The Defender (E)

 

Igneous Scorchstaff (N)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Burning wizards are incredibly token intensive so anything that helps them save on tokens is amazing. Igneous Scorchstaff certainly delivers in that department. You get 4 premium Burning spells and a mostly harmless cycler in Combustible. Control wizards are more popular than other archetypes so you'll likely only get burned by the occasional Fiery Stab. The biggest downside to Igneous Scorchstaff is that you are giving up staff slot exclusive spells for spells that you can find on arcane items. Excess copies of Burning cards have diminishing returns so you want to avoid overlap when possible. Overheated Staff has a better suite of cards for the same minor token. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Burning wizards take a backseat to Firestorm wizards when it comes to singleplayer. You want to hit everything hard up front, not wait patiently for Burning cards to go off. Burning wizards are more useful against bosses but you can get high single target damage from any old warrior. Firestorm's effect is almost impossible to replicate. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Forgefire Staff (R) , Tempered Flamestaff (E)

 

Illusion (N)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Illusory Barrier is obviously best against wizards but if you combine it with enough copies of Telekinesis you can keep melee characters at bay too. Cards like Gusts Of War do not work as well as you can only slide enemy characters back on top of your walls instead of Flying them back behind them, thus requiring an additional movement to claw their way back. While Illusion is a very powerful item, it is also high risk. Control wizards usually don't have damaging attacks on their arcane items. By playing Illusion, your wizard cuts back on 5 additional attacks in favor of speed bumps/one way mirrors. Should the rest of your team die, you are basically limited to victory point wins which can be very difficult depending on the map. Illusion is definitely an item that you need to build around and it is not for everyone. If you like running up and smacking people Illusion is not for you. If you like trapping your opponents and laughing maniacally while they squirm around like rats in a maze you might want to spend some more time with your therapist. Also, you might want to pick up Illusion while you're at it.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Control strategies are useful against bosses but Illusory Barrier is not the way to go about it. It is useless against melee bosses and most ranged bosses can Fly or Teleport over anything you put out. Illusion is mostly useful for completing difficult quests against ranged mobs. Otherwise, would not purchase.

Substitutes
None

 

Impeccability (N)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Ready To Strike is a nice way to get to get some extra damage out of your helmet but you are better off with Mimetic Armor most of the time. You are going to be hit way more often than having characters move next to you and wizards can ignore Ready to Strike altogether. Having to hod a do nothing card in hand every turn can also be a bummer, especially if you also have blocks or armor saved up. However, Ready to Strike gets a bit more interesting when you build around it. Giving a potential 6 damage boost to any card that moves opposing characters from anyone on your team is nothing to sneeze at. If you want a unique build around strategy and you don't expect a lot of wizards, Impeccability is worth considering.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Ready to Strike is one big Catch-22. You need to build around Ready to Strike to get more damage out of it than the amount you're giving up through a downgraded weapon. At the same time, cards that move enemy characters do less damage than normal attacks or take up valuable tokens as well. Add the fact that warriors are most useful for chasing down ranged mobs and Ready to Strike becomes even less appealing. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Veteran's Helmet (R) , Helm Of Preparation (E) , Ambush Captain's Casque (E)

 

Inara's Boots
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Escaping Run may look well suited for a wizard or support priest but they tend to have a harder time triggering the draw since they try to avoid enemy contact. In actuality, Escaping Run is a fantastic card for melee characters. It is movement when you need it and card cycling when you don't. However, the inclusion of Chain Harness makes Inara's Boots one of the worst options for Escaping Run. Ilinca's Moccasins is easily the best of the bunch as it carries a mostly harmless cycling trait and is also only epic to boot. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There's nothing wrong with wanting a little card draw out of your boots but Ilinca's Moccasins does it better for a fraction of the price. Better yet, just go with the even cheaper Sticky Slippers for double cycling trait action. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Lum's Moccasins (E) , Ilinca's Moccasins (E)

 

Indiscriminate Pyromaniac (U)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Indiscriminate Pyromaniac seems bad but it's actually a fairly unique option for wizards. Every other arcane skill with a powerhouse spell and double traits costs a major token. By replacing beneficial traits with handicaps, Indiscriminate Pyromaniac gets a discounted minor token rate instead. Like other burn spells, Scorching Rays has trouble against armor and Purge but a potential 10 damage to 2 characters is way above par. Friendly Fire is a bit too harsh to run for the average wizard. However, if you have a build that can mitigate the self burning damage with things like armor or heals, Indiscriminate Pyromaniac is worth considering.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
One attack isn't worth the hassle, especially if there's a triple trait skill that buffs your attacks. Even if you have some weird arcane or freeze build, Scorching Rays does not warrant a legendary price tag. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
None

 

Jaguar Spirit Staff (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Melee parties tend to be more prevalent than wizard based ones so using a staff that gives you a few melee blocks is not a bad idea. Jaguar Spirit Staff is a Staff Of Chask with longer range attacks making it slightly better against wizards. However, not fully committing to the anti-melee plan just makes you weaker against everything. If you're going for a strategy that takes advantage of a particular metagame, always go with the best option for the job. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Blocks that draw are fantastic but not when they replace attacks. If you need more defense on a wizard, armored boots are the way to go. They will soak up more damage than blocks would, especially if you are relying on self damaging spells like Firestorm. Even if you want those blocks there are epic substitutes that will do the job just fine. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Xemu's Conclusion (E), Silver Fir Staff (E) , Voltstaff (E)

 

Jannivol's Shield (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
If you have the choice between magic and melee blocks it's better to go with the latter. Melee attacks hit harder and you can win a damage race against a wizard with dead blocks in hand. Even if you want magic blocks for a wizard infested meta, you will want Fabrian's Shield for the superior blocks. Disorienting Block and Dodge hedge your bet against melee but you're going to gamble on a tech item, going with the best option will increase your win rate overall. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Doubt don't pay for legendary shields. Lower rarity tokenless shields are some of the best options. You want a cool magic/projectile blocking shield? Get Bullseye Shield. For melee blocks Parrying Buckler is king and Hexagon Shield will suffice if you don't have the token. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Backflip Buckler (E)

 

Jornin's Figurine
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Having dead cards, weak cards, or being unfocused usually makes an item a dubious purchase at best. Jornin's Figurine has the full trifecta and the audacity to charge you a minor token for it. Not much more to say here. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There aren't many modules that you'll want cleansing effects and when you do, you want a lot more than what Jornin's Figurine offers. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Amber Charm (U)

 

Juniper's Boots (P)
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Brutal Charge a hard card to use. You need a clear path to use it effectively and it is easily telegraphed. The moment I see a melee character with a full hand move away I do a quick check for incoming Charges. Adding a Flanking Move before Brutal Charge sidesteps the need to mask your intentions. However, you've spent 2 cards to do up to 10 damage and you still need a huge runway to pull it off. On top of all that, the types of attacks Flanking Move and Brutal Charge go best with don't overlap. You want ranged or step attacks to get the cantrip benefit of Flanking Move while Brutal Charge favors high damage follow ups after charging in. It is neat when you do pull off the combo but with only one copy of Brutal Charge to work with it won't happen often. If you really want to play with Brutal Charge I would pick up boots with more copies, ideally Boots Of Etzicatl, and try to set up a Charge on a character who has spent their movement cards. The current map rotation is not very Charge friendly though. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Brutal Charge is a lot easier to pull off and is a great way to get across open maps while dealing unblockable damage. Again, if you really like Brutal Charge you're going to want more copies. Flanking Move loses a lot of it's utility in singleplayer so it's an easy card to ditch. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Diamond Moccasins (R) , Tochtli Boots (E) , 3-Stage Rocket Boots (E)