The Daily Deal

Too bad we're so far from Halloween, I'd rather play Werewolf Boots.

 

Chartwell's Amulet
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Chartwell's Amulet is a great item. Stone Spikes is the best paper quality card for wizards in multiplayer (aside from Squeamish but I'll leave that for another day). Short Perplexing Ray helps wizards out of jams while weakening people who have the audacity to try and get close. However, there is one thing holding Chartwell's Amulet back from getting the Peon seal of approval. It is basically a glorified Rod Of Palver Pree. You get two copies of damaging terrain and an arguably more versatile Telekinesis all for the price of an epic. In fact, I'm fairly certain that if you had access to both items you should be jamming with the Rod more often than not. Sure, Hot Spot folds to Resistant Hide and can't block up a single lane passage but it also does more damage and can be used to aid movement across difficult terrain. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Stone Spikes can do a lot of damage in the early levels but once you start facing endless hoards of zombies or slimes, even taking significant chunks out of a single target isn't enough anymore. Also, Rod of Palver Pree is again superior since using Telekinesis to move a mob back on to spikes is worth more than a single discard from what are likely to be bigger hands. Ditch the legendary and go with the cheapo all-star. Or better yet, invest in Firestorm. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Rod Of Palver Pree (E), Simin's Glowing Mirror (E)

Blackhammer- Wings Of Faith can be hit or miss but you get 4 great attacks and a cycling trait that sometimes draws out blocks too. My biggest gripe with weapons like these is that most priests want to be buffing, healing, or vamping. Anything else and your priest is taking away a job from a hard working warrior.
Corian's Boots- The Officer's Harnesses are particularly good for comboing with Enchanted Harness, Elven Maneuvers, and Leadership. Otherwise, they are pretty lackluster.
Xipe's Maquah- Another attack oriented divine weapon. You are making your warriors cry.

Notable Rares
Focused Bruising- For fans of bash cards. All 5 of you. Yes, I'm talking about you Steve.
Infernal Boots- A little painful but Violent Spin is seriously worth trying out.

 

Gloomthirst
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
There is no better divine weapon for card draw than Gloomthirst. While the draw take a while, you accumulate a big edge over your opponent at no tempo loss past the initial casting. The delayed card draw also has the hidden upside of getting around the hand size limit at end of turn. If movement is king in Card Hunter, card advantage is the power behind the throne. Games are won and lost by how many cards you play and simply drawing more cards gets you a long way towards a win. Highly recommend purchasing.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Unholy Energy and Accelerated Thought take 4 rounds to fully resolve. If it takes you 4 rounds to complete a module you are doing it wrong. There are a couple of exceptions like the level 18 modules of doom but I always end up using an Impenatrable Nimbus spammer. I'd be interested to know if anyone uses these draw spells for the grindier levels. For now I will just go with my gut and pass on Gloomthirst for singleplayer.

Substitutes
Coruscating Blade (R) , Quickmind Spear (C) , Unholy Cudgel (E)

Dworia's Soulstone- Not as good as Bleneth brand items but not as expensive either.
Ring Of Hot Spikes- Ember Spray is unplayable.
Salazar's Sandals- Team Walk boots are great and this one is no exception.

Notable Rares
Steel Rimmed Buckler- A little less powerful against melee and a little less dead against wizards than Parrying Buckler.

 

Wow, this is a second time peonprop recommends to buy something I wouldn't recommend. Such cases are rare!
Accelerated Thought is a very good card, if you can guarantee that the target character isn't going to die in 2 turns. On the first turn you spend a card and an action and gain none, just suffer 2 damage (that can be absorbed by your armor). On the second turn the target character gains one card, and only on the third turn you start gaining card advantage. Remember that you still can leave only two cards in your hand at end of turn, so if you won't actively play these cards, you will get only "card filter", not the card advantage. Also keep in mind that your character can have only 3 attachments, so your opponent will often be able to remove Accelerated Thought just spamming his own attachments. Burning decks are especially good at this. There are also various Purges that are going to remove all your attachments at once.
Unholy Energy is much worse, alas. You don't take 2 damage immediately, but you're going to take much more in the future. If you keep two non-attack cards at end of turn and draw another one, you take 3 damage. Some cards are impossible to play, like blocks and armor. Officer's Harness is considered a good option, but it may cause serious damage from Unholy Energy. Plus, you have all the disadvantages of Accelerated Thought.
I really cannot see the party where I'd like to use Gloomthirst. Warriors will have Mass Frenzy and Blind Rage plus some skill traits. Wizards will have Savage Curse, probably their own Firestorm and skill traits. A control wizard could probably gain the most of it... probably.

Don't make me wrong, I like card advantage. I just don't like Gloomthirst All three key cards are slow investments that can be quickly destroyed. The rest three cards are weak and mostly useless attacks, and you're paying for the whole package. Compare the Accelerated Thought/Unholy Energy to Bless: you get card advantage for ALL your characters for 2 turns. No pain here; on the contrary, you get healed! Martyr's Blessing is also a great way to gain card advantage, and you're getting both for . Inspiring Presence is a great way to get card advantage for your wizards (again, you heal your chars instead of damaging them). If you want some extra card advantage, just take Superb Cleansing for your priest and use your weapon slots for something more effective - healing or damage-pumping.

 

Just a tip, armor does prevent the damage from Unholy Energy so running Reliable Mail is a great way to take little to no damage.

 

This will succeed very rarely in MP. Any non-braindead opponent will not allow you to keep all of your characters stationary without killing or seriously woulding at least one and probably two of them. Normally you need to move your characters around all the time, that is the core of the MP game. Most likely the opponent will be occupying at least one of the Blessed terrain squares at the end of the next round which cuts into the total card advantage gained from the card.

 

If you aren't braindead yourself, you will play Bless at the most inconvenient time for your opponent: for instance, when he had already cast Volcano and passed
Forcing my characters to move may be extremely difficult if I am prepared to guard a victory area. I am staying there with a good armor or block and/or some Bashes. When the enemy tries to attack, I block his attacks, or absorb them, or just bash him away. If he spends all his hand and fails to kill me, then I get health, extra card and VP, which almost means a victory.
Anyway, if you force the enemies to attack you unprepared playing only one card (Bless), that's already wonderful IMHO. And if you add Martyr's Blessing, the attack is going to be simply suicidal due to tremendous card advantage even if the enemy manages to grab your Bless square.

 

Good to know - i will use this info when i play vs you

 

Opponents generally recognize this strategy too late

 

Bless, like Communism, sure sounds great in theory. Good luck making it work like this: "you get card advantage for ALL your characters for 2 turns" in actual practise.

Also, if you pack several St Ulrich's Bones, you'll have less buffs like Mass Frenzy or vampiric attacks or Impenetrable Nimbi or other more established priest staples -- and you're paying a major token for each copy of Bless. The card would see more use if it was available on items which were more usable.

 

Wym's Fiery Pin
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
While not a bad item, Wym's Fiery Pin isn't as good as other options. Burning wizards don't want the Firestorm and even if they do, they can get them on the tokenless Azgul's Orb. Firestorm wizards don't want to pay a token for a single copy when there are multiple tokenless items that give 2. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Doesn't Firestorm hard enough. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Gaudekki's Orb (E)

Foley's Footwear- Violent Spin is good, but not good enough to support 2 less than stellar neighbors.
Inspiring Armor- Ditto for Inspiring Armor. Always wanted to try playing with it but it always comes with awful cards attached.
Zachary's Boots- Now this is what a good pair of Violent Spin boots looks like. The major token is hard to fit in and Pergop's Slippers are strictly better but Zachary's Boots are powerful enough to build around.

Notable Rares
Focused Electromancy- Spark and arcane heavy wizards will want these.
Superb Evasion- Next to a pointy ear fetish, this is the number one reason to play an all elf team.
Trainee Command- Trainee Command isn't fantastic but it's one of the least offensive tokenless skills for humans.
Yolotli Armor- The most commonly used major token heavy armor. Assembling the combo is a nightmare for melee parties without armor removal or penetrating to play against.

 

Bless, like Communism, may be good or bad depending on the situation. For instance, Communism is good for a country currently having feudalism

I didn't say that St. Ulrich's Bones is better than Bleneth's Frenzy Skull, but having two Bones is definitely better than Gloomthirst. You can have a weapon with Mass Frenzy too (for instance, St. Olf's Fiery Pike or Bynzer's Black Spear for a vampiric priest). I would prefer two copies of Bones + Skull + two Fiery Pikes ( 34 total) to two copies of Gloomthirst + Skull + two Bleneth's Frenzy Tomes (the same 34). Both configs have seven Mass Frenzy, but mine has more attacks, better attacks and far better card advantage.

 

I wouldn't recommend buying Gloomthirst for singleplayer, but I have two and I use them on L17+ missions in my blesscano build. They're quite nice.

 

I can agree with that Flax. Unholy Energy and Accelerated Thought are both really good cards, they just take a bit of setup to use properly. Can't wait to buy Mokad's Reeking Skull.

Oquith's Choking Incense
Well if you are going to use Cause Fumble, this is the item to spam them with. I have 2 and they can be useful when you know you will face lots of melee attacks. But they do cost quite a bit more than a Parry, and no card draw, so unlike Parry which I run for everything but demon portals and one or two leagues, Cause Fumble has a much more restrictive use. Would not purchase again (I did).

If you are curious, Crespin's Shroud is a nice alternative.

Angry Jack's Helmet - Now there are some good weapons with Blind Rage, but this helmet buffs your damage and Reliable Mail on top just makes it one of the best all-around helmets. Unique and useful, especially in campaign.
Oakenheart Shield - Sad, sad item which gets beaten by Steel-Rimmed Buckler. Why they make an item that is worse than a rare, I do not know.
3rd item - pretty much the same story. Don't buy.

 

Oquith's Choking Incense
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
There are two things you need to consider whenever you are thinking about playing a narrow card like Cause Fumble. How good is the card against the things they are meant for and how much does it hurt you when you aren't up against the dream matchup? In the case of Cause Fumble it can be very annoying to play against but at the same time your priest is giving up slots that could go towards powerful cards like buffs. This drawback is even more apparent when you are fighting wizards and Cause Fumbles are dead cards. I'll always have a soft spot for Cause Fumble since I loved playing it back when it had 6 range and drew a card but even in melee heavy metagames I wouldn't play it in serious builds. At the end of the day, Cause Fumble is just a 1 for 1 and you want more out of narrow cards. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayer
Impenetrable Nimbus is simply better. In singleplayer, the AI doesn't switch targets when you cast it so there is no need to have cards that protect your team like Cause Fumble. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Crespin's Shroud (E)

Angry Jack's Helmet- This is the helmet I turn to when I have a spare token to play around with. All 3 cards are very useful and it is one of the few ways to get Blind Rage on a non-dwarf.
Manifold Medic- My rule for skills is go for traits unless the cards are crazy powerful or hard to get. Triple Heals is neither.
Oakenheart Shield- If you're going to run 2 block melees go with Hexagon Shield or Twisting Shield to save a token or Parrying Buckler for the card draw goodness.

Notable Rares
Hexagon Shield- One of the best tokenless shields.
Shielding Token- Impenetrable Nimbus is crazy good in singleplayer and can be powerful when used correctly in multiplayer. Legend has it that when the moon is full and the witching hour strikes, you can still hear angry feline cries after a freshly cast Nimbus.

 

White Flame

Spoiler: Previously reviewed

Multiplayer
Instant Burn is a weak card in a vacuum but surround it with other burning cards and you are off to the races. Fire wizards are the top choice for offensive wizards due to the availability of attacks on arcane items. If you play more than one wizard, avoid crossing the streams. Instant Burn will not trigger off another character's burning cards so it's best to avoid fire spells and attachments in general for the rest of the party. If enemy characters have burning attachments but are out of range or line of sight, you can fire an Instant Burn at your own characters to trigger them. Be sure to pack armor removal somewhere in your build. One Resistant Hide or Reliable Mail is enough to ruin your day.

Singleplayer
Best paired with multi-target spells like Ember Burst or Firestorm when you are outnumbered. If you are using Firestorm with Instant Burn, remember that it will trigger for burning attachments on your own characters as well.

Peon's prescription for prodigious players- Would get White Flame if you enjoy burninating the countryside. Just be prepared to shell out major moolah for legendary arcane items if you want to play with it.

Substitutes
None
The Daily Deal

Bloody Battleaxe- Bloody Battleaxe brings shame upon all other axes for not have any Chops. Also, Rageblood Dagger is better.
Sergeant's Helm- While I have new found respect for Advanced Battlefield Training, it is not something you want in general, you don't want to pay a major token for only one copy, and Chain Harness stinks. You will need to do a lot of drinking before Sergeant's Helm looks remotely playable.
Trained Flexibility- This one is more acceptable. The card draw from Parry will make up for the card lost after playing Advanced Battlefield Training. Still not and item I actively want but it can lead to some blowouts.

Notable Rares
Ebony Prayer Beads- More card draw than any other rare divine item.
Focused Healer- Suit up with one of these bad boys and your priest will be driving the snakes out of Ireland in no time. Or cantripping vamp attacks, I'm too sauced to remember which.

 

I'd like to point out, with the change to Superb Command (All out Attack/Parry/Block Soldier), I now prefer Trained Flexibility for my humans in campaign, from level 7 all the way to 18. Dem parries.

Sigh, I wish that Bloody Battleaxe was better... I mean it just sounds like a cool item doesn't it?

PS: If you haven't bought White Flame yet, here is your chance! You can skimp on this if you picked up Overheated Staff (You know, the one that isn't Igneous Scorchstaff) or two Red Flame.

 

I guess the joke is about whose blood it is. Calling it "Bloody Useless Battleaxe" would give away too much information.

 

Juniper's Jumper
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
So you've got all these spiffy Harnesses now but what are you going to buff? All the best armors are found on the heavy armor slot and that has conveniently been taken. You are stuck with stuff like Shimmering Aura (ewwww) or armors that at best turn into Reliable Mails (already found on helmets and boots). The two best armors available to buff are Officer's Harness and Spiked Mail, both of which give very tiny returns compared to things like Barbed Platemail. If you want to play around with Enchanted Harness and friends, get them on helmets and boots so you have access to the good stuff on heavy armors. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Same deal as above except I would further add that you should avoid spending tokens on armor altogether. When you use tokens on armor, you are more than likely taking away tokens that should be going towards weapons instead. When you do have tokens to spare, just go for stuff with Reliable Mail like True Mail and skip all the fancy Harnesses. Would not Purchase.

Substitutes
Catherine's Cardigan, Blake's Blazer, Peter Peter's Wife Beater

Lum's Moccasin- Escaping Run is nice but it draws a card less often than you'd think. There are many more powerful move cards to spend your token on.
Robes Of Geomancers- Wizards are the class that needs movement the least. When you do need to run away, you are most likely backed up against a wall so Energizing Move isn't much better than a regular move.
Sparking Shell- Two Shimmering Auras too many.

Notable Rares
Burnished Plates- Vamps in particular will want these since they can usually spare the major token and Frenzy Aura is great for attacking through armor.
Focused Medicine- Heal priests aren't very popular but anything with 3 useful traits is worth considering. Who knows, maybe the next expansion will bring a sweet heal card to pair with it.

 

I just about clicked on Catherine's Cardigan out of curiousity. Sorry Juniper, I don't wear Jumpers, only glowing shirts on occasion.

Also it's Sparking Shell not Sparkling. I prefer it over Wex's Mail and Sharp Shell for the odd league and Demon Portals.