The Daily Deal

As you say in the text, these only require a minor token.

 

Taltec's Staff

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
The best items offer powerful cards, consistency, or synergy. Taltec's Staff doesn't really fall into any of these categories. The cards don't combo together in any shape or form. At best, you can make the argument that Punishing Bolt being short range andForce Cones being a control card makes Taltec's Staff an anti-melee staff but that is stretching it. While all the cards are fine, none of them are outstanding. Punishing Bolt is probably the most sought after of the three but few would want Taltec's Staff overHeartripper or even Staff Of Chask. The one thing Taltec's Staff has going for it is that there aren't many playable staves that require only minor tokens. On the other hand, there aren't many worthy major token arcane items or robes either so we are back to square one. Taltec's Staff is simply a decent staff but you expect more out of legendary items. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Punishing Bolt can pack a wallop and you don't always have the major tokens for Heartripper but Staff of Chask is cheaper and better. I'd also recommend just switching to melee characters when you want big single target attacks. Either way, Taltec's Staff doesn't really excel at anything. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Staff Of Chask (E) : Punishing Bolt
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. All nice cards but I've already got all the best staves for Punishing Bolt and Force Cone. Stone Spikes isn't usually something I look for since it's the paper quality filler found on a bunch of items.

Epics
Fashionable Ball And Chain- Kuddos to @Redde for creating this sweet pair of boots. Halting yourself is a huge cost but there are ways to get around Trip like Dash, Team! or Lateral Thinking. Even if you don't have an immediate way to combat Halt, getting two quality "get away from me" cards on minor token boots might just be worth the hassle. The less fashionable can always use Vinorkin's Boots.
Superb Stoutness- Duck can be a fun card but Superb Stoutness pales in comparison to Perfect Toughness and Solid Rock.
Tochtli Boots- The poor man's Boots Of Etzicatl. Even if you're a fan of Brutal Charge, Lunging Thrust is such a major downgrade that I'd opt for Diamond Moccasins instead. You know what, just play Diamond Moccasins. They rock.

Notable Rares
Draining Console- Finally a good major token vamp item. Now I can stop feeling bad about having leftover major tokens on my vamps.

 

Draining console has to be one of the best coop items for a priest. I also use it on my vamp in MP.

 

Mouse boots!

 

Shieldripper

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Unnerving Strike is decent but it isn't all that it's cracked up to be. The average melee character has 3 blocks and the average wizard has none. Most of the time Unnerving Strike winds up being a Strong Bludgeon. When you do catch someone with a block there's a good chance it's a high percentage block like Parry which will still trigger 50% of the time. Unnerving Strike is even worse currently due to widespread usage of Aegis Of The Defender. Not only is everyone down a block for you to remove but you also can no longer assume that the character your opponent leads out with has a block in hand. While fine on lower costed weapons where you really only want the 8 damage with occasional card advantage, spending two major tokens for copies of a relatively low damage card that doesn't live up to expectations is overkill. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
You can use Shieldripper in modules starting at level 14. There are a couple of mobs with annoying blocks including those damn dirty monkeys. The majority of them have block melees. What are you trying to tell us Peon? Is little Timmy stuck in the well?
Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Maquah Of Ancient Blood (E) , Riptide (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope, but I may very well have if things had played out differently. I was lucky enough to find one before it ever showed up in Randimar's and I thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. I promptly started using it in place of a Bejeweled Shortsword. A week later I promptly stopped using it after the bajillionth time I ran into no blocks/still got blocked by a Parry.

Epics
Mouse Boots- One of the best tokenless boots. Flanking Move is particularly good on ranged characters but also works well with Stabs and Step attacks.
Staff Of Pain- A nice alternative to Firestorm for mid-level farming. You will have to pry the Wym's Lavastaff from my hot charred hands before I switch to Flash Of Agony but there are admittedly some levels where it is preferable.
Wlakwa's Boots- Good boots in a vacuum but it's hard to compete with Sliding Boots and Pergop's Slippers which are both better at their respective jobs.

Notable Rares
Displacing Staff- Cheap source of Punishing Bolts for low level quests.
Enormous Mattock- Requires a bit of work to keep Large Weapon from ruining your day but you get big beefy attacks and card cycling for your troubles.
Focused Bruising- Anything that buffs attacks by 2 is worth considering. That's good news for Bruiser. Bash warriors need all the help they can get.

 

St. Zaadia's Spacesuit

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Cushioning Armor is the best new armor to come out of the EttSC expansion and will likely have a significant impact in the metagame. Playing a bunch of high damage or buffed attacks was good enough before but if Cushioning Armor becomes popular, and there would need to be a massive amount of armor removal floating around for it to not be, it'll be time to leave Bejeweled Shortswords at home and dust off those Double-Edged Swords. Armor is traditionally an afterthought so spending a major token on a slot that usually goes tokenless is also going to shake things up. However, this isn't as big of an issue for priests since they have fantastic minor token divine weapons so Cushioning Armor is right up their alley. That said, St. Zaadia's Spacesuit is by far the worst of the Cushioning Armor divine armors. Genetic Engineering is useless way too often. Healing Beacon is slow and nails you to a 3x3 square. If you want Cushioning Armor for your priest try to get one of the epics instead. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
The only card you really want is Cushioning Armor and there are two much cheaper and better options. Cushioning Armor isn't even all that great in singleplayer compared to Reliable Mail. You would need to get hit with an attack that does 8 or more to see any benefit and Cushioning Armor does nothing to protect you from your own Firestorms. It does a heck of a job against big bosses but those levels are few and far between. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Stargod's Raiments (E) , Zod's Vile Spaceplate (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I've already got Stargod's Raiments which I think is miles better.

Epics
Jackrabbit Shield- Hit The Deck and Dodge do not mix.
Oliver's Boots- Reliable Mail and Quickness Aura are preferable to Shimmering Aura and Rushing Aura.
Sturdy Mail- Try to get Sturdy Armor or True Mail instead.

Notable Rares
Goat Boots- Tokenless boots with a good cycling trait. Goes great with Elven Maneuvers as it has only one movement card to dilute the card pool. Glimmer Boots has better armor if your character doesn't care about Squeamish.

 

Shieldripper

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Unnerving Strike is decent but it isn't all that it's cracked up to be. The average melee character has 3 blocks and the average wizard has none. Most of the time Unnerving Strike winds up being a Strong Bludgeon. When you do catch someone with a block there's a good chance it's a high percentage block like Parry which will still trigger 50% of the time. Unnerving Strike is even worse currently due to widespread usage of Aegis Of The Defender. Not only is everyone down a block for you to remove but you also can no longer assume that the character your opponent leads out with has a block in hand. While fine on lower costed weapons where you really only want the 8 damage with occasional card advantage, spending two major tokens for copies of a relatively low damage card that doesn't live up to expectations is overkill. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
You can use Shieldripper in modules starting at level 14. There are a couple of mobs with annoying blocks including those damn dirty monkeys. The majority of them have block melees. What are you trying to tell us Peon? Is little Timmy stuck in the well?
Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Maquah Of Ancient Blood (E) , Riptide (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. Two things need to happen for Shieldripper to be good. There needs to be a popular non-shield item that gives Unnerving Strike extra blocks to target (that aren't of the Cause Fumble/Defender's Block variety) and those blocks can't have a high success rate like Parry. That is a pretty tall order. The public demands an unstoppable Bolg's Big Iron Plate build so all you deck builders get cracking.

Epics
Gleaming Glaive- Even the best cards are unplayable if paired 1:1 with awful cards. Polearm Slash and Sundering Strike are not the cream of the crop either.
Ring Of Appropriation- One of the best controlling arcane items.
Sparking Shell- Anyone else think Sparking is a typo? Also, Sparking Shell is unplayable.

Notable Rares
Skipping Boots- One decent movement card away from being an all-star. As is, Skipping Boots are solidly above average as tokenless boots go.
Smoking Pistol- Remember that stuff about good to bad card ratios? I lied. That only applies to multiplayer. For singleplayer, Volcano is a card you simply can't go without, even if it means running some less than ideal cards. To be fair, Smoke Bomb isn't too shabby after a freshly cast Volcano.
Trainee Command- One of the few playable tokenless human skills.

 

Mail Of St. Oxivia
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Mail of St. Oxivia is the best minor token Arrogant Armor by virtue of having Savage Curse. While it's true that you are down a potential buff target when you run Arrogant Armor, your buff priest usually isn't the primary buff target to begin with. With that out of the way, the million dollar question you should be asking your self is "Do I want Arrogant Armor in the first place?" For your garden variety priest the answer is no. You again lose out on self buffing as well as whatever spiffy priest or racial traits you've got equipped. On the other hand, if you've got an unholy based priest, there are no priest traits that you can specifically take advantage of so the opportunity cost is fairly low. However, negative attachments are still fairly rare so the best reason to use Arrogant Armor is because you've decided to bring your own. Maybe you're using Sacrificial Axe for card cycling purposes in which case discarding Vulnerables would be welcome. Maybe you've got an Irradiated terrain priest that wants to remain unmutated. Whatever the reason, you need to make sure you have one before taking the Arrogant Armor plunge. As for Mail of St. Oxivia itself, you need to be sure that Savage Curse is worth the extra 2k gold. For most people it isn't. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
You really only want the Arrogant Armors and there are more than enough epic substitutes that do the job. To be perfectly honest, my farming parties are so dependent on Impenetrable Nimbus that I never bother with Arrogant Armor anyways. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Old Saint's Armor (E) , Untouchable Plate (E) : Arrogant Armor
Savage Plates (E) : Savage Curse

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I do get the hankering for Arrogant Armor from time to time but Untouchable Plate is enough to keep me sated.

Epics
Emperor's Plate- Warriors have the least to gain from class traits but they also tend to be heavily reliant on Frenzy buffs, both the Mass Frenzy and Blind Rage variety. You again need a reason to equip Arrogant Armor *cough* Enormous Mattock *cough*. Bern's Untouchable Mail is obviously ideal and if you're not afraid of a little Encumber, Impervious Panoply is cheaper to equip.
Tarial's Diadem- I'm not sure what a diadem is but I think it comes from the latin word for "awful arcane item."
Waenog's White Chain- Nice cards but they can all be found on more focused items, sometimes more cheaply to equip too.

Notable Rares
Frosty Staff- One of the best cold staves. I like Staff Of Winter better since Cone Of Cold can be found on arcane items but the variety of Frosty Staff is better if you don't plan on running additional cold spells.

 

Bloody Stoutness

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Multiplayer
In the interest of avoiding another 3 page "discussion" I will just say that Bloody Stoutness is a fine item. If you like sticking more blocks into your deck you could do a lot worse than Duck and Bloodied Block. If you'd like to see two perspectives on this item click here. Warning, not for those with weak constitutions or the faint of heart.

Singleplayer
Bloody Stoutness gets a lot better against the AI. You are much more likely to block something that matters when attacks are dished out at random. That said, you are giving up running Toughness and an extra copy ofBlind Rage you can get from other dwarf skills.

Peon's prescription for prodigious players- Would not get Bloody Stoutness. If I really want a more defensive dwarf I will bite the bullet and spend a major token for Perfect Toughness or Solid Rock. If a major token is unavailable I'd rather use Advanced Toughness, especially for wizards that get no use out of Blind Rage. This is only my opinion. If you think you will get a lot of mileage out of Bloody Stoutness feel free to disregard everything I said. I will not revoke your membership to the Prodigious Players Club. You'd have to do something dastardly like running more than 13 attacks on a warrior for that.

Substitutes
Advanced Toughness (U) , Raging Rock (E) , Perfect Toughness (C) , Solid Rock (C) , Superb Stoutness (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. Do I go with the massively overrated blocks or Toughness? Gee, this sure is a tough choice.

Epics
Crimson Morningstar- Eixocl's Hammer is better.
Staff Of Freezing Fire- Strong cards but they tend to go on different styles of wizards.
Staff Of Pain- Good farming staff for mid-level modules with clear line of sight.

Notable Rares
Cleansing Incense- Nice cheap Cleansing item. Still not cheap enough for you? Try Amber Charm.
Cold Laser- Cooling Laser and Cold spells? Cold Laser, you spoil me. Supercooled Laser is preferable but Cold Laser is a close second.
Infused Greatclub- Sometimes you just need to redecorate the floor with pulp made up of former mobs. A little too primitive for multiplayer but it can still be a decent double minor token weapon in a pinch.
Perfect Ferocity- The biggest reason to play a waddling dwarf vamp is the extra copy of anti-armor Frenzy Aura.

 

I dont know why you hate this item, I think its pretty good - for a it has 2 good blocks and a blind rage.
I have 2 of this item and use them a lot. (not buying a 3rd - 2 is enough)

 

Oh no, I've put my foot in my mouth way too many times over Bloody Stoutness to even think about discussing it again. Let's just say that if you have Advanced Toughness and Raging Rock there's almost no reason to go with Bloody Stoutness.

 

I think advanced toughness is awful but Raging Rock vs Bloody Stoutness would have to be picked depending on the build.

 

Advanced Toughness is better at defense, Raging Rock is better at offense, and Bloody Stoutness is awkwardly sitting in the middle being worse at both.

 

lol

 

What? Its pretty bad, compared to other dwarf skills

 

If you want to spend a token to use your racial skill as a shield, it is hands down the best item for that role in the whole game. Two good blocks and a Toughness for a minor token. *shrug*

 

Very well, I respect your opinion, but will stop this argument here.

 

Spear Of The Cozqui

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Spear of the Cozqui is the best healing divine weapon at its token cost and it has 3 very solid attacks attached. Triple Heal is particularly useful for drawing out blocks, especially if you can catch a couple Defender's Blocks out of the deal. There's no doubt Spear of the Cozqui has great cards but do you want a healing priest? For most the answer is no. You cannot win the damage race with heals unless you are up against control wizards. It is better to use powerful buffs and draw spells to speed up your own damage clock, Impenetrable Nimbus to halt you opponent's clock, or vamp attacks to tack on damage while you "heal" yourself. I'm not saying that heals are unplayable but you need to think of them as backup rather than Plan A. I would hesitate to devote a priest's weapon slot to a healing weapon (with the exception of Healing Hand Mace of course but let's be honest, you are using it for the spicy 13 damage meatballs). Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Generally, heals get better in singleplayer where mobs have weaker attacks. They still won't do as much as buffs but your buffs don't mean a thing if you're dead. That said, Spear of the Cozqui requires a major token meaning mobs in the modules you can use it in start hitting harder than you can heal yourself. If you are having trouble in the upper levels I would encourage you to explore new strategies. Healing will get you through the lower levels but that's it. Try out different items and class configurations, move you characters around differently, and if all else fails ask for help in the Adventure Discussion and Strategy section. Whatever you do, don't pick up Spear of the Cozqui expecting that the heals that got you through the lower levels will continue to work forever. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Gray Blade (R) , Godtouched Spear (E) , Healing Hand Mace (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. There's nothing wrong with occasionally giving you priest better attacks at the cost of lower quality spells but it better be worth it. Polearm Slash and Unnerving Strike are not worth it.

Epics
Advanced Footwork- Elves have some really unique and powerful cards centered around movement. Smashing Spin is not one of them.
Cudgel Of Healing Light- Decent damage for double minor tokens but not terribly great at healing. For real healing you'll need to invest some major tokens or rely on divine items.
Wuuna's Vampiric Shroud- One of the best vamp divine items.

Notable Rares
Acrobat's Aegis- Two great blocks and a cycling trait.
Draining Console- The new kid on the block in vamp technology.

 

Spear Of The Cozqui

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Spear of the Cozqui is the best healing divine weapon at its token cost and it has 3 very solid attacks attached.Triple Heal is particularly useful for drawing out blocks, especially if you can catch a couple Defender's Blocks out of the deal. There's no doubt Spear of the Cozqui has great cards but do you want a healing priest? For most the answer is no. You cannot win the damage race with heals unless you are up against control wizards. It is better to use powerful buffs and draw spells to speed up your own damage clock, Impenetrable Nimbus to halt you opponent's clock, or vamp attacks to tack on damage while you "heal" yourself. I'm not saying that heals are unplayable but you need to think of them as backup rather than Plan A. I would hesitate to devote a priest's weapon slot to a healing weapon (with the exception of Healing Hand Mace of course but let's be honest, you are using it for the spicy 13 damage meatballs). Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Generally, heals get better in singleplayer where mobs have weaker attacks. They still won't do as much as buffs but your buffs don't mean a thing if you're dead. That said, Spear of the Cozqui requires a major token meaning mobs in the modules you can use it in start hitting harder than you can heal yourself. If you are having trouble in the upper levels I would encourage you to explore new strategies. Healing will get you through the lower levels but that's it. Try out different items and class configurations, move you characters around differently, and if all else fails ask for help in the Adventure Discussion and Strategy section. Whatever you do, don't pick up Spear of the Cozqui expecting that the heals that got you through the lower levels will continue to work forever. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Gray Blade (R) , Godtouched Spear (E) , Healing Hand Mace (E) The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. It doesn't get any better the second time around.

Epics
Apprentice Insight- So close to being broken. Too bad the same nerf that made this tokenless also made Dodge mediocre. There's no way it even comes close to Cautious Mobility. Maybe I've got a bad case of Dodge nostalgia but this skill still seems like it could be pretty good.
Nanahut's Morningstar- I prefer Bahoxl's Maul for Cleansing Ray divine weapons. Pressing Bash is much more suitable for support priests than straightforward attacks.
Sharp Shell- The only thing Sharp Shell is good for is selling for 20 gold.

Notable Rares
Overheated Force Suit- Good on offense and defense. Not having an armor also lets you play around the drawback of Savage Curse.
Rod Of Winds- Whirlwinds are criminally underplayed for how big of an effect they can have in a game.

 

Twizel's Water Talisman
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
There are a couple problems with Flash Flood. It's nearly useless against wizards, it's useless if enemy characters reach you, and the fairly popular Nimble Strike hops right over it. You can basically think of Flash Flood as a Smoke Bomb for melee opponents that is significantly easier to answer. On the plus side, some maps are perfect for deploying Flash Floods. If you can use them to block off passages or choke points before your opponents can advance and they don't have an answer, you basically have free reign over victory squares. However, with so many minor token double Flash Flood items available, paying a major token for an extra copy of a narrow card isn't very appealing. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Flash Flood can be good at keeping mobs at bay but allow me to clue you in on a dirty little secret. The AI avoids occupying damaging terrain. You could have a frail elf wizard one light breeze away from an early grave and the AI will stay away if you've created a moat from Wall Of Fire. It doesn't make sense to have a purely controlling terrain when you could use a damaging terrain to pull double duty. If for some reason you still want Flash Flood then I would again go for the minor token substitutes. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Bimson's Water Stone (E) , Tauri's Watery Maze (E) , The Soulstone (E)

Did Peon Buy It?
Yes, but back in the Stone age. I probably wouldn't buy it now since I don't use Flash Flood that often and the minor token options are easier to fit in builds. I'm also much more inclined to use Illusory Barrier which, while worse against melee, has uses against all classes.

Epics
Impervious Panoply- Good option for Arrogant Armor when you can only spare a minor token.
Xochu's Icy Circlet- Best minor token cold spell arcane item.
Club Of Wrath- Decent damage for a tokenless divine weapon but it's not worth buying for singleplayer and there are much better legendary options for multiplayer.

Notable Rares
Diamond Moccasins- One of the best minor token boots, mostly due to the ludicrously undercosted Sparkling Cloth Armor. Add on a Cantrip move to ambush people and you've got boots that are particularly adept at wizard stomping.