The Daily Deal

Og's Boots Of Peril (P)

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Multiplayer
From a damage prevention standpoint you are going to be better off with Enchanted Harness over Reliable Mail when you pair it with high armor value armors. If you are mostly using low quality armor from tokenless items like Mail there is not much point in using Enchanted Harness. Enchanted Harness also helps armors that have beneficial secondary triggers. If you want Barbed Platemail, Holy Armor, and Spiked Mail to trigger more often for their added effects then Enchanted Harness is your best option. Of these, Barbed Platemail is the most common to deter melee attacks and deal some extra damage. Enchanted Harness is also more useful the more Officer's Harnesses you have as those don't count towards hand size.

Singleplayer
Gary is one badass mofo. No amount of Barbed Platemail and Enchanted Harness action will deter his attacks. However, getting incidental damage in and boosting damage prevention is great, especially for priests who can't use helmets for harnesses.

Peon's prescription for prodigious players- Og's Boots of Peril is one of the few ways to boost armor rolls on non-warriors. However, if damage prevention is your primary goal, try to get more armored boots. Would not purchase it unless you want Enchanted Harness but do not have a major token for Nasrum's Moccasins.

Substitutes
None for improving armor rolls.
Bertha's Big Clogs (E), Heavy Dashing Boots (R) , Kerrick's Steel Boots (E) , Mithril Mesh Slippers (E) : Reliable Mail
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I have bought Nasrum's Moccasins though. When I run a gimmick deck I don't half ass it.

Epics
Sarigo's Rod (P)
Path Of Knives plus control cards equals fun times. Times are less fun when you run into Elven Maneuvers or Martyr Blessing but everything else is fair game.

Sergeant's Helm
You are paying an awful lot for the privilege of running Advanced Battlefield Training. Why not get some better cards out of the deal with something like Terminator Mask? Or, if you subscribe to the Peon school of not half assing things, you could go with the legendary General Gideon's Helm.

Staff Of Peril (P)
While not something that I'd personally run, Staff of Peril does have a cult following for having a decent number of Deadly Sparks on a tokenless staff. Five damage plus Hard to Block is the sweet spot for blasting away Weak Block hoarding kobolds.

Notable Rares
Focused Electromancy (P)
Spark Generator is obviously a powerful card for spark and arcane wizards alike. What keeps Focused Electromancy from receiving the coveted Best of the Best rating is the power curve demolishing Electroporter Novice. You get much of the same attack boost and, more importantly, trait cycling at no token cost. For a major token, spark wizards also have the option of using Superb Electromancy which gives you an advance in your damage output in the form of Obliterating Spark.

Gauntlets Of The Giant (P)
When you're looking to add a little oomph to your attacks, Frenzy Aura is a good way to go. Cutting through armor like a knife through butter more than makes up for being able to be knocked off. By the time your opponent gets rid of it, you'll likely have gotten at least a couple buffed hits in. While Cuirass Of Froth is preferable if you're going all in on Frenzy Aura, Gauntlets of the Giant gives you respectable armor while ditching the self encumber.

Slippery Shield (V)
Movement isn't very glamorous next to flashy attacks but it is every bit as important and often even more so. However, you can't go replacing key cards in your deck with movement or you'll risk being able to get anywhere you want with nothing to do. That is where hybrid cards like Hard To Pin Down come in. Flexibility does have a cost and with Slippery Shield it costs a major token. The legendary Hawlic's Surging Shield is generally preferable with its move on blocking Surging Shield Blocks although there are some fringe benefits in having a more reliable block and moving an extra square instead.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any item that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards or combination of cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.


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


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

 

Does this work also with Inspiring Presence? Than it has a great synergy with that card.

Never have noticed the Hawlic's Surging Shield. On elfs with Cautious Mobility it seems to be great. I discovered an attraction of mine towards Surging Shield Blocks in the last weeks. I really love it in Quick Draw. Can Hawlic's Surging Shield be on the same powerlevel as an Aegis of Defender (, when combined with Cautious Mobility)?

 

Yes. And pathfinding, and inspirational thinking...

 

So I missed focused healer because I was stuck at home for the weekend? Seriously? I swear, the game has a vendetta against me enjoying it.

 

Advanced Insight
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
The vast majority of elves come in two flavors, warriors and vamps. Both are offensive melee classes that seek to take advantage of the elves' affinity for movement to get into attack range as quickly as possible. Unfortunately for Advanced Insight, both Violent Spin and Dodge are defensive cards much more suited for wizards and support characters. While they do potentially busted things, your run of the mill cookie cutter elves are going to want stuff like Elven Maneuvers and Slippery instead. Even the out of favor Elven Trickery is preferable for bypassing front lines and taking the edge off of any retaliation. That isn't to say that you couldn't make good use of Advanced Insight on a more defensive character but you are taking a big hit your starting hp for extra shots at cards available to all races in other item slots. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Elves are mostly limited to offensive melee characters, usually for hunting down ranged mobs, though there is an additional reason to turn to the pointy eared ones in singleplayer. There are only a few modules where you will come across elven mobs so you have free reign to use Elvish Scamper as a souped up Team Walk. This is especially useful in the "Core" modules where Free Move lets you traverse difficult terrain with ease and the team movement gives you extra outs to terrain attachments. As for Advanced Insight, it is again too defensive to be of much use. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Apprentice Insight (E), Perfect Insight (E) , Superb Insight (R) : Dodge
Advanced Footwork (E) , Practiced Scouting (R) : Violent Spin

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. If I'm playing an easily bruised elf, I'm sure as heck not wasting the racial skill slot on non-unique cards. Come to think of it, I'm not big on using generic cards on racial skills period.

Epics
Reckless Warp Boots (P)
Rocket Dash is pretty much a flying Sprint and a first round Wild Run is almost a Sprint as well. It just doesn't seem as good as getting double Rocket Dash from Rocket Boots for the same major token. You could also turn to cheaper to equip alternatives in Crazy Fast Boots and Reckless Boots if you can deal with their respective handicaps.

Riptide (U)
Incredibly versatile weapon with the one of a kind Impetuous Slash. A bit lacking in the Step attack and overall damage departments but it makes for a great supplemental weapon.

Xipe's Maquah
Solid attacks but most non-vamps would much rather prioritize spells instead. Speaking of which, double minor tokens is St. Olf's Fiery Pike and Darkblood Glaive territory.

Notable Rares
Goat Boots (B)
Goat Boots has an insane amount of things going for it. It is tokenless, it has a good cycling trait in Immovable, it has 2 non-movement cards for maximizing Elven Maneuvers, and the 1 movement card it does have is a Dash with minor downside. For those not in the know, Elven Maneuvers is mostly used as a draw engine for Step attacks. Boots with fewer movement cards increase the likelihood that your stream of death will go uninterrupted. Goat Boots also happen to be a stellar choice for singleplayer where you're less likely to need the movement against melee mobs. They come to you for the most part so all you want are boots that cycle you to your more important cards. For that, you can also go with Glimmer Boots for better armor if your character can play around Squeamish.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any item that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards or combination of cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.


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


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

 

Xemu's Crown (P)

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Multiplayer
All three cards are fine although they're not too commonly played. Short Perplexing Ray and Cone Of Cold are not as good as they used to be as they can only delay attacks rather than stopping them completely. Both are also much better against melee teams since opposing wizards will be out of range and will not need movement as much. That being said, you can catch people off guard since no one will not be playing around these seldom used cards. Stone Spikes can be used as a pseudo cantrip card in a pinch. Your opponent will have to decide between giving up priority or taking 6 damage. Stone Spikes can also be used to slow progress down narrow passages by forcing your opponent to use an extra movement card in order to pass over it.

Singleplayer
Single target cards like Short Perplexing Ray and Stone Spikes take a major hit in singleplayer. The enemies often have large shared hands so taking one away is negligible. This can still be used to put some distance between your wizard and the mob butTelekinesis type cards just do the job better. Using Stone Spikes on a single enemy while there are a dozen running around is similarly miserable. If you really want to use damaging terrain in adventures where you are outnumbered Wall Of Fire and Volcanoare much more effective at affecting multiple targets. Now that encumber can no longer be used to immobilize, Cone of Cold is useless against mobs that use Shuffle as their base movement. No more zombiecicles.

Peon's prescription for prodigious players- Xemu's Crown is a bit too unfocused. While the cards are decent you would be better off seeking items that contain two or more copies of the desired card so that you can tune your wizard to your liking. Would not purchase this item.

Substitutes
Axander's Twisted Circlet (E), Farzil's Perplexing Horn (E) major token: Short Perplexing Ray
Hasek's Icy Ring (E), Hylithia's Wand (E), Xochu's Icy Circlet (E): Cone Of Cold
Bloodfoot Wand (E), Eych's Amulet (E): Stone Spikes
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. A totally defensible purchase if you regularly combine Short Perplexing Ray and Cone Of Cold since good minor token Short Perplexing Ray items are rare. However, Xochu's Icy Circlet usually does the job just fine.

Epics
Glowing Gland (NV)
While potentially powerful, Irradiated terrain cards take a bit of elbow grease to pull off so it isn't something you can just jam onto any priest. However, Glowing Gland does a decent impression of both Atomic Drop Console and The Irradiator while you wait for the real deals.

Sarigo's Wand
While I admit I have an unnatural obsession with Whirlwind Enemies, Whirlwind itself is a little too random. You would be much better off either going with more traditional control items like Ring Of Appropriation or Rod Of Winds if you still want the Whirlwinds. Also, if you're thinking about awesome Whirlwind combos with Sarigo's Rod, it doesn't work that way.

St. Voral's Charm
Not vampy enough for vamps and you're going to have to pony up tokens if you want access to the primo heal spells.

Notable Rares
Diamond Moccasins (B)
Quick Run is fantastic for ambushing targets and has good back attack potential. Sparkling Cloth Armor is great on both offense and defense. Getting a free move every time you get hit can both help you get closer to a ranged opponent or ensure that you're out of range from subsequent melee attacks. While Brutal Charge can be hit or miss depending on the map, the combination of Quick Run and Sparkling Cloth Armor makes Diamond Moccasins incredibly useful for any occasion.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any item that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards or combination of cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.


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


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

 

Bloodchopper (N)

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Players
Chops are awful in multiplayer. There are very few situations where you'll hit more than one target for Obliterating Chop. The people that don't move away have blocks or think they can outrace you in damage. If you do manage to get a chop off you can be fairly certain they won't let you do it again for full value. Unless you can reliably get adjacent to multiple enemies using things like control wizards, Entangling Roots, or taking advantage of a map with 4 central victory points you should evaluate the weapon as if chops were single target. In that case, you are paying for 4 overcosted attacks and an overrated block. If you want to build around chops it is irreplaceable but hard to make work. Would not purchase.

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 with slash attack immunities and you can pretty much turn your warrior into a walking lawnmower. The biggest thing that prevents Bloodchopper from being a great buy is the token cost. You can only use it in level 14+ modules. If you prefer using melee parties to farm higher levels and are looking for a way to dispatch multiple enemies quicker then Bloodchopper is the best tool for the job. Buy if you think you'll get good mileage out of it but it is much lower priority than Volcano and Firestorm items for most people. I myself am too much of a Volcano junkie to go blood chopping.

Substitutes
None
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I was lucky enough to find 3 of them. Maybe someday double (or perhaps even triple?) Obliterating Chop warriors will be all the rage but that's not a horse I'm willing to bet on right now.

Epics
St. Glist's Charm
Ebony Prayer Beads puts it to shame.

Stargod's Raiments (U)
There are few ways to get Cushioning Armor and even fewer to get Bless. Zod's Vile Spaceplate is similar for those that don't like how Bless nails you in place.

Ztoli Idol
Wings Of Faith is probably the only card you want from Ztoli Idol. It might be for leagues or a weird gimmick build but either way you're going to want more focused items like Eixtl's Winged Mail.

Notable Rares
Forceful Robes (B)
Resistant Hide is no longer the powerhouse it once was as many wizards have shifted away from burning and spark attacks but blanking entire strategies is still a bargain for a tokenless item, especially when there are few good alternatives. Forceful Robes also happens to be the only Resistant Hide robes with control spells if you discount the Whirlwinds on Tempest Robes. If you want a little more punch to go with your tokenless robes, the epic Rockshard Robes is the way to go. Firestorm farmers have the epic Firehide Robes to turn to. Alternatively, you can ditch Keep armor altogether and play Robe Of Lightness for cycling traits.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any rare that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.


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


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

 

The Perforator
Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Penetrating is a great keyword for an attack to have but only if it has the damage to back it up. You can bypass all the armor in the world with Perforating Strike but at the end of the day, you're capped at an anemic 5 damage. Use normal sized attacks, aka around 8 damage for warriors, and you'll still be doing more than 5 against most armors you'll face. Weapons need to provide damage or utility and The Perforator does neither. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
There are a couple modules with annoying armor but there are plenty of cheaper penetrating weapons to be had. Or you could load up on Sundering Strikes. Or just power through armor with beefy attacks. Or just bring a wizard for your armor removal needs. Me? I'd bring the wizard. I'd probably leave the warrior at home while I'm at it too but that's just me. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Keen Baselard (E), Piercing Pick (R) , Woodhome's Wound (E), Flashing Longspear (E)

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. When it comes to double minor token weapons I pretty much exclusively use Rageblood Dagger and Troll's Ire.

Epics
Apprentice Insight (P)
Getting two copies of Dodge on a tokenless skill is not too shabby. It's hard to imagine wanting it over Cautious Mobility but Apprentice Insight provides just enough value that I wouldn't completely rule it out either.

Cybernetic Boots (P)
Trip is normally a deal breaker but Warp Run negates it if you happen to have it while Halted. Throw in a few more answers or workarounds and Cybernetic Boots lands on the right side of playable.

Ripping Mace (P)
With great attacks highly useful spells, the only thing holding Ripping Mace back is a lack of buffs. Granted, if you can't buff up, using Purge to wipe away your opponents' buffs is the next best thing.

Notable Rares
Emberfloat Mantle (V)
Very few robes have Sparkling Cloth Armor and even fewer have Firestorm. Emberfloat Mantle is the only one to have both. While that makes it the second best choice for both cards, it is still an incredible value item. Firehide Robesis the obvious choice for a Firestorm wizard though Sparkling Cloth Armor is significantly better against melee than Resistant Hide. Thin Sparkling Cloak has an extra copy of Sparkling Cloth Armor but its popularity took a nosedive after the Vulnerable nerf. For having good anti-melee capabilities and a cycling trait all while remaining tokenless, Emberfloat Mantle is a great all-around choice of robes.

Hexagon Shield (BV)
One of the best tokenless shields. I normally don't like high percentage blocks that don't put you up a card but Pushback Parry is an exception. Getting to Push a Step attacker is virtual card advantage. You either get a reprieve from further attacks or a free back attack if you want to race. Step attacks tend to be lower damage so people will often lead off with them, especially if the movement is necessary to get into attack range. If you want a shield with all purpose blocks try the epic Underdog's Shield or legendariesEeygonnic's Shield and Snitrick's Shield instead.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any rare that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.


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


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

 

I think it's worth mentioning that penetrating is on low damage attacks gives a proportionally bigger boost than for high damage attacks. For example, if I'm attacking an enemy who has Reliable Mail; adding 'penetrating' to a 4 damage attack will increase the damage taken from 2 to 4; an increase of 100%. Whereas adding 'penetrating' to a 10 damage attack will increase it from 8 to 10; which is only an increase of 25%.

Against armoured enemies, adding penetrating to a low damage attack might be the difference between doing 0 damage and some damage; whereas high damage can be reasonably effective even without penetrating.

(But I agree that the The Perforator isn't a powerful item.)

 

Perforating Strike deals 5 damage not 4 and Impaling Stab is 9 damage not 10.

 

Your assuming he was talking about those attacks. I'm pretty sure he was just useing those numbers as examples because it makes what he was saying easier to explain...

 

You aren't adding Penetrating to a 5 damage attack, you are adding Penetrating to a Strong Hack and then shaving off a couple points for the privilege. Even Sundering Strike and Impaling Stab are "low" damage compared to Powerful Hack and Mighty Hack, plain attacks of the same quality, but they at least have other perks. If given the choice between The Perforator and a weapon with 6 Strong Hacks, the latter would be preferable in most cases.

 

Mazzaram's Mighty Mattock

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
If you want the most copies of Obliterating Chop for a warrior you will need two of these and a Bloodchopper. Is that any good? I don't know, someone should really test it out. For now I'll just say that I believe it is very hard to hit multiple characters with any Chop. If you are next to more than one character and neither moves away odds are you are surrounded or about to receive one heck of a beating. Similar to a lot of multi-target attacks, once the first one lands your opponent can play around future copies. Unlike the rest, the limited range of Chops makes them much easier to play around. Add on 3 low damage vanilla attacks and you've got a very under powered weapon if the Obliterating Chops don't hit for the full 20 damage. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Chops are a lot easier to land against the mindless AI but if there are enough mobs to hit you probably want to use wizards instead. Mazzaram's Mighty Mattock can do work but you can do a decent amount of damage with any number of other weapons that have more copies of smaller Chops. Would not purchase.

Substitutes
Nimble Hatchet (C) , Simple Axe (U) , Warrior's Axe (R) , Master's Battleaxe (E)
The Daily Deal

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I have found 3 but never used them, even when I was testing Chops. You need 2 Mazzaram's Mighty Mattocks and a Bloodchopper to get the maximum 10 Obliterating Chops but I'd much rather have double Bloodchopper for 8 and not have to deal with Able Bludgeons. It's acceptable to have a one to one split of good and bad cards if the good cards are incredibly powerful but you won't see anyone calling Mazzaram's Mighty Mattock the "Searing Pain" of weapons anytime soon.

Epics
Fingerbone Of St. Ob
A playable item in the loosest sense of the word but you are going to be better off with a pure vamp item like Wuuna's Vampiric Shroud most of the time. If you just want a good heal on a tokenless item, there's this little thing called Skull Of Savage Iljin.

Savage Plates (P)
The best divine armor for attack buffs. However, you get a better deal on buffs from divine items so Savage Plates usually takes a back seat to tokenless options or stuff with better armor.

Turnbull's Energy Vest (P)
Not bad but I'm a much bigger fan of both Explorer's Force Suit and Overheated Force Suit.

Notable Rares
Emberfloat Mantle (V)
Very few robes have Sparkling Cloth Armor and even fewer have Firestorm. Emberfloat Mantle is the only one to have both. While that makes it the second best choice for both cards, it is still an incredible value item. Firehide Robesis the obvious choice for a Firestorm wizard though Sparkling Cloth Armor is significantly better against melee than Resistant Hide. Thin Sparkling Cloak has an extra copy of Sparkling Cloth Armor but its popularity took a nosedive after the Vulnerable nerf. For having good anti-melee capabilities and a cycling trait all while remaining tokenless, Emberfloat Mantle is a great all-around choice of robes.

Forceful Robes (B)
Resistant Hide is no longer the powerhouse it once was as many wizards have shifted away from burning and spark attacks but blanking entire strategies is still a bargain for a tokenless item, especially when there are few good alternatives. Forceful Robes also happens to be the only Resistant Hide robes with control spells if you discount the Whirlwinds on Tempest Robes. If you want a little more punch to go with your tokenless robes, the epic Rockshard Robes is the way to go. Firestorm farmers have the epic Firehide Robes to turn to. Alternatively, you can ditch Keep armor altogether and play Robe Of Lightness for cycling traits.

Shielding Warp Boots (U)
The only way to get Force Field on boots and Warp Run acts as a pseudo Purge for any class. Other options for defensive minor token boots include the epic Vinorkin's Boots for Violent Spin and the epic Kerrick's Steel Boots for Reliable Mail. Sparkling Cloth Armor boots like Diamond Moccasins can also do wonders on defense but mostly against melee characters.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any rare that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.


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


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

 

Also the only way to get it without spending a major token, so definitely something to look into for low level quests.

 

Axander's Robes

Spoiler: Previously Reviewed

Peon's Prescription for Prodigious Multiplayers
Well this sure looks familiar. Basically everything I said about Robes Of Avak Seth applies here except that for a major token you could get the far superior Robes Of White Wylla. Would not purchase.

Peon's Perspective for Penny-Pinching Singleplayers
Ditto.

Substitutes
Cotton Wizard's Robes (C) , Cursed Wizard's Robes (C)
The Daily Deal
Robes of Avak Seth review for those that are curious

Did Peon Buy It?
Nope. I think Arcane Shell costs too much for how little it does. That one point difference between it and Arcane Aura might not look like much, but it's the same reason why Reliable Mail is widely regarded as one of the top armors but Reliable Hide Armor is chaff. Yes, I know Arcane Shell has Keep and the "Harness" ability but it's still a weak effect.

Epics
Pendant Of Artax
Burning attacks and control spells generally don't belong on the same wizard and Little Zap generally doesn't belong on wizards period.

Rantic's Orb Of Inner Fire (BN)
Two thirds of a good legendary burning arcane item plus much needed armor removal thrown in for good measure. Everything a growing burning wizard needs. If you've got the armor removal taken care of on a different character, you're probably going to want to go straight legendaries, such as Avakiria's Cup, to both save on the major token and maximize the effectiveness of Firestarter. If you don't have other armor removal, Rantic's Orb of Inner Fire becomes a must. A single Boiling Armor is enough to act as insurance against Resistant Hide and friends without diluting the burning attack count too much.

Sarigo's Rod (P)
A one item Path Of Knives combo. Use Blood Locket if you want fewer Path of Knives and Booming Ring if you want the token.

Notable Rares
Crusty Helm (B)
The best tokenless helmet pure and simple. You get great armor and a cycling trait that is mostly harmless. Revealing your hand can be rough but come on, we all know your warrior is using Bejeweled Shortsword. An argument can be made for the legendary Captain Cedric's Helm but I'll take a cycling trait over low impact Officer's Harnesses any day.

Rod Of Falling Cinders (V)
For being able to hit everything for a good chunk of damage, Firestorm is a singleplayer farming staple. One of the biggest problems you'll encounter when using a Firestorm strategy is getting your wizard into position. Your wizard needs to get to the center of the action for maximum effect. This makes spells like Gusts Of War incredibly useful when running multiple wizards. Double Firestorm legendaries like Azgul's Orb are preferable to maximize your odds of drawing your signature card. Short of that, items with Slide spells are the next best thing if you have the tokens. In that regard, the epic Banik's Bubbling Bauble is an obvious upgrade.

Spoiler: Item Rating Code

(B)est of the Best
This item is the best of the best of the best. With honors. It is not only powerful but also fits in well established multiplayer or farming archetypes.

(N)iche
This is a great item but fits in a very specific build. You should only consider purchasing if you have that particular strategy in your sights.

(P)layable
Not the best. Not the worst. This item is simply solid all around and I believe could see play. If that isn't enough of a ringing endorsement then I don't know what is. Oh, and you can go ahead and assume that any rare that falls into other categories is playable as well. I will not list things that I would not be willing to play myself.

(U)nique
There is nothing quite like this item. Its cards are not found on other items of the same slot or not on other items period. If this item catches your fancy you should take a second look because you won't find anything similar elsewhere.

(V)alue
There may be better options but this item won't bust your piggy bank.


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


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

 

Even in single player, where you don't get cycling? I highly doubt it.

 

Is an Officer's Harness that much better than no card at all? I'd definitely take Hardy Mail over it. It's a slim lead but I would and do use Crusty Helm over Captain Cedric's Helm in singleplayer (when I'm not abusing Leadership of course).

 

I'd say Pendant Of Artax is better than you think. Right, you have a Little Zap, but it's a useful item to get in an extra Glob Of Flame with a Telekinesis if you don't want the Brain Burn from Boiling Stone. Using it or Boiling Stone is one of my dilemmas in one of my builds since I don't have Berian's Locket.

 

Don't miss The Lunginator, guys!

 

I'm guessing the people that didn't reload after reset got The Lunginator because of the addition of the Holiday Shop. If so, let me know what's in the other version of the Daily Deal and I'll do a double review.