Epic Item Review: Part 1, the Carnival

[sirgog]

Updated 14th May after ~200 posts, to reflect some feedback.

This is the first in (possibly) a series of a few threads where I'll look at Epic items in the game, and single out the terrible ones with suggestions to the Devs as to how I'd recommend improving them.

The second is here: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=317841 and deals with the Sentinels pack.

Part 3 travels to the Sands of Menchtarun, all the way over here: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=319931

And the fourth one deals with the treasures of the Vault of Night: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=325739

For each item, I'll post facts comparing it to other items it might compete with (e.g. "Kronzek's Cruelty has lower DPS than Shroud-crafted alternatives like a Lit 2 Khopesh"), and also opinions (in italics) about any changes I'd suggest or whether any are needed.

Another post worth looking at (with different opinions on various Epic items, and different suggestions for them) along these lines is Leloric's Epic Item Review at http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=289273, and another by Carpone (dealing exclusively with the Red Fens) is here: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=322152

Firstly, the Phiarlan Carnival pack. Most quests in this pack are among the easiest epics in the game, and aren't really much harder than Normal difficulty Shroud, except for two main differences - players with low To-Hit and/or low saves will be far weaker in these quests than they are in Shroud. That said, Shroud is easier, which makes it a little silly that there's almost nothing in this pack that is even close to the power level of Shroud items.

Edit: Why the Carnival first? The pack has no truly impressive items. Every other pack (except the Sentinels pack, which was #2 to be looked at) has at least one or two items that are widely considered best-in-slot for a range of builds, or at least close to it. The Desert has Epic Marilith Chain, Epic Spellstoring Ring, Epic Staff of Inner Sight, Epic Bloodstone and Epic Chaosblade (among others; although this pack has major droprate issues); the VONs have the Epic Red Scale Armors and the best weapon in the game, and the Fens have the Epic Claw set and some niche items. The Carnival and Sentinels packs have no widely sought after items, and none of the Carnival content would be played much if eBigTop wasn't the best epic token/hour quest in the game except for eVON6.
I'd rather the Devs look at the packs most in need of help, get them right, then go back to the ones that people already have a real incentive to run on Epic.


Item by item review:

Epic Antique Greataxe

Unaugmented, this item is terrible - roughly equal to a Tier 2 Shroud item in damage output, albeit with an extra +1 to-hit. With a Red Augment Crystal of Heaven's Light (or alternately an Aligned Planes crystal), this item is basically a weaker copy of a Mineral 2 greataxe. Consider this comparison, and remember that these weapons are both mostly used against evil foes:

eAG vs. Min 2
To-Hit: Advantage eAG. However, if the Min 2 user uses no other weapons, they might elect to swap out Improved Critical for Weapon Focus, making this a tie.
Crit profile: Advantage Min2 (the eAG user must use a feat on Improved Critical to catch up; more than likely, however, they will take this feat anyway).
Base damage: 19 vs 15.5 (advantage eAG, 3.5 damage on hit, 10.5 crit)
Alignment damage: 0 vs 7 (advantage Min2, 7 on hit, 7 on crit)
Burst damage: Equal (Acid Burst vs Force Burst)
Blast damage: Advantage Min2, 0 on hit, 11 on crit, 14 more on 20 (average: 18 per crit)
Slicing: Advantage Min2, 2.5 per hit or crit
Duarbility: Advantage Min2 (seldom important, but is a nice convenience).
DR breaking capability: Both bypass three of the four main DRs at endgame: Good, Silver/Good and ColdIron/Good, but not blunt. As for rarer DRs, eAG with Aligned Planes gets most of them (eVON3 Marut, Thrakk Hounds), but that augment isn't really sustainable. Advantage Min2, as it gets ColdIron/Evil as well (currently not an important DR except for one quest, but may be in future).

Overall: Since the removal of Acid resistance from about half the endgame DR bosses, the Min2 is now 6 damage per non-crit hit and 17 damage per crit ahead of the eAG against those ones, and ahead by a smaller amount against the other 50% of DR bosses. And remember that this is a comparison to a Min2 greataxe - most players would craft a Min2 falchion instead, which is a better weapon than the greataxe.

Suggested change:
Upgrade base damage to 3d12 and add inherent Good DR bypass. This adds 6.5 damage per non-crit hit and 19.5 per crit, leaving the weapon a smidgen better overall than a Mineral 2 for characters with Improved Critical.
This allows players to use the weapon against high DR bosses (such as Horoth or Turigulon) immediately upon having the seal, scroll, shard and base item, without needing to burn 30 dungeon tokens (which take about as much effort to acquire as the entire Min 2 greataxe). Then, if the eAG becomes a key part of a player's arsenal, they can invest tokens to upgrade it to +7, which would actually make it a noticeable upgrade from the Mineral 2 weapon they were able to use at level 12.
I notice Genasi's comments of considering adding Righteousness (perhaps with a 3d10 base damage) - that would be an interesting change that really ups the To-Hit of this weapon against evil foes. If you go that way, the eAG will become the Turigulon beater of choice for most players, and it may even dethrone the (non-DR breaking) eSOS as the best weapon for eLailat.


Epic Big Top

This item serves a very specific niche purpose (boosting UMD to the magic 39 mark). It's best-in-the-helm-slot for that purpose, and so needs no changes. The clicky is unique, powerful and quite fun.


Epic Brawn's Spirits

This item also serves a very specific niche purpose and is a clear best-in-slot for that purpose, and so needs no changes. Few players want it, but for those that do, it's an excellent item indeed if it pushes their Intimidate up to the magical 79 mark.
Edit: Completely forgot the eClaw gloves provide an Intim bonus, I've always thought of them as 6 Str, 30 Healing Amp and a set bonus. This item probably does need more; maybe Incite 10% (which is the most difficult Incite bonus to slot anywhere else, as it is currently (IIRC) only available on the bottom tier of Dragontouched armor, and most toons with Intimidate want to wear Red Scale armor or something else; even if they elect to wear DT it competes with +5 to saves)


Epic Brimstone Verge

Eternal wands need to do a lot of damage to be even remotely worth carrying. Players don't often use Shroud damage-spell clickies on items they may already carry, and those clickies are better than this wand is. This wand does of course have twinking uses, but is still pretty bad.

Suggested change:
Replace the wand spell with Maximized Meteor Swarm. 320 damage per shot, 80 being no-save. It will still be weak, but at least it will be fun to use and unique. Maybe minimum level 16 would suit it then.


Epic Full Plate of the Ringleader

This armor has equal second best AC potential, the very powerful (if buggy) Radiance Guard and DR 5/- - a very powerful combination of effects. For the rare character that cares about AC, it's a clear upgrade from Dragontouched and a fantastic item to use as a stepping stone to an Epic Red Dragonscale Fullplate.

Suggested change:
Adjust monster To-Hit values so that armor class is a worthwhile defense against epic purple nameds. Adjust player behavior so that the needed debuffs to make AC useful against epic rednameds are applied to them. Both of these are beyond the scope of this post.


Epic Garos' Malice

This weapon is terrible. It appears designed as an offhand weapon for a rogue, however it suffers from the following weaknesses:
Flaming Burst - this weapon uses a widely resisted element, and deals small packets of damage that will often be completely ignored. Even 15 fire resistance will almost never be penetrated by Flaming Burst.
Sneak Attack +5 - this is a powerful mutation, but does not stack with other, far superior sources of Sneak Attack, such as the Epic Brawler Gloves or Tharne's Goggles. (These items are better as they do not take up as valuable an item slot as the offhand weapon).
Poor critical profile - 19-20/x2 is one of the weakest profiles in the game.
Put simply, this weapon needs a lot more DPS for a rogue (or other TWF) to even consider it as an alternative to a Lit 2 khopesh.

Suggested change:
Add 'Greater Incineration: On (every) Vorpal strike, this weapon calls forth the power of flame, dealing massive fire damage'. This deals ~300 fire damage, just as per the Shroud effect, but with a much higher proc rate. This provides an extra 15 damage per swing that works against all foes except those massively resistant (or immune) to fire.
Even with this change, it still does less damage than a combination of a Lightning 2 Khopesh and Tharne's Goggles, but it's within the same ballpark and has a higher To-Hit. And it's possibly best-in-slot against foes that take double fire damage (although most endgame foes that take additional fire damage take 125%, not 200%) .


Epic Grim's Bracelet

This necklace is also weak. Clearly intended as an AC tank item, the only powerful effect on it (Natural Armor +4) is only a Wisdom Yugoloth potion away for those builds, and then they are looking at a +6 Str necklace with a slot.

Suggested change:
Keep in mind that the seal drops from the hardest Carnival quest, and this item is competing with ToD sets that offer other tank-oriented effects such as enhanced threat or AC boosts.
As such, I recommend replacing Natural Armor +4 with Heightened Awareness 4 (the Shroud +4 AC ability) or Dodge +3 (as per the Chattering Ring). Either would make it into a useful item for the AC niche.
Genasi, whatever you do, do NOT add the Parasitic Breastplate's +3 AC bonus to this! It will just add more fuel (a lot more) to the Player AC/Monster To-Hit arms race.


Epic Illusionist's Garb

Whilst this is the weakest of the +7 Int items available in the game, it's also the easiest to acquire. This item is fine as-is; it's an exciting upgrade for many an arcane. (They can then upgrade further, in harder content like eChrono).


Epic Kron'zek's Cruelty

Another example of a weapon with no utility effects and DPS that is massively lower than Greensteel weapons. This weapon is out-DPS'ed by a Great Commander Shroud Lightning weapon, let alone a Supreme Tyrant one.

Suggested change:
I'd suggest adding Improved Destruction and Lightning Strike. Lightning Strike brings the weapon's DPS into at least the ballpark of a Supreme Tyrant Shroud weapon, and Improved Destruction is a powerful utility effect that fits the theme of the weapon and is of comparable power to the third upgrade utility options (+2 exceptional stat, +4 AC, elec absorb 20%) that are options on a Shroud weapon.
I could see Elf melee/healer hybrid FvS builds at least wanting to use this weapon, or other feat-starved dual wielders.
Edit: People have pointed out that adding both of these effects would almost make this weapon a carbon copy of the Epic Chimera's Fang, and they are pretty much right. Maybe Lightning Strike and some other moderately potent utility effect, like Vampirism or +2 Exceptional Strength. With only Lightning Strike it may be used but as an alternative to Greensteel rather than as an upgrade.


Epic Mask of Comedy

Players that want a form of Devotion 7 want Superior, not Greater. Players that want some level of Healing Lore want Major or the not-yet-in-game Superior tier, not the basic Healing Lore. This item has a bunch of mediocre effects that aren't epic and that don't add up to an epic item.
It's worthwhile as a clicky for a party buff and/or to dispel Crushing Despair, but still nothing special.

Suggested change:
Upgrade Healing Lore to Superior Healing Lore. This makes the Mask potentially best-in-slot for Radiant Servants (healing crits are better on the Aura than on anything else) and also for the rare melee-oriented Healing Amp/Radiant Servant hybrid builds. Most importantly, it would make the mask into an item with a unique feel.


Epic Mask of Tragedy

Players almost always prefer Superior Potency 6 to Greater Potency 7. Anyone that cares about Void Lore wants only the best tier of it available. And Wisdom 6 is available for free on Greensteel items.

Suggested change:
Upgrade Void Lore to Superior Void Lore.
This would make the item worthy of serious consideration to Pale Masters.


Epic Noxious Fang

The only time I've seen this used is to hit the ranged levers in VON5, and I want one for that purpose. Still, it's a returner - nothing will make it worth using. Leave it as is for the laughs.


Epic Phiarlan Mirror Cloak

This item has two unique abilities (the +5 bonuses to stats) that are potent but rarely relevant (as the skill requirements to achieve stealth-based objectives are quite low). SR 22 is a joke, and Blurry is obtained on Supreme Tyrant Smoke cloaks that have a much better overall package of effects than this cloak (such as 30 Elec Resist and 15 stacking Fire Resist).

Suggested Change:
Replace Blurry with "Greater Smokescreen: This item provides a 30% Concealment bonus (this does not stack with Blur or Displacement)".
Also upgrade SR to 35 (enough that you will occasionally see it prevent a non-damaging spell from Normal Horoth or from trash mobs in epics).
This would make the item unique and, while still not overly powerful, it would be sought after by solo players at least.


Epic Phiarlan Spy Dagger

This weapon is a dagger (almost the worst critical profile in the game), has only one DPS mutation (the mediocre Acid Burst) and awful base damage. The utility effects are not even remotely enough to salvage this weapon.

Suggested Change:
Add Improved Paralyzing (as on the Epic Timeblade) - this fits the theme of a spy dagger (the spy has added a numbing poison). Increase enhancement bonus to +10, both providing a not-insignificant DPS increase, and also a significant amount of To-Hit. (Spies and assassins try not to miss, after all).
The weapon would still be mediocre, but at least it would be unique and situationally useful.


Epic Ring of Elemental Essence

I've never seen anyone seek this ring out, as it is just downright bad. Compare it to the Amrath Warchanter necklace, which offers full Superior Potency 6, Wizardry 6 and a powerful SP conservation set bonus.

Suggested Change:
Upgrade the Glaciation, Combustion and Magnetism effects to their Epic versions (60% increase to level 6 and lower spells). That would make the item unique, and a useful backup for when your Amrath belts are out of charges, or for situations where you want a boost to spells that persists through death.

Edit: As pointed out below, Archmagi can be difficult to slot at endgame and this is the only ring with it, which is a redeeming feature of the item. Personally I have no qualms about playing an arcane/divine that uses only Wizardry 6; if you value the extra 50-100 SP more than I do, you might like this item more than I do.


Epic Roderic's Wand

This wand is funny, but just doesn't summon powerful enough monsters. The Hezrou is best, but even it is far from potent at endgame. It just keeps swinging and missing.

Suggested change:
Up the To-Hit of any monster summoned by this wand to +50, letting them contribute to Epic combats (rather than just go 'miss miss miss Chaos Hammer miss miss hit'. Up their hitpoints to 2000. Consider adding the same 'set To-Hit to 50' effect to the Augment Summoning feat (at least when level 20 characters use it).


Epic Shimmering Pendant

This item is a very minor upgrade from the Bard's Cloak (the one most bards that run VOD have vendored three of) and a useful switch-in item for Fascinate checks in epic VON6. It's far too weak to even consider wearing as a full-time item.

Suggested Change:
Consider upgrading the skill modifiers to 20, in line with other Epic items that have +skills. It still won't be a full-time item, but at least it will be interesting.


Epic Utility Vest

Best in slot for a very, very niche use (swapping in as a trapsmithing item). Good at what it does, no changes needed. (It is a nuisance that it is not a quick-equip item like a Robe; if any change were to be made, hotswappability would not hurt).

[sirgog]

This post reserved.

[Junts]

You've missed a few things:

Brawn's spirit is not the best source of the stacking intim: the epic gloves of the claw are.

The Brimstone Verge isn't level 20, making it a hilarious epic twink items. It used to have no ml and now is ml 3, so it's clearly supposed to do that. Lv 9 fireballs are pretty nice at that level. I've also heard it's had greater evocation focus added, but I haven't personally verified that.

The epic mask of comedy has 5/day clickies of good hope. This is the onl yway to get that on a clicky in the game, and it is in fact something I'd grind to make for that purpose. That's a potent addition to a bardless group, and the non-epic version's 5minutes per shrine is inadequate to cover a group for most questing, and even so I carry one on all my melee characters. Now that small problem is far easier, we're actively running it to make epic masks for epic questing purposes.


The ring of elemental essence sucks, but it is the only ring-based source of archmagi in the game.

Noxious fang is a great returner because it has such a high enhancement bonus. Its excellent for people who otherwise do poorly hitting high-ac rnaged situations like Lailat, and its base damage is quite high too.

[sirgog]

You've missed a few things:

Brawn's spirit is not the best source of the stacking intim: the epic gloves of the claw are.

The Brimstone Verge isn't level 20, making it a hilarious epic twink items. It used to have no ml and now is ml 3, so it's clearly supposed to do that. Lv 9 fireballs are pretty nice at that level. I've also heard it's had greater evocation focus added, but I haven't personally verified that.

The epic mask of comedy has 5/day clickies of good hope. This is the onl yway to get that on a clicky in the game, and it is in fact something I'd grind to make for that purpose. That's a potent addition to a bardless group, and the non-epic version's 5minutes per shrine is inadequate to cover a group for most questing, and even so I carry one on all my melee characters. Now that small problem is far easier, we're actively running it to make epic masks for epic questing purposes.


The ring of elemental essence sucks, but it is the only ring-based source of archmagi in the game.

Adjusted some comments based on this. Archmagi (or at least Wizardry 7) is easy to fit into most gearsets and so I don't think that redeems that awful ring.

I doubt the ML3 wand is working as intended - the Epic Robe of Dissonance was even weaker than this item and was retroactively changed to have ML 20.

agree that most of these epics are **** poor... but carnival epics are easier then many elites... cant boost their power without overhauling the whole pack

The Carnival epics are easy for geared veterans, but for newer players they are certainly harder than the Shroud, which has much better loot. Newbies going into these will have real trouble with trash packs with 2+ casters - if the healer fails a Cometfall or Symbol: Stunning save, the party can wipe. Those same players can stomp Shroud on Normal or even Hard (maybe using a mana pot or three on Hard).

[Junts]

Adjusted some comments based on this. Archmagi (or at least Wizardry 7) is easy to fit into most gearsets and so I don't think that redeems that awful ring.

I doubt the ML3 wand is working as intended - the Epic Robe of Dissonance was even weaker than this item and was retroactively changed to have ML 20.

I dunno what you're talking about, a lot of bards and sorcs I know of are using epic elders focii for archmagi and swapping into torcs. You could do the same with the ring (and in fact, I'd prefer to use the ring to do it because swapping from archmagi to your torc requires you to use all 200 SP because you 'take off' the archmagi before the wizardry 3 applies).

Archmagi doesn't belong in the static equiment sets of melee bards or any well-geared sorceror anymore. Its not found on a single relevant piece of loot after the Bracers of the Glacier, and said bracers are obsolete in epic gear (e-torc says hi). Unlike wizards, sorcs don't have archmagi on their tower belts.

I can't testify to clerics/fvs, but in my experience most of them are also using elders focuses or skivers simply as swap items. The ring might be a better variant for that purpose depending on equipment. What do you wear static with archmagi on it that isn't an archmage set belt or the bracers of the glacier?

Incidently, if the wand does do greater evocation focus then it's one of only two sources of gtr evoc on a 1-handed item (the others being the terrible shaman's beads, the epic robe of fire, and the sf mastery 2 from the staff of inner sight). I actually plan to carry one of these wands around in a weapon set specifically for boss nuking on my air savant, because in hard/elite devil raids its extremely important to get lightning bolt and chainlightning past evasion. However, since my wand is ml 0 I don't wish to test to see if it will stay low-min level when I try to add the greater focus, so I'll make a cacophonic instead.

[TheDearLeader]

Archmagi doesn't belong in the static equiment sets of melee bards or any well-geared sorceror anymore.

I like static SP items. Making them "Swap" items introduces the possibility of forgetting to swap them back on. So, I rather like to find items that I also like for other benefits (such as the aforementioned Bracers of the Glacier).

[Junts]

I like static SP items. Making them "Swap" items introduces the possibility of forgetting to swap them back on. So, I rather like to find items that I also like for other benefits (such as the aforementioned Bracers of the Glacier).

I agree with that and I went out of m yway to do so for a long time, but the advent of the tod sets for savants has just made it abundantly clear that spending a whole equipment slot on archmagi is no longer a viable strategy for a well-equipped caster.

In any case, it's not a huge difference between wiz6 and archmagi and I often forget to swap to my skiver - but 2884 and 2984 are indistinguishable for nearly all quests, where I'll reach shrines with vile blaspemy clickies unused and mana in the pool.

I'd certainly be happy if archmagi was more readily available, but in my experience its become extremely hard to justify spending an equipment slot on exclusively, and it no longer appears on items you'd use regularly if you are not a wizard. The bracers of the glacier are an excellent item, but unjustifiable when you have GSP8 on another slot.

[sirgog]

I dunno what you're talking about, a lot of bards and sorcs I know of are using epic elders focii for archmagi and swapping into torcs. You could do the same with the ring (and in fact, I'd prefer to use the ring to do it because swapping from archmagi to your torc requires you to use all 200 SP because you 'take off' the archmagi before the wizardry 3 applies).

Archmagi doesn't belong in the static equiment sets of melee bards or any well-geared sorceror anymore. Its not found on a single relevant piece of loot after the Bracers of the Glacier, and said bracers are obsolete in epic gear (e-torc says hi). Unlike wizards, sorcs don't have archmagi on their tower belts.

I can't testify to clerics/fvs, but in my experience most of them are also using elders focuses or skivers simply as swap items. The ring might be a better variant for that purpose depending on equipment. What do you wear static with archmagi on it that isn't an archmage set belt or the bracers of the glacier?

Geared-out toons: Epic Dragon's Eye (swap out for Litany if DCs are critical and it takes you up a stat bracket)

Modestly geared toons: Glacier bracers

Ungeared: Amrath belt with Wizardry 6 or better and a clicky that is useful for your class


And to be quite honest, I'm not fussed to use a lower tier of SP item than Archmagi on most classes except in elite ToD. SP exhaustion is so rarely an issue.

[Junts]

Geared-out toons: Epic Dragon's Eye (swap out for Litany if DCs are critical and it takes you up a stat bracket)

Modestly geared toons: Glacier bracers

Ungeared: Amrath belt with Wizardry 6 or better and a clicky that is useful for your class


And to be quite honest, I'm not fussed to use a lower tier of SP item than Archmagi on most classes except in elite ToD. SP exhaustion is so rarely an issue.

Epic dragons eye? I'd rather use the archmagi ioun stone, at least it does something else useful (SP9) that's also difficult to include in equipment. I don't see the purpose of the epic dragons eye on anyone who doesn't cast mass heal, to be entirely honest.

However, gaining both a dc and a hp bracket from Litany, I can't imagine taking it off on any caster. I'd drop a 6 pt stat enhancement before I switched to another trinket just for the HP value, to say nothing of what you can buy these days with 6 AP!

In any case I agree that archmagi is a niche thing, and if anything this reminds me that archmagi is simply not nearly available enough anymore.

[TheDearLeader]

Brawn's spirit is not the best source of the stacking intim: the epic gloves of the claw are.

Agreed.

The Brimstone Verge isn't level 20, making it a hilarious epic twink items. It used to have no ml and now is ml 3, so it's clearly supposed to do that. Lv 9 fireballs are pretty nice at that level. I've also heard it's had greater evocation focus added, but I haven't personally verified that.

Still wouldn't make it. In the time it took me to farm it, I could level the same toon through multiple levels.

The epic mask of comedy has 5/day clickies of good hope. This is the onl yway to get that on a clicky in the game, and it is in fact something I'd grind to make for that purpose. That's a potent addition to a bardless group, and the non-epic version's 5minutes per shrine is inadequate to cover a group for most questing, and even so I carry one on all my melee characters. Now that small problem is far easier, we're actively running it to make epic masks for epic questing purposes.

Or get a Bard . But seriously, a good point, if a bit grind-y for a clickie.

The ring of elemental essence sucks, but it is the only ring-based source of archmagi in the game.

True. But, Archmagi can also be found on Bracers, Trinkets, Belts, Staff, Dagger... I dunno. The ability is not unique enough to take up a slot that could be filled by a ToD ring.

Edit: Oh Necklace, I forgot necklace, thanks.

@Sirgog - I'm not sure comparing these items to Green Steel Dual-Shards is entirely fair. Sure, ML 11~12 items vs ML:20, I get it. But one is obviously a much grindier grind than the other, so some of these items aren't bad in comparison to time invested.

[mystafyi]

agree that most of these epics are **** poor... but carnival epics are easier then many elites... cant boost their power without overhauling the whole pack

[Phemt81]

Nice! Especially the items with constructive critics and suggestions to be improved

[Missing_Minds]

Epic Shimmering Pendant
This item is a very minor upgrade from the Bard's Cloak (the one most bards that run VOD have vendored three of) and a useful switch-in item for Fascinate checks in epic VON6. It's far too weak to even consider wearing as a full-time item.
Suggested Change:
Consider upgrading the skill modifiers to 20, in line with other Epic items that have +skills. It still won't be a full-time item, but at least it will be interesting.

Or keep them at +15 and make it a Cha +7.

This is only 1 of 2 items I can think of that actually have Charisma on a necklace.

[Matuse]

What do you wear static with archmagi on it that isn't an archmage set belt or the bracers of the glacier?

Skiver. Arcane lore is the only source of critical damage on blade barrier (still), and one of your hands is still the most convenient spot to put that effect. Tack on Archmagi, and the cost cutting on Maximize and Extend, and this remains a top tier item.

[RandomKeypress]

Good list. Can't comment on most of it, but I'd suggest that the Epic Big Top is outclassed by the Crystal Cove Spyglass in just about every way. They both give stacking +3 UMD, but I'd take swappable true seeing, +20 search/spot and +2 exceptional INT over swappable dance clickie.
Many toons don't have the full epic gear set and use the Minos for HP and fort - not a good idea to swap out fort in order to get UMD for heal scrolls. Even if you're safe, people are going to forget to swap back again every now and then. I feel that the top hat is really underpowered.

[sirgog]

Good list. Can't comment on most of it, but I'd suggest that the Epic Big Top is outclassed by the Crystal Cove Spyglass in just about every way. They both give stacking +3 UMD, but I'd take swappable true seeing, +20 search/spot and +2 exceptional INT over swappable dance clickie.
Many toons don't have the full epic gear set and use the Minos for HP and fort - not a good idea to swap out fort in order to get UMD for heal scrolls. Even if you're safe, people are going to forget to swap back again every now and then. I feel that the top hat is really underpowered.

Quite a few people do use the top hat as a fulltime item (with their fortification somewhere else, like eClaw bracers or on a Min 2 HP item). While the trinket is a better item, it is also in a slot that has a lot of competition. Against mobs without SR, the Irresistable Dance clickie is a lifesaver too.

I don't think the item is particularly great, but it is at least seeing use. It could be buffed further without breaking anything if the Devs wanted to make it a great item, but it isn't terrible.

[voodoogroves]

The mirror cloak is weak, but honestly what it needs is a reason to wear it all the time.

I don't like the 30% concealment - if you're going that route, give it a displacement clickie. What I'd rather see is something that played on Mirror like the damage backlash the Swashbuckler shield has.

[sirgog]

The mirror cloak is weak, but honestly what it needs is a reason to wear it all the time.

I don't like the 30% concealment - if you're going that route, give it a displacement clickie. What I'd rather see is something that played on Mirror like the damage backlash the Swashbuckler shield has.

I considered some sort of backlash damage, but couldn't think of an effect I liked. Something like 'Arcane Backlash: When a spell deals damage to you, it has a 20% chance to deal that much damage to its caster too' could be interesting, but I'm not sure if that could be coded.

[Astraghal]

I considered some sort of backlash damage, but couldn't think of an effect I liked. Something like 'Arcane Backlash: When a spell deals damage to you, it has a 20% chance to deal that much damage to its caster too' could be interesting, but I'm not sure if that could be coded.

Maybe give it some visual related buff, like blindness immunity or true seeing.

[Sarisa]

Epic Big Top: I made this before the Spyglass came out, and I still feel it's at least on par with an un-augmented tier 3 Spyglass as a UMD swap-in. Slot in Good Luck in the Spyglass and it's most definitely superior, but that takes more grind for the tokens than making the Big Top. The Otto's Irresistible Dance clickie is invaluable when "bad things happen" in epics, and I use it in that role quite a bit.

Epic Noxious Fang: Mainly a "for fun" item. It's still the best thrower, except maybe certain Greensteel builds and a Dwarven Thrower in the hands of a dwarf barbarian or fighter with all the axe enhancements. While it's not something I use extensively, it was still nice when a mob was held in a trap for some added autocrit damage. Without autocrit, I only use it now for favour running or pulling.

Mask of Comedy: Base item is definitely under-appreciated. Epic version is something I'm still grinding for, after months of running Small Problem. While it's usually better to have a bard in an epic run, it's not always an option. In addition, it's nice being able as a Cleric to dispel Crushing Despair in eVoN1.

Epic Phiarlan Mirror Cloak: On my wiz/rogue, it's a nice swap-in to hit the needed stealth requirements to sneak Claw. It really needs something to make it a viable full-time item. I agree with sirgog's suggestions.

Epic Antique Greataxe: It was update 9 removing many of the boss resistances that weakened this compared to a MinII. Agree with your suggestions.

Epic Utility Vest: The exceptional int+2 is a nice boost to Assassinate's DC's without consuming a ToD ring bonus. Probably not worthwhile as a full time armour, but still has a purpose.

Epic Shimmering Pendant: With cha+7, I would strongly consider using the item on my bard. As is, I'll stay with a Warchanter necklace.