Top 25 Items of All Time

Greetings fellow Warlords! Below you will find what I consider to be the power rankings for the top 25 best Warlord items in the game. Trigger warning, this is based off of my opinion, so when I forgot to rank your beloved Gloves of Mercy or Verdatha Mount, take it with a grain of salt. I tried really hard to check my personal play style, but we are all human (with maybe the exception of Innocentwrath on Discord, who I have questions about), so we are all vulnerable to inherent biases. This list is made mostly with the Ancients format in mind and is not considering any of the 20th Anniversary items, seeing as I haven’t seen any of them played. So please sit back, digest my thoughts, and hopefully enjoy the read! Also, I would love to see your top 25 in the comments below!

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25. Amulet of Waking

Amulet of Waking is an incredible defensive card. Want to avoid sneaky rogue tricks that prey on spent characters? Amulet has you covered. Want to avoid actions being cancelled by exhaustion? Amulet has you covered. Want a bonus to AC? Amulet has you covered (albeit only a little bit). Want a card that can go on almost any character? Amulet has you covered. Want to equip items or perform actions with a stunned character? Amulet has you covered. These examples all speak to the versatile defensive power of Amulet of Waking. Although a great meta card, sometimes it does have its drawbacks, like not being able to ready your own character because it’s technically already ready (looking at you Stonesfist & Opal Gargoyle). Despite this weakness, the Amulet is powerful enough to be the 25th best item in the history of Warlord.

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24. Camel

Camel is one of the best movement generating items simply because almost anyone can use it. You can put it in Cleric or Wizard propelled calvary deck, a monk Throg deck, or even your classic fighter deck that runs non-fighter support characters. Simply said, Camel is almost universal movement. Although small, Camel even gives a little extra protection with its AC bonus. Although quite versatile, one of its largest drawbacks is its inability to move back a rank. However, its flexibility for equipping (classless level 6 item) solidifies it as the best steed in the game (please don’t send me hate mail for that claim).

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23. Signon’s Armor

Playing a cleric and want to survive ranged strike decks? Look no further than Signon’s Armor. Dropping this card against a ranged strike deck with no item removal is as close to an instant win as I can think of. Furthermore, Signon’s Armor provides a decent +3 AC and is relatively easy to equip, so Beastmaster can happily equip it while hanging out in the second. Although ranged strike decks are a popular route, they are not the only way to win a game. Considering this lack of versatility, Signon’s Armor may not be worth the slot in your deck. However, given it is one of the best ranged strike meta items, I confidently believe is is worthy of the 23rd spot.

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22. Ishara’s Tidal Mace

Alone this card is okay. When combined with the likes of Bramble or Medusan Lords’ Gambit (MLG), this card becomes an incredibly powerful tool. Again, this card can aid in the execution of win conditions (I.e., MLG) almost as good as any other card, by providing a decent bonus and deduction to your targets of choice. I can easily envision Adonis laughing as he gets a +4 skill why his opponent is hit with -4s. Outside of combos, the Mace can also provide helpful defensive and offensive bonuses and some even potentially more helpful deductions to opposing characters stats. However, as stated earlier, this card by itself is not too helpful, which is why it is not ranked higher.

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21. Hawk Hatchet

I’m just going to admit it now, I am totally biased when it comes to this card. Hawk Hatchet is just cool. With that being said, if you are looking for a two wounded ranged strike that can be recurred quite easily, Hawk Hatchet has got you covered! This card single handedly makes rangers a good deal better. Being able to toss a tomahawk for a multi-wounding +6 and then being able to recur it with things like Nodwick makes Hawk Hatchet an incredibly potent offensive weapon. Many games have been won on the back of this Hatchet, or maybe more accurately, many games have been won with this Hatchet in someone elses back. However, outside of rangers Hawk Hatchet is almost completely useless. Thus, although a subclass defining card, it does not generalize, which is why it did not break the 20s.

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20. Bodyguard

In my opinion, this is one of the most underrated items in the game. It can completely shut down ranged strike decks, cost almost nothing to equip on almost anyone you want, and gives a tad bit of an AC bonus. Again, this card completely kills decks like Averisk, Rallen, and Yvaalis, all of whom have won their share of events. My biggest complaint about this card is that it is limited to preventing strikes, so MLG can still get around this defensive oriented item. Additionally, if you only play one, the odds of drawing it are quite low. If you play more than one, you will tend to draw it instead of better cards, even when playing against a non-ranged strike oriented deck. Despite these aspects, the card is still good enough to crack the 20th best item of Warlord’s history.

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19. Spirit’s Blessing

This card is incredibly nasty when used in the correct deck. Put this in Slayer and you may have a bigger issue than winning your game, but put this in the hands of someone like Beastmaster and your opponent will be the one with the issues. This card’s ability to ready characters is incredibly strong for decks that throw big baddies forward (instantly thinking of Beastmaster and Barret Yscar). Combine this card with Nodwick and you can have quite the devastating combo. The biggest limitation of this card is its need for proximity to the character you are readying. Also, this card is just okay when not being played with a druid. However, when considering just how powerful Beastmaster and the supporting Freeks are, there is enough evidence to make this card a Top 25 item of all time.

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18. Collapsing Bow

This card is simple. Scratch that, this card is [insert choice curse word] elegant. With scouts getting two ranged strikes at almost no cost, this card can create some high tempo offense. Much like hawk hatchet is to ranger decks, collapsing bow is to scout decks. The biggest difference here is that there tend to be way better scout ranged strike Warlords than ranger ones (sorry Jolan Yew), so this card finds itself more often winning than its ranger counterparts. Again, being able to equip this item to almost any scout makes it an incredibly pestering tool. However, its strikes are quite low (a +2 is just not good), which is why it is not ranked higher.

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17. Commanding Presence

At first I did not have this card ranked, but after a quick peer review from an anonymous bulk Chinese food consumer, I decided it was worth the rank. Why did I have a change of heart? Well, when paired correctly Commanding Presence can make some frontline fighters close to invincible. Instantly I conjure to mind frontline Freek fighters that inherently give buffs, (such as Adarymy, Sir Robert of Andover, and Terak Justicebringer) and how they can become juggernauts with AC, attack, and skill boosted into the can’t touch me zone. Additionally, when paired with cards like Breastplate of Power almost any frontline fighter cannot only survive on the front rank, but can actually thrive there. You may now be asking, if it is so good, why did you almost not rank it? My response would be, it’s really not a good card if you’re not running a frontline fighter, and only a handful of frontline fighter decks can actually make the card work.

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16. Orb of Dragonkind

Disclaimer, I’ve never played this card, but have definitely gotten my teeth kicked in by it. This item is not the easiest to equip, but once it’s in the right hands it becomes an incredibly potent win condition. Being able to play multiple dragons multiple ranks closer than intended is always a great thing. Combing this with certain Dragonlords (i.e., Drasket the Resplendent) makes for a very difficult match for your opponent. Anyone who can put multiple Supremus’ into the front rank should have zero issues winning. However, getting it out and equipped is the biggest challenge and why it is not ranked higher.

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15. Farglass

What is a snipers most important tech? An arrow? No. A bow? Nope. A telescope? YAAAAAAAAS. This card is something of a Swiss army knife that can and has won many games. The inventor of this card probably looked at Unseen Arrow and Gloves of Marksmanship and said the magical words, “hear me out, what if we combined these cards?” Leading to a card that can create a two wound shot an extra rank away, a three wound shot, or a two wound shot with an extra bonus. The versatility of this card is incredible, especially considering you are able to attempt your marksmanship check first (which can do many things), and then decide if you want to ditch it or not (for also multiple options). Combine this with Nodwick and you have a very very helpful tool. Honestly, after writing this, I am not sure why it is not ranked higher and am currently building a ranged strike deck. Lookout ancients, the binoculars of doom are coming out for some action!

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14. War Spikes

The ability to transform Bone Spikes from a +4ac to a +10ac is just one of many combos that makes this card so good. Much like a fine wine, if paired correctly this item is quite delicious. Think of how it interacts with Blood God’s Bassinet, Fiendish Plate, and/or the Artificer Set items. This card has so many good combo pieces that I could write an entire article about. However, I’ll spare you a 7-page rant about Bone Armor and leave you with this, War Spikes can be a wonderful tool to make good items so much better. However, this item by itself does absolutely nothing but spark fear of potential in your opponent. Despite it being completely useless by itself, its ability to transform decent items into incredibly good items makes it worthy of the 14th spot.

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13. Wand of Negation

Wand of negation is one of the great meta meta cards. “Oh, you put Signon’s Armor on, let me just get around that real quick.” This is one of the only cards that also has a chance of shutting down Staff of Secrets. This card has so much wonderful meta power, that it can truly change the tides of a difficult matchup. Although not always relevant, it can come in quite handy against almost any deck that runs items. For example, you can use it to blank a difficult armor or blank the stealth provided to a character in your ranks, leaving them in a very vulnerable situation. However, sometimes this card does absolutely nothing, which is why it did not break the top 10.

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12. Monkey Paws

Monkey Paws is an amazing tool that can make a blitz deck’s opening hand a game winner. Being able to add an additional swing and multi-wounding to the likes of Ar’Tek make it almost impossible for any opponent to survive. Not many cards give multi-wounding and an extra swing, and the items that do are not usually equipped in the third rank. Furthermore, this card alone makes Monks a playable option. However, being level 8, restricted to fighters and monks only, and only giving a +2 attack bonus is why it could not crack the top 10.

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11. The Cardinals’ Blessing

The Blessing is the clerics equivalent of War Spikes. However, the combos you can pull with The Cardinals’ Blessing may be just a bit jankier and easier than the ones you can pull with War Spikes. For example, Cardinal’s blessing almost instantly doubles buffs like Mass Blessing, Embolden, and Lift Up Your Voices, making all of your army little invincible juggernauts. However mean this is, it can and has gotten worse. One of my favorite combos I have seen is combining The Cardinals’ Blessing with Denali, which permanently gives a character +6 attack, AC, and skill, which can make the likes of Xod almost unbeatable without an instant win condition. However, much like most techy items, if you don’t get the right pieces at the right time, the blessing is kind of a useless item with a lot of untapped potential.

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10. Bramble

Will Bramble alone win you an event? No, trust me I just tried. Will it alone win you games, yes, yes it will. This card is an incredibly powerful weenie crusher, especially when buffed with things like Arla and/or The Tidal Mace. It also isn’t too hard to get out, you just need to put it on a biggie and stun them forward. This card is absolute garbage to certain factions and certain deck types, but for those factions that do have big baddies (Like Duri, Koratcghuk, & Brogan) that can get to the front quickly (with things like Treewalk or Slow March), this item offers one of the quickest and most efficient ways to chop through an onslaught of meat, while also providing a ridiculous attack bonus of +7. Due to this power, I believe it is the 10th best item in all of Warlord.

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9. Staff of Kizazi

This card is quite powerful. This card in a Freek or Dwarf support deck is incredibly powerful. Giving the likes of Beastmaster a way to ready a completely buff’d Tahmores Yscar is always a mean mechanic. Additionally, I love this card because it also indirectly impacts the way your opponent plays. They see you equip the staff and they should instantly start thinking how to get all the cards out of their hand. This means they may not keep swinging, which can give you a chance to rebuild or continue your offense while knocking off their ready characters. Additionally, if they cannot play all of their cards, Staff of Kizazi will make them pay for that problem. If you are running a traditional cleric calvary deck, there is almost no excuse not to include at least one of these cards.

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8. Potion of Blurring

This is one of the most potent defensive items in the game. Actually, I think it is the best defensive item in the game. It can and does stop almost everything, including some of the most nefarious cards in the game (ie exhaustion and Medusan Lords’ Gambit). The DC check for the card also has an incredibly high base stat (DC 22?!?!) and can quickly turn into an uphill battle with the aid from cards like Tybast. This card becomes even more problematic when paired with things like Nodwick, where you are getting to put a little potion of untouchable-ness on almost every turn. Lastly, this card is only level 6, which means most Warlords can equip it in the front rank, which is where they can usually cause the most pain. Overall, this card can provide a type of protection that almost no other card in the game can, which is why it has earned its spot as the 8th best item of all time.

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7. The King’s Lady

Out of pure respect for the history of the game this card could crack the Top 25. However, this is the best (yes I said it, best) fighter weapon (and I really really love Hawk Hatchet). If you can get this equipped quickly and to the front quickly, you’ve most likely won your game. Put this on Raimi Mennanakh, Treewalk him to the front, and congratulations, you just had a very fun experience (which hopefully your opponent appreciated). The item is level 9, which can slow it down quite a bit. But the multi-wounding and +6 attack makes this one of the most drooled over fighter weapons in the game’s history. Additionally, this card not being played in Xod is almost as nonsensical as playing a in-person game of Warlord without a sleeved deck. Sure, you can do it, but we are going to to be a bit repulsed when you do. Overall this card is iconic, and it has a power to warrant that status.

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6. Staff of Secrets

God I hate this card. This card will win you games when you play the likes of Behlial, Lekar, or basically any card draw oriented or combo deck, because it can render them completely useless or make their combo near impossible to get off. Although this card offers no offense, it has the capability to shut down so many things. You can use the spend react to shut down their once per turn Toren or you can use the spend order to shut down all the draw they may have up their sleeve. This versatility makes it great. It can be used to shut down average card draw or those high tempo decks. Lastly, it is only a level 5 item, which means you can put it on almost any wizard you control, and Xod can even put it on Tinkerer second action (probably my least favorite combo in the game). However, Like I said earlier, if you are not playing against a card draw deck this card is basically worthless, which is why it was not my number 1 (and because I hates it).

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5. Vorpal Blade

Vorpal Blade wins games. It can beat almost any frontline fighter, it can hit from afar with things like Fell Blow, and it can be supplemented to fight against meta with cards like Veiled Passing. Pair Vorpal Blade with any of the critical success cards (like Assassination, Light, Glyph of Fate, and etc) and you can and will win games. This card has been used to get instant wins from the moment it was created. It’s quite similar to its higher level cousin Yedraw’s Tooth, but easier to equip. Even if you don’t use the react, a +4 attack is not too shabby for a rogue item. Lastly, I am convinced that one of the best Warlord feelings is lucking into a natural 20 roll on a Warlord while you happen to have the blade on. It’s just an incredible experience. Like any other card, Vorpal Blade has its counters, but its decent attack bonus and ease of equipping make it worth running in almost any rogue attack focused deck, even if you get meta’d against.

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4. Portable Hole

As my hate is to Staff of Secrets, my love is to Portable Hole. At first glance you may be questioning my ranking with this card, but hear me out, because I believe Portable Hole is the most underrated item in the game. Portable Hole provides incredibly good movement (two ranks forward or backwards is almost unheard of) and it can generate its own card draw, which should not be underrated. Paired with things like Nodwick or Cloak of Many Things, this card can fetch you multiple cards while you are hoping around all over the place. The card is not flashy and does not have a combo that gives you +30AC. Instead it offers incredible movement (without even taking up a steed slot) and card draw, both of which can be very simple and yet very important aspects of this game. It is also level 7, which makes it quite easy to equip. Honestly, if you’re running a rogue deck, this should be an automatic card in your deck. My biggest critique of this card however is that it is level 7, which means if you use it to jump to the front, and then pitch it for a card, you cannot equip another one while in the front. So my recommendation would be, don’t do that.

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3. Helm of Undying

In the right hands, this card is one of the best cards in the game. The recursion that the helm offers is incredible. Look at our recent Saga event and you will see that all but one of the top 8 decks used this card to slaughter their way to the front of the standings. When paired with things like Death Fog and Jackals of Mourn, you can get almost an ungodly amount of strikes based on recursions. Again, this card was restricted in Ancients because of just how powerful it can be. You may be asking yourself, “if this card is so powerful, why isn’t it ranked 1?” My answer would be, the helm is very limited in its utility, especially in the Ancients format. Only a necromancer can equip it and only certain necromancers are worth playing, which means there are only a handful of competitive Ancients Warlords that could run this card. Furthermore, recursion in Ancients is not what it was in Saga. You will be hard pressed to find an ancients event where a recursion focused deck cracks the top 8, let alone wins an event. Because of its Ancients restriction, it only made it to number 3, which is still a great testament to its power.

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2. Ring of Blasting

When the rings could start in play, they were some of the best cards in the game. Now, the Ring of Blasting is one of the only rings that still carries any power, and it carries a lot. Much like Vorpal Blade, this card will consistently win you games. When paired with things like Conjuration it isn’t even that hard to get it into play. Once in play, this card can turn your average wizard sniping cards (Chain Lightning and Conjure Storm) into almost instant kills. Although there are many fun cards to play with the Ring of Blasting (like Hand of Power and Evoke Crisis) its arguably best pairing is with Medusan Lords’ Gambit. Being able to crank MLG’s DC check to well over thirty, having it do 4 wounds that can target anyone, and creating a kill shot that cannot be reacted to, is arguably one of the most consistent win conditions in the Ancients format. There are very few cards that can stand up to this card (ie Potion of Blurring). However, decks that run this card usually rely on copious amounts of card draw, which makes these types of decks quite vulnerable to card draw meta, which is the only reason it is not my number 1.

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1. Nodwick

Earlier I compared War Spikes to a fine wine. Nodwick is more like Ranch dressing, it goes on almost everything. If you have read this list you will have noticed I mention this card with 20% of the other Top 25 items, which speaks to its versatility. This card can do so much and can go in so many decks. You can recur Portable Hole for that extra card, you can put that Farglass back on and hope to roll better next turn, and you can continuously recur Potion of Blurring and make yourself just short of invincible. You can do so many awesome things with this one card. Its major draw back is if it gets discarded, but honestly that doesn’t happen too much in my experience (experiences may vary). Its second largest drawback is only having one of them in your deck while playing the Ancients format. But that is not really an issue because you don’t build a deck around this card (usually), you just put it in there because it is a level 6 item that when drawn makes all of your disposable items (ie Hawk Hatchet) significantly better. Again, this card is Warlord’s Ranch dressing. Do you drink Ranch by itself? Most the times no. Do you always have some in your refrigerator so you can can make almost any food better? Most the times yes. This card is quite powerful but also simple and easy to play, which is why it is the best Item in Warlord Saga of the Storm.

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I really hope you enjoyed this read, as I had a lot of fun putting the list together. I would love to hear your opinions on the list and see yours as well! It was extremely hard to rank these items and I am sure I missed quite a few, so please let me know what you think! Lastly, if you enjoyed these rankings, stand by for the next article, where I list the 25 top actions in the History of Warlord Saga of the Storm! I wonder how high MATI will be ranked?