The month is coming to an end, and with it, the monthly poll results are in. This month I polled how the community feels about the different Armor attachments that are in the cardpool. These attachments have been important in keeping your heroes alive, and during the Ered Mithrin cycle, we’ve received some armor for allies as well. But if the community had to decide what 3 pieces of armor to keep, which ones would they keep? Let’s find out.
In total, the poll received 261 votes, thanks to every person getting 3 votes. Important to note is that every Armor attachment has received at least 1 vote, so in reality, nothing has to leave the cardpool according to the community, as there are fans for each and every attachment on this list. However, some attachments got more votes than others, so let’s take a look at which ones came out on top.
Far and away the best piece of armor according to the community is the Gondorian Shield. This attachment is simple, but effective. For 1 cost, you get +1 defence on any hero, but +2 defence if that hero has the Gondor trait. This attachment is a staple of any deck that runs a Tactics Gondor hero, like Beregond and Boromir. Other heroes can also equip this attachment, at which point it is on par with Dunedain Warning. The Gondor trait is easy to obtain through Steward of Gondor and In Service of the Steward, so there is an easy way to turn any hero into a capable defender. The downside of this attachment is that it is both Restricted and limit 1 per hero, but that was to prevent it being broken on heroes like pre-errata Boromir. A solid attachment that has been loved by the community ever since it was released in the Steward’s Fear.
A much more recent attachment comes in at number 2: the Hauberk of Mail. This attachment can go on any Dale or Warrior character, and will again boost defence by 1 point for 1 cost. This by itself makes it a good attachment for allies, as it replicated Dunedain Warning again. However, this attachment doesn’t stop there. If the attached character happens to have the Sentinel keyword, they also get +1 hitpoint. This is vital to defenders, as having just 1 or 2 hitpoints won’t be enough against some more recent enemies. Shadow effects dealing direct damage has been the bane of allies like Defender of Rammas and Winged Guardian, but this attachment can at least allow Sentinel characters to live a little longer. Even better is that the Hauberk isn’t restricted, allowing it to go on heroes like Beregon without taking up a Restricted slot. It is limited to 1 per character, but that is fine. No need to wear 2 sets of mail on top of each other.
Just like the weapon poll I ran a few months ago, Raiment of War has come in at third place. This attachment has the benefit of having both the Armor and Weapon trait, and is thus included in both lists. This attachment does more for defenders though, as it gives a good boost to both defence and hitpoints. Not having to exhaust it for anything is also nice, as you can use it for Tactics events that require the exhaustion of a Weapon or Armor attachment. This attachment has received more time in the spotlight since the Ered Mithrin cycle and will turn any Warrior ally into a powerhouse in the defence department.
The next three attachments on this list all received a decent number of votes as well. Ancestral Armor and Citadel Plate are quite similar, as they give a total of 4 stats for the cost of 4 resources and a Restriced slot. Ancestral Armor is a little higher on the list, as boosting just hitpoints means that you will have to add healing to your deck as well. It is also easier to spend 4 resources in Leadership than Tactics. But Citadel Plate has been a good attachment since the Core Set and has allowed for some wild Gloin/Gimli decks that get double digit hitpoints with these attachments. The Golden Shield is also this high up, despite going only on Rohan heroes. Adding willpower to defence is a great way to boost defence considerably for Rohan heroes, as they tend to have quite a lot of willpower (with some exceptions of course, sorry Erkenbrand). Theoden and Eowyn are usually the main recipiants of this Shield, which makes the able to block bigger attacks.
From here on, there is a considerable drop in votes for the rest of the Armor attachments. That is likely because these attachments are usually trait-restricted or offer poor value compared to other attachments higher up on the list. What I did not expect though, is that the Raven-winged Helm would end up on the bottom of the list with just 1 vote. This attachment does not grant buffs to stats, but cancels damage that would be dealt to the attached hero. Sure, that hero has to have the Sentinel keyword, but the Helm is not restricted and offers healing without having to rely on Lore or on Honour Guards. I quite like the Helm, and no Beregond-tower is complete without it.
And that was the poll for April again. This list was a little shorter than the Weapon list, but it has resulted in some interesting conclusions. I intend to have a poll for Mount attachments for the month of June, but while we are still under stay-at-home orders, I was wondering whether or not you feel like you have been getting more time to play the game. So that’s what I will be polling for May, which should be available in the side-bar of the blog already. Leave your votes there, and I will share the results at the end of May. Take care everyone!
Vision Of The Palantir 