Today marks the day we’ve all been waiting for after one week of campaigning, fixing, and agitating: the day we can choose our candidates. And while the arguments over the merits of each candidate have been delightful and informative, it’s time to get down to what I think is the real reason for our choices this year:
The loot.
Mrs. Plenty (Genuine Rubbery Lumps: Persuasive +8, Bizzare +1)
Madame Shoshana (The Neathy Tarot: Shadowy +8, Dreaded +1)
Virginia (Devilbone Talons: Watchful +8, Respectable +1)
This year’s election items are based around the Gloves category, which is welcome as it’s a rather underrepresented slot compared to, say, Weapons or Companions. Unlike past years, however, none of this year’s selections are best-in-slot for any of the four base stats, even discounting Fate-locked and Renown items: you can buy equivalents for each straight from the Bazaar. This is somewhat unfortunate for Dangerous players, as currently Dangerous gloves stop at a measly +5 bonus with Spider-chitin Gauntlets. That said, min-maxers can breathe a sigh of relief and choose whichever candidate they like, though as a helpful reminder, you can always change candidates even after getting the item you want.
In my view, Virginia has a slight advantage over the other candidates, as the alternate best-in-slot Watchful glove, the Insatiable Glove, has minor pluses and minuses that the Talons do not, diluting its usefulness somewhat. There are also currently no other Respectable gloves, so if you care about that specifically rather than total BDR, Virginia is your first choice.
Madame Shoshana takes second place. While Lenguals make her Shadowy bonus obsolete, her +1 Dreaded is a feature only shared with the Feast of the Rose-exclusive Hand of Glory.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Plenty’s item has little going for it. The persuasive bonus is matched by the Twelve-carat Diamond Ring which also confers a slight Dangerous bonus, and the aforementioned Lenguals give the same Bizzare bonus. Since neither of these are Fate-locked, you are probably better off with one of the other candidate’s items.
So tell us, what are your thoughts on this year’s Election items?
edited by MrUnderhill89 on 7/22/2019