What are the best cards in AD4?

[DrDior]

In AD4 there are excellent cards in every category.  I simply can't decide on any one card.  If you can pick one, like and respond.

 

Weapons

Ranged - Shortspear +3.  The only choice, but it's a good one.

Melee - It's hard to go wrong with any of them.  But I save Greatclub +3 to the end, and keep Demonbane Longsword +2 in my deck because it is rechargeable.  At the end, you get a very nice MokMurian's Club.

 

Spells

Divine - Restoration.  But you have to remember to use it before the encounter.

Arcane - Poison Blast.  Unfortunately, a variety of monsters resist poison.

 

Armor

Light - Robe of Enery Resistance.  AD4 doesn't offer a lot in this category before the end reward Robe of Runes

Heavy - Ebon Thorn.  Very nice +2 to melee attacks

Shields - Reflecting shield.  I favor this type of shield over any other armor.  But you get a better one in AD5

 

Items - so many good ones here

Amulet of Inescapable Location, Flask of Fire (or Frost, or Magic), Greater Sage's Journal, Magic Spyglass, Necklace of Fireballs, Staff of Heaven and Earth.  Ezren starts to shine with this collection to build with.

 

Ally

Eagle - among so many good allies, this card is a winner.  Putting Eagle on Lini is a bonus!.

 

Blessings

Blessing of Gozreh - I'll always keep at least one in my party.

 

Looking through this list, my post selection best card is Eagle.   I've played a short deck with the Paladin and LIni.  The Eagle is always a big factor when it enters play.

 

Thanks and I look forward to your comments.

 

 

 

 

 

[wuxianja]

Magic Spyglass.

Recon is everything in this game!

[Thyraxus]

I prefer the Orb of Firestorm (from AD3) over the Flask of Fire for the following reasons:

• can be reused with Arcane or Divine (instead of Arcane only like the flask)
• easier check (target number 10 vs. 13) for re-use
• gets recharged instead of discarded upon successful check
• it is not limited to the same location

The last point is the most significant one. It means that if your party is spread out and one of your characters is facing a troll (or a similar moster requiring the Fire trait to defeat) somewhere alone but unfortunately not currently having a source of fire in their hand, another character can support them with the Orb from anywhere else. With the Flask, that character would have to happen to be at the same location.

 

The only advantage of the Flask (2d6 vs. 2d4, i.e. a +2 on average) is not big enough to make up for that extra flexibility, IMO. That's why I never kept the Flask around in any of my decks for long when I got one, except when I was unable to find an Orb to take its place.