Scarab Ring (r101) [Special]
| Description | This remarkable ring can both attack an opponent and provide great defence for the wearer. This is a prize from a Lost Desert Scratchcard. |  Multiuse Average Rating [?]
Purchase This Item |
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| Attack |    |
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| Defense |   |
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| Reflect | N/A | ||||||||||
| Effects | N/A | ||||||||||
| Actual Icons |
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| Restocks At | N/A | ||||||||||
| Used By | Cunning Mastermind | ||||||||||
| Special Categorization | Scratchcards - You can win this from one of the various scratchcards in Neopia. | ||||||||||
| Notes | None |
Ratings - Scarab Ring
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Rating: | This item is possibly one of the biggest victims of power creep on the entire site. The main problem with this is that it fails what I like to call the Scroll of Ultranova/Ridiculously Heavy Battle Hammer test. The test is simple: if an attacking weapon doesn't do as much damage as either of these two weapons, then it needs an exceptional secondary effect. I'm talking Rod of Dark Nova or The Mystical Tablet-type effects here. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that Scarab Ring's meager 6 attacking icons, while amazing when compared to the previously-dominant Attack Fork, are no longer anywhere close to cutting it in the era of Scroll of Ultranova. As a 1P battler, you will often need to ask yourself: Why should I bother with defending if I can instead be attacking? If you don't have a very good reason on the lines of "I won't survive the next turn unless my AI opponent makes this specific move which is blocked best by this specific defensive item", then it's generally not worth holding back for the sake of defense, especially once you reach level 50 and you start using Lens Flare. That people still use this item is a testament to how long it was actually considered good and how enduring its reputation has been. I partially blame myself and the flaws of Battlepedia's rating system; this weapon truly was amazing back when I started battling, and this ring's high rating reflect its former glory. But it's almost 2020 now. It'd be a better use of your Neopoints to just buy two Scrolls of Ultranova and then wait until you can upgrade to Poisonous Mushroom Tea - with Trudy's Surprise, you will definitely ... ▼ Read More ▼ |
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Rating: | This weapon will only be rated for Regular 1P/2P use, since it doesn't have any niche or league use. Price (3/3): It's extremely cheap, I'll give it that. for what it does the price isn't bad. Power (0/5): The issue is what it does, however. Back then when this was popular it was a really good item. Nowadays, however... 6 attacking icons, split into 3 types, which are all easy to block. If your opponent blocks you can expect none of those icons to go through. As for the defence. It's small. Even though it blocks fire and physical, at those amounts you won't be blocking anything meaningful, and you could do much better with a straight on constant than with this dual duty. Uniqueness (0/2): Most dual duties are nothing special, so no points here for me. Overall This scarab became a relic of its time. Nowadays you're able to get over 12 attacking icons easily, and even against weapons like Yooyu knuckle duster that have terrible icon types this weapon will end up failing. Because of that its final rating is 3/10. Rated on October 31, 2019 |
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Rating: | Value 3/3: Dirt cheap, 12 possible effective icons. A steal. Tactical: 5/6: Most shields take a chunk out of this weapon, but most don't stop it completely either. If your opponent only wants to "out-offense" you and doesn't defend, this puts 6 icons through. That being said, icon inflation reduces the effectiveness of this weapon, since many low-cost offensive weapons such as the Scroll of Knowledge and Scroll of Ultranova can beat this weapon head to head. It still gets a high rating though, because we theorize about using weapons head to head—one against one—all the time, but in fact weapons are always used against 2 weapons—and the scarab ring's defense is likely to pick off a few icons from at least one if not both of your opponents weapons in a given round. Other 1/1: This is a quirky weapon with a great history, it's 12 icons for next to nothing, isn't easy to fully block and usually takes something out of your opponent's attack. Conclusion: The whole is more than the sum of it's parts. This is still a superb weapon, and just about everybody should own one. Rated on September 7, 2013 |
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Rating: | Scarab Ring made a huge impact on entry-level battling at the time of its release, and it is still a top choice today. At the time of its release, 6 icon weaponry was considered to be the standard for beginners. 6 icons AND 6 icons of defense was extraordinary. If you decided to start battling after Scarab Ring's release and asked for weapon choice help, chances are someone recommended this weapon to you. These days a 6 icon attack is nothing special with newer, cheap options such as Ridiculously Heavy Battle Hammer and Scroll of Knowledge, but factor in Scarab Ring's defense and you have a pretty nice weapon. 12 total icons at this price is difficult to come by. The Physical defense is fantastic in a dome where Physical icons are everywhere - in both 1-Player and 2-Player. The Fire defense will not come into play as often as the Physical defense, but Fire defense is much harder to come across. Cheap Fire-defending alternatives include Flaming Oven Gloves and Nurias Battle Shield, which are not that impressive in terms of total icons, and dual duties include Snowager Sword and Elegant Desert Sword, which give up the Physical defense for only a single icon more of offense. This means that for budget battlers, Scarab Ring is actually one of the better items in terms of Fire defense. Yes, the attack certainly leaves more to be desired, but the combination of both attack and defense is still wonderful for the price tag. Weapons like Ridiculously Heavy Battle Hammer and Scroll of Knowledge and the likes are better choices for inflicting damage, but if you are a newbie looking for a pinch of de... ▼ Read More ▼ |
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Rating: Rating History ▼ | Price/Power (2/5) 6 Icons of attack and 6 icons of defense is less than solid, it is slightly less desirable when you consider the other pure attackers/defenders on the market. The fact it blocks fire and physical is a nice touch, Countermeasures (2/5) Physical attack being used is an instant worrying point in my eyes. This icon type is too easily blocked, even by attackers using the same combo of rings. Besides this, the scarab ring has became such a staple over time that people using it has became expected and thus easier to predict/block. Alternatives, Upgrades or Downgrades While this is still a solid weapon in its own rights, it is beaten by a good shield/weapon combo of a higher sum of icons. Upgrade wise, the Golden Compass is worth a look at due to the extra damage it deals, but other then this dual duties seem to be less useful of late. Other Points (1 Bonus This is a classic weapon and still holds a place in a beginner set even if I personally am not the largest fan. Final Thoughts A couple of years ago I would have given this a 9 or even a 10. However recent developments in the battledome make me believe that this weapon has slowly became nothing but a shadow of a bygone age. Rated on December 4, 2012. Updated September 30, 2018 |
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Rating: | Power/Price (4/5): Six iconers have lost their appeal recently. Being a dual duty is a plus but not enough in my opinion to make it worthwhile. If it dealt more damage, I would give this weapon a 5/5, six icons just don't cut it any more. Countermeasures (3/5): 4 icons are defended by Leaf Shield, almost 4 icons defended by Shiny Shoal Shell Shield and almost fully blocked by the Virtupets X-514 Super Shield. The more common shields will block most of the icons this weapon deals. In 1-Player, this weapon is solid because most 1-player opponents won't be using the fore-mentioned shields. The defence and attack combo make it a great weapon for people with a good strength and defence boost. In 2-Player, this weapon falls short of what it used to be. A lot of opponents have common shields and weapons that can deal upwards 11 icons. Alternative: Amulet of Altador *(Much more expensive) Upgrades: Golden Compass Downgrades: Any cheap weapon that deals 6 icons or less. I am giving this weapon a 7/10. This used to be a staple in the battledome and still has a lot of nostalgic value to it but it has started to fall behind. It's cheap price makes this still somewhat viable for sets but there are better weapons for cheap out there. This is good, just not good enough any more. Rated on December 3, 2012. Updated September 30, 2018 |
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Rating: | Price/power (5/5): Only 6 attacking icons but it's a dual duty and it blocks 6 icons. Very cheap for what it does though. Tactical (4/5): It's hard to get all 6 attacking icons through, but you're likely to get something through due to the icon spread. The icons it blocks are fairly common too (especially physical). Unlike most dual duties, this will remain useful for quite some time, far beyond low level battling. Bonus (1/1): Description is accurate. This ring is remarkable indeed. Closing remarks: This weapon will have a place in most sets for a long time. If you're new to battling and you want a decent weapon to begin with, look no further. Final score: (10/10) Rated on December 2, 2012. Updated September 30, 2018 |
