Faerie Tabard is a superb shield that excels at ever facet of the game.

This weapon stocks for 7.5M NP in the Hidden Tower, and at the time of this review can be found for just under 7M on the player market. Faerie Tabard blocks all Water icons as well as a nice five icons each of Fire and Physical defense and three more icons each of Earth and Air defense.

The full-Water defense is what makes Faerie Tabard especially nice given the relative lack of Multiple Use full-Water blockers. Enchanted Kiko Squeeze Toy offers no additional defense, making it undesirable. Battle Plunger is an amazing option, but only Neopia's most elite are able to afford it. U-Bend of Great Justice is the supreme Water reflector, and its closeness in price to Faerie Tabard makes it the only suitable competition.

Currently, Faerie Tabard has practical applications for 1-Player, general 2-Player, and League 97, making it an all-around useful shield. Let's examine all three areas in detail.

In 1-Player, Faerie Tabard dethroned Ghostkershield as most popular 1P shield when it was released, and it reigned for many years until the release of Hubrid Nox Memorial Shield. Hubrid Nox Memorial Shield is well-liked because it offers a bit more total defense, but Faerie Tabard is still a prime choice for defense against 1-Player opponents. Many 1-Player opponents have a tendency to use more 'elemental' icons than Dark and Light icons, making Faerie Tabard an excellent fit against many challengers. It should be noted that this fact does not hold true for all challengers, for example The Black Pteri and Sidney would be largely untamed by the Tabard. However, the majority of 1-Player challengers will be greatly limited by a Faerie Tabard and a strong defense boost.

Also remember that the only other Water-countering item in this price range is U-Bend of Great Justice. For weak pets attempting to tackle the Snow Beast, reflected icons can prove to be the difference in winning the battle, but in most cases Faerie Tabard's additional defense outweighs the possibility of reflected damage. The lack of competition means that Faerie Tabard is the go-to shield for Water defense.

In 2-Player, Faerie Tabard is most useful at stopping the Water-heavy weapons Kelpbeards Trident, Sword of Tawre, and Dr. Sloths Personal Bath Buddy. In addition to Dr. Sloths Personal Bath Buddy, Faerie Tabard blocks other intermediate-level weapons like Ylanas Blaster, Altador Cup Throwing Star, and Bow of Destiny. The release of Stone Foam Finger means that Faerie Tabard is not quite as dominant as it was in the intermediate metagame, but its wide defensive alignment still allows it to dictate weapon choices.

At the upper-level of 2-Player, Faerie Tabard will block pieces of Sword of Reif, Ghostkerbomb, and Fan of Swords, but better defensive options exist for stopping these weapons. Faerie Tabard was most popular in Tower-level 2-Player in the pre-anagram era when Kelpbeards Trident was more common. Faerie Tabard is now more of a second-string option in the Tower metagame.

In L97, Faerie Tabard is a highly influential weapon. Faerie Tabard shuts down both the Icicle and Sear abilities in the 25-tier, and the Tabard also slows the attacks of Rancid Battle Dung, Portable Kiln, Meukas Snot Trail, Hobans Hat, Solar Burrito, and many more. Faerie Tabard is highly popular because of its ability to stop the Icicle ability dead, meaning weapons like Ring of the Sway and Starry Battle Dung are popular for anti-Tabard offenses. A Faerie Tabard paired with Spyder Stone Necklace or Dusty Magic Broom is a common 'safety' play, one that will stop a reasonable amount of damage.

Overall, Faerie Tabard is about as versatile as a weapon can be in the modern game. When it comes to full-Water defense, only Battle Plunger can come close to rivaling the Tabard, although the similarities between the two begin and end with the Water defense. As the best Water-blocking shield in the game, Faerie Tabard earns a 10/10.

Rated on March 31, 2014