Rating History ▼

Rating History ▲

Rating History ▼

Rating History ▲

At a Glance (3/3):
Fire off a massive explosion from this water-proof bomb, dealing 10 icons of light and water, and 1-10 icons of physical damage! Be mindful of timing the fuse though. I can't imagine a fire-proof water bomb fuse being easy to put out!

In-Depth (2/4):
This is a clone of the infamous Ghostkerbomb, so it comes with similar benefits and shortcomings as the best bomb in neopia. Only, this bomb is more likely to be blocked rather than reflected. A whole slew of full light blockers roam around the battledome, such as Hubrid Nox Memorial Shield, Dr. Sloths Personal Body Armour, and Jhudoras Bewitched Ring, to name a few. And then there's Faerie Tabard, which is the most common shield people will have in their sets. But really, Hubrid Nox Memorial Shield will do the best job at shutting this bomb down, being able to fully block the light AND resist the water and physical damage.

However, let the number of checks and counters not worry your little head, b/c if weapons' effectiveness were solely determined by what counters what, we'd see a lot less creative sets and boring matchups. This may not be your go-to bomb for every general occasion due to how easy it is to block, but it makes for a great mix-up bomb! If you use Ghostkerbomb in your first battle against someone, then the second will allow you to use this in its place to avoid many counters that G-bomb has trouble against. Indeed - the worst you'll probably face is a block from the nox shield, but G-bomb's worst counter is rather likely to be Clawed Shield + Ultra Dual Shovel, which not only is a bomb opportunity sorely missed, but one that has resulted in a harsh setback! Combo Battle Mirror, Superior Reflection Shield, Mega U-bend, and U-bend of Great Justice are all reflectors that players wouldn't risk bringing into their sets unless they were POSITIVE that you are packing this bomb. And if they do, they risk a lot in a turn using them, when you could very easily feint the bomb and use something totally different!

Or, you can go all in with both of them, as trying to block 10 of 5 different elements (~11 physical on average, but you get the gist) isn't something easily done. Additionally, using the two separately instead of in one turn may prove beneficial, as you can try to finish early with one bomb, and if that doesn't work, attempt to use the second bomb as a back-up finisher!

M-bomb used in these ways is what makes it a tactical, powerful bomb, but you must be mindful of its different counters and your set space if you decide to use it and another bomb, as your set will be limited and not flexible enough for extended fights.

Price (1/2):
The price is mostly what used to kill this bomb. It now sits at around 15m or so. Better than before, but G-bomb can perfectly suffice single bomb needs at ~6-7m.

However, in the advent that G-bomb eventually gets retired (it is an old item, after all), we'll definitely see this in a more favorable lighting. The price of Sword of White Lies was based off of the price of Ghostkersword, even though it was a cove item, and thus, more rarer. Certainly less abundant considering G-Sword was an old hidden tower item. The same scenario may happen to G-bomb on its retirement, with it rising to a price close to, if not the same, as M-bomb. And if they're even similar in price than now, people won't be so harsh on the poor, highly decorative bomb.

Do keep this in mind when considering M-Bomb.

Bonus (1/1):
+1 for being released on 9/11. GG, TNT.

Final Score: 7/10

EDIT: Cost was reduced to ~15m from 45m (the original price for a while after release).

Rated on October 27, 2014. Updated January 27, 2015

Price/Power (2/5)
Introducing a weak clone of the Ghostkerbomb would be fine, maybe even a good thing... if it was cheaper. What we have here is an icon number clone of the ghostkersbomb for an insane cove level price- a skip if I have ever heard one before. That being said, the raw icon value of this bomb does make it at least a small amount useful if you were lucky enough to buy one from the cove.

Countermeasures (2/5)
Water and Light- ick. Water is likely to be blocked just out of hand due to how common items like the {{Dr Sloths Bath Buddy}} and Kelpbeards Trident are. There are many options for blocking water, but at least the most common blocker, Faerie Tabard, would leave the light alone. Light on the other hand is cheap to block using the Parasol of Unfortunate Demise and the more expensive Dr. Sloths Personal Body Armour and Hubrid Nox Memorial Shield will take a much larger chunk out due to also blocking water. Overall this item is far too easy to block, and doesn't use rare enough icons to justify the expense.

Alternatives Upgrades or Downgrades
While being more 'predictable' in the battledome, the Ghostkerbomb provides a much harder to block alternative to this bomb. Bonus points in the fact that selling the Maractite Bomb would let you afford a whole set of weapons...

Other Points
Right now you can apparently equip multiple of these at once, but honestly with how easy this is to block you would be throwing away valuable spots for little purpose.

Final Thoughts
I always liked Maraqua and Maractite, but it feels like the pirates stole the wrong item today and it is about to blow up in their faces.

Rated on September 29, 2014. Updated January 27, 2015

The first few days since Maractite Bomb's release have been interesting, to say the least. Maractite Bomb has been upgraded twice since it came ashore at the Smugglers' Cove. Given its current effect, it seems likely that the stats on the bomb are final. However, I will update this guide should any tweaks be made.

When Maractite Bomb was first activated, early reports clocked it in at a dreadful 2-5 Physical icons, once per battle. Several hours later, it was reported to be inflicting a constant 9 Physical icons against its foes. Whether these first two renditions of Maractite Bomb were a glitch or a cruel joke, we don't know. What we do know now, however, is that Maractite Bomb has been upgraded into a powerhouse.

As it stands now, Maractite Bomb is a clone of the infamous Ghostkerbomb, just as early speculators had predicted. This Water variant of Ghostkerbomb packs the same deadly punch: 21 to 30 icons, once per battle. Maractite Bomb's Physical icons appear to be distributed in the exact same manner as its predecessor. The dual sets of 0.5 to 5.0 Physical icons mean that Maractite Bomb deals hits near its average more times than not; extreme highs and extreme lows in icons are uncommon. Maractite Bomb can be equipped alongside Ghostkerbomb and any other bomb. It is currently possible to equip more than one Maractite Bomb, but it is possible this condition may be changed to match Ghostkerbomb's unique-equip status.

As with any new Smugglers' Cove release, Maractite Bomb has experienced massive fluctuations in price. While these fluctuations will cease with time, early indicators do point towards this bomb fitting into the Leaded Elemental Vial price tier. When evaluating a weapon like Maractite Bomb, the price is a key factor in determining its usefulness.

Ghostkerbomb offers better icon types than Maractite Bomb. Earth and Fire icons tend to be more punishing than Water and Light icons. Pirate Captains Hat is a concern for Ghostkerbomb, but Maractite Bomb has to deal with multiple use shields like Faerie Tabard, Hubrid Nox Memorial Shield and Dr. Sloths Personal Body Armour. Wand of the Dark Faerie, Skarls Sword, and other top level items also make Light icons some of the most undesirable icons.

Ghostkerbomb is far cheaper due to having a locked price in the Hidden Tower, and it also offers superior icon types. These facts together present a serious problem for Maractite Bomb. The only positive for Maractite Bomb is that it is a rarer item, but rarity does not add to in-battle performance of course. Although Maractite Bomb could serve as a change-of-pace replacement to Ghostkerbomb in 2-Player, we are mostly forced to look at opportunities for the two bomb to exist in a set simultaneously when evaluating Maractite Bomb.

Equipping two bombs is generally ill-advised in 2-Player. When combined with a healer and potentially a freezer, more than one bomb seriously diminishes a battler's set space for multiple use weaponry. The idea behind using two bombs in 2-Player would be to lengthen the one-hit KO range. An unsuspecting opponent may not be prepared to defend against and survive two bombs simultaneously. Generally, such aggressive tactics are difficult to execute with consistency, which means that Maractite Bomb will have only a niche role.

Equipping two bombs is a somewhat better option in 1-Player. Sets can be geared towards a specific challenger, leaving room for two bombs at once. Maractite Bomb's real value comes from single-turn battles. Along with Ghostkerbomb, the two weapons offer a single-turn damage burst that can only be exceeded by the likes of a Seasonal Attack Pea or Super Attack Pea. For the player wishing to grind as many one-hit KO victories as possible, the dual bomb set-up is the best option. However, when it comes to lengthy battles, a strong multiple use weapon like Ghostkersword or Grapes of Wrath would be a better use of finite funds. Once again, Maractite Bomb is limited in usefulness.

Maractite Bomb is a force to be reckoned with, but its status as a Cove item pushes its price tag out of the range of reason. This bomb is a luxury item for players who already have a well rounded set. Should a player have Hidden Tower level constants, a Ghostkerbomb, a high-end healer, a 100% freezer, and maybe even a Thyoras Tear, then Maractite Bomb may finally be worthy of consideration. As it stands now, a battler's first ~200 million Neopoints could be better utilized towards more cost efficient weaponry.

Rated on September 12, 2014. Updated January 27, 2015