Staff of Disdain

[Brogan]

Does anyone know if the Staff of Disdain has a 100% success rate?  Or does it use the percent chance for a regular denigrate?  Reason I am asking is that I have been denigrated 3 times in a row in a region where the denigrating king has 0% control of the region.  His influence is a few points higher than mine, but not a crazy amount.  I also remember being denigrated turn after turn after turn in another game where the king had the Staff of Disdain, and that king also had no presence in my region.  Is the artifact "broken". 

Thanks.

[Jumpingfist]

Does anyone know if the Staff of Disdain has a 100% success rate?  Or does it use the percent chance for a regular denigrate?  Reason I am asking is that I have been denigrated 3 times in a row in a region where the denigrating king has 0% control of the region.  His influence is a few points higher than mine, but not a crazy amount.  I also remember being denigrated turn after turn after turn in another game where the king had the Staff of Disdain, and that king also had no presence in my region.  Is the artifact "broken". 

Thanks.

I have never had it fail and figured it was 100%.  I have used it many times and do not think it is broken since The Grey Mouser has been my target at least 5 or 6 times over a few games.

[kevindusi]

I believe it is 100%.

[Acererak]

I hate that artifact but I love that artifact.

[kevindusi]

It's one of my top two. That and the crystal of seeing...

[Ry Vor]

I thought that would be an interesting topic: favorite artifacts.  Oddly, I agree with The Deliverer's two choices.

There was some kind of internal discussion about Staff of Disdain vs. Staff of the Great Orator.   Since I seem to usually be fighting off multiple opponents, I side with Disdain.  But if I was a player who wins more than once in a lifetime, I think Staff of the Great Orator might be the choice.

Meanwhile the Crystal is certainly in my top echelon.  When Palantirs get bumped up in Third Cycle, maybe they get close.

Talk amongst yourselves (I think that was the SNL line back in the 80's). 

[Jumpingfist]

I think stone or all minds is my top choice. Even for non magic kingdoms the lowered cost and increasing max level is huge. Except maybe the TR which well there is no hope magically.

Staff of distain is the best defensive artifact for sure. My second favorite. It can also be used to play an offensive roll by lowering someone's reaction in there home region forcing them to raise it and not gain influence. So they get weaker while you still get to raise your own influence and your doing all this costing yourself less gold than what the other guy has to pay.

Staff of the great orator is mostly an offensive weapon but only does so much. So someone on top of denigrating and enemy declaration can still keep you at bay. This does not equal to me how strong and useful the other two are.

[Lord Thanatos]

Gem of the Planes and Stone of All Minds.

[Brogan]

I thought that would be an interesting topic: favorite artifacts.  Oddly, I agree with The Deliverer's two choices.

There was some kind of internal discussion about Staff of Disdain vs. Staff of the Great Orator.   Since I seem to usually be fighting off multiple opponents, I side with Disdain.  But if I was a player who wins more than once in a lifetime, I think Staff of the Great Orator might be the choice.

Meanwhile the Crystal is certainly in my top echelon.  When Palantirs get bumped up in Third Cycle, maybe they get close.

Talk amongst yourselves (I think that was the SNL line back in the 80's). 

You need to find a separate key before you can even obtain the staff of the orator if memory serves.  That makes Disdain far more powerful.   

My favorite would have to be the Stone of all Minds.  

[DuPont]

My favorite is the Horn of the Intrepid.