(Teklo Core | Art by Nathaniel Himawan)

The lights of Metrix shone down onto the streets of the city. A hooded woman with a bag slung across her back darted into one of the side alleys. Once she was sure enforcers were not on her tail, she leaned against the wall and breathed easy. The young woman pulled down her hood to reveal electric blue hair, and a meep near her head. “That was a close one,” sighed the thief. She dropped the bag and set it in from of her, carefully unzipping it to examine the pilfered prizes.

From its inception in Arcane Rising, to the latest set, Bright Lights, the Mechanologist class has had an arsenal of items available to it. And that’s what we’re discussing today. With as many items as there are for Mech, we’ll need to break this study up into two parts. This one will cover all of the Mech items from before Bright Lights, and the next article will cover all the new additions from the all-Mech set.

Just remember, don’t let Mischievous Meeps steal your things.

Pedal to the Metal

In the rush of strength and power, we have items that help put your foot on the gas in one way or another. Teklo Pounder might be the most obvious among the items here. In a deck where all you desire to do is progress forward, Pounder adds to the damage you present whenever you boost for the fist time. With full on aggression and buffing boost, Pounder has been a Mech staple ever since it was printed.

For a slightly more unconventional offensive offering, Convection Amplifier provides an effect that can frustrate a few decks and punch through control, in theory. Amplifier can give anything dominate as long as you remove a counter from it, providing the ability to possibly push damage through. While a versatile tool to help anyone, Amplifier shines more as a part of a whole, though you can makes decks around its ability as well.

Next up is more of a dynamic duo than a single shining item, Plasma Purifier and Induction Chamber. These two cards can build a resource loop that is casually known as Exodia, where multiple of these items in play allow the deck to go on the aggressive and present large amounts of damage, all while pitching cards back into the deck. Exodia is such a powerful position to be in, that there is a deck that exists whose whole plan is to block and then return fire with an item-buffed Teklo Plasma Pistol, the only weapon (at time of writing) that can be affected by Chamber or Purifier.

Toolbox of Tech

When you don’t need to push damage to eleven, Mech has a few items that give you access to specific tech and tools for specific matchups. Powder Keg is one such option, keeping up pressure and threatening to destroy any temper or battleworn equipment that blocks and continues to let damage through. While not apparently powerful, Powder Keg does apply pressure in an odd way to ensure equipment isn’t just a partial block.

Signal Jammer offers the opportunity for both players to slow down the game and set the pace. Dash I/O can play Signal Jammer in the middle of your opponent’s turn to shut off and slow down the flow of their plans. Hate Harmonized Kodachi, Daggers, and Aether Ashwing? So does Dissolution Sphere. Preventing any one damage that would leak through to you, while it may seem minor, can be rather impactful. Tired of Kano to the point of putting Arcane Barrier in the deck for him? Aether Sink might just be the card for you. It’s able to grant you temporary AB to keep your life total higher against those who would sling arcane damage.

Bits, Bobs, and Utility

Starting with Specs, Teklo Core is an all-time MVP for Dash. This iconic item gives you two extra resources for two turns (or three with Plasma Mainline). This generically powerful effect has let the Dash Spec be played in nearly any Dash deck. Whether it’s refueling your items for the next Pistol barrage, or stringing together a wider attack turn with boosts, Teklo Core shines in nearly any situation.

The other item Spec is Micro-processor, which belongs to the one and only Data Doll MKII. With a large variety of effects, Micro-processor helps Data Doll play around her three-card hand as best as she can by manipulating the top of the deck. Plasma Mainline is a rather unique story of an item, starting as a potentially powerful, but ultimately mediocre item. With Bright Lights and a whole new slew of items, an entire deck has been made with Mainline as the focal item you want to start the game with. From questionable rages to exciting riches, Mainline now serves as an enjoyable fuel source to amplify the shenanigans other items provide.

If fatigue has you down, Cognition Nodes is here to help! While slowing down the game is a dubious task, Nodes allows you to keep up a little bit by turning all of your attacks into copies of Under Loop, spinning themselves to the bottom. Be it Command and Conquer, Enlightened Strike or Expedite, if Nodes has a counter on it, the attack can be cycled back to the bottom of the deck to stave off fatigue.

Wish you could better decide your plays? Optekal Monocle‘s got your back. With the ability to manipulate the top of your deck, Monocle can help you sort out your issues, especially with the new Dash I/O. Dissipation Shield and Absorption Dome may be outshined by newer items, but still preform a vital duty: making sure you don’t die. Though they go about it differently, both of these items keep your life total high by preventing damage that your opponent threatens you with. Dome rewards offensive boost with a bit of defense that might find a new home one day, while the Shield can keep you away from a rogue Pummel, though it’s a bit more clunky to make work.

If you’re looking at playing Mech, there are so many options for items you can drag with you into battle, even without the new batch from Bright Lights. Always keep an eye out for something you may have forgotten when building, and see if it fills in a hole in your deck.

Until we meet again, may your brews be ever so interesting.

Further reading:

The Commoner Club – Is Data Doll MKII viable?

Bright Lights Set Review – Items

The Mysteries of the Mechanologist Class

Mari Groh

Mari is a Flesh and Blood player who enjoys a good session of deckbuilding more than playing the actual game at times, though both sides of the game are her passion. A former Azalea main she has put her bow away in favor of concocting odd brews, having yet to find a true favorite deck again. Coming from a slew of different card games including Magic The Gathering the resident jank specialist is here to brew and jam games... so long as she isn't distracted by other games or creative writing.