Cycle I: Trireme Weapons, Trireme Armor and Basic Support Equipment | Aeon Trespass: Odyssey (Patreon)

The release of the complete Aeon Trespass: Odyssey (ATO) Cycles I to V story marks the beginning of the time where I start digging deeply into this game and we're going to start with my favourite aspect of all dungeon crawlers and their sub-genre of boss battlers. GEAR!

Good, deep and sophisticated gear systems with a lot of texture and impact beyond just 'thing you hit with', 'thing you wear when you get hit' and 'stat boost trinkets' can be a delight to navigate through, especially when you are dealing with a game which has as many unit/player interactions between the pieces on the board. Into the Unknown Studio (ITUS) worked very hard to build a boss battling game engine that explicitly allows for players to assist each other at the core of the mechanics via the various Kratos tokens.

ATO's gear system is different from Kingdom Death: Monsters in that it is utilising the more traditional design of Two Hands, Armor and accessory slots. However, the major points where this system diverge away from older models of this is by the inclusion of interactive and reactive gear. Players are not forced to be static during the AI Opponent turns in the way that happens in most dungeon crawlers that use this system, instead they have access to tools that can allow them to defend, respond, reposition and more in order to mitigate some or all of the manoeuvres that the AI is undertaking.

In particular, ATO is easily one of the most positional based boss battlers I've played, only Leviathan Wilds with its entirely climbing focused system comes out ahead and that game, while amazing, is significantly less complex, crunchy and “casual” and Oathsworn is the next game I'd list as having a heavy leaning into positional play (which it achieves by being competely transparent about the boss actions, ATO is semi-transparent).

ATO's design goal when it comes to combat seems to be in the same vein as Townsfolk Tussle, the boss battles are not just about dealing raw damage, they also offer opportunities for deeper tactical plays. In the case of Townsfolk Tussle this puzzle aspect is focused around the environment that the boss fights in and the advantages it can provide. However in ATO the focus is around understanding the gimmicks of the given boss then employing a mixture of titans and gear to help manage those gimmicks and take advantage of the bosses weak points. This is of course a much deeper well to draw from.

As such, I am going to be gradually moving through all of the gear, technology, titans and similar elements with the same fine tooth comb that I've applied to KDM's gear analysis. While ATO may be lacking the incredible 3x3 gear tableau puzzle, it does have so much more when it comes to the aforementioned positional game and relationship between primordials, titans and gear choices. This means that despite following a traditional dungeon crawler design, ATO still manages a dizzying level of depth, choices and complexity for players.

We're going to go through all of the gear that starts out as available in this article, that is covering everything you can craft at the start of the game along with the basic option of titan fists. When we start from the beginning when it comes to gear one can establish the baseline from which everything else is judged.

However, before we get into breaking down our baseline weapon, I'm going to take a moment to quickly go through the nomenclature I'll be using for weapons. I'll lay them out in the following format: (Dice/Accuracy/Damage/Bonuses), so for example Fists will be (2/+0/R) with R representing a single Red Dice, B represents a single Black Dice and W represents a White Dice. The Bonuses section will be used for the shorter bonuses such as Opening X or additional Breaks/Auto-Break etc. So a weapon with (3/-1/RB/R/Opening 2) would be three dice, -1 to hit, a Red and Black Dice per hit, one additional red dice and Opening 2.

I will be providing the image of each gear card for ease of reference, but when writing I wanted to just explain somewhere the bracket based lexicon I prefer to use. Also we'll go through the weapons in alphabetical order and I'm going to include the crafting cost for each one, because the total amount of resources, along with the quality of those resources does matter. Moral resources; triremes, monuments, armaments are available in far greater numbers than the Primordial ones and the game values them as a lower quality. We can see the ratios in Trade Fleet Dock (other ratios can occur as you improve your technology, I'm just providing the baseline here):

3 Trireme = 1 Armament

2 Trireme = 1 Monument

3 Raw Ambrosia = 1 Muscle Cluster/Infused Mechanism

4 Raw Ambrosia = 1 Calcified Knuckle Bone/Fleshy Mantle

The other Primordial Resources cannot be traded for via this card, meaning they are even more valuable due to the limits placed on their availability and should only be spent with purpose and goals. Well ideally you should always have a plan for something you have purchased, but if you're crafting something from Hermesian Pursuer parts for example it should be a foundational part of some game plan, cause getting more is going to take a bit of work.

One final note, I'm not going to get into the material properties of each gear card, if there are interactions I'd rather write about those in the relevant Primordial Battle(s).

Fists

“Fist and tooth, and will, and grit.”

Fists are something we have available to our titans throughout the game, and as such the Cycle I version is the perfect starting point to establish a baseline for our understanding. I am of the opinion that in games like this, no weapon should be worse than basic fists, because that means the particular weapon is essentially a waste of cardboard, you can have weapons which are similar in power but provide niche effects, but if Fists are strictly better than a given weapon then the players have no reason to use them. It also gives us our thematic underpinning for the mechanics.

Fists here can be used in two modes, our first is the (2/+0/R) two handed variant, meaning that a starting Dreamwalker titan can end up with between two and three red dice for a successful attack. Or the one handed variant which is (1/+0/R); establishing that two handed fighting in ATO is represented by additional attack dice. While the situations where one is going to be fighting with a single fist are rare, it is good that this edge case scenario is covered by this card.

The normal goal is to move past fists and onto actual weapons as soon as possible, however there are situations where a titan can end up having to employ their fists rather than weapons during a battle. I shan't spoil what they are here, but suffice to say it can happen.

Trireme Weapons

Trireme Weapons represent our first option beyond just titanic fists and as such they let us see how the various weapon designs may diverge. Each one of these weapons offers a different playstyle and this is one of the Technology cards were I do not think there is a clear set of right and wrong choices. Which shows how much effort and polish has been put into the starting experience for a player.

Boat Mace

Costs: 3x Monument, 1x Calcified Knuckle Bone

Crafting Limit: 2

The humble Boatmace is a staple weapon for at least one of my titans due to its really efficient design and ability to pair with either a shield or ranged weapon. We get an improved version of a single fist that has +1 accuracy to mitigate the single attack dice, double the damage and also helps set up the next titan's attack with Break 1 during the second ability window.

In addition to that, the Calcified Knuckle Bone portion of the cost is something one can have access to very early on, meaning we can get a Boatmace online very quickly in the early game and rely on it until better one handed “Sword” & Board options turn up further down the line. It's an aggressive, strong weapon that also has decent synergy when followed up with faster weapons like the Sirenteeth.

I consider one of these to be an essential craft and a second one is a viable option if that is how the resource drops shake out. Also it's a mace made out of a boat, what is not to love about this?

Kratos Kopis

Costs: 2x Trireme, 3x Raw Ambrosia, 1x Infused Mechanism

Crafting Limit: 2

Our second one handed option from this technology is the Kratos Kopis, providing a (2/+1/R) base attack profile with two additional keywords. All of this makes this one an exceptional choice for titans. Those strong keywords and higher attack dice are the main draw for picking this weapon over the other two options; Carving 1 means that when one wounds a primordial a successful Wisdom roll of 8+ immediately gives a pay out of non-core resources from that Body Part (BP) card. Carving X is ATO's version of resource farming and this can be very welcome early on because primordial resources can often be a blocking point in respect to gear progression. On top of that we have the Sacrifice keyword, which can allow our titan to support themselves with that additional break token in exchange for +1A (+1 Danger), raising danger voluntarily is something that can be desirable due to how it will unlock other abilities either on the titan or on other gear cards. Sacrifice here is a great little teaching tool about that.

All of this makes the Kratos Kopis a really attractive prospect for one handed weapon fighting, with the main limitation being the requirement for an Infused Mechanism, which is a Labyrinthauros resource and the tutorial Primordial is a Hekaton. So the Boatmace is often a wee bit faster and cheaper to craft, but having a Kratos Kopis on an off-tank/flex titan is an absolutely superb choice especially for helping build momentum in the early game.

Siren Blade

Costs: 4x Monument, 1x Fleshy Mantle

Crafting Limit: 2

Our last one handed weapon is the Siren Blade, this weapon goes back to the single attack dice design of the Boatmace, but it also provides an additional break at 7+ Danger and Reposition 1. As mentioned in the opening preamble, positioning is a huge part of ATO's battle play patterns. Being able to reposition one space after attacking can be very strong because it can let you clear up an important attacking spot, or step into a more optimal place to either not get hit, or get hit in the “best” way you can.

However, this is probably the Trireme Weapons option I want to run least, I personally prefer the aggressively slanted Boatmace and Kopis more than the Siren Blade's mobility. It is certainly can be on the same power as the previous two with the right playstyle, however I couldn't see myself crafting more than one copy of this unless I was completely unable to get Knuckles or Mechanisms due to bad fortune on resource drops. That hasn't happened yet and as such for me I've found the call of the Siren Blade to be a bit less tempting than the other two one handed options in this technology card. Positioning is strong, but at this stage of the game I want it on <!> like Reflex, not built into the weapon directly, however that absolutely changes as time passes.

Sirenteeth

Costs: 5x Trireme, 2x Muscle Cluster

Crafting Limit: 2

Sirenteeth is our first damage dealing focused weapon and its role is more of a set up damage weapon rather than the main damage dealer. I've found that Boatmace into Sirenteeth has been a great attack pattern as the Sirenteeth loves to get that additional break token with its (3/+0/R) attack profile. Though sometimes this weapon does like to get some assistance from the Argo's Arrow Barrage (Opening Tokens) in order to secure those hits.

After you've attacked with this weapon the ability to leave behind an opening token for your lead damage dealing (DPS) titan and reposition up to 2 spaces makes this a very effective and safe set up weapon. As such I'll always consider crafting 1 copy of this and I'll use it until better set up weapons turn up in the Cycle I mid game.

Trireme Weapons Thoughts

Overall this technology card is a real hit, there isn't a single option in here that I would avoid crafting and that is a great place to start building from. As written above if anything was strictly worse than base fists then the it's a waste of cardboard to print it and because these weapons have been designed with Fists in mind they all avoid that pitfall. The Boatmace and Kopis are my favourite two here, but I will always craft a set of Sirenteeth and flirt with the Siren Blade if resource drops lean in that direction. It's a really solid starting point.

Trireme Armor

Trireme Armor contains only two options, our first armor card and our first shield. We don't have anything to directly compare these against as there is no "Fists but armor" card. So the main consideration here is if they are worth the crafting cost or not rather than "how good are they compared to bare fists?"

Sail Spolas

Cost: 3x Armament, 5x Raw Ambrosia

Crafting Limit: 3

The Sail Spolas is a bit of a flop for myself, it isn't providing much protection outside of that single use Second Chance keyword. That can provide insurance for a titan who would otherwise die, but ATO doesn't punish you heavily for losing a couple of titans in a battle. You'd rather not, but Dreamwalker Titans are a dime a dozen, so spending 8 resources on this isn't a big draw unless you've already secured everything else you need and are struggling for other defensive options. I tried these out in my first Cycle I playthrough and wasn't super thrilled with them, so I skipped out on them for the replay and I didn't miss them.

This might be our first potential protection option, but I find it too restrained for its cost and I can only envision myself using this if I had an early unique titan and no other way to protect it.

This one needed 1 evasion reroll added to it I think.

Shipwrecker Shield

Cost: 2x Armament, 3x Raw Ambrosia, 1x Muscle Cluster

Crafting Limit: 2

The Shipwrecker Shield is an interesting one, because it's not that effective early on, but I still think crafting one to pair with a Boatmace is something I'm always interested in doing. This is because while I am not interested in attacking with its (2/+0/R) attack profile, I am interested in the passive benefit of two evasion rerolls and that Crit Evade keyword that puts 2 Opening tokens in the Kratos pool.

In addition to that, once a Hermes Tatters is crafted and a Mazerunner Titan acquired this shield can provide more leverage for an evasion focused tank. It's not the final shield you want for an evasion tank, but being able to run it until you have the stronger evasion focused shields does give it value in the middle portion of Cycle I (if you have enough Evasion to fully support this). As such I will generally craft 1 copy of this after I've crafted the Sirenteeth and I'm not unhappy to utilise it until better shields that prevent damage rather than evade come along for my front line Titans.

Trireme Armor Summary

For myself this technology card isn't as strong as its weapon counterpart, it has a very low amount of options and I'm likely to craft just one shield from amongst these most of the time. They do however provide our baseline armor and shield to compare all future options against, so that means there is worth to them in analysis if not so much on the field of battle.

Basic Support Equipment

One thing worth noting is that Support Equipment has a longer lifespan than weapons or armor, until you reach Ascendancy these gear cards scale throughout

Iapetus Lifeguard

Cost: 7x Trireme, 4x Raw Ambrosia

Crafting Limit: 3

Reflex is one of the most important keywords in the game, being able to reflex step during a <!> opportunity is a flexible and potent way to avoid so much damage and status effects from the Primordial opponents. As I stressed near the top of this article, positional play is at the heart of ATO's battles and the Iapetus Lifeguard is something you'll put into the load out for the vast majority of Cycle I titans. With this you can avoid pushback/knockback/trample, but you can also with positioning at the edge of the Primordial's movement perform the Out of Reach Evade by stepping that single space after it has chosen you as its target. You can also utilise it offensively to close in gaps against a primordial that has gotten a fraction out of range and it is relatively cheap to use and good refresh patterning can keep this relevant at almost all times.

I craft three of these and I never regret doing so because having three available for load outs is so useful when setting up for a battle and these cards remain viable for the entirety of Cycle I.

Ares Aulos

Cost: 2x Armament, 2x Infused Mechanism

Crafting Limit: 2

Our War Instrument (an Aulos is a double piped wind instrument) provides titans with a taunt. Activating this not only gives us the Priority Target token, more on this in a moment, but it also turns the Primordial to face the dooting taunter. This makes the Ares Aulos a key tool for aggro management and it is a way that the tank titan can keep the Primordial focused on it.

That is incredibly useful because between positioning and managing cooldowns it can be difficult for the Tanking Titan to keep their rage high enough to hold the priority target over the damage dealing titans because you can't attack every turn. I often concentrate on the tank staying mobile while using activations to refresh the gear. So I'll try to get the Primordial's attention back onto the tank by using the aulos instead of attacking, but when close enough to be able to utilise the titan's movement option to refresh exhausted cards it's boatmace bonking time!

I will absolutely craft 2 of these, because it is very possible to keep a primordial with lower movement locked into bouncing between two tanks/off-tanks that are taunting and then Out Of Reach (OOR) evading it. While support slots are very tight in Cycle I, there are ways to expand that and when you can having a second Aulos is a viable route.

Makesheath

Cost: 6x Monument, 1x Muscle Cluster

Crafting Limit: 2

This is the support item for your ranged titan, usually my ranged titan is also my off-tank, it will either run a ranged weapon + shield or melee weapon + ranged one hand depending on the titan and the specifics of the role I want them to undertake.

At the cost of one slot and a fate at the start of the battle, the Makesheath gives us a second shot before we have to slow down and refresh everything. That is really useful due to many ranged weapons having the cumbersome keyword (exhausting after a successful wounding attack). Also as the Makesheath is something that utilises the weapon, it scales throughout the Cycle and remains consistently relevant as long as you're fighting with Ranged weapon(s). I'll always craft one of this card once I have cumbersome ranged weapons available

Spring Harness

Cost: 4 Armament, 1x Infused Mechanism

Crafting Limit: 3

I'm always crafting between two and three of these, they save so many titan lives that I want to have the ability to use them on almost every titan in some battles and the only reason I may hold back on crafting three is because there's another support gear coming later in the cycle that is better at the job than this.

The reason for this is due to players being the “many” and the primordial being the “one” in this equation the bosses will employ forms of crowd control to disrupt our play. To whit, all of the primordials one will encounter in Cycle I will utilise Knock down as a part of their offensive suite on top of the trauma deck sometimes delivering an unexpected knock down with maze eruption.

Knock downs can really slow down your progress through a battle, you're always on a clock in these battles (whereas time is on the Primordial's side) and the wrong titan knocked at the wrong time can even push things into a really dangerous situation where titan death is on the cards. So I find having access to this gear and being able to set up knock down protection on anywhere between 2 to 4 titans is worth so much that having the maximum amount available in cycle 1 has paid off.

Final Thoughts

These three technology cards and their associated 10 different types of gear represent a really strong base selection of options to support our titans during their battles and it's honestly great to see such a firm and steady hand on the design that is present here. I would only consider the Sail Spolas as a slight miss and even there it isn't bad per say it's more a little under-tuned and becomes redundant a little bit too quickly to justify it as a staple.

I think that the weapons and support gear in particular do very well, in fact some of the support gear lasts a good long while in this game, which is both good and also par for the course when it comes to supporting gear in boss battlers/dungeon crawlers.

So that's it, if you have any additional thoughts or have neat interactions you've found these gear cards working in please let me know in the comments. I'm still very much learning with this game as I've only completed the first cycle twice now.