Inven Global

To celebrate Halloween, a new type of enchantment event, 'Scarecrow Baru's Gift,' has begun. This event, which was well-loved for its Halloween weapons in previous iterations, features four pieces of equipment this time: the Halloween Pumpkin Helm, Pumpkin Longsword, Pumpkin Reflex Bow, and Pumpkin Armor.

The key detail to watch is the condition for permanent exchange. Enhancing weapons and armor to +8 or higher guarantees they will be exchanged for permanent items of the same enhancement level after the event ends, giving players a much clearer reason to participate than in previous events. However, since the enchantment probability structure is unique and gear is destroyed upon failure, it is wise to carefully evaluate each piece's characteristics and expected costs before diving in.

Event equipment can be purchased by heading northwest from Giran Square to Scarecrow 'Baru,' who stands beside Emai. The Halloween Pumpkin Helm costs 99,000 Adena (1 per account), while the Halloween Pumpkin Longsword, Pumpkin Reflex Bow, and Pumpkin Armor cost 100,000 Adena each. Halloween Weapon Enchant Scrolls used for enhancement are sold for 72,000 Adena, and Halloween Armor Enchant Scrolls for 36,000 Adena.

The first piece of equipment to look at is the Halloween Pumpkin Helm. Belonging to the same category as the Level 52 Polymorph Helms distributed and sold during previous events, it can be purchased once per account for 99,000 Adena. It cannot be enchanted, grants AC -7 and MR +10%, and polymorphs the user into a Scarecrow when equipped.

The Scarecrow Polymorph features the same attack speed as Level 52 polymorphs while offering faster movement speed. Therefore, even players capable of polymorphing into Death Knight or Dark Elf will find it well worth buying unless they have access to higher-tier polymorphs. Although it lasts for only one week, its low price tag of 99,000 Adena is another advantage.

However, the story changes for players beyond Level 52 who already possess highly enchanted gear. Compared to the stats lost by swapping helmets, movement speed is the only benefit gained, and if you can use a higher-tier polymorph than Scarecrow, the appeal drops even further. Weigh your decision carefully based on your gear setup and polymorph tier.

The highlight of this event is the Halloween Pumpkin Longsword, Pumpkin Reflex Bow, and Pumpkin Armor. If you successfully enchant any of these three items to +8 through +10, they will be exchanged for permanent items with identical stats after the event period ends.

The Halloween Pumpkin Longsword, Pumpkin Reflex Bow, and Pumpkin Armor can be used until November 11 and will be deleted during maintenance on that day. The permanent exchange will also take place during this maintenance, with only items enchanted to +8 or higher being converted into permanent items.

Previous events required much higher enhancement levels, such as +10, and awarded un-enchanted standard gear in return. This time, the enhancement threshold is lower and exchanged items are provided at the same enhancement level, making the incentive far greater. However, the enchantment probability structure is somewhat unique.

For weapons, pushing up to +8 is reasonable. Enhancement is safe up to +6, and reaching +8—the threshold for permanent exchange—only requires succeeding twice on a 33% chance. On the other hand, from +9 onward, a 10% success rate applies, which is lower than the ~33% rate of regular weapons, causing investment costs to skyrocket.

Armor presents a higher initial hurdle. Safe enchantment only goes up to +4, and reaching the +8 target for permanent exchange requires facing a 10% success rate. While it offers sweet stats—matching Elven Plate Mail in base defense while adding HP and MP recovery—getting it to +8 is no easy feat, so make sure you have sufficient seed money before giving it a try.

As a side note, whether Pumpkin weapons and armor converted into permanent items after the event can be further enchanted with standard Weapon/Armor Enchant Scrolls has not yet been announced. While past precedent allowed enchantment with regular scrolls, this event uses dedicated enchant scrolls with custom probability rates—and weapon success from +9 onward is designed to be lower than regular gear. Whether players will be allowed to stop at +8, convert the item to permanent, and then enchant it with standard 33% odds like normal gear remains to be seen until the exchange takes place.

As summarized earlier, the Pumpkin Longsword, Pumpkin Reflex Bow, and Pumpkin Armor purchased from Baru cost 100,000 Adena each, while Halloween Weapon Enchant Scrolls cost 72,000 Adena and Halloween Armor Enchant Scrolls cost 36,000 Adena.

Below are the average expected costs required to reach target enhancement levels. While the gear performance itself is good, aiming for +9 or higher on weapons or pushing armor to the permanent exchange threshold requires a substantial budget.

As shown in the table, aiming for +10 on weapons and +9 or higher on armor causes estimated costs to soar into the hundreds of millions. Reaching +10 on a weapon takes an average of roughly 580 million Adena, while +9 armor requires around 390 million Adena, so unless you are a high roller, it is best not to attempt it.

Now let's examine the detailed stats. Practical hunting efficiency tests, including proc spell effectiveness, are currently being prepared separately.

Since the weapons are budget versions of the Sword of Raiden and Moon Longbow, players who already own those high-tier weapons or better have no compelling reason to pursue them. However, their high accessibility is a major advantage, so our upcoming test will focus on whether upgrading from basic budget weapons to these event items is worth the investment.

The Halloween Pumpkin Longsword comes with 10/10 damage, Melee Accuracy +1, Melee Damage +1, the Pumpkin Lockdown spell proc, and the non-damaging (indestructible) trait. It can be viewed as a downscaled version of the Sword of Raiden, which has 13/12 damage. However, because its material is wood, it does not trigger bonus damage against undead.

The Halloween Pumpkin Reflex Bow features 3/3 damage, Ranged Accuracy +1, Ranged Damage +3, and the Pumpkin Lockdown spell proc. Equippable by Royal, Elf, and Wizard classes (excluding Knight), it serves as a budget alternative to the Moon Longbow, which boasts Ranged Damage +4 and Ranged Accuracy +3.

The Halloween Pumpkin Armor grants base AC -6, Max HP/MP +10, HP Recovery +3, and MP Recovery +2. It is attracting particular attention due to its MP Recovery +2, and its high base defense adds significant value. However, as noted earlier, the hurdle to reach +8 or higher is quite steep, so players without ample seed money are advised not to try. The prevailing consensus is that buying it just to use at +4 for a single week offers little value.