Tea party strategy

Tea Cup

Tea party buffs that are both useful and easy to attain in Hardcore.

Hats are listed in roughly the order they're encountered during a run. Utility for a given hat/buff combo depends on both the hat and the buff. A buff may be listed more than once if multiple hats provide it or if there are multiple sources for the hat.

Speed Ascension Buffs

Buffs that directly help with quests or otherwise lower your turncount, and whose hats can be acquired without spending turns in non-quest zones.

Hat	Effect	Source (HC)	Notes
snorkel	Moxie +10	The Armory and Leggery (30 Meat)	Used for early Bedroom access; survival for low-skill players
ravioli hat	Myst +10	Born PM or chewing gum on a string	Used for early Bedroom access
pail	Monster Level +20	Pretentious Artist Quest	Moxie classes who want the Still will spend turns in the Alley anyway. Also worthwhile in HCO or Fist runs.
		Ninja Snowman Janitor	If you do the ninjas for level 8
filthy knitted dread sack	+40% Meat from Monsters	Filthy Hippy Disguise	Used for the Nuns
reinforced beaded headband	+5 Familiar Weight	Mysterious Island Quest	Used for stats/item drops in paths that don't do the Nuns; tower familiars for low-skill players

Useful Buffs

Buffs that may not be "optimal" for no-path, but still provide utility in various situations, or are good but require extra turns to find the hat.

Hat	Effect	Source (HC)	Notes
bugbear beanie	Max MP +25	General Store (70 Meat)	Used to increase max MP for Ode/Inigo's, or food conjuration as Jarlsberg
basic meat helmet	Spell Damage +15	200 Meat + one Innabox-able smithing	Used to hit Sauce Synergy damage caps
Kentucky-style derby	+10 Hot Damage	The Armory and Leggery (30 Meat)	Used to kill chalkdust wraiths
Knob Goblin elite helm	+10 Hot Damage	Barracks	Kill ancient protector spirits in Zombie Slayer
bum cheek	Muscle +10	The Sleazy Back Alley	Used for early Bedroom access; save MP in combat by letting attacks hit, or reduce damage taken with Hero of the Half-Shell
viking helmet	Maximum HP +50	Outskirts of Cobb's Knob	Used to survive first hit of high-ML monsters (e.g. drunken rat kings)
helmet turtle	Maximum HP +50	Born TT or chewing gum on a string	Used to survive first hit of high-ML monsters (e.g. drunken rat kings)
f3d0r4	Familiar Experience +3	The Valley Beyond The Orc Chasm	Used for leveling up secondary fairies

Combat/Misc. Buffs

What to use if you don't have anything better.

Hat	Effect	Source (HC)	Notes
maiden wig	Weapon Damage +15	General Store (80 Meat)	Maximizing weapon damage to kill faster
mariachi hat	Spell Damage +30%	chewing gum on a string	Maximizing spell damage to kill faster
Crown of the Goblin King	Weapon Damage +30%	The Knob Goblin King	Maximizing weapon damage to kill faster

Notes

• You can still get a Tea Party buff while falling-down drunk.
• Tea Party buffs last for 30 Adventures.

See Also

• Full list of Tea Party buffs
• Hats