Christmas (Guide)/Item Comparison

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Ladybonessmall.png Early MYN Content and Onwards
Item Comparisons
Seasonal
Feast of the Rose
Whitsun
Estival
Fruits of the Zee
Hallowmas
Christmas
Perennial
Exceptional Stories and Misc Fate Content
Mr Chimes' Lost & Found

Christmas is a bit unusual among Fallen London's festivals, as there is not really any one central activity for the festival, but rather several smaller activities which are all linked thematically. However, each of these has their own rewards.

A Note on Opportunity Costs[edit]

Christmas activities are time-limited and some of them will only occur a certain number of times, so this table should help a bit to ease your planning for the season. This table doesn't include all of the Christmas activities, merely the ones which reward unique items.

Activity Occurrences Cost Notes
December 1-25 Free Occasional unique items in addition to other goodies. Unique items from previous years cycle out at FBG's whims but are often available for a few years in a row, so for your convenience I'll be noting what year an item was introduced and when it last appeared in the calendar.
Gain in December with , among others, and spend in January. Technically possible to gain it in January as well but not without planning. Free Can buy five-card lodgings at a significant discount and unique lodgings as well in . Doing this comes highly recommended if you don't yet have one or the other.
Accept certain assistance when , giving up that week's 30 FATE apiece Unique gifts from the various Masters, limited to yearly Snowbounds (and, technically, an evergreen albeit more expensive option during the Nadir story). You have to get these in order from each Master, so, for example, if you want from Mr Spices, you have to get first.
December 26 - January 6 8-12 FATE Only one investigation per year. Investigating with the Widow, the Docks, Benthic, Revolutionaries or Urchins gives an item worth E 312.50, all others give equipment.

Items Sorted by Stats[edit]

Note that these tables follow the following format: strict BIS is bold, shared BIS is italic.

Best In Slot[edit]

These items are the strict best in slot for one or more stats.

Item Slot Acquisition Stats Notes
Transport First gift from Mr Veils Can be upgraded to the mechanically equivalent at a certain point during . The next-best Shadowy transport is from SUMMER. There are currently no non-seasonal, non-FATE Shadowy transports.
Affiliation Investigate Mr Sacks with Tomb-Colonists The only peer Suspicion affiliation is the RETIRED . Peer Red Science affiliation in , and peer BDR affiliations include and .
Home Comfort (SMEN) First (only) "gift" from Mr Eaten If you ever want to be peckish for some reason, this is your go-to item. Note that the process of getting it is, ah, unpleasant[1]. And certainly more trouble than going out of your way to get the single point of Peckish you might want to have in order to Translate the alphabet of hungers, which is the only sensible reason to want Peckish at all.

Also, this doesn't lock on obtaining it, so you can get multiple sets. May I suggest seven?
Affiliation Investigate Mr Sacks with Devils Offers one point of Dangerous over the freely-available .
Home Comfort Second gift from Mr Veils None.
Transport Second gift from Mr Spices Provides two points of Watchful over from FRUITS OF THE ZEE.
Transport Second gift from Mr Cups None.
Adornment Second gift from Mr Stones None.

Situational Best in Slot[edit]

For a subset of players, these items are the best available options for their slot. This may be because the alternatives are only available at other festivals, are only obtainable with certain Ambitions, cost FATE, etc.


Item Slot Acquisition Stats Notes
Home Comfort Advent Calendar, introduced in 2021 and last seen in 2022 Equivalent to from SUMMER.
Companion Investigate Mr Sacks with Bohemians Equivalent Respectable is available at Whitsun, . The only two better companions for BDR, and , both involve spending FATE and significant grinds.
Gloves Advent Calendar, first seen 2021, last seen 2023 Equivalent BDR gloves available during FRUITS OF THE ZEE, and .
Weapon from Hearts' Game is an equivalent for Toxicology. from HALLOWMAS is quite a bit more Dangerous.
Companion Investigate Mr Sacks with a Rubbery Man Equivalent Bizarre is available at both WHITSUN and HALLOWMAS: , , and . The only two better companions for BDR, and , both involve spending FATE and significant grinds.
Hat Advent Calendar, introduced 2021, last seen 2021. Possibly RETIRED. Shared with from HALLOWMAS.

Perennial Peer Items[edit]

These items have peer items freely available at all times of year, though they may be difficult to acquire or require completion of a lengthy storyline.


Item Slot Acquisition Stats Notes
Home Comfort Second gift from Mr Hearts Free alternative available during Evolution, . Many options for BDR, from the Unsanctioned Relicker being likely the easiest to acquire.

Early-Game Utility[edit]

These items are strictly outclassed for endgame players, but may be useful options for those who do not yet have access to a more lategame alternative.


Item Slot Acquisition Stats Notes
Companion Investigate Mr Sacks with rats Outclassed by and of course eventually the Goats.
Hat Advent Calendar, introduced in 2022 and last seen in 2023 The Persuasive boost is nice, but Dangerous hats are actually fairly rare and this is equally good as all the Bazaar-buyable ones and the available through Evolution. Eventually the in the Khanate surpasses it, and both are beaten by from SUMMER.
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Wines Equivalent to from SUMMER, eventually outclassed by and .
Hat Advent Calendar, introduced in 2022 and last seen in 2023 A solid option for Watchful Hat, eventually outclassed by Bazaar items like .
Boots Advent Calendar, usually on Christmas Eve, every year since 2013. Watchful boots are fairly rare and mostly tied to other world events like WHITSUN and FRUITS OF THE ZEE. The best-in-slot item is the Revolutionaries Renown 25 item, .
Home Comfort Second gift from Mr Mirrors Outclassed by the various Oneiropompic Staves. Poor Mr Mirrors can't catch a break.
Weapon Advent Calendar, first seen 2019 and last seen 2023 Okay earlygame Persuasive, but eventually outclassed by .
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Iron Eventually outclassed by and .
Affiliation Second gift from Mr Iron Better Affiliations are available quickly after becomeing , but earlygame players may not have access to any at all.
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Pages Strictly inferior to , if that's available from the Advent Calendar, and if not it's also inferior to from SUMMER.
Gloves Advent Calendar, introduced 2019 and last seen 2021. Possibly RETIRED. Nice for earlygame BDR in the gloves slot, though you'll eventually want anyway.
Weapon Advent Calendar, introduced 2019 and last seen 2023. One point better than the various MYN books, which counts for something, though eventually it'll be surpassed by .
Home Comfort Advent Calendar, introduced 2019 and last seen 2021. Possibly RETIRED Lackluster in both of its stats, but earlygame players might not have access to any Home Comforts at all. Also, while it may be worse statistically than the gifts from the various Masters in the tier below, it's also free, whereas those cost a hefty chunk of FATE.
Hat Advent Calendar, introduced 2019 and last seen 2020. Possibly RETIRED The Persuasive boost is nice, but Dangerous hats are actually fairly rare and this is equally good as all the Bazaar-buyable ones and the available through Evolution. Eventually the in the Khanate surpasses it, and both are beaten by from SUMMER.

No Stats[edit]

These items are difficult to recommend based on stats, even for earlygame players

Item Slot Acquisition Stats Notes
Companion Spent Taste of Lacre and items in , scaling with how long it's been available Despite how it looks like a fairly solid earlygame choice, the Noman is a temporary companion whose lifespan is measured in weeks unless given significant preparation. Don't get it for the stats.
Companion 10 FATE under Explore the Festive Season Less Watchful than the , which says a lot about the quality of graduate students these days. The Tourist is available once you've finished the tutorials in .
Companion Success when feeding either a Talkative Rattus Faber or a Malevolent Monkey a The BDR is nice, but gives two points of it and is available as soon as you finish the tutorials in .

Note these are both luck challenges, and not ones in your favour. If you have done the FATE story , a more reliable source of this companion is available at Sinning Jenny's Finishing School during WHITSUN.
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Chimes Equivalent to the easily-obtained .
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Fires
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Stones
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Mirrors Early and midgame home comforts are a bit harder to come by, so these seem useful at first glance, but if you're after you probably already want the from Mr Veils, and his second gift, the , is strictly better than any of these. Even if you don't want the pony, wait a couple weeks and just grab the superior from FEAST OF THE ROSE.
Home Comfort Second gift from Mr Pages
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Cups
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Hearts Equivalent to . If the is available from the Advent Calendar, these are all strictly outclassed. Even if it isn't, they're still outclassed by Mr Pages' first gift, the .
Home Comfort Second gift from Mr Apples
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Sacks
Home Comfort Second gift from Mr Wines Equivalent to . If you want a Home Comfort from Christmas, get Mr Iron's first gift, , instead.
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Spices
Home Comfort First gift from Mr Apples

Items Sorted by Use[edit]

Efficient Repeatable[edit]

These items unlock repeatable options that are much better than their evergreen alternatives.

Item Acquisition Unlocks Notes
10 FATE under Explore the Festive Season An improved option on The Fleet of Truth when Zailing and an option on a card in the Laboratory that requires having four assistants, only available with FATE lab upgrades. That option generates a large amount of research and clears your hand. The Zailing option is eventually outclassed by the Piracy ones on that card, but the Laboratory option is good forever.
Second gift from Mr Iron Equipping it adds a card to the deck in London Card lets you gain .
Investigate Mr Sacks with Devils The Evenlode option lets you increase both difficulty and rewards for the case. Being identified with the Terpsichoreans has various text changes as well in appropriate spots.

Efficient Single-Use[edit]

These items unlock a one-time option that saves the player significant resources compared to the free alternatives.

Item Acquisition Unlocks Notes
Spend Taste of Lacre and items in , scaling with how long it's been available (SMEN) Sacrifice your Noman If you're Seeking the Name, the Noman is easily the most accessible option for . And using it for , while possible, is a bit of a waste considering how much more annoying all the other Cerise options are to get. Then again, if you're Seeking the Name, you're probably too far gone to care about things like "opportunity cost".
Skip a heist during the Last Constable and Cheery Man story Saves somewhere around 10-15 actions, depending on your playstyle.


Niche Repeatable[edit]

These items unlock repeatable options that are either equivalent to or outclassed by their evergreen alternatives.

Item Acquisition Unlocks Notes
First gift from Mr Chimes Shake your Miniature House of Chimes on a card in You will likely not spend a lot of time drawing cards in Adulterine Castle
Spend Taste of Lacre and items in , scaling with how long it's been available The London card and the Helicon text are interesting, but not mechanically noteworthy. Having it take your place when you die is a bit of a waste, though it could be useful if you die at zee as it'll prevent you from being taken to the Fathomking's Court.

Getting a Noman to survive to FEAST OF THE ROSE and, eventually WHITSUN[2], is something of a vanity sport among bored endgame players.
Investigate Mr Sacks with a Rubbery Man Bring him with you to Helicon House Grants 1 x  Fitting In
Use it to gain both Research and Wounds on Lab projects with . This option is slightly more efficient than the others on that card, although the Wounds likely even it out. Several one-time story research projects have Toxicological Focus, along with the repeatable Study the properties of Attar, which is one of the cheaper ways to raise that doesn't require social actions.


Niche Single-Use[edit]

These items unlock a one-time option that is either equivalent to or outclassed by the evergreen alternatives.

Item Acquisition Unlocks Notes
Success when feeding either a Talkative Rattus Faber or a Malevolent Monkey a Gain 25 during a one-time project in your Laboratory You can also spend non-seasonal fishy items like or for progress, in addition to other seasonal fish.

Note these are both luck challenges, and not ones in your favour. If you have done the FATE story , a more reliable source of this companion is available at Sinning Jenny's Finishing School during WHITSUN
First gift from Mr Veils During , Rely on your pony's secrecy and upgrade it to Saves you E 12.50 in materials and does wonders for the poor thing's mental health.
Investigate Mr Sacks with the rats Appoint a Bedraggled, Forlorn Fox as Church Mouse in Burrow-infra-Mump See A Church in the Wild (Guide) for details.
First gift from Mr Apples Gain 25 during a one-time project in your Laboratory You can also spend non-seasonal fishy items like or for progress, in addition to other seasonal fish.|
Investigate Mr Sacks with Devils An option for translating Hillchanger Tower during Can also check agianst and instead.


No Uses[edit]

These items do not unlock any additional actions.

Item Acquisition
Investigate Mr Sacks with Tomb-Colonists
First gift from Mr Mirrors
(SMEN) First (only) "gift" from Mr Eaten
First gift from Mr Pages
First gift from Mr Hearts
Second gift from Mr Apples
Advent Calendar, introduced in 2022 and last seen in 2023
Second gift from Mr Wines
Advent Calendar, introduced 2019 and last seen 2023.
First gift from Mr Stones
First gift from Mr Fires
Advent Calendar, introduced in 2021 and last seen in 2022
First gift from Mr Wines
Advent Calendar, introduced in 2022 and last seen in 2023
First gift from Mr Spices
Advent Calendar, usually on Christmas Eve, every year since 2013.
Second gift from Mr Mirrors
Investigate Mr Sacks with Bohemians
Advent Calendar, first seen 2021, last seen 2023
First gift from Mr Iron
Second gift from Mr Hearts
First gift from Mr Cups
Second gift from Mr Veils
First gift from Mr Pages
Second gift from Mr Cups
Second gift from Mr Stones
First gift from Mr Chimes
Advent Calendar, introduced 2019 and last seen 2021. Possibly RETIRED
Advent Calendar, introduced 2019 and last seen 2021. Possibly RETIRED
Advent Calendar, introduced 2019 and last seen 2020. Possibly RETIRED
Advent Calendar, introduced 2021, last seen 2021. Possibly RETIRED
  1. ↑ As in, "sets every menace to 8 and subtracts 7 levels of all your stats" unpleasant. Hope you didn't have things you wanted to do in London!
  2. ↑ Note that due to the way the numbers work out, getting a Noman to survive much beyond Whitsun is mathematically impossible, so it is advised to instead commit yourself to one of this game's many more attainable insanities.
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