Bucklorb is an orb relic that grants Ballwark (a temporary shield that prevents all damage) when it hits pegs, while also dealing some direct damage to enemies. It appears as a purchasable or discoverable relic during a run and functions as a defensive-oriented orb: instead of blocking enemy turns like Decoy Orb, Bucklorb provides total damage immunity through Ballwark when its trigger conditions are met. The relic has existed since early versions of the game and has received tuning updates that alter how much and how frequently it grants Ballwark.
Bucklorb’s Ballwark gain scales with the orb’s current level as of recent versions; older patches increased Ballwark but reduced the frequency of grants, while later patches adjusted the amount per level. The relic does not count hitting empty (already-cleared) pegs toward generating Ballwark, so only active peg hits contribute to its shield generation. Its direct damage is modest and typically lower than many other offensive orbs, making its primary value the occasional bursts of immunity rather than sustained damage output.
Maximize instances where the orb can strike multiple pegs. Refresh Pegs (and effects that create or restore pegs) increase the chance Bucklorb will hit several pegs in one shot, producing more Ballwark. Items and relics that replenish pegs—such as Replenishorb, Peg Bag, and Fresh Bandana—synergize well.
Another viable approach is to make pegs durable so they remain on the board longer for repeated Bucklorb triggers. Relics and orbs that keep pegs in play, notably Gift That Keeps Giving and Splatorb, complement Bucklorb’s mechanic.
Avoid using effects that convert pegs into empty hits for counting purposes. Because empty peg hits do not contribute to Ballwark, consumables like Defresh Potion undermine Bucklorb’s primary function.
Bucklorb works reasonably with Wand of Skulltimate Power: the Ballwark it produces can offset that wand’s self-damage at low levels, though leftover Ballwark is minimal and overall damage effectiveness remains weak.
Overall, Bucklorb is generally considered inferior to Protectorb for most runs. Protectorb tends to provide more reliable and larger Ballwark gains or stronger defensive value, while Bucklorb’s shield generation is lower and inconsistent and its damage is less than basic offensive orbs like Pebball.
History and trivia: Bucklorb was introduced in v0.9.01 and has been rebalanced in subsequent updates (notably adjustments in v0.9.15 and later v0.9.52 that shifted how often and how much Ballwark is granted and made the amount scale with orb level). The relic is thematically an alternate take on Decoy Orb—providing immunity rather than turn denial—and its name references the game Roundguard by friends of Red Nexus Games.
