I believe we pointed to the following post before, but in case we didnt:
1. Patch No 1 vs Spurring knobs
Spurring knobs is simply better. It works in a studio fight, where the patch is useless. The patch gives you an advantage that you might randomly get anyway. The knobs give you a completely free attack. Advantage: Knobs, by a long way.
2. Leather patch vs Glitter powder
Slightly situational. In dueling, glitter powder is the ONLY skills refinement worth taking, compared to a combat refine. The leather patch is a rather unremarkable combat refine, and normally the big skills gain of the Glitter Powder wins. But in studio fights when you have high trophy penalties, the glitter powder is degraded by quite a bit, whereas the leather patch retains all of it's (limited) effectiveness. Advantage: Glitter powder outside of studio fights with heavy trophy penalties.
3. Air cushion vs Lube
Applied lube, all the way. The air cushion has to fire three times in a duel to be better than the applied lube. That never happens. Advantage: Applied Lube
4. Spanish fly vs Cotton balls
Spanish fly equalizes 1000s of points of charisma when you are overmatched in effective skills. Cotton balls are not bad, but on duel defense or in studio fights when you are punching up against opponents with more effective skills? You won't see the Spanish Fly triggering, but you will live longer when you aren't being crit off the board. Advantage: Very conditional, but tending towards the Spanish Fly later in the game.
5. Euphoriant vs Smelling salts
Zombie boots. There are builds that allow other players to crit you, but the horrible flaw in those builds is that you have to survive the crit. If you don't, the perfume will not trigger. Zombie boots always work, and are the only refine in the game that can completely negate a thrown cake in a studio fight. Advantage: Unless you are running a revenge build, take the smelling salts.
6. Sparkling diamond vs Metal spikes
The sparkling diamond is another revenge refinement, that requires the other player to hit you first. If they do crit you, and you live, you have a low probability of smacking them with a percentage of the damage you just took. The metal spikes will only fire if you are critting your opponent. Advantage: This is completely conditional. What build are you running? If you have a lot of charisma, take the spikes. If you can't crit anyone, take the sparkling diamonds.
7. Foil vs Sticker
If your studio has trophies, you need the porn star sticker in a studio fight. Under any other situation, the porn star sticker is useless, so wear the foil.
8. Toilette vs Duct tape
Double attacks are great. No doubt. But the subtle advantages of the duct tape get more and more powerful as you level up. Not to mention that the duct tape completely ruins the day of those using revenge builds, because it negates the extra points they have put into finesse instead of charisma. Advantage: Duct tape
9. Rivet vs Plastic balls
Plastic balls improve a percentage of your damage, while rivet applies damage based on your entire hit. At lower levels, your missiles are a very large percentage of the damage you dish out. The Plastic balls are great in that situation. For everyone else, the rivet is better. All those skill points you have work better with the Rivet, as the percentage of your damage that comes from missiles decreases. Advantage: The rivets get relatively better and better as you build your skills.
Original from CaptC