All 377 Head and Face Items and Their Effects in Mewgenics

Head and face items are gear pieces that a cat wears on its head and face before an adventure. Mewgenics is a tactical roguelike where you breed cats and send them into battles on randomly generated grids. These pieces can protect a cat, boost its stats, or give it a special effect, and any of those can change how it fights.

Find an item in this collection

Showing 94 of 377 items.

Slot

Head

195 items

Advanced Alloy Hat

This item adds some protection but may break when your cat takes a hit.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Crafted
Durability: -
Set: Advanced Alloy
Stats / Effect: +4 Shield; +2 Brace, +2 Thorns. Brittle.

Alien Stalk

Being hit can set off a random spell.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: Space; Amoeba
Stats / Effect: Cast a random spell each time you take damage.

Alloy Mask

This item adds some protection but may break when your cat takes a hit.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Crafted
Durability: -
Set: Alloy
Stats / Effect: +3 Shield; +1 Brace, +2 Thorns. Brittle.

Alluring Doodie

It sometimes makes your cat eat poop and gain poison during the fight.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Cursed
Durability: 5
Set: Fecal
Stats / Effect: 10% chance to eat poop and gain Poison 1 each turn.

Amoeba

This item adds shielding and Brace, but lowers Intelligence and makes attacks more likely to miss.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Parasite
Durability: -
Set: Amoeba
Stats / Effect: -1 INT, +4 Shield; +1 Brace. +10% Miss Chance.

Ancestor's Skull

This item copies a class passive chosen at random; that ability determines the item’s effect.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Ancestor; Bone
Stats / Effect: Mimics a randomly assigned class passive; the copied passive supplies the item's description.

Angry Worm

This item lets your cat make an extra basic attack each turn.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Parasite
Durability: -
Set: Parasite
Stats / Effect: -1 CON; Your basic attack hits an extra time for 1 damage.

Antenna

A lightning bolt can stun enemies that hit or touch your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: Units that contact or attack you get hit with a lightning bolt that has a 10% chance to Stun.

Asteroid

Taking a hit can call a meteor down on a random enemy.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: Planet
Stats / Effect: +4 Shield; 20% chance to call down a Meteor on a random enemy when you take damage.

Barbed Hat

This item hurts enemies that touch your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Barbed
Stats / Effect: +1 Damage, +1 Thorns, -1 max HP.

Bean Parasite

This item leaves your cat severely confused.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Parasite
Durability: -
Set: Parasite
Stats / Effect: +5 INT; Confusion 99.

Beepis

This item copies your cat’s passive abilities for the fight, but makes spells cost more.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Parasite
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: Your passives are duplicated during battle. Your spells cost +2 mana and can only be used once per turn.

Best Bud

This item can break when your cat takes damage, but leaves a permanent Leech ally if it does.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Parasite
Durability: -
Set: Parasite
Stats / Effect: -1 CON; 10% chance to break when you take damage. When this breaks, gain a permanent Leech familiar.

Big Rock Hat

This item helps your cat reduce damage from incoming hits.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Rock
Stats / Effect: -2 SPD, +6 Shield; Brace 2.

Bionic Skull Plating

This item can break when your cat is knocked down.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Bionic
Stats / Effect: +3 SPD; Fragile.

Bird Poop

It sometimes brings another bird to the start of a fight.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Cursed
Durability: -
Set: Fecal
Stats / Effect: -1 CHA; +50% chance for an extra bird to spawn at the start of each battle.

Black Candle

This item lets your cat remove other cursed items, but the candle itself stays stuck.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Demonic
Stats / Effect: +1 Shield; You can remove cursed items equipped on you, except this one.

Blessed Halo

This item adds holy shielding and may build more when your cat is hit.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: +3 Holy Shield; 50% chance to gain +1 Holy Shield when you take damage.

Boris' Brain

This item lets your cat trample foes and lunge toward an attacker when hit.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: Guts
Stats / Effect: Trample. When you take damage, move 1 tile towards what damaged you.

Brain Chip

This item raises every core stat but puts your cat under computer control in battle.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Chip
Stats / Effect: +1 STR, +1 DEX, +1 INT, +1 CON, +1 CHA, +1 LCK, +1 SPD; Become AI controlled.

Brain In A Jar

This item makes your first spell each turn free.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Guts
Stats / Effect: -5 INT; The first spell you cast each turn is free.

Brain Maggot

This item helps your cat recover after being knocked out.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Parasite
Durability: -
Set: Parasite
Stats / Effect: -3 INT; Revive with 50% HP 2 rounds after you are downed.

Brick Hat

This item can bruise enemies that touch your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Brick
Stats / Effect: -1 SPD, +4 Shield; Inflict Bruise 1 on units that contact you.

Broken Mirror

This item makes basic attacks inflict Bleed and scatter glass.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Used
Stats / Effect: -7 LCK, +4 Shield; +3 Bleed Thorns. Your basic attack inflicts +1 Bleed and spawns glass.

Bunga's Crown

This item makes your cat’s weapons land critical hits every time.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: +2 STR, +1 CON, -4 SPD; Your weapons always crit. Equip a Bone Club weapon when you kill a unit.

Cactus Hat

It may break when hit, but doing so permanently toughens and heals your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Cactus
Stats / Effect: +3 Thorns, Brittle. Gain +2 Constitution permanently and heal 10 HP when this breaks.

Cap and Bells

This item triples the passive effects of your cat’s trinket.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: Jester
Stats / Effect: -3 LCK; Triple the effects of your Trinket.

Carapace Hat

This item clears one stack of a random harmful status when your cat’s turn ends.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Carapace
Stats / Effect: +4 Shield; Cleanse 1 stack of a random negative status effect when you end your turn.

Cardboard Hat

This item adds some protection but can break when hit, burned, or soaked.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Cardboard
Stats / Effect: +2 Shield; Fragile, Flammable, Brittle when wet.

Cathide Hat

It sometimes brings an allied Flea into the fight.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Cat Hide
Stats / Effect: +2 Shield; +1 Health Regen. 5% chance to spawn a Flea Familiar at the end of your turn.

Caveman Wig

This item starts each fight with allied Lice.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Caveman
Stats / Effect: +2 STR, -1 INT; Spawn 1-3 Charmed Lice at the start of each battle.

Chaos Controller

This item opens more class abilities at level-up and gives extra chances to reroll the choices.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Experimental
Stats / Effect: Abilities from all classes are offered when you level up. You can reroll your levelup options thrice.

Chaos Device

This item lets every cat choose abilities from any class when it levels up.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Side Quest
Durability: -
Set: Experimental
Stats / Effect: Side Quest Item. When any cat levels up they are offered abilities from all classes.

Charming Baby

This item starts each fight by charming a random enemy.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Baby
Stats / Effect: Inflict Charmed 2 on a random enemy at the start of each battle.

Child of the Glowing One

This item adds holy protection each time your cat finishes moving.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: Gain +1 Holy Shield every time you end your movement.

Child's Crown

This item turns the normal attack into a holy strike that can heal allies.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: Your basic attack becomes holy and can heal allies.

Child's Skull

This item adds shielding and an extra attack, but replaces the normal attack with a weak tear shot.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Cursed
Durability: -
Set: Bone
Stats / Effect: +3 Shield; Your basic attack is a weak tear shot. You can use your basic attack an extra time each turn.

Cleric's Mitre

This item adds shielding and makes your cat’s healing restore more health.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Cleric
Stats / Effect: +2 Shield; Your heals heal for 2 extra.

Confusing Hat

This item can confuse units and make them harder to control.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: Apply Confusion 2 to yourself and all enemies at the start of each battle.

Conjoined Eye

This item helps your cat avoid incoming attacks.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Hybrid
Stats / Effect: +10% Dodge Chance.

Cool Hat

This item can break when your cat is knocked down.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Cool
Stats / Effect: +2 CHA; Fragile

Copycat Hat

This item repeats the passive effects of your cat’s trinket.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Copycat
Stats / Effect: Copies your trinket's passive effects.

Cordyceps

It sometimes speeds your cat up at the start of its turn, but hands control to the enemy AI.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Parasite
Durability: -
Set: Parasite
Stats / Effect: 30% chance to gain +2 Speed and become AI controlled at the start of your turn.

Cow Skull

This item changes the normal attack into a move that shoves enemies away.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: Bone
Stats / Effect: +2 STR, +3 Shield; +2 Thorns. Your basic attack is Push Attack.

Crown of Chaos

This item opens more class abilities at level-up and gives extra chances to reroll the choices.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: Hybrid
Stats / Effect: +2 level up Rerolls. Abilities from all classes are offered when you level up.

Crown of Feculence

This item turns the poop your cat leaves behind into living creatures.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Fecal
Stats / Effect: Poops you spawn are alive!

Crown of Horns

This item hurts close enemies and fires needles after your cat takes damage.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Demonic; Barbed
Stats / Effect: +4 Thorns. When you take damage while you have Thorns, lose 1 Thorns, then shoot needles that deal 2 damage in eight directions.

Crown of Pestilence

This item replaces your cat’s normal attack with Pestilence.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Necromancer
Stats / Effect: Your basic attack becomes Pestilence.

Crown Of Thorns

This item hurts enemies that touch your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: Cleric
Stats / Effect: +2 Holy Shield; +1 Thorns. Gain +1 Thorns whenever you take damage.

Death Shroud

Being knocked out permanently improves one of your cat’s stats.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Rag
Stats / Effect: When you're downed, permanently gain +1 to a random stat.

Debris Hat

This item lets your cat attack from farther away.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Debris
Stats / Effect: -1 DEX, +2 Shield; +2 range, +1 Kinetic Spikes.

Demonic Hat

This item adds contact damage and trample, but prevents your cat from healing.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Demonic
Stats / Effect: +3 Thorns. Trample. You can no longer heal.

Dino Hat

This item gives your allies extra Strength as each fight begins.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Dino; Bone
Stats / Effect: -1 INT, +5 Shield; Allies gain +1 Strength at the start of each battle.

Dirt Clod Hat

It may break when hit or knocked down.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Dirt Clod
Stats / Effect: +2 Mana Regen, +2 Health Regen. Fragile and Brittle while wet.

Dry Bone Helm

This item can bruise enemies that touch your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Bone
Stats / Effect: +3 Shield; +1 Thorns. Inflict Bruise 1 on units that contact you.

Dunce Cap

This item improves how your cat’s spells work in battle.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Paper
Stats / Effect: -2 INT; Your spells cost -1 mana.

Dust Devil's Horn

This item hurts enemies that touch your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: +1 Shield; +1 Thorns. After you use your basic attack, do a dash attack that leaves a tornado behind.

Elite Alloy Hat

This item adds some protection but may break when your cat takes a hit.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Crafted
Durability: -
Set: Elite Alloy
Stats / Effect: +5 Shield; +2 Brace, +3 Thorns, All Stats Up 1. Brittle.

Emo Wig

This item weakens nearby units, but taking damage heals and boosts everyone around your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Necromancer; Used
Stats / Effect: -1 STR, -1 DEX, -1 INT, -1 CON, -1 CHA, -1 LCK, -1 SPD; Adjacent units get All Stats Down 2. When you take damage, all units within 2 tiles heal 1 HP and gain a temporary +1 Damage.

Experimental Treatment

It randomly raises one stat and lowers a different one when your cat gets it.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Experimental
Stats / Effect: +2 to one random stat and -1 to a different random stat; the two stats are set when the item is obtained.

Fancy Bow

A decorative bow with no listed battle effect.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: It's fancy.

Fatty Hat

This item pushes enemies farther away with the normal attack.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Fatty
Stats / Effect: Brace 1. Your basic attack has +1 Knockback.

Feathered Cap

This item raises your cat’s Speed.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Feathered
Stats / Effect: +4 SPD

Fecal Hood

This item poisons enemies that touch your cat, at the cost of some Charisma.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Fecal
Stats / Effect: -1 CHA; Poisonous 1.

Fecal Hood (Cursed)

This item poisons enemies that touch your cat, at the cost of some Charisma; this cursed version is hard to remove.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Fecal
Stats / Effect: -1 CHA; Poisonous 1. Cursed.

Fighter's Helm

It sometimes restores your cat’s actions after it gets a kill.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Fighter
Stats / Effect: +2 Shield; +15% chance to refresh your basic attack, movement, weapon and trinket actions when you get a kill.

Flesh Shroud

This item turns fallen enemies or corpses into useful resources.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Butcher; Human Flesh
Stats / Effect: Gain +1 Shield each time you heal. When you kill a unit or destroy a corpse, it becomes meat.

Flower Hat

This item can entangle enemies with basic attacks and leaves flowers as your cat moves.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Flower
Stats / Effect: Your basic attack has a +5% chance to inflict Entangled. Plants flowers on each tile you move through. (Stacking this effect plants flowers in a wider area.)

Fly Hat

This item adds Speed and dodge chance at the cost of Charisma; this cursed item is hard to remove.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Cursed
Durability: -
Set: Fly
Stats / Effect: -1 CHA, +3 SPD; +10% Dodge Chance.

Focus Band

Critical hits can knock enemies far away and chain into others.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: Your crits knock units back 10 tiles with Chain Knockback.

Friendly Amoeba

This item punishes enemies that get close enough to touch your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Amoeba
Stats / Effect: -1 INT, +3 Shield; Brace 1, +2 Health Regen, Shield 3. Units that contact you get knocked back 1.

Frontal Lobe Implant

This item can teleport your cat away when targeted, while adding Intelligence and shielding.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Cyborg
Stats / Effect: +1 INT, +3 Shield; 10% chance to teleport to a neighboring tile when targeted by an enemy.

Frozen Hat

This item makes your cat’s basic attack slow enemies.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Frozen
Stats / Effect: +1 Shield; Your basic attack inflicts Slow and has a +10% chance to Freeze units. Units that contact you gain Slow and have a 10% chance to become Frozen.

Frying Pan

This item blocks and counters backstabs.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Lead
Stats / Effect: Block and counter Backstabs.

Gemstone Crown

This item adds Charisma, shielding and spikes that hurt enemies on contact.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Gemstone
Stats / Effect: +1 CHA, +1 Shield; +1 Kinetic Spikes.

Halo

This item adds holy shielding and may build more when your cat is hit.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Cleric
Stats / Effect: +1 Holy Shield; +33% chance to gain +1 Holy Shield when you take damage.

Happy Helmet

This item adds a large shield, but breaking it can leave your cat with Psychosis.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Bionic; Cyborg
Stats / Effect: +10 Shield; Fragile. Gain Psychosis when this breaks.

Head Brand

This item lets your cat jump onto foes and bounce away after landing.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Monk
Stats / Effect: Your movement action is Jump. If you land on a unit, deal 1 damage to it and bounce to an adjacent tile. (This counts as an empty armor slot.)

Head Cheese

This item helps your cat recover health over time.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: +2 Health Regen.

Head Grub

This item turns into an allied Maggot when its shield runs out.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Grub
Stats / Effect: +3 Shield; When your Shield is depleted, this transforms into a Maggot familiar.

Head Spring

This item punishes enemies that get close enough to touch your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Scrap
Stats / Effect: Units that contact you are knocked back 10 tiles.

Head Tentacle

This item pulls your cat toward any unit or object its basic attack hits.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Tentacle
Stats / Effect: +2 Shield; Your basic attack pulls you towards units or objects it hits.

Head Wrap

This item can bring your cat back with a little health after it is knocked out.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: Mummy
Stats / Effect: +1 Health Regen. When downed, revive with 15% HP at the end of the round.

Helmet

This item adds extra shielding to absorb hits.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: +4 Shield

Hitler's Toupe

This item leaves your cat permanently affected by Madness.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: Man; Used
Stats / Effect: +2 STR, +2 DEX; Permanent Madness. Give Madness to a random enemy at the end of your turn.

Horns

This item hurts enemies that touch your cat.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: +1 STR; +1 Thorns.

Human Scalp

Critical hits can frighten enemies, and your cat starts with a food pickup.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Human Flesh
Stats / Effect: +2 STR, -1 CHA; Your crit hits inflict Fear. Spawn a food pickup at the start of each battle.

Hunter's Cap

This item raises Luck and makes your familiars stronger.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Hunter
Stats / Effect: +1 LCK; Your familiars gain All Stats Up.

Hybrid Hat

This item starts each fight with an extra move, but also starts your cat bleeding.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Common
Durability: -
Set: Hybrid
Stats / Effect: Start with a bonus move and Bleed 1.

Jank Alloy Armor

This item adds some protection but may break when your cat takes a hit.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Crafted
Durability: -
Set: Jank Alloy
Stats / Effect: +2 Shield; +1 Brace. Brittle.

Jester Cap

This item opens more class abilities at level-up and gives extra chances to reroll the choices.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Jester
Stats / Effect: +1 CHA; You can reroll your options twice when you level up. Abilities from all classes are offered after rerolling.

Jewel of Drog

The first time your cat reaches full mana each fight, its magic damage rises and spells become cheaper.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Rare
Durability: -
Set: Gemstone
Stats / Effect: The first time you reach full mana each battle, gain +1 Magic Damage and reduce the cost of your spells by 1.

Johnny's Undies

This item starts each fight with an allied Cultist.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: -
Set: Used
Stats / Effect: Spawn a Charmed Cultist at the start of each battle.

King's Crown

This item turns your cat into the Alpha at the start of a fight, raising its stats until it is hit.

Slot: Head
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: -
Set: -
Stats / Effect: Become the Alpha at the start of each battle. The Alpha has All Stats Up. Lose Alpha status when you take damage.

How Head and Face Items Work

Each cat has a head slot and a face slot, and each slot holds one item. Head pieces include helmets and hats, while face pieces include masks and similar gear. A neck slot sits apart from both.

You equip these pieces before an adventure, and their effects apply during the battles of that run. Many of them add Shield, a buffer that absorbs damage before a cat's health goes down. Others change stats instead: Constitution raises max health, and Intelligence boosts abilities that scale with it.

Some pieces add special effects that trigger in battle. Many also carry a trade-off, like lower Speed or Strength, so it pays to read the full effect before you equip one.

Where Head and Face Items Come From

Head and face items can come from shops, treasure nodes, events, and combat. Which pieces you find depends on the item pool that each event, boss, or ability draws from, so the same place doesn't always offer the same gear. Some items dropped by specific enemies can't be taken by the player at all.

Most pieces have a rarity: Common, Uncommon, Rare, or Very Rare. Very Rare pieces never show up in ordinary battle loot or regular treasure chests, so they take more digging to find.

What Happens to Head and Face Items After an Adventure

When an adventure ends in success, your items go into storage so later runs can use them. Items you bring out of storage become Worn after the run, and Worn items can break when you return home. A Worn piece has a 50% chance to break when you return home, and that rises to 100% when you come back from Chapter 4 or from a house boss.

The other risk is losing the cat itself. If a cat's body is destroyed, every item it's wearing is lost with it, so a strong helmet on a fragile cat is a real gamble.

How Set Bonuses Work for Head and Face Items

Many head and face pieces belong to a set, and wearing several matching pieces on one cat turns on a bonus for that set. The pieces must sit on the same cat, and the bonus belongs to whichever cat is wearing them rather than to the items themselves. Each set lists how many pieces it needs, so check that before you build around it. The usual advice is to commit to one set on each cat rather than mixing partial bonuses from several sets.

Which Head and Face Items Matter Most

No single piece is best for every cat, because a stat only helps if the cat uses it. Muzzle trades -2 Strength for +1 Intelligence and +1 Charisma, along with some defense. That suits a mage or support cat but hurts a melee cat whose damage depends on Strength. The Mind is a Very Rare head piece with +7 Intelligence and nothing else, so it's a strong pick for Intelligence-based cats and a weak one for the rest.

For defense, Hockey Mask is a strong face piece. It adds 5 Shield and gives the wearer a chance to get back up after being downed, which makes it a good fit for front-line cats that can't afford to fall. Lead Mask gives a large defensive boost for a small Speed penalty. Iron Jaw adds a little Shield and a counterattack that strikes back when a melee enemy hits you, but it does nothing against ranged attacks.

Face Brand builds Shield with every basic attack over a fight, so it suits cats that attack often. On the head side, Used Princess Hat is a Rare piece with +6 Shield and no listed drawbacks. Steven's Helmet offers 20 Shield, but it's Very Rare and hands random disorders to an ally when its wearer is downed. For a cheaper pick, Head Cheese is an Uncommon head piece that slowly restores health, and it works best on tough cats that take many small hits. A good starting point is to match the piece to the cat's role first, then compare its Shield and drawbacks.

FAQ

Does Face Brand block the face slot?

It does take up the face slot, like any other piece. It counts as an empty armor slot for passives that need an open one, though, so it won't stop those passives from working.

Can you take off a cursed head or face item?

Not once it's equipped. Cursed items stay on, but a Black Candle can help: it lets a cat remove other cursed items, though it can't be taken off itself.

Do items I find during an adventure wear out?

Items picked up during a run don't become Worn when it ends, so they don't face the return-home break chance. Only gear you bring out of storage does.