Euhaplorchis Californiensis

Named after Euhaplorchis californiensis — a real flatworm that infects fish brains and compels them to swim erratically near the surface, making them easy prey. In Mewgenics, it delivers SPD +4, one of the more significant speed boosts available on a trinket, while inflicting Confusion on the host. The erratic behavior from Confusion mirrors the infected fish's loss of self-preservation. A tempting upgrade for speed-focused builds that can tolerate or counteract the Confusion, or for cats where random action selection is less catastrophic.

SPD +4 is an exceptional speed bonus that pushes the wearer higher in turn order, ensuring they act before faster enemies and before debuffs can be applied. The Confusion downside causes the cat to take random actions instead of player-controlled ones, which is devastating for precision builds but less harmful on a cat who primarily attacks and doesn't need careful targeting. The tension between the speed gain and the Confusion risk makes Euhaplorchis Californiensis one of the more interesting items to evaluate.

Best deployed on a simple melee attacker who attacks the nearest target regardless of turn order instructions — Confusion won't significantly change their behavior. Avoid it on healers, support cats, or any cat whose value depends on precise ability targeting. If your team has access to Confusion-cleansing abilities or the wearer is effectively immune to the downside through their role, SPD +4 can be game-changing.