Overview
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name (EN) | Sock and Buskin |
| Name (JP) | ソックスとバスキン |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Cost | $6 |
| Effect | All played Face cards retrigger |
| Unlock | Available from the start (no unlock required) |
| Trigger Type | On score (face card retrigger) |
| Overall Tier | S |
Rating & Analysis
Sock and Buskin is a top-tier face-card retrigger Joker. Every scored Face card (J/Q/K) fires twice, doubling +Chips / +Mult effects on faces. Retriggers are one of Balatro's strongest mechanics — combined with enhanced cards / sealed cards / face-Joker effects, scores explode exponentially.
The dream pairing is Photograph + Sock and Buskin. Photograph (first face x2 Mult) retriggers → effective x4 Mult. Adding Mime / Hanging Chad chains further retriggers, scaling xMult exponentially. Hanging Chad (first scored card fires 3×) combined with Sock pushes the first face card to 6 total fires.
Pareidolia (all cards = Face) is another huge synergy — every scored card becomes a Sock target. Enhancement effects (Bonus, Mult, Glass, Steel, Gold) all fire twice. Tier lists rate Sock S in face-axis builds. The $6 cost is a steal; buy on sight.
Good Joker Synergies
| Joker | Why |
|---|---|
| Photograph | First face x2 fires twice = x4 effective Mult. |
| Pareidolia | All cards = Face — Sock targets all 5 cards. |
| Mime | Held-card retrigger — Sock + Mime = all-around retriggers. |
| Hanging Chad | First scored card fires 3× — face combo explodes. |
| Red Seal | Card self-retrigger — Sock + Red Seal = 4 fires per card. |
| Blueprint / Brainstorm | Copy Sock's retrigger for chained effect. |
Recommended Builds
| Build | Core Loop | Target Consumables |
|---|---|---|
| Face retrigger explosion | Photograph + Sock + Mime + Hanging Chad | Enhancement Tarots |
| Pareidolia axis | All cards Face + Sock = all 5 retriggered | Pareidolia |
| Enhanced face + Sock | Polychrome / Steel K + Sock for double effect | Polychrome-granting Tarots |
| Blueprint stacking | Sock + Blueprint for retrigger chain | Black Hole / The Soul |
Tips & Usage
- Buy on sight — $6 is trivial for the retrigger ceiling.
- Photograph pairing yields x4 Mult — collect both as standard play.
- Pareidolia + Sock fires all 5 scored cards twice — explosive damage.
- Enhanced face cards (Polychrome K, Steel K, Gold K) compound dramatically.
- Hanging Chad + Sock = 6× total fires on the first face card.
Caveats
- Scored face cards only — held faces aren't affected (that's Mime's job).
- Abandoned Deck (no faces) makes Sock useless.
- Perishable Sock and Buskin is risky — retrigger stops on expiry.
- Stone-card-converted faces lose rank and don't trigger.
- Hands without face cards don't benefit.