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Ruleset Focus

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In this week's Battle Mage Secrets, we are exploring the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset, where only Monsters with Ranged attacks are allowed to participate in the battle. This creates a unique challenge, as Ranged Monsters usually typically can't attack from the first position. Because of this limitation, you might need to find creative ways to structure your lineup, such as using high-health Monsters in the first slot to absorb damage while your Ranged attackers do the heavy lifting from behind. Despite these constraints, let us look at some strategies that can help build a winning team! 😁 https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://i.imgur.com/QHMMPb5.png

Abilities Focus

These abilities have great synergy with the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset as they are pertaining to the Ranged attacks. Do keep a look out for these abilities when setting up your team! https://images.hive.blog/DQmVy595MojVbu8RCy5MzZrJT7q3idAJ272txJ8hmLy2hYq/ability_close-range.png https://images.hive.blog/DQmNzdCnnt8BFoiwunACtPJPD6uaNCynKvJSkZbRzgZdB8a/ability_return-fire.png **Close Range** - Units can perform Ranged attacks from the first position **Return Fire** - When hit with a Ranged attack, Units with Return Fire will return half the damage (rounded up) back to their attacker https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://i.imgur.com/QHMMPb5.png

Summoner Focus

https://images.hive.blog/DQmPSoVEWuLzPjEBRTKH7MNp1jXKRY5bfTMSL22YSkkQdA4/Fernheart.png

**Summoner**, *Fernheart* When the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset is in play, the Fernheart Summoner from the Earth Splinter immediately stands out as a top choice. This Summoner is able to grant the Close Range ability to the entire team, allowing Ranged Monsters to attack even when placed in the first position. This capability addresses the usual drawback of having Ranged attackers at the front, where they typically can't perform any attacks! 🤠 ---

https://images.hive.blog/DQmYc3txkYRwPKXybGKBx2RerbkD5xhNnLBF67WRFycgkbS/Lir%20Deepswimmer.jpg https://images.hive.blog/DQmYkPSB5N1wHfJhK4B8g2r1KCAkvGhjicadwmN1WPPbcUE/Ilthain.jpg

**Summoner**, *Lir Deepswimmer & Ilthain* When the Return Fire ability is mentioned, Summoners such as Lir Deepswimmer and Ilthain are frequently linked to it, as they offer a comparable advantage to your team by granting the lineup with the Return Fire ability. They hold significant value and are commonly selected in battles regulated by the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset! 😁 https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/flauwy/zdFRDURO-Life-divider.png

The Battle

While fulfilling my responsibilities in the Splinterlands scholarship account I have with Balthazar, bltzr-wizard-729, I was able to engage in a battle that involves the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset. To get right into the action, the battle link can be found [here](https://splinterlands.com/?p=battle&id=sl_d6978f047be588e086b607d0f455f5c1). Otherwise, do read on as I go into more detail regarding the lineup and fight. --- https://images.hive.blog/DQmbq7UF9MGFEcWpoijDDbM9DxHbv8YCCPjXW7M8xzm4Vc8/image.png Let us begin by outlining the rules for this battle. It is a straightforward setup with only two rulesets in effect. The first is this week's featured ruleset, **GOING THE DISTANCE** which we covered in depth earlier. The second is the **Reverse Speed** ruleset, which reverses the usual order of Speed, meaning that the Monster with the lowest Speed attacks first and has a higher chance of evading hits. The battle has a mana limit of 43 and permits only the Fire and Life Splinters to be used. ---

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**Summoner**, *General Sloan* Given the restriction to only the Fire and Life Splinters, I chose the Life Splinter due to its stronger synergy with the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset, which permits only units with Ranged attacks on the battlefield. However, since I lack the ability to deploy Ilthain, I had to settle for General Sloan in this instance. The Summoner provides a +1 Range buff, offering potentially valuable tactical advantages in this battle 😄 ---

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**First Position**, *Drybone Raider* The Drybone Raider holds a special place as one of my favored Soulbound Reward cards, and I was fortunate to acquire a Gold Foil version in one of my End Of Season Reward Chests! This versatile Monster can execute both Melee and Ranged attacks, making it eligible for battles governed by the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset. Placing it in the first position restricts the use of its Range attack, yet I can still leverage its Melee capabilities, especially enhanced by the Double Strike ability 💪 ---

https://images.hive.blog/DQmWRPuWMQNnRPDazP3mW56J5Kq8YCNsJE9AauDwFdfoiVU/Gargoya%20Devil.jpg

**Second Position**, *Gargoya Devil* The Gargoya Devil was positioned in the second slot due to its Close Range ability, enabling it to utilize its Ranged attack effectively even from the first position when required. Additionally, this Monster possesses the Flying ability, further enhancing its evasion rate by 25%. With a mana cost of 7, the Gargoya Devil boasts impressive stats: a 4 Range attack, 3 Speed, 2 Armor, and 5 Health, making it a well-rounded unit in the lineup! 😝 ---

https://images.hive.blog/DQmazH8vfbREriVaWrqatVLeTdL6hoYqw85PpdX1YybxePE/Xenith%20Archer.jpg

**Third Position**, *Xenith Archer* Moving on to the third position, we introduce the Xenith Archer, representing the Neutral Splinter. This Monster serves as an invaluable utility unit, as it can be chosen irrespective of Splinter restrictions, costing the team setup only 2 mana. I must say, for its cost of 2 mana, this unit offers commendable stats: a 2 Range attack, 4 Speed, and 5 Health! 😜 ---

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**Fourth Position**, *Prismologist* **Fifth Position**, *Pelacor Arbalest* Following that, we have the primary attackers in the lineup: the Prismologist and the Pelcaor Arbalest! These two Monsters wield immense destructive power in their attacks. The Prismologist boasts the Blast ability, dealing additional damage to adjacent units of the target, while the Pelacor Arbalest possesses the Double Strike ability, enabling it to inflict 6 Range damages in a single round! 🤝 ---

https://images.hive.blog/DQmT44Mo84KT3abjSxDMt246ujHxb7Ah7cSeyF6f2TfT9xz/Venari%20Crystalsmith.jpg

**Last Position**, *Venari Crystalsmith* In this battle, the Venari Crystalsmith emerges as the standout performer, playing a pivotal role in shaping the outcome with its invaluable support ability. The Venari Crystalsmith employs its Tank Heal ability to prolong the lifespan of my tank, the Drybone Raider, a critical element in this encounter, as I'll elaborate on in the following section when we dive deeper into the battle analysis! 😊 https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://i.imgur.com/QHMMPb5.png

The Analysis

https://images.hive.blog/DQmQ9w9uLr2fFsPPUUTzoi6NAjykvW7FepVahHhnUZ17A4h/image.png Upon encountering the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset specified for this battle, I swiftly examined my opponent's previous battle history prior to our matchup. It immediately became apparent that I was in for a tough challenge upon discovering that my opponent had utilized the Ilthain Summoner in one of their last five battles 😖 https://images.hive.blog/DQme7ZzMmyPb55m1Mf3GNDiguYYYd2c1ss8cC7YNddzwJvb/image.png Facing a team led by the Ilthain always signifies trouble, particularly in the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset, where the Summoner bestows the entire lineup with the Return Fire ability. With this ability in play, attackers effectively sustain damage with every Ranged attack dealt, turning each turn into a potential suicide mission! 😩 _{*My core attackers, Prismologist and Pelacor Arbalest, essentially brought about their own demise through their destructive power.*} https://images.hive.blog/DQmUXjWZ2ME6okmFkvQqrvLHLE13smqvCEfbGq9eTzmSi8D/Prismologist.gif https://images.hive.blog/DQmSVuA1EeqfEMC3XEmRnyQmrKNL4DWMeaH4XqiYk1qvNb4/Pelacor%20Arbalest.gif Emerging victorious against an Ilthain appears insurmountable, especially within the confines of the **GOING THE DISTANCE** ruleset. However, hope was not lost, as another ruleset governing this battle intervened to my advantage! The **Reverse Speed** ruleset, which effectively reverses all Speed-related mechanics, came to my aid. With Ilthain +1 Speed buff for the lineup, it inadvertently inflicted more harm upon the opponent's team than providing a beneficial boost! _{*I was able to take down the opponent's Drybone Raider before it even has a turn in the battle*} https://images.hive.blog/DQmQ6j3KMAoXwvshixRB2gFtvr67L4uSGXmZjqbS2AwDpqV/Drybone%20Raider.gif On the other hand, my Drybone Raider managed to evade the adverse effects of the Return Fire bestowed by Ilthain by solely employing Melee attacks from its placement in the first position. Right from the outset of the battle, I recognized that this would be my sole saving grace upon realizing that the opponent would undoubtedly deploy the Summoner Ilthain for this encounter! https://images.hive.blog/DQmQWYgxerMLtJiXtSy51ZC2AwUduvzDuQLfSmby9pLuAmn/Drybone%20Raider%202.gif Recognizing that the Drybone Raider is my sole hope for a slim chance of victory in this battle, the support of Venari Crystalsmith's Tank Heal to sustain the tanker's lifespan became increasingly crucial! https://images.hive.blog/DQmYrzizLw2UoDoKZQZvJsqT1pyaViWYJdukyJ2UDwqL2Lt/Venari%20Crystalsmith.gif Do you guys have any better recommendations for setting up the team in this particular ruleset? Do share them with me in the below comments 😜 https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.steempeak.com/file/steempeak/flauwy/LmFkELhp-DEC-divider.png If you made it this far, I sincerely appreciate your time and value your encouragement. Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions so that we can discuss about other strategies. Thinking about giving Splinterlands a try but haven't signed up yet? Feel free to use my referral link: [https://splinterlands.com?ref=ak08](https://splinterlands.com?ref=ak08), and be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions! --- Are you interested in reading some of my future writings? Don't forget to [follow](https://peakd.com/@ak08) me! In the meantime, here are some of my most recent blogs if you'd like to view them: ||| |-|-| |**OUTWITTING THE OPPONENT BY FIELDING AN ATYPICAL FOG OF WAR LINEUP!**|**CELEBRATE THE BARON'S BOUNTY EVENT WITH SPLINTERLANDS! (CON'T)**| |[![thumb.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmZY6VYD5De5nP4FrVRN6YUZHj3uaVDc9KJ9rjv55jfyTg/thumb.png)](https://peakd.com/hive-13323/@ak08/outwitting-the-opponent-by-fielding-an-atypical-fog-of-war-lineup)|[![thumb.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmR1R5AuKqNqgyQKmhRYWN7JN7gHZYo8LgjYhRkXSkjRAG/thumb.png)](https://peakd.com/hive-13323/@ak08/celebrate-the-barons-bounty-event-with-splinterlands-cont)| |**CONQUERING THE FEROCITY BY AVOIDING THE TAUNT!**|**YOU DON’T HAVE TO FINISH USING ALL MANA ALLOCATION! (Latest Blog)**| |[![thumb.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmZq6zi22oBRH9t18kMLh2PVPq6dqN84uX4xuyCyz7NdG9/thumb.png)](https://peakd.com/hive-13323/@ak08/conquering-the-ferocity-by-avoiding-the-taunt)|[![thumb.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmf9Zfvci1xnS4qtSKfxkYzei4xrvZ4pRRiEh9CRR9PAo8/thumb.png)](https://peakd.com/hive-13323/@ak08/you-dont-have-to-finish-using-all-mana-allocation)| --- All banners, dividers card and battle images used in this article are open source and obtained from the Splinterlands team or made by **flauwy**. Do check out his [link](https://peakd.com/spt/@flauwy/free-splinterlands-graphics-i-will-design-for-you) for other amazing designs.