This week, Splinterlands Challenge of the Week is to showcase Pirate Captain from the Water splinter in one of our battles.
Pirate Captain comes all the way from the Alpha set, and for that alone it is special. Of course most Pirate Captain cards in circulation are from the Beta set, where it was reprinted slightly modified like all alpha set cards.
This is the first time I participate in such a challenge, and I admit I don't regularly use Pirate Captain.
That is however a powerful card when someone plays it very well. But his strength really comes after level 6 when Inspire ability gets unlocked.
I will however use Pirate Captain in a Bronze III battle, with the cards the Spellbook gives access to (all common and rare cards level 1, beta and untamed).
At these levels, there are a limited number of strategies one can choose from, and one of the most used in battles is having multiple snipe attackers in your lineup.
Knowing this, I prepared my strategy for the eventuality the opponent would choose to focus on snipe attack.
Ruleset and Lineups
This was a 30 mana game. And the ruleset was standard, since we are in the Bronze league.
I played Water, obviously, with this lineup:
Summoner: Alric (+1 Magic attack)
- Sepent of Eld - tank, great speed and attack for a level 1 card (it has Flying ability too for an added miss chance), but it costs 7 mana
- Peaceful Giant - at 8 health and no attack, it can draw quite a few snipe attacks, if the opponent uses this strategy - 5 mana
- Elven Mystic - 1 magic attack which will become 2 because of Alric - 4 mana
- Enchanted Pixie - another magic attacker, less health, but also 3 mana instead of 4.
- Pirate Captain - snipe attack; it was either this or sneak for the same 3 mana cost.
- Water Elemental - 2 range attack, 4 speed, Heal ability - perfect for last position in Bronze, unless the opponent has multiple sneak attackers - 5 mana
I used all my 30 mana points.
What did my opponent play?
Summoner: Zintar Mortalis (-1 Melee Attack)
- Haunted Spirit - one of the best tanks for bronze games, due to high health and heal ability - 5 mana
- Undead Priest - Weaken ability; used often for Death splinter at this level - 2 mana
- Twisted Jester - 2 range attack and 4 heath; one of the best level 1 snippers at 4 mana
- Death Elemental - 1 magic attack snipper for 3 mana
- Centaur - another range snipper, 1 attack, 4 health, 4 mana
- Mantoid - and you guessed - another snipper, 2 range attack, 5 health, 6 mana. My opponent was really full snipe in this game.
Did my strategy work?
Yep, it did, as you can see here. It was a great counter for my opponent's snipe strategy. It would have worked even if he had a sneak attacker, but I would have probably lost if he had a monster with opportunity, because that would have taken out my magic attackers first.
After Round 1, I took out his tank and he hasn't taken out Peaceful Giant yet, with all the snipe fire power. Practically here's where the game was over, after that it was only going towards the inevitable.
Was Pirate Captain Useful?
At level 1, Pirate Captain has 1 ranged attack, 2 speed and 3 health. Compared to other snipe cards Water has, Pirate Captain is not a great choice, but it has the benefit of being only 3 mana. Which is exactly what I had remaining.
Now that I think of it, I should have placed him in front of the magic attackers, to draw fire before Elven Mystic, in case of an Opportunity attacker.
Pirate Captain is WAY more useful after he picks up the Inspire ability at level 6, until that level I don't find it very useful compared to other cards.