Introduction:
The hypotheses is that there is a powercreep in splinterlands.
To prove this we need a way to quantify the monster power.
This is a work in progress:
This part is about quantify the power of shield monsters.
The power of shield monsters:
Attack damage gets halved (rounded up), except attack 1 which deals 0 damage, so please note that 3 damage will only be reduced to 2! (i never really registered this, shame on me)
Let's assume you can predict quite well what the attack type of the oppenent will be.
That you will use shielded monsters against 80% physical damage, so the monsters take around 40% less damage.
The health of melee monsters is rougly the same as the mana cost.
Most monsters has no or 1 armor, so there is no effect on armor.
The power value for shield should be -0.4 per mana, right?
The rules to calculate monster power so far:
Basic stats:
- 1 health is 1 monster power.
- 1 armor is 2 monster power any additional armor is worth 0.5 monster power.
- 1 Speed is 0.5 monster power.
- 1 attack is 0 monster power,
- 2 attack is 2 monster power,
- 3 attack is 3.5 monster power any additional attack is worth 0.5 monster power.
- Rare monsters are worth 0.5 and Epic monsters 1 more monster power.
- Neutral monsters adds 1 monster power for flexability.
- Ranged monsters are worth 2 additional monster power.
- Ranged monsters are worth 4 additional monster power.
- 1 mana cost is roughly 1.4 monster power
I was wrong :( power curve without shield correction:
Low mana monsters with shield have bad stats compaired to the normal power curve.
Serpentine soldier has the -2 power level less i expected from a 5 mana monster (low on health and attack).
Low mana monsters are punished more than the high mana monsters.
I simply don't know why.
Mightbe in low mana battles reducing the damage to 0 attack is too good, therefor the low mana monsters with shield are "nerfed"?
Now Splinterlands has balanced the game quite good, so i assume Shield has to be valued: 4 - 0.5 * mana cost.
From 8 mana the shield is roughly free.
| Name | Mana | Health | Armor | Attack | Speed | Monster power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crypt beetle | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4,5 |
| Antoid platoon | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5,6 |
| Serpentine soldier | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6,7 |
| Stone giant | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7,2 |
| Silverhand paladin | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6,7 |
| Frozen soldier | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 8,3 |
| Lobstradamus | 6 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11,3 |
| Chaos knights | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8,8 |
| Living lava | 7 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10,4 |
| Frost giant | 7 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10,4 |
| Naga fire wizard | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 |
| Mycelic infantry | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11,5 |
| Harklaw | 8 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11,5 |
Cards to mention:
Lobstradamus Sirrieusly, why haven't i seen this monster when the +1 magic summoner was free?! it seems really over powered versus any sneakers! (even against magic the 9 HP is good.)
You would win almost all low tier battles with this combo.
No specially bad cards found :)
Final thoughts:
Why is "living mana" almost as strong as Rexxie but with a bonus shield?!