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Hello, Splinterlands Friends and Family! 👋🔥

For this week's Social Media Challenge, I've decided to talk about Katrelba Gobson, one of the best Gladius cards released so far. 🌟

Katrelba Gobson is an excellent and really strong card that can easily secure you a win when the enemy least expects it. Whether you're climbing the ranks or experimenting with new strategies, she brings a unique edge to your gameplay. 🎯

In this post, I'll dive into how and when to use Katrelba effectively to boost your performance. And, as a bonus, I'll showcase two incredible fights I had with Katrelba last week. 🏆🚀

🌟 Introduction

Katrelba is one of those cards that makes you exclaim, "Oh crap..." when you see the enemy playing it without having prepared your team. This is largely due to her double attack, which allows her to build up damage very quickly. ⚡

The optimal moment to use Katrelba is when the enemy is caught off guard. If you spam her every match, your opponents will eventually adapt, making her less effective. For instance, while Katrelba performs exceptionally when paired with Lobb Lowland, she loses some of her edge in high-end brawls or when the "Are You Not Entertained" ruleset is active, because opponents will likely be expecting her.

Unlike many other Gladiator cards, Katrelba truly shines as a surprise factor. The main problem is that she is also quite easy to counter since she attacks with Sneak. She is not really a versatile card. Placing at least one unit in the back that can sustain her damage might neutralize her threat. 🤷‍♂️

When to use Katrelba?

So, to answer the question of when to use Katrelba, let's first examine her stats per level to understand why she's so effective. 🔍

Katrelba in the Lower Leagues: Silver and Bronze

From levels 1 to 5, Katrelba offers very similar stats. She gains extra damage at level 4, along with some additional life and speed, but essentially remains the same card with similar power. This means she's just as effective in Bronze as she is in Silver. 🌟

Another appealing aspect is that she is a common card, making her relatively easy to obtain. If you're a new player aiming to climb the ranks, joining a guild and playing a few brawls to collect copies of Katrelba might be a great strategy. 🤝

My advice for Silver and Bronze leagues:
Use Katrelba alongside Lobb Lowland every now and then, but avoid overusing her. Spamming her in every match might reduce her overall effectiveness. ⚠️

Katrelba in Gold and Diamond

At Gold and Diamond levels, Katrelba truly shines, especially when she gains the Cripple ability. (Each time an enemy is hit by a Monster with Cripple, it loses one max health.) Cripple works exceptionally well with her Double Strike, allowing her to apply debuffs twice per turn if she lands her hits. ⚔️

In high-level play, it's crucial to pair Katrelba with other Sneak units and, if possible, with units that have Inspire. This synergy is why leveling her up to the maximum level is so important since upgrading her damage from 3 to 4 per attack can make all the difference between winning and losing a match. 🔥

But always keep in mind my earlier advice: use Katrelba sparingly. Don’t spam her, you don't want to be predictable. At max level, she only has 5 life, making her vulnerable if opponents anticipate her use. A unit with thorns and Amplify in the backline would mean a sure death for her in a single turn⚠️

So, Katrelba is a card you willl want to use here and there but it’s really important to know when NOT to use Katrelba, let’s take a look at some rulesets and situations where she isn’t the best option. 🤔

Mana Cap Considerations

The first thing to note is the mana cap. Since Katrelba costs 6 mana, it’s crucial that you have enough mana to summon her, as well as Loob and a few other units to protect or buff her. For Katrelba to be successful, you need more than 25 mana. However, if the mana cap is too high (over 40), the enemy is likely to field hard-hitting units or effective counters against Sneak units, which could quickly take her down.
Ideal mana range: 25 to 40 mana. ⚡

Are You Not Entertained Icon

1. "Are You Not Entertained" Ruleset

When this ruleset is active, you generally don’t want to use a unit like Katrelba, especially if there aren’t many splinters available. For example, if only the Earth Splinter is in play, it’s a safe bet that players will rely on Quora or Katrelba. If your opponent expects Katrelba to be played, she becomes easier to counter. Simply deploy a strong tank in the backline, and she won’t be able to break through quickly enough, paving the way for your team to eventually win. 🛡️

Fog of War

2. Fog of War Ruleset

This one is straightforward. As a Sneak unit, Katrelba relies on being elusive to be effective. Without Sneak, she becomes a poor choice, so if the Fog of War ruleset is in effect, she is not good at all. 🚫

3. Thorns

This is another obvious scenario where you might want to avoid Katrelba. Since she attacks twice per turn and has only 5 life, she could self-destruct in just 2 turns if the enemy monster has Thorns or even in 1 if the enemy brings Amplify.
Exception:
If you can incorporate Fizbo into your team and provide Katrelba with a Reflection Shield, it can be a clutch strategy. The enemy won’t be expecting it, and with Reflection Shield, Katrelba can ramp up quickly. 🔄

4. Up Close and Personal

This ruleset allows only Melee units to be used. Sometimes, the restrictions force you to use her anyway, but my advice is to avoid her if possible. In an all-melee match, players typically include Sneak units, and opponents will likely have backline protection ready. This backline defense can be lethal for Katrelba, even if it might not be as effective against other units. ⚔️

The Fights: Match 1

🔗 Battle Link

🏆 Match Preparation

⚔️ The Ruleset

For this match, we have a 23 mana cap and 3 rulesets:

Born Again:
All units gain the Rebirth ability. When this ruleset is active, using Gladius cards can be a great idea because Bloodlust can stack significantly. ⚔️

Divine Protection:
All units receive Divine Shield. Since this buff applies equally to both teams, it doesn’t provide a significant advantage. ✨

Unprotected:
All units have 0 armor and cannot gain any Armor from summoners or abilities. In this ruleset, it’s generally wise to use summoners and monsters that naturally have 0 armor. In this case, both Katrelba and Lobb Lowland are excellent choices. 🛡️

This combination of rulesets works well for Katrelba. Even though it’s on the lower end of the mana cap, 23 mana was enough to build a strong team—thanks in part to the Halfling Refugee, which proved to be a strong tank for very little mana.

🛡️ The Lineups

Opponent's Lineup

Summoner	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th

My opponent used a very sneak-heavy lineup, employing Vruz to buff Pelacor Bandit twice. It’s a solid strategy that might have worked if my Katrelba had missed more shots. Sometimes you just have to rely on RNG, and this time, the enemy got lucky. 🍀

My Team

Summoner	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th

I opted for a team full of very low-mana units, plus Katrelba. All my units cost 1, 2, or 3 mana at most. This setup allows for a fast, flexible game plan. ⚡

This fight is going to be quite interesting! Let’s see how it plays out! 🎬🔥

Turn 1:

Turn 1 went by quite smoothly. No units were permanently eliminated, though my Katrelba managed to secure a kill on the very first turn. My backline also took some damage and even lost a unit, but it was quickly resurrected. 😊

Turn 2:

Turn 2 was quite similar to Turn 1. My Acid Shooter died again—this time permanently—but Katrelba missed a crucial hit on the enemy. The tanks sustained some damage, but nothing too concerning yet. At this stage, the action is mostly concentrated in the backlines. ⚔️

Turn 3:

By Turn 3, things started to shape up for my team. My Katrelba finally managed to kill the enemy Vruz, gaining another buff from Bloodlust, and the enemy sneaks killed my Venari Marksrat, giving Katrelba an additional buff. By now, Katrelba had already been buffed 6 times, dealing 6 damage per turn. 💥

Turn 4:

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By the end of Turn 4, Katrelba had become a force to be reckoned with. With her damage now at 8 per hit, she received another buff from Venari Marksrat and secured a first kill on Pelacor Bandit. At this point, Katrelba matched the enemy’s speed with 8 speed, she became very difficult to hit. Meanwhile, my team held its ground; even though my tank had died once and was on the verge of falling again, the strategy was to hold the line until Katrelba built up enough power. ⚡

Turn 5:

Another turn brought yet another buff for Katrelba. She continued to secure enemy kills each turn. Thanks to her Double Attack, she can remove the enemy's Divine Shield with one hit and then eliminate the unit with the next.

The fight continued for a few more turns, and Katrelba kept building up her strength. By the end of the match, she was hitting for 15 damage per turn. This truly showcases the real power of Katrelba: once she starts racking up kills, she gains so much speed that she becomes nearly unstoppable eventually dealing 30 damage per turn.

I know the post is already quite long, but I wanted to showcase another fight using Katrelba, with a very similar team composition.

⚔️ Match 2

🔗 Battle Link