This ruleset got nothing on the sleeves at all. Similar to Even Stevens and Odd Ones Out; Taking Sides have effect on limiting the available cards to use. Taking Sides will exclude Neutral Splinter cards from being used. Neutral Splinter are actually not much in numbers, but will still have many useful purpose. With no mutual cards to use between Splinters, it become more predictable to use certain Splinters. Yours or opponent's battle history would become increasingly important cue to predict the cards to be deployed.
Pros & Cons
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1. I don't think there're any particular benefit under Taking Sides ruleset. The limitation on Neutral Splinters does not necessarily limit your capacity to deliver the best strategy. | 1. There are also no certain flaw or cons with Neutral Splinters unavailable to use. | |
Best Cards To Use
WATCH BATTLE
So here we have the battle experience with Taking Sides as the ruleset. Click BATTLE LINK to see how the battle run.
The battle has the minimum 27 mana cap, with Taking Sides as the sole rulesets; while only Water and Life Splinters are made available.
With no Neutral Splinters to use, I think Life Splinters would be a great choice. As usual focus my strategy on ranged cards. General Sloan will become my summoner to buff ranged damage. I put Pelacor Conjurer in the lead to tank the formation. Djinn Renova follow next as secondary Tanker while bringing Strengthen to buff the formation. I reinforce the formation even more by taking Truthspeaker with Protect ability. My main artillery will consist of Venari Crystalsmith and Pelacor Arbalest. If both to fall, there will be no firepower to fight back. Last but not least is Gargoya Scrapper as cannon fodder to block ambush attack.
My opponent decided to go with a Water Splinter lead by the conventional Kelya Frendul. The frontlines is filled with the deadly Djinn Oshannus. Hardy Stonefish to fill the 2nd row, followed Ice Pixie and Merdaali Guardian. Merdaali Guardian could with its Heal could support Djinn Oshannus greatly. Deeplurker stay in a very secured position and its 3 damage could pose a threat to my weakest chain. Pelacor Bandit might not be a much threat, but still I need to keep an eye on it.
A delayed initiatives is a very great liability. The entire formation of my opponent make a full out strike. Fortunately their attack are scattered among various target, which allow my formation to endure the 1st round. Meanwhile I put less firepower with only Djinn Renova, Venari Crystalsmith, and Pelacor Arbalest launched their attack. But I have a more focused attack directed toward Djinn Oshannus. At the end of round, Djinn Oshannus are down to 6 health remaining.
The battle run to 2nd round. Pelacor Conjurer are hit by both Ice Pixie and Djinn Oshannus. Protect effect work very well and protect Gargoya Scrapper from consistent attack from Pelacor Bandit. Fortunately the low health of Pelacor Conjurer has lured Deeplurker to attack it which end in vain as it missed. The 2nd half of the round turn the tide into my side. Djinn Renova, Venari Crystalsmith, and Pelacor Arbalest, all landed their attack accurately into Djinn Oshannus which put it into demise.
Entering Round 3, my opponent start to show some fight when Deeplurker strike down Truthspeaker. My whole armor buff is now lost. But this had no significant effect. This really expose my whole formation from the deadly strike of Deeplurker. My formation manage to launched their strike, resulting in double kill on Hardy Stonefish and Ice Pixie. Its now 5 against 3.
Lady luck is totally on my side this battle. Pelacor Bandit strike to deal 1 insignificant damage into Gargoya Scrapper, which certainly lure Deeplurker to put demise on it for good. This allow my formation an extra round to launch another arrow barrage. Merdaali Guardian is quite tough, forcing 3 cards to strike on it before it fall down. The last strike made by Pelacor Arbalest on Deeplurker's armor.
Round 5 blow the tide into my formation. Deeplurker are now in deep trouble, as Pelacor Conjurer maintained a full 6 health, having being healed by Venari Crystalsmith constantly. With no significant progress to breach my Tanker, my formation now took opportunity to strike down into Deeplurker.
The battle run into Round 6, and the fate is sealed for my opponent as the barrage fire of my ranged cards put an end into Pelacor Bandit.
CONCLUSION
I think this is the ideal battle performance of Life Splinter. Pelacor Arbalest and Venari Crystalsmith launched barrage fires endlessly in 6 round straight. The full damage prove to be powerful enough to breach the additional armor layer from Kelya Frendul. But still its all thanks to Truthspeaker. With no armor protection, my formation will certainly under killing blow of Deeplurker
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