Mic check. One-two. One-two. Is this thing still on?
Hey everyone! It's been a while but I'm back and to kick things off and help me get back in the swing of things, 
If you're not familiar with the challenege, you can check out all the details here.
Let's go check out some lore!
LORE
Spineback Turtles live around the edges of the Dark Water, in the inner seas of ΞZMΞRΓ. They can breathe air, but the incredibly harsh climate of the Water Splinter makes the recesses of the deep more comfortable. They are generally gentle creatures, but when roused to battle, they are shockingly difficult to destroy.
If you're into lore, I highly recommend checking out 
Also make sure to check out the Splinterlands Lore Trivia Giveaways, hosted by 
STATS & ABILITIES
Low mana and Little League battles can be pretty tricky at times, but Spineback Turtle can make them quite a bit easier. Yeah, it's slow, but it has a ton of HP and Armor to make up for it. On top of that, it gets thorns at level 4!
THORNS
When hit with a Melee attack, the Thorns ability does damage back to the attacker.
Note: Thorns do NOT stack!
AMPLIFY
The Amplify ability increases magic reflect, return fire, and thorn damage by 1.
Note: Amplify does NOT stack!
The Water Splinter has two options: River Nymph and Venari Spellsmith
Including either one of these in a lineup with a level 4 or higher Spineback will cause the thorns to dish out 3 damage!
RULESET
Target Practice All Ranged and Magic attack Monsters have the Snipe ability
SNIPE
Snipe Targets enemy Monsters with Ranged, Magic, or no attack that are not in the first position
MY OPPONENT
LINEUP
Both of the Amplify monsters are rare and gain the ability at level 4, so I'm going to use a level 4 rare summoner. I would've rather went with Kelya for this battle, but since I only have a level 3 and didn't feel like renting, Bortus would have to do.
I'm expecting a melee assault so I've placed Spineback Turtle in the tank position. My hope is that the high HP and Armor combined with Thorns and Amplify will eliminate most of, if not all, of my opponents team.
Torrent Fiend is taking up the number two spot to give Venari Spellsmith and Halfling Alchemist a little more time in back if, and when, Spineback is eliminated.
I want to keep that Amplify ability in the battle at least as long as I have thorns still in the fight, so I put Venari Spellsmith in the middle to protect it from sneak attacks.
I almost went with a Pirate Archer, but my opponent had been playing Goblin Mech and Flesh Golem a lot, so I opted for a Halfling Alchemist instead. The Halving ability will make either of those monsters more manageable and help Spineback stay in the fight longe.
Bringing up the rear is some good ol' sneak protection in the form of a Furious Chicken.
BATTLE
πππWatch the Battle HERE πππ
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ROUND 2
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ROUND 3
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THOUGHTS
I'm definitely a fan of Spineback Turtle, especially with Thorns and Amplify. That was a fun battle and it actually played out exactly how I hoped. If you've never had the chance to play with one before, I recommend giving it a try!
REVERSE SPEED
Reverse Speed Monsters with the lowest Speed attack first and have the highest chance of evading attacks
With 1 Speed at levels 1-4, Spineback is a great choice in the Reverse Speed ruleset!
HOW TO GET YOURS!
Spineback Turtles can be found for sale or rent in the market. At the time of writing, a BCX 1 card can be purchased for around $4. There are some cheaper deals out there if you're looking for a higher BCX than that, but they're becoming more limited.
Make sure to use MonsterMarket for your purchases and receive 3% back in DEC!
Thinking about renting? Peak Monsters has you covered!
Owning VS Renting
Market Prices (90 Day Chart)
THANKS FOR READING!
SIGN UP TO PLAY
Wanna try your luck with an amplified thorny Spineback Turtle?
SIGN UP NOW!!
If you use my referral link below, I'll send you some cards to help get you started!
π π π HERE π π π
Note: Itβs free to start playing, but to start earning, you need to purchase The Summonerβs Spellbook for $10