Prelude
Hello everybody, how is it going? I am back again for more Battle Mage Secrets. Through the various Battle Mage Secrets challenges over the past few weeks, I have gained more insights to the various rule sets.
The ruleset of the challenge this week is: Close Range
Ruleset Spotlight
Close Range
Monsters with ranged attacks are allowed to attack in the first position.
Abilities/Cards that get shutdown with this rule set
With this, we will see more range cards appearing. But this does not mean other cards such as Melee or Magic cards will no longer be seen in the match up. No specific ability will be shut down because the key is enabling range attackers to shoot at point blank.
What thrives with this ruleset?
Usually, in a lineup, range attackers usually will take up approximately 2 to 3 spots due to the fact that without Close Range ability or Ruleset, when range attackers come to position 1, they will become sitting duck and unable to attack.
Therefore, expect an upsurge of range attackers while keeping in mind of the other usual threats such as heavy tankers, backline magic, etc.
Return Fire is something worth consider in such ruleset since there is a high likelihood of more range attackers. To reduce range attack damage, Head Winds is a good choice of ability to include. Armour is also something good against range, so Protect comes in handy or pick cards with generally higher armour to fend off these attacks. Shield also works to reduce range damage too and should be considered too.
Heal/Repair are also good abilities so that range attackers right at the front will get some regeneration for longer sustainability.
On stats, it will be the same, more health and speed is the way to go.
With these in mind, let's start to talk about the battle proper.
The Battle
Link: https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sm_sgknGW94jiAU8BEMLAEQ&ref=vaynard86
Rules
Close Range, Lost Magic, Equalizer
Mana Limit: 20
| Splinter | Mana Cost | Position | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thaddius Brood | 4 | Summoner | Death Summoner that reduces Magic and Health. |
| Corpse Fiend | 0 | 1st | Frontline padding. |
| Ravenhood Warden | 4 | 2nd | Protector of the team |
| Lira the Dark | 7 | 3rd | Fast hitting opportunist |
| Whistling Damon | 3 | 4th | Sniper |
| Weirding Warrior | 2 | 5th | Shatters any armour in sight |
| Total Mana: | 20 |
Opponent Lineup
- Summoner - Thaddius Brood
- Position 1 - Xenith Monk
- Position 2 - Shadow Snitch
- Position 3 - Crypt Beetle
- Position 4 - Riftwing
- Position 5 - Chaos Agent
Prediction before pressing rumble
This is a brawl match hence there is Gladius cards involved. Very interesting choices that my opponent picked where there is not a single range attacker and heavily consist of melee attackers. Quite puzzling because Death Splinter have many very strong range attackers. Let's rumble!
Battle Synopsis
Round 1, An array of arrows flew and my opponent's Xenith Monk fell, with no significant damage to my line, due to protection given by Ravenhood Warden.
Round 2, A peaceful round on my side but my lineup successfully take down Shadow Snitch.
Round 3, This Crypt Beetle is a tough nut to crack where only Whistling Damon and Lira can cause damage to it due to the shield ability.
Round 4-onwards, It was a chain of continuous attacks while my Whistling Damon gets bigger by sniping other targets and finally landing the fatal blow to it to secure the win.
Post Battle Summary
That Crypt Beetle was sure a tough nut to crack because my 1 attack range attackers cannot deal a single damage to it and I can only rely on Whistling Damon and Lira to power through. If I only fielded 1 attack range attackers, I would have lost the match.
Did my strategy work? Yes it did. Every card I chosen in the lineup had a specific reason to be there.
Corpse Fiend - Soak up damage from the front.
Ravenhood Warden - Protection is key to absorb some damage.
Lira - High hitter with fast speed to hit enemy first.
Whistling Damon - Snipe and blood lust to grow bigger
Weirding Warrior - Destroy opponent card armour
What's the Battle Mage Secret?
Ensure while we field in range attackers, we need to consider the innate abilities they have. If I didn't put something with more than 1 range attack, this game would have gone the other way due to the Shield found on Crypt Beetle. Each utility range attacker needs to be assessed and then put at specific spots in the lineup.
Some other amazing range cards that I frequently used are Pelacor Arbalest, Axe Master and Igot Darkspear. Each has its own good as well. This ruleset is very fun to play especially if you have an arsenal of range card to choose from.
Wrap Up
I hope you guys enjoyed reading my sharing on the rule set Broken Arrow. I would really appreciate it if you liked and/or commented to let me know what are you thoughts.
I am currently part of PIZZA, an active gaming and creative arts crypto community on the HIVE blockchain and part of PIZZA guild. Popular cryto games such as SPLINTERLANDS, RISING STAR and HASHKINGS are actively discussed in this community.
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Till my next battle sharing, take care, stay safe and happy battling!
If you are keen on playing Splinterlands, feel free to join me via this link: https://splinterlands.com?ref=vaynard86
