Greeting Battlemages!
As I was saying in my last Battlemage Secrets post, Speed and Health are key factors in Explosive Weaponry ruleset. And yet I did the contrary in the battle and managed to win due to damage output.
This time I show you the perfect counterexample.
The ruleset
Under the Explosive Weaponry ruleset, all units gain the Blast ability.
That means that units adjacent to the one being attacked will take additional damage, equal to half the main damage dealt.
My general rules under this ruleset were: Speed and spread the damages (while I used a bunch of low Health low Speed monsters to win, that's not serious!)
This time, I follow my general rule, plus a useful little trick, as always when units are going to die fast.
The battle
https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_217184d2a7bb6228a774877dee773ca4&ref=engilhramn
The battle is played in Modern Silver. It is opened to Fire, Water, Death and Dragons. The mana cap is 25 and the rulesets are Explosive Weaponry and Aim True (attacks always hit their target).
The lineup
If you follow what I write, I think that Speed is a key factor, so it won't surprise anyone that I picked as
Summoner: Kelya Frendul
First position: Djinn Oshannus, for its speed and Void to reduce magic attacks
Second position: Venari Marksrat, the little trick, who will quickly boost adjacent units
Third position: Deeplurker, nice health and Opportunity for faster kills
Fourth position: Pelacor Bandit, for his Speed and to spread even more the damages
Last position: Hardy Stonefish, just to fill the last mana point
My opponent went for the opposite strategy: focusing attacks on one point with a bunch of little monsters.
He chose Kelya Frendul also, with
Cruel Stehropod as tank
Angelic Mandarin as off-tank with Triage
Elven Mystic
Kulu Swimhunter
River Nymph and Ice Pixie as backline
So I chose fewer but "bigger" monsters, with more Health and Damage, while my opponent chose to use more monsters, but "smaller" ones.
At the start of the battle, he has in total 25 Health and will deal 11 damages per turn, while I start with 25 Health also and 12 damages per turn, so it's somehow equivalent.
Round 1
After a few attacks the Venari Marksrat dies and triggers Martyr on Oshannus and Deeplurker, reinforcing my two stronger monsters. While my oppenent's backline is already suffering from the Depplurker/Pelacor Bandit duo, who have eliminated the Ice Pixie and left the River Nymph in bad shape.
Round 2
A stronger Oshannus is strong! You can ask the Cruel Sethropod! The same can be said of Deeplurker, who took down the River Nymph.
Round 3
A bit of Armor hitting (that's sometimes the problem with Opportunity), but an explosive Pelacor Bandit got rid of the Elven Mystic. While in the meantime, my team is still holding well the damages.
Round 4
Well, for now, it would have been the time to surrender if it was possible...
Takeaway
I'm glad I could offer a counterexample in order to sound less like "do as I say and not as I do"! You see here I have concentrated Health and Damages on 2 monsters, instead of spreading it all around and suffering losses faster.
Also, this little bugger of Venari Marksrat! He's particularly efficient when he can boost 2 units for sure, and Explosive Weaponry makes it possible. Instead of playing an off-tank who will suffer, just sacrifice the Marksrat!
That being said, see you on the Battlefield!