DEMENTED SHARK
Even though this isn't a Weekly Battle Challenge, I decided to feature one of my favorite cards and describe a battle I had. I might try to do this in the future, to talk about many other cards since there are a bunch I enjoy playing with and not all will probably be in the Weekly Battle Challenge.
The first card I want to feature is the Demented Shark, a common water card from the previous Reward set. This scary-looking shark is great thanks to all the new Chaos Legion monsters added, buffing their stats and making them more terrifying.
Lore
Sharks are incredibly resilient in the wild of the Outer Ocean. Because of how recklessly and indiscriminately they throw themselves at prey, they are often marred and damaged by those they attack, who possess unseen (and often horrific) defenses. One of these creatures of prey that sharks continue to foolishly attack in the wild is called the edgefish, whose scales are sharp like blades of steel. Another is the genus Coelomomyces, a group of aquatic fungi creatures that when attacked, lay spores inside the brains of larger fish. Several weeks after the spores are laid, small, treelike fungus begins to grow from the sharks’ heads. This causes the sharks to completely lose control of themselves and fall into a perpetual blinding agony of rage. This is how the monsters known as Demented Sharks are born, and when they find their way into the inner sea of ΛZMΛRÉ, no Mer is safe.
Stats
At level 1, the level I'm using, the Demented Shark as 1 melee, 2 speed, 1 armor, and 6 health. While those stats don't seem that great, especially for a 6 mana card, his strong point, and the reason I like using him so much, is his ability Inspire, which gives +1 melee to his allies.
Once leveled up, he gets scarier, with Thorns making him a good tank (although you don't want him to die quickly, since other monsters would lose their buff). He also has great attack and speed, dealing some serious damage instead of being mostly a support card.
The Battle
The Ruleset
- Equal Opportunity: All Monsters have the Opportunity ability, meaning that they attack the monster with the least health.
- Rise of the Commons: Only Common and Rare Monsters may be used in battles.
- Allowed Splitners: Water, Earth, and Dragon.
The Team
For this battle, since it had the Equal Opportunity ruleset, I went for the Demented Shark, buffing all of my team, while also being able to attack protected from the backline. I went for Bortus in case the enemy used Obsidian or Alric, two great Magic summoners, and alas, it was a great decision since they did go for a Magic-oriented team.
| Card | Description |
|---|---|
 | BORTUS Gives -1 Magic to the enemy. Magic is very powerful in the Opportunity ruleset because it doesn't target the armor, so I decided to nerf it just in case. |
 | SERPENT OF ELD Thanks to its ability and great Speed, this monster works as a good Dodge tank. Also, thanks to his low health, he'll be targeted first than the Demented Shark, protecting it for a while. |
 | DEEPLURKER Without a doubt the best common monster from Chaos Legion. It already has Opportunity at level 1 and with his 3 Melee, it's a beast. |
 | FLYING SQUID Another great new common card. Has 2 melee and 8 health, allowing him to deal great damage while also being a good secondary tank. |
 | DEMENTED SHARK I put him in this position, to protect it from Sneak attacks, while also having 3 other monsters with less health than him to protect him from Opportunity. |
 | DIEMONSHARK The best friend of the Demented Shark and Opportunity. He has trample, meaning that if he defeats a monster, he can attack for the 2nd time. Thanks to Opportunity and the melee buff, he's more likely to defeat monsters. |
 | PELACOR BANDIT I only put him since I had 3 mana left. But thanks to his low health, he'll take the first attacks, protecting for a while the other monsters. |
ROUND 1
Obsidian buffs her team, but Bortus nullifies it. Thanks to that, Peryton only deals one damage to Pelacor Bandit. It would have been deadly otherwise.
Then the Diemonshark defeats Khmer Princess, meaning that he gets another attack and defeats the Chaos Agent as well. Two monsters in one turn! After that, the Pelacor Bandit and Flying Squid defeat the Venari Spellsmith, and the Deeplurker and Demented Shark defeat the Goblin Psychic. With that, I defeated 3 enemy monsters before they were even able to attack!
ROUND 2
Peryton manages to defeat my Bandit this turn, while the Unicorn Mustang almost defeats the Serpent of Eld, and right after the Serpent retaliates, leaving the Unicorn with only 3 damage. Thanks to that, Diemonshark is able to defeat it, procing its ability once again, dealing damage to Peryton. Finally, the Flying Squid deals the finishing blow, winning me the battle.
Recommended Cards and Rulesets
| Card/Ruleset | Description |
|---|---|
 | WAVE BROOD This Epic monster has Taunt, making him a great tank, taking all the enemy damage. This way, the Demented Shark can live longer and support the rest of the team. |
 | BATTERING RAM The Demented Shark can buff a lot of low mana monsters, with a low melee attack, like the Battering Ram. This would turn it into a monster with 2 melee, only costing 2 mana. A great addition to any team. |
 | MELEE MAYHEM Just like Equal Opportunity, this allows the Demented Shark to attack while being in the backline. |
Final Thoughts
I really hope you liked reading this post on one of my favorite cards and if you don't own one, you should get ahead and buy it since it's pretty cheap right now.
Before Chaos Legion came, I hadn't used him as much, but now, with the new cards and summoner, I think he's a must-have for this type of ruleset, while also being a good addition in other rulesets, although less impressive.
The Diemonshark is another card that got its time to shine in this battle, showcasing his ability not once, but twice! I really like playing with him and once leveled up, it'd probably be unstoppable, especially with the Stampede ability.
To end, I hope you liked my review of the Demented Shark, and I'd like to see you again with another review. If you have any suggestions on what other card you'd like to see, let me know and, if I haven't covered it up already, I'll make sure to do it soon!
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