In this edition of Battle Mage Secrets, we shall dive into the UP TO ELEVEN ruleset. Within this framework, every unit possesses the AMPLIFY ability, enhancing the retaliatory effects of abilities like Thorns, Return Fire, and Magic Reflect. This enhancement leads to an increase of 1 damage dealt to all enemy's Monsters when these retaliatory abilities are triggered. Get ready for an exciting exploration of strategic nuances under this ruleset! 😁

Summoner, Grandmaster Rathe

When we see the UP TO ELEVEN ruleset in play, one particular Summoner naturally comes to our mind. This ruleset could be artificially created for your team through the use of Grandmaster Rathe, the Life Summoner from the Chaos Legion Edition. Priced at 6 mana, Grandmaster Rathe grants the team the AMPLIFY ability, reminiscent of the UP TO ELEVEN ruleset. Widely favored, this popular Summoner is frequently employed in higher leagues, allowing players to craft dynamic battles and leverage its strategic advantages! 😄

In my alt account, jimbei, I was able to engage in a battle that involves the UP TO ELEVEN ruleset. To get right into the action, the battle link can be found here. Otherwise, do read on as I go into more detail regarding the lineup and fight.

We'll commence our discussion by examining the ruleset governing this battle. The main highlight of this week's challenge is the UP TO ELEVEN ruleset, extensively covered in the earlier sections. Additionally, we have the Up Close and Personal ruleset, previously discussed in last week's Battle Mage Secrets Challenge, restricting battles to Monsters with Melee attacks. Finally, the Taking Sides ruleset, which prohibits the use of Neutral Monsters in battles. The battle enforces a mana limitation of 40 and allows only the Fire, Life, and Death Splinters to be utilized.

Summoner, Astral Entity

Navigating the limitations set by the Up Close and Personal ruleset, my favored approach consistently involves opting for the Death Splinter and, whenever possible, choosing Astral Entity as my Summoner. This Summoner can bestow a -2 Armor reduction and possesses the capability to Resurrect a friendly Monster once throughout the battle. Furthermore, the Dodge ability granted would increased the chance of my team evading Melee or Ranged attacks! 😤

First Position, Ever-Hungry Skull

Flourishing within the parameters of the UP TO ELEVEN and Up Close and Personal ruleset, the Ever-Hungry Skull takes on the pivotal role of a frontline tank in this battle. With noteworthy Armor stats and a defensive abilities such as Thorns and Return Fire abilities, it stands ready to inflict significant retaliatory damage on opposing Melee Monsters, especially when augmented by the amplifying effects of the AMPLIFY ability! 😅

Second Position, Shadow Snitch

Moving on, the Shadow Snitch makes a rare appearance in my lineup, securing the second position. Its placement in this spot is strategic, courtesy of its Reach ability, allowing it to attack effectively from this position. The primary rationale behind choosing the Shadow Snitch lies in its possession of the Affliction ability, a feature crucial for preventing the enemy's tanker, such as Cursed Windeku or Uriel The Purifier, from Healing once the Affliction ability takes effect! 😝

Third Position, Pelacor Deceiver

The Pelacor Deceiver serves as a contingency tanker should the Ever-Hungry Skull and Shadow Snitch succumb. I enjoy deploying the Pelacor Deceiver alongside Astral Entity as my Summoner, as the duo showcases excellent synergies. The Flying attribute, coupled with the Dodge ability conferred by Astral Entity, notably boosts its evasion prowess against both Melee and Ranged attacks. Furthermore, its Backfire ability allows for counterattacks, dealing damage when the enemy's strikes fail to hit their mark! 😎

Fourth Position, Silent Sha-Vi

The Silent Sha-vi armed with the Sneak ability, could consistently deliver deadly offensive strike, effectively eliminating the enemy's backline. In this particular battle governed by the Up Close and Personal ruleset, the Sneak ability proves especially advantageous, enabling the Melee Monster to persist in its attacks while others are restricted in the backline. What distinguishes Silent Sha-vi is its Piercing ability, allowing it to penetrate through the target's Armor and deal additional damage directly to their Health! 💪

Fifth Position, Harklaw

Harklaw played a pivotal role in diminishing the enemy's attack capabilities through its debuff ability, Demoralize. The powerful synergy between its Shield and Demoralize abilities showcased remarkable effectiveness, particularly within the constraints of the Up Close and Personal ruleset. Additionally, it possesses the Immunity ability, safeguarding Harklaw from succumbing to enemy debuffs and ensuring that the Monster maintains a robust defense against incoming attacks! 🤗

Last Position, Cursed Windeku

Strategically positioned as a backline tanker, Cursed Windeku aims to capitalize on its Thorns ability in this battle. Operating under the UP TO ELEVEN and Up Close and Personal rulesets, the Thorns capability possessed by Cursed Windeku proves to be a pivotal advantage. Furthermore, the Heal ability in Cursed Windeku's arsenal contributes to its overall resilience, enabling it to withstand enemy Sneak attacks and counter with the AMPLIFIED Thorns damages! 😆

Considering the available Splinter options, I wouldn't say I'm surprised that the enemy chose the Death Splinter, especially given the presence of Astral Entity in their arsenal as well. However, what intrigued me was the enemy's team composition as there was an uncanny resemblance between our lineups. The battle proceeded and avoided a DRAW result only because of the positioning of our Harklaw and Cursed Windeku! 😅

When we emphasize that battle outcomes hinge on fine margins, this situation perfectly exemplifies it! Placing my Cursed Windeku in the last position allowed me to efficiently handle the enemy's Sneaking Silent Sha-Vi. The AMPLIFIED Thorns damages incurred with each attack led to the eventual downfall of the enemy's Silent Sha-Vi. This, in turn, triggered the Resurrection ability of Astral Entity, albeit somewhat wastefully compared to how my Resurrection ability revived my Ever-Hungry Skull, effectively restoring its 11 Armor stats, indeed UP TO ELEVEN! 🤙

Do you guys have any better recommendations for setting up the team in this particular ruleset? Do share them with me in the below comments 😜

If you made it this far, I sincerely appreciate your time and value your encouragement. Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions so that we can discuss about other strategies. Thinking about giving Splinterlands a try but haven't signed up yet? Feel free to use my referral link: https://splinterlands.com?ref=ak08, and be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions!

Are you interested in reading some of my future writings? Don't forget to follow me! In the meantime, here are some of my most recent blogs if you'd like to view them:

RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF MAGIC DEBUFFS AND UNPROTECTED BATTLES!	REBELLION UNLEASHED: EXPLORING THE LOOKOUT ABILITY!
CRAFTING AN IMPENETRABLE LINEUP IN UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL BATTLES!	REBELLION UNLEASHED: EXPLORING THE AMBUSH ABILITY! (Latest Blog)

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