Explosive Weaponry battles always feel a bit hard because damage spreads everywhere and mistakes can make you lose games harder. One wrong placement can wipe your own team before you even realize what went wrong. That’s what makes these matches fun and stressful at the same time.

In this battle, the focus is on magic damage, Blast ability from Explosive Weaponry modifier and controlling where the enemy attacks land. Zargrul plays a big role in making sure how the whole fight goes. I’ll walk through the lineup, explain why it works, and show how Taunt can completely win you the game even before it started especially in Explosive Weaponry modifier.

My Team's Core Structure

Archon: Marlai Singariel
She gives +1 magic to all of my units which already have magic damage. Because every unit benefits from this ability, it feels like adding a 6 total damage to the team. This makes Explosive Weaponry modifier even scarier since Blast damage also scales up.

1. Great Bear Druid
He has two attacks, melee and magic which lets him attack twice every round. Because of Blast from Explosive Weaponry modifier, both attacks also trigger Blast which spreads damage more than normal. This makes him a good addition when you have Blast ability on him.

2. Abyssal Elemental
He acts as my second tank thanks to Resurgence which revives him with full health and armor. Even without Void or defensive skills, coming back to life gives him great value. This allows him to soak damage longer and protect the backline twice when needed.

3. Saltwater Mage
She acts as one of my main damage sources in this lineup. With Marlai Singariel, her magic damage increases which also boosts her Blast damage. That extra splash damage makes her simple kit surprisingly effective.

4. Shock Trooper
He brings very high magic damage which becomes even stronger with Blast. His 5 magic damage and 3 Blast damage helps end battles early which is important because of Electrified debilitation. The faster the fight ends, the less downside he has.

5. Torrent Sniper
Snipe lets him bypass the frontline and hit the middle of the enemy lineup. With Blast active, every attack damages multiple units at once. The low damage is bad but the number of affected units is good so he is in the lineup.

6. Zargrul
He is the main defensive unit of the team with high health and Taunt. Taunt pulls all magic and ranged attacks toward him which keeps the damage carries safe. Even with low damage, his role is important for the team to function.

Why This Team Works in Specific Rulesets

Taunt is very strong in Explosive Weaponry because it controls where attacks land. Since all attacks are redirected, you can predict exactly where Blast damage will do its damage. This reduces unpredictability and helps keep damage carries alive longer.

This strategy also works well in Super Sneak, Equal Opportunity, Melee Mayhem, Target Practice and Keep Your Distance Modifiers. Taunt forces attacks away from important units and keeps them focused on one spot. Scattershot (Also Aimless Modifier), Flank and Reach (also Maneuvers Modifier) are not affected by Taunt.

Key Synergies

Taunt vs. Normal Range and Magic Attacks

Any unit that does not attack from melee range will be forced to hit the Taunt unit. This removes randomness and makes enemy targeting predictable. It also helps protect units that deal most of your damage.

Taunt vs. Sneak

Sneak attacks normally bypass tanks and hit the backline. With a Taunt unit present, those attacks get redirected instead.

Taunt vs. Blast

Because every attack hits the Taunt unit, Blast damage only do only damage to specific units. This allows you to control exactly which unit takes splash damage. It greatly limits how dangerous Explosive Weaponry modifier and Blast ability can be.

Taunt plus Deflect

Taunt on the first or last unit with a unit with Deflect beside him can completely neutralize the Blast effect. The main target of the attack, which is the Taunt unit, is not affected by blast. The unit beside it, which has Deflect, is not affected by Blast damage. This combo is the best when encountering Explosive Weaponry where everyone has Blast.

Battle Link and quick summary:

https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_e1dcfb629e8be7adf3daf97976190b59

Even on the early game, I already know I have the advantage by simply comparing the quality of the units. My units have stronger health overall which means I can take more damage than them. I also have a Taunt unit and they don't which means I can control and minimize the effects of the Blast damage from Explosive Weaponry modifier.

Mid game is just a continuation on the early part. It's nothing special. As predicted, my units would require to take more damage which means their units die earlier than mine. The enemy also have problems with their frontline. They have two tanks but it wasn't enough because they aren't tanky enough to take this amount of damage.

In the final stages of the game, my tanks still stand and with Captain Fellblade the only unit on the enemy team, I find it hard to imagine losing at this point. The main difference between me and my enemy is just the quality of units and the strategy of adding a unit with Taunt. These two differences in the lineup decided the fate of the battle.

Closing Thoughts

This battle really shows how powerful Taunt can be when you can control what others can and cannot do in Explosive Weaponry modifier. Instead of letting Blast affect everyone, the lineup forces damage into a controlled space as you deal with it. That control is what allows high magic damage with low health like Shock Trooper to safely do its job.

Zargrul may not deal much damage but he enables the whole strategy to work. When combined with strong magic units and Blast, the results are brutal. Hit fast, hit hard... but only you while you don't let the enemies do what they want.

Posted Using INLEO