Introduction

This week a look at cripple. nice ability that is a bit underrated in my opinion and can deliver crucial benefits when played well.

Ability

Each time an enemy is hit by a Monster with Cripple it loses one max health

Notes:

• When missed or you do 0 damage, due to for example shield, no cripple is applied.

• Cripple cannot be cleansed.

• Once a monster that has dealt the cripple damages dies, the cripple amount still applies wont be reset.

• Cripple cannot reduces the health of the monster below 1

• When cripple is applied you can still recover some health with life leech.

• Healing can still be useful only it might not heal to it max original health. So a monster has 10 health when it is crippled for 3 and then damage by 3 it has 4 health, it still can be healed up to 7.

Official ability information from splinterlands: List abilities

Synergies / strategy

Abilities benefits

Affliction - No the monster has already minus health because of the cripple it is also not possible to heal.

Poison - cripple and combined with poison quicken the draining of the health, without of worrying of any shields.

beware of abilities:
Immunity - If your opponent plays a monster with Immunity, be aware that negative status effects will not impact it. This includes cripple.
Thorns/Return fire - as far as i know there are only cripple monsters with melee or ranged. So be aware of their retunn damage

Ruleset benefits
Armored up - cripple goes around shields. So it hase double effect your monster attack to take down the shield and also directly takes down a health.
Healed Out - no heal monster can be use this is favorable for cripple continue chipping away there health
Little league - most of the time low mana monster have also less health so it is easier to get the health down to 1 with cripple.
Equalizer - all have equal health so every help with draining your opponents health is welcome.
Holy protection - even when the first damage is absorbed it still does cripple.

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Select / favorite

These are my cripple monsters.

Summoner:
The summoner Dallan of the Riftwatcher expansion gives all monsters cripple. I have not leveled him up enough to be playable at diamond level.

This week had two favorites:

• Merdhampir
• Dhampir Infiltrator

Both monster I like to use in many setups. I like the double strike of Dhampir Infiltrator in combination with the Cripple. The life leech in combination with the cripple is also very nice combo. After few days watching my battles I decided it is going to be the Dhampir Infiltrator. I play it more often and i think i also play more battle with it.

a very early sneak preview a tool I'm developing, which monitors your battles and season statistics:

Strategy

Lets watch a battle more closely with the Dhampir Infiltrator. When all monster have the enrage ability cripple benefits because the max health is lowered when attacking. This means when the monster is fully healed, which is less than where it started with because of the cripple, it is not enraged.

Rulesets

Holy Protection:
First attack damage is absorbed

What Doesn't Kill You:
All monster have the enrage ability. When a monster health is reduced all stats, attack damage and speed are increaded.

Even Stevens:
Only even mana cost monsters can be selected.

The Lineup

Summoner

Card	Reason
	it was either quix or lux this battle. Chosen for quix to be able to choose Djinn Chwala for the thorn damage

Monsters Lineup

#1	#2	#3	#4	#5	#6

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Djinn Chwala (lvl 6)
Deviate from my default strategy of the diemonshark. Chosen for its thorns.

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Baakjira (lvl 3)
In the second position so when my djinn chwala has done enough return damage with its thorns it can without hopefully the entire battle in combination with its heal.

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Deeplurker (lvl 10)
My number one most play monster in the last few weeks. with a win percentage of 56% great monster with the poison, opportunity and demoralize just love it

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Merdhampir (lvl 10)
Star of this week important for its cripple and life leach. hope it can gather lots of health. it should not get in the front, Baakjira need to make sure of that.

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Runi (lvl 4)
I expect some sneak monster therefor almost in the last position to protect my Merdhampir.

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Wave Brood (lvl 5)
Distraction from the front so everything is built to let Merdhampir as long as possible.

The Battle

Reference

Link to the battle:
Link to battle

Rounds

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Start :

Nice opponent, -1 ranged extra headwind monster (Riftwing) an total of -2 ranged then a shield monster (harklaw). If he gets in the front I will do no damage with my Merdhampir.
Lucky I have my opportunity monster with me to take down the rest first.

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Round 1:

First attack of the Merdhampir is done, damage absorbed still cripple executed and no enrage, perfect first strike
My Wave brood is poisoned. Good start of the first round.

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Round 2:

Some monsters killed, looking good. Only now harklaw is in the front my Merdhampir won't be doing any damage now, this also means it will not cripple the enemy 😌.

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Round 3:

Unfortunately for the cripple now. My opportunity need to kill the other. My defence is Still looking strong.

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Round 4:

Another one bites the dust. slow and steady it is over for my opponent. It first have to overcome Baakjira not going to happen.

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Round 5:

Merdhampir is back in business it can start doing damage and cripple damage again.

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Round 6:

Nice fast round one more to go.

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Round 7:

Win. Nice gathering of health point total of 10 health points love the cripple life leach combo

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Conclusion

Nice battle that demonstrates how the life leech cripple combo can serve you well.
Cripple is not used that often imo, also it is not my favorite ability still it has strong combos that will help quicken the battle if played well.

Other battles

Click on the image to rewatch the battle


Battle with my two favorite cripple monster unfortunately Dhampir Infiltrator kill herself because of backfire 🤣.

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The life leech helps counter the poison a bit eventually the blast in combination with poison is killing
my Merdhampir

Previous ability strategy posts

Below you will find references to the other ability strategies / analysis posts.

Ability	post
Affliction	Ability post: Affliction
Amplify	Ability post: Amplify
Backfire	Ability post: Backfire
Blast	Ability post: Blast
Blind	Ability post: Blind
Bloodlust	Ability post: Bloodlust
Camouflage	Ability post: Camouflage
Close Range	Ability post: Close Range
Cleanse	Ability post: Cleanse
Cripple

That's all for this week hope you enjoyed reading this ability strategy/analysis. See you all on the battlefield.

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