Fire Speed Duel: Comparison between Pyre and Barthalamas, the Rare Fire Element Archons 🔥

Greetings Splinterlovers ❤️

I hope you all have a great start to the week, today we're going to talk about two Archons who share the same ability or buff, albeit with some different characteristics, in the world of Splinterlands, speed is a crucial strategic advantage, and few Archons embody this advantage as clearly as Pyre and Barthalamas.

Both are rare Fire element Archons and share the same fundamental ability or buff: granting +1 Speed to all allied units, however, despite this similarity, they represent different eras and game formats.

Pyre belongs to an older edition and is associated with the Wild game format, while Barthalamas is a newer edition, key to the Frontier/Modern format, although I'm not really sure if it can be played in "Modern", this post will explore the differences in cost, maximum level, aesthetics, and the impact of its ability on various battle rules.

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Visual Appearance: The Monkey vs. the Handsome Man

The most immediate difference between these two "Archons" lies in their design, which reflects a shift in the artistic direction of Splinterlands cards across editions.

• Pyre (Old Edition): Pyre is presented as an agile, half-naked creature, with features reminiscent of a goblin or a " monkey" (in my opinion, haha), perched on a column of flames, It has large pointed ears, bright eyes, and visible fangs, Its design is very much like a living torch, honoring the element it belongs to (Fire Splinter).

• Barthalamas (New Edition - Foundations): Barthalamas, in contrast, is a "handsome" muscular warrior with hair that burns with flames, he stands with his arms crossed in a confident and dominant pose, his design is cute and heroic, with a focus on physical strength and mastery of the Fire element, on his card, he is also identified with the Djinn bloodline.

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Comparison Chart of Archons (Pyre vs. Barthalamas)

Feature	Pyre	Barthalamas
Element	Fire	Fire
Rarity	Rare	Rare
Primary Abilitie	+1 Speed	+1 Speed
Cost of Mana	3	6
Maximum Level	8	4
Main Format	Wild (Older Edition)	Frontier/Modern (Newest Edition)
Visual Alignment	Goblin-like creature	Muscular warrior, Djinn

The difference in mana cost (3 vs 6) is significant, as Pyre can be used in very low mana battles, or in rules such as Little League (Archons and units costing 4 mana or less), while Barthalamas requires a higher mana commitment, in addition, the level that the cards reach, with Pyre being level 8 and Barthalamas level 4, underscores that Pyre, as the older Archon, can reach higher levels of competitive play in the Wild format, of course, it should be noted that these newer cards could evolve in the future, but right now, this is how they are.

Comparing Pyre and Barthalamas is like comparing an old formula and a modern formula for the same chemical catalyst. Both accelerate the reaction (+1 Speed), Pyre is a low-cost version (3 Mana) used in larger, less regulated laboratories (Wild Format), while Barthalamas is a more expensive version (6 Mana) used in a more restricted and controlled environment (Frontier/Modern), but both serve the purpose of speeding up the process.

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The Impact of +1 Speed on Battle Rules

The shared ability to grant +1 Speed is excellent for ensuring that units attack first, which generally provides an advantage in combat, this speed advantage can be crucial for evading attacks and winning the battle.

Best Rules ✅

1. Need for Speed: Only units with a speed of 3 or higher can be summoned, the +1 speed bonus from "Pyre or Barthalamas" is exceptionally useful here, as it can help marginal units reach the speed threshold of 3, allowing for greater flexibility in combining the team you choose.

2. Standard: In the standard game, where there are no rule changes, a speed advantage directly translates into a better chance of attacking first and evading, optimizing card performance, therefore, at this point, taking advantage of every point is essential to gaining the upper hand.

3. Explosive Weaponry: In an environment where Blast damage is universal, initiative is vital, If your team, boosted by Pyre or Barthalamas' speed, attacks first, you can eliminate multiple enemy units before they even have a chance to respond, giving you a significant advantage, providing a lot of attack power and, in turn, more resistance.

Worst Rules ❌

1. Reverse Speed: This is the nemesis of any speed summoner, in this rule, units with the lowest speed attack first and have the highest chance of evading attacks, Pyre or Barthalamas +1 speed would be detrimental to your own team in this situation, as it would reduce the chance of your units attacking first, It is recommended to avoid using the Slow ability on units in this rule, as it would help the opponent.

2. Silenced Archons: Under this rule, archons do not grant stat boosts or debuffs, nor do they grant or use abilities, under this rule, Pyre or Barthalamas' +1 speed is completely nullified, rendering them ineffective; in this case, it is advisable to use the lowest-cost, highest-level Archon.

3. Aim True: It removes the defensive evasion benefit provided by increased speed, rendering this bonus useless and eliminating your advantage in focusing on a speed strategy.

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Conclusion

Pyre and Barthalamas are Rare Fire Archons that serve the same strategic function: boosting the team's speed by +1, although Pyre (3 Mana, up to Level 8) is more mana-efficient and more versatile for the Wild format, and Barthalamas (6 Mana, up to Level 4) is the "Frontier/Modern" choice, their impact in battle is affected by the same modifier rules, with Reverse Speed being the most dangerous for both. Both summoners, regardless of whether they look like a "monkey" or a "handsome guy," represent the key to dominating the order of attack on the battlefield, as long as the rule that punishes speed is avoided.