The Shooters Shot Off

I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of ranged monsters in Splinterlands. Except for my favorite rat, Venari Marksrat, I struggle to incorporate them into my strategies effectively. That's why playing under the Fire & Regret modification often works in my favor, allowing me to unleash one of the most lethal combos in the game. In this post, I want to share a high mana cap game under the Target Practice, Fire & Regret, and Explosive Weaponry ruleset, which highlights the strengths of my water set.

To avoid attracting snipe attacks, I decided to exclude both ranged and magic cards from my deck. Instead, I focused on creating an entirely melee-based lineup. For such a strategy, Possibilus the Wise proved to be one of the best summoners, granting all monsters Reach, Trample, and an additional 2 HP.

When Possibilus the Wise leads my monsters, the first two spots are reserved for the best tank and a formidable Reacher. Chain Golem, with its excellent stats, Shield, and Void, fulfills the tank role perfectly. Its only drawback is its lack of speed, but given its golem nature, it's understandable. Coastal Sentry, on the other hand, is swift enough to strike twice per round. It can deal more damage than the other five monsters combined when hiding behind the Chain Golem.

Kulu Mastermind, an opportunist predator, proves to be one of the best monsters of its kind in the game. In this battle, it played a decisive role, eliminating half of my opponent's deck. While I usually rely on its Weapons Training ability, it wasn't necessary this time around.

Deeplurker, although slightly weaker than Kulu Mastermind, shares a similar playstyle. Monsters with Opportunity pose a significant threat in games under the Explosive Weaponry ruleset, so I was relieved that my opponent didn't field any such monsters.

For just two mana points, I could employ the Reflection Shield ability. That's why I positioned Venator Kinjo as the second-to-last monster. Camouflaged Kinjo was ready to block any blast damage from monsters with Sneak or Opportunity that would have targeted Hardy Stonefish in the first round. Even the less expensive Stonefish could endure at least two such attacks. However, my opponent didn't deploy any monsters with those abilities, rendering my precautions unnecessary.

The Battle

As I mentioned earlier, I wasted three mana points on two monsters that didn't engage in the battle at all. However, my four damage dealers proved more than capable of handling the situation without any assistance. It seemed that my opponent when relying on magic monsters had also expected to face a similar set. Consequently, he was ill-prepared to defend against my massive melee offensive potential. Nonetheless, his inclusion of two healers, with one taking care of monsters beyond the first position, along with the strategic employment of Mycelic Slipspawn with Taunt, showcased his smart tactical choices.

Just as my opponent was unprepared for a melee-based lineup, I had not anticipated facing a magic-only pack. Consequently, my Coastal Sentry was eliminated early on. However, Earth magic cards tend to be slow and have limited HP, making them vulnerable under this ruleset. The only monster that could effectively evade some of my attacks was Regal Peryton, but even it fell victim to a blast. Thanks to the swiftness of my cards, I emerged victorious with two spare monsters that were not actually necessary for the win.

See the battle yourself!

Posted using Splintertalk