Unfortunately, I was busy last week and was not able to participate in the Battle Mage Secrets but for this week, I will try to post the previous and this week Battle Mage Secrets to catch up, so here we go!

Hello Battle Mages!

Welcome to another Splinterlands Battle Mage Secrets Weekly Challenge. For this challenge, we are going to discuss the close range ruleset or the ruleset where range monsters may be use in the first position in battles.

For those who are new to my post, I usually post information about Gold Modern league which I usually play in rank, brawl and tournament.

🏹 Ruleset: Close Range

Card	Description
Close Range	Range attacks may be used in the first position in battles

With the Close Range ruleset, all range attack monsters will be able to attack in the first position. This means this ruleset grants range monsters the ability to continue to attack even they are position in the frontline. This gives them an advantages especially that a range monsters is dealing heavy damages.

When the close range ruleset is active in the battle, there are a lot of ways a battle mage may play in this ruleset. A battle mage can use a line-up where in it is against a range monsters such as those who are having the headwinds and return fire ability. A battle mage may also avoid using range monsters since this might be expecting by your opponent in which instead of having range monsters, you will be doing a magic and melee monsters, or even a different combination of opportunity and sneak monsters. A lot of possibility of line up can be use when considering close range.

Consideration

In my perspective, when Close Range occurs, here are the strategy I use to deal with this ruleset:

First thing that I need to consider is the other ruleset that are in play in the battle. Considering two to three ruleset will further dig down what is the best line up you and your opponent may use. For example, a close range together with lost magic which is the battle that I will be sharing, with this idea you may narrow the team composition.

The second thing is the elements available. I usually tried to use headwinds ability to weaken range monsters. Quix the Devious is the most common summoner that I use to reduce the range attack and combined by Ash Mirage from the Fire or Queen of Crows from the Death. The death splinter is also a good choice if you have a Mimosa Nightshade. The element also determine the monsters that you are going to play, every element in the modern have different pros and cons.

Then, I can also consider going full sneak monsters with dragon/water or dragon/life elements if I think that my opponent will do a full counter against range monsters.

The close range ability may be a bit of a tricky ruleset but with the help of other ruleset and available splinters and monsters, a battle mage may narrow down the possibility of lineup.

🏹 Cards

Suggested Cards

There are summoners in the modern format that directly affects the range monsters atrribute. The summoners may boost the attack, there are summoners that perform debuffs.

In my opinion, below summoners are my top choice:

Card	Information
Yodin Zaku	The powerful Yodin in the Fire Splinter not only boost the range monsters attack but provides a blast ability which is very deadly and a game changer in the battle. A range attack dealing damage to two to three monsters is somehow a big difference in every attack.
Conqueror Jacek	Conqueror Jacek by looking initially may not be a good summoner because of the scattershot ability but with the piercing ability, this gives the range monsters the ability to penetrate through armors especially those who have a high range damage. The +2 speed is also a very good boost.
Lir Deepswimmer	Lir Deepswimmer may not be a regular summoner that is often use but by looking at the stats it can offer which is +2 armor, return fire and blind is really against range monsters. All of the stats Lir provides affects the performance of the range monsters especially the return fire.
General Sloan	General Sloan is a typical summoner that boost range attack by 1 damage. This is helpful especially with the range monsters of life splinter such as Prismologist, Pelacor Arbalest and Venari Crystalsmith.
Ilthain	Ilthain for me is much usable in close range than General Sloan because of the return fire it provides in which in every damage taken by the monsters from range attack, the monsters return some damage.
Mimosa Nightshade	We have Contessa L'ament which reduce range attack but Mimosa Nightshade is a better one when dealing with the range monsters in a high mana cost because it does not only affects range monster but also magic monsters as well as those who are healing.
Quix the Devious	Finally we have Quix the Devious which is the most common summoner in the dragon splinter that affects range monsters. This card also can summoner dragon monsters which are a great help in the battle. A dragon + chosen element is somehow a better choice.

In choosing the monsters, I believe that a lot of consideration as well can be use. In below list are the range monsters that I handpick personally which I do think provide a pretty nice and a good utility for this ruleset. These monsters provides the upperhand especially when attacking in the frontline.

Monster	Element	Advantage
Ash Mirage	Fire	high speed, high damage, headwinds and reflection shield.
Countess Sinash	Fire	high speed, high damage, opportunity, swiftness
Igor Darksphere	Water	low mana cost, stun
Merdhampir	Water	life leech, cripple
Sea Stalker	Water	high damage
Swamp Spitter	Water	high damage, repair
Goblin Tower	Earth	hig damage, blast
Iza the Fanged	Earth	scavenger, stun
Uloth Dhampir	Earth	high damage, high health, stun
Venari Seedsmith	Earth	high damage, scavenger, poison
Pelacor Arbalest	Life	double attack, flying
Prismologist	Life	high damage, blast
Venari Crystalsmith	Life	tank heal
War Pegasus	Life	shatter, flying
Dhampir Stalker	Death	high damage, true strike
Lira the Dark	Death	high damage, high speed, swiftness
Soul Strangler	Death	high damage, low mana cost
Runic Skyclaw	Dragon	high damage, high speed, flying
Supply Runner	Neutral	high damage, high speed, swiftness

Disadvantage Cards

There were really no disadvantage card in this ruleset as this ruleset just enhance the range monsters. Knowing that the range monsters are enhanced, the abilities such as headwinds, and return fire plays an important role in this ruleset. It may be a way to be a disadvantage to range monsters.

🏹 Battle Strategy

Battle

Rules of Combat

Modifications: Fog of War, Lost Magic, Close Range
Mana Cap: 42
Playable Splinters: Water, Earth, Life, Death and Dragon

Team Composition

With the Close Range in effect, and with the lost magic. It is 100% sure that most of the opponent monsters are range where-in a headwinds could be a good use.

• Summoner: Quix the Devious was chosen as the summoner because it simply reduce the range monsters attack by 1, this summoner also reduce the speed by 1.
• 1st Position: Ever-Hungry Skull is a very powerful card when there is no any magic monster involved. This card deals thorns damage in the frontline and a high armor against physical attack for a cost of 5 mana.
• 2nd Position: Queen of Crows is in the second position due to its high health and headwinds ability. This card can attack in the frontline even without the close range ruleset which is why this is not included in my list above.
• 3rd Position: Lira the Dark benefits the close range ruleset, this card also have a high speed and swiftness which boost the speed of the team
• 4th Position: Supply Runner is another card that benefits on the close range ruleset, it also provides swiftness boost.
• 5th Position: Ravenhood Warden is a powerful monster which provides protect ability for shield against physical attack.
• 6th Position: Dhampir Stalker is the last one that benefit the close range ruleset. This card is position in the last as every attack that this card is 100% true shot.

My line-up specifically focus on weakening the opponent's range monsters with a massive speed buffs and added layer protection and a true strike monster in the rear.

Battle Analysis

Looking on the opponent's line-up, these are the key notes in the battle:

1. The headwinds effect is pretty effective as it affects 4 monsters lowering their attack into 1. This is a pretty big impact in the battle.
2. The usage of ever-hungry skull is in fact a good decision which affects Diemonshark and Flying Squid due to thorns damage.
3. Even that Flying Squid do have a blind ability, the true strike ability of Dhampir Stalker prevails.
4. Queen of Crows high health is really a big help when defending the frontline.

BATTLE LINK

🏹 Closing Remarks

Close Range ruleset simply even the odds of range monsters which cannot attack in the frontline. This gives them the benefit to allow them to be usable even when at the frontline position just like magic monsters.

Most of the range monsters do have powerful attack or great utility in the battle. With this ruleset, there are a lot of option that can be use. It maybe an all range monsters, it can be a counter against all range monster or simply ignore the close range ruleset to confuse your opponent if they are going to counter your moves.

Which strategy do you use for the Close Range? Do you go with the ruleset or against it?

Thank you for reading! See you in the next Battle Mage Secrets Weekly Challenge!

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