Sniping with Kelan Gaines

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

Splinterlands is a game where some units look average at first glance but can become very strong once players understand how to use them. Many cards are strong when they work very well and placed in the right spot. This article talks about one of those units that shines more with experience. Kelan Gaines is not always popular because of his price point but he brings a lot to the table. He focuses on speed, magic damage, and complementing abilities that you can synergize with other monsters and archons. When used correctly, he can be really strong in offense and defense. This makes him a good choice for players who like balanced reliable monsters.

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^{Image from Splinterlands.}

Kelan Gaines has stats that clearly show he is a damage dealer. His mana cost is 8 which is on the higher side but his value comes from what he can do each round. At max level, he has 3 magic damage, which is strong because magic damage ignore armor. This makes him useful against tanks and teams with high armor. His 6 speed is very high, allowing him to act early and dodge attacks more often. Even though Kelan Gaines has 0 armor, his 9 health helps him survive longer than expected. This health lets him take a few hits from Sneak or Snipe damage without dying fast. He is not a tank and should not be used as one. Instead, he fits best as a backline or midline damage dealer. He can act as a tank on a special case that it's against enemy Snipe monsters but not as a full tank in the front.

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Snipe allows Kelan Gaines to target enemy magic or ranged monsters instead of the tank monsters in 1st position. This is very useful because those monsters are often dangerous but have lower health than the tank. By attacking them early, Kelan helps weaken the enemy damage output. Snipe also helps avoid wasting attacks on tanks. This ability becomes even better when Blast is active. Hitting a backline monster with Blast can damage nearby monsters too. Snipe helps create early pressure and forces damage to multiple of their backline. In many battles, this ability already gives Kelan strong value.


Phase works very well with Kelan Gaines because of his high speed. Normally, magic attacks always hit but Phase allows speed to help dodge them. With 6 speed, Kelan has a good chance to avoid magic damage. This makes him harder to kill than players expect. Phase is especially strong against magic heavy teams. When combined with speed buffs like Dodge or Swiftness, it becomes even better. Enemies may waste attacks trying to hit Kelan Gaines and fail. This ability adds survivability without needing armor.


Backfire fits perfectly with Phase and speed stacking. Every time Kelan Gaines dodges an attack, Backfire deals damage back to the attacker. This punishes enemy monsters for missing. One reason this is better than Thorns or Magic Reflect is that Backfire works on all damage type. With Phase, Backfire ability can hit magic damage attackers as well. Backfire is very annoying for the enemy especially when their attacks fail multiple times. It works well against all damage types and works best against monsters with low speed. This is one reason why Kelan Gaines can be used as a soft tank against other Snipe monsters.


Double Strike is what makes Kelan Gaines very dangerous. Attacking twice means his 3 magic damage can stack fast. With Snipe, Double Strike can remove backline monsters in one round. This puts huge damage on the enemy team. When partnered with Blast ability, Double Strike becomes even stronger. Each attack can spread damage to nearby monsters twice. This ability makes Kelan Gaines a priority target for the opponents but if he is protected, he can win games on his own.

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Battle Sample

^{https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_f68597abccebb4599e1a35480243a3c2 | Edited in Canva Pro.}

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Kelan Gaines is not a tank and should not be placed in front. His strength comes from speed, magic damage and complementing abilities. He performs best when protected and given time to attack freely. His lack of armor means he needs some care in team building. Overall, Kelan Gaines is a strong damage dealer that rewards smart play. His abilities work well together and better with a lot of combos. In the right battle modifiers, he can dominate quickly. For players who enjoy a balanced monster, Kelan Gaines is a very solid choice.

• This post is an entry for Splinterlands Social Media Contest.
• Animated Banners and Dividers are edited in Canva Pro.
• Other sources that I do not own are cited under their respective photos.
• Some of the fonts used are from instafonts.io

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