In this post I want to discuss the new Martyr ability. This ability was implemented in Splinterlands with the latest reward cards and it gives adjacent monsters +1 to all stats if the martyr monster dies. This is like a Bloodlust on death for the cards next to it.

At this time are 5 cards available with this Ability. They are all soulbound reward cards and can't be traded and purchased at least until the next reward set is released. This means you should play this game earn daily and season chests and if you are lucky you will be rewarded with one of these cards.

The 5 Martyr cards are in different rarities and for different splinter available.

Firecaller - FIRE

His name already tells us, that he is for the fire splinter. A common card and gets his Martyr ability right from the start at level 1.
Firecaller is a 5 mana ranged attack with slow speed.
With leveling up it gains the Fury and Snare ability.

Fungus Flinger - Earth

Common rarity card for the earth splinter. Is also a ranged attack monster with 3 mana cost and Martyr ability as basic ability at level 1. At higher levels the Fungus Flinger gets 2 support abilities with blind and affliction.

Venari Marksrat - Neutral

This is a rare neutral card and can be used with every splinter, which makes it very flexible and a chance for all splinter to get the martyr ability.
It's a 3 mana ranged attacked and has martyr at level 1. With leveling up the rat gets Snare and Shatter as 2nd and 3rd ability.

Noa the Just - Water

High speed epic water monster with no attack. This is the water splinter card with martyr but he gets Martyr only at max level, which means at diamond league.

Iziar - Life

Iziar is a legendary life monster with 11 mana cost, magic attack and the abilites Taunt and Void. Martyr ability becomes available at level 3 in Gold League.

Death and Dragon are the only two splinters without a Martyr Monster right now. Because Dragon can play every other splinters monster cards this isn't a real disadvantage. Death can use the neutral card Venari Marksrat to play with the Martyr ability in certain ruleset.
I am sure with the next card sets they will implement more Martyr cards.

Getting an advantage with Martyr

When playing with Martyr, the ruleset and positioning play a very important role. The two cards next to it should also benefit a lot from this buff. This happens for example with certain monsters with shield, double strike or life leech.

In my mind are 2 Rulesets very great to play with the Martyr Ability, because they focus there attacks on a position what you can decide with your placing of the cards.

• Opportunity
  Opportunity attacks the targets the lowest health monster first and so you can place your low health monster right next to the 2 monsters your want to buff. You only have to take care that the Martyr monster is the lowest health monster and if it has the same health as another monster, that it's before the other monster because the Opportunity ability prioritize first the health and if 2 have the same health it targets the first positioned monster.

• Snipe
  Snipe Ruleset give all your ranged and magic attack monsters the Snipe Ability which makes them target the first Range, Magic or non-attack monster in the Backline. It ignores meelee and positioning the Martyr monster as first ranged monster it will get killed and can buff your other monsters next to it.

Also some other Rulesets like Earthquake or Poison can be used to kill your low health martyr monsters first to buff the other which can give you this 1 more round you need to kill your enemy or to survive longer.

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Battle 1 - Snipe (Opportunity)

Link to the battle

This battle had the Snipe Ruleset and I placed my Venari Marksrat at the 3rd position in between my Venari Bonesmith and my Arachne Thug Meelee with Reach.
Venari Bonesmith with Life leech and poison is a really strong card and can deal a lot of damage and reach a high health pool through the game. By buffing it, he becomes even stronger and better survivability.

My opponent played with a Possibilus which was focussed on meelee with reach and trample. Only his Venari Wavesmith was with Snipe from the Ruleset, but he had 2 Opportunity monsters which also focussed my low health Martyr monster.
My Supply Runner gave my monsters with Swiftness a speed buff which gave them the advantage to attack earlier.

In the first round my Martyr monster got killed as intended (although through opportunity than through snipe) and buffed my 2 monsters, which gave me the damage advantage I needed to win the game.

Battle 2 - low mana matchup

Link to the battle

The second battle was a low mana matchup with only 15 mana to use. Because of the poison ruleset I decided to use my Harklaw with immunity. As the 3 mana monster I used my Venari Marksrat Martyr to die through the snipe or poison and then buff my Harklaw.

The opponent played a Waka Waka and max level monsters for Gold League. Cursed Windeku in the front with thorns and with heal what he gets at level 6 to heal the poison and other damage.
In the backline the 0 mana fiend, Venari Bonesmith and at the last position Venator Kinjo with Camouflage and Immunity to survive till the end.

After the first round of poison damage the Venari died and Martyr buffed my Harklaw to 3 attack, gave him an additional shield and health point. This was crucial to deal more damage through the heal of the Windeku and get the additional health points I need for the battle.

My Harklaw was able to kill the Windeku with the 3 damage and survived with 2 healthpoints left (the 2 points I got from Martyr buff). Killed the last monster Venator Kinjo and I have won the game.

Battle 3 - Opportunity

Link to the battle

This battle was a 30 mana matchup with opportunity ruleset. I placed my Venari Marksrat at the 3rd position between my 2 life leecher monsters: Bonesmith and Life Sapper to buff their magic attack and health for the life so that they survive longer to get their life leech roling.

The additional health in combination with the life leech gave me enough time to survive the attacks and deal enough damage to kill the monsters. My Bonesmith was stronger than the one from my opponent and I have won the game after some rounds.

What are your thoughts about the new Martyr Ability?

Leave a comment below.

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