Battle Mage Secrets Weekly challenge... and a giveaway

Four days left in the season! I finally reached Gold III on modern, but it's definitely being a very slow climb. I'm unsure how well this balancing is ocurring, because I keep finding maxed decks that supposedly should be way higher in rating. Anyone experiencing the same difficulties?

Oh well, time has come to another weekly challenge! This week's prompt?

Ferocity ruleset! All units deal double damage to monsters with taunt. On a side note, a bit thumbs up to the creative team on the card illustrating this week's challenge, Barashkukor looks awesome!

Back to this ruleset: the main thing to look out is wether to use cards with taunt or not; in some games, especially in a combination with other rulesets, taunt cards might even be a good strategy, despite taking double damage. Take Iziar, for instance, a life card with taunt and martyr: although it will die likely quicker in this ruleset, that will mean that the two adjacent units will also be buffed quicker. Combine that with a resurrect and you'll have two buffed units early on, which can definitely turn the battle tides in your favour.

---

In the battle I bring you, the mana cap was low, too low to squeeze a taunt card (most of them are high mana cards, although there are some exceptions).

Along with ferocity, another ruleset: no neutral monsters can be used, which narrows our options a little more.

My strategy and lineup:

• Kelya as the summoner: as in my last weekly challenge, same reasoning - speed and shield are lifesavers in a battle that is likely to be short, given the low mana cap
• Diemonshark as tank: melee attacker with retaliate, trample and enrage, three good reasons to be used!
• Merdaali Guardian: awesome support card with repair and heal, hopefully buying the tank enough time to trash the opponent's team
• Torrent fiend: cannon fodder

My opponent went with a similar strategy: same summoner, likely for the same reasons I chose her; another option here would have been Quix. Cruel Sethropod as tank, very good shield and hp for low mana; and Tide Biter in second position, providing extra tank damage with reack and true strike, meaning it could not miss. Pelacor in the third position, fast melee attack; and the stonefish in last position as a damage soaker, serving the same purpose as my fiend.

End of first round, and diemonshark's speed helping to dodge some of the attacks, crucial to stay alive.

Pelacor got rid of my filler card, but thanks to my support card the diemonshark was in full strength, and the Tide Biter's attack triggered retaliate, providing me an extra attack.

Mid round 3 is the beginning of the end for my opponent: my tank finishes the sethropod, trampling its way to a tide biter that had already lost its armor due to the retaliate attacks.

In the next round, with tide biter also gone, only pelacor and the stonefish sood in the way of a diemonshark and a supporter with heal and repair, making the battle a sure win! You can see the whole battle here!

I don't use that many specific strategies with this particular ruleset, instead focusing more on the remaining rulesets to create my strategy. Do you play it differently? Let me know!

---

By the way, if you haven't joined a guild yet and you're a dedicated player, our guild Roaring Twenties is at level 10! If you're thinking about joining in, you can check the info on the guild page, or reach us on discord here to discuss membership!

---

So, and who won this week's card?

Congratulations @mxm0unite! The Pelacor Arbalest is going your way!

---

For this next giveaway, the card that will be switching hands is...

The Gem Meteor!

---

Rules:

No upvote, follow or resteem required. Just comment! Or even better, tag a fellow player! Winner will be randomly chosen at post payout; good luck everyone!

Still haven't joined Splinterlands? In what planet do you live in? Click the banner below and join the fun! (It has my referral link; you can go directly to the website if you don't want to use it; either way... join in! 😎 )