Dodging Death: My Close Call with the Poison Squad

Hello Splinterlands warriors!
Welcome back to another week of the Splinterlands social media challenge. This time, I want to share a thrilling battle that had my heart pounding. I was testing out one of the Water element monsters that’s been piquing my curiosity lately: Isgald Vorst.

This monster is seriously unique. Not only does it bring solid magic damage to the table, but it also has insane potential to snowball thanks to its Bloodlust ability. Once it takes down an enemy, all its stats get a boost. And in a Stampede ruleset like this one—where Trample can trigger repeatedly—it could’ve been the perfect setup for him to shine! Unfortunately, Trample didn't activate in this match.

The battle setup had a 29 mana cap, with Odd Ones Out and Stampede as the active rulesets. So only monsters with odd mana costs were allowed. On the enemy’s side, they led with Djinn Muirat. Every monster on their team was poisoned, thanks to the Poison skill spread by WAKA SPIRITBLADE. Their lineup was stacked: Halfling Refugee, Silent Sha-vi, Broken Earth Thug, Arachne Weaver, and Spirit Hoarder—a full squad from front to back, even with healing support!

Here’s my lineup:

• Archon: Pembrook Nymph
• Halfling Refugee
• Cruel Sethropod
• Noa the Just
• Isgald Vorst (the star!)
• Venari Wavesmith
• Uraeus

Let the Battle Begin!

Round one kicked off with a bang! Noa the Just wiped out all enemy armor—super important to make sure our attacks hit harder. Then Isgald Vorst entered the scene and booted Broken Earth Thug off the board. But poison started spreading, and my Halfling Refugee was the first to feel it.

In round two, my Refugee fell. But Vorst capitalized on the moment, eliminating Spirit Hoarder and triggering his first Bloodlust boost—his damage was getting scary. Poison didn’t stop, though. Cruel Sethropod got infected and started fading fast.

By round three, Sethropod was down. But once again, Vorst shined, taking out the enemy Halfling Refugee. Unfortunately, Uraeus and Noa the Just were also going down. The enemy's sneak and opportunity attacks were brutal.

Round four was the turning point. Isgald Vorst went on a rampage, taking down Arachne Weaver. My backline was now safe since the enemy had no more sneak threats.

In round five, Isgald Vorst stepped up as the tank. He was poisoned by Djinn Muirat, but his massive HP kept him standing.

And finally, in round six, despite the poison, Vorst struck down Muirat. Only Silent Sha-vi was left. Not long after, the battle ended in a glorious victory for my team!

For the full battle replay, you can watch it here:

👉 LINK BATTLE 👈

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Reflections & Takeaways

What amazed me the most was how Isgald Vorst clutched the win. As my team dropped one by one to poison and multi-directional attacks, he stood strong and cleaned up the field. His combo of Bloodlust, opportunity, and high HP made him a real finisher.

Also, support units like Venari Wavesmith for armor and Noa the Just for armor removal played crucial early-game roles. Even though they didn’t survive till the end, their contributions were key.

From a newer player’s perspective, here’s a valuable lesson: focus on one main carry that can snowball, and build your team to support them. Not everyone needs to survive—what matters is they do their job before falling.

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Quick Tip:

If you find yourself in a Stampede or Odd Ones Out ruleset, try bringing a monster that gets stronger as it attacks. And never underestimate poison! A mass poison team with WAKA Spiritblade can melt your lineup if you’re not ready.

Until the next battle, Splinterlands warriors!
Hope you survive the poison and rise to victory. 💪🔥

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