Splinterlands BATTLE MAGE SECRETS Featuring Even Stevens and Aim True in Bronze

Featuring Bronze League Summoner and Monsters in Action!

I am back highlighting another bronze cap battle mage secret post. It was interesting to see this week's posts being Even Stevens. I will say that I have felt that recently I have had a large number of odd ones out matches, which tend to be my least favorite. For some reason for my plane style be even numbered cards are the best cards for me. I was actually happy to see Even Stevens as I tend to do better with even cards versus odd cards. Let's take a look to see what the rules, splinters, and mana combined to give me for a challenge.

CHALLENGE RULES

RULESET: Even Stevens

Only units with even mana costs may be used.

This rule does not apply to summoners.

Reasons Why I like it

I think it's purely personal preference, but I do tend to like cards that are even numbered versus odd numbered. For whatever reason they either fit my playstyle better or they fit what I'm trying to accomplish a little bit better. I feel like most of the really high mana cards that I like also happy to be even numbered. While there are some odd numbered high cards the vast majority seem to be 10 or higher on the even scale.

The Matchup - Where Rules Sets, Splinters and Mana Collide

The Rule Sets

Watch the Match Here

https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_7e10ffbf7574225e1c45420ffa90c7bd&ref=senstless

MANA: 34

Ruleset: Aim True: Melee and ranged attacks will always hit their target.

Ruleset: Even Stevens: Only monsters with even mana may be used.

SPLINTERS: Fire, Water, Life, Death

Initial Rule Set and Mana Gameplay Thoughts

Rulesets
The two rule sets creating interesting combination. The evens stevens will remove about half the card which happened to be odd, but you can still make a decent lineup. It won't be optimal for what you're used to but overall I I think the aim true rule set may have a bigger impact as every attack will now hit. Combine these together and I'm feeling like it's going to be a melee heavy match.
Mana
With 46 mana I feel most lineups are possible we can really choose to go a couple of directions given the splinters where some of those higher hitting slower cards are now just as valuable as their hits are guaranteed.
Splinters
The big mess here is of course both driving and earth. Very good great the magic no matter what with 46 mana, and dragon has some very powerful card to cut coming quite handy. Given the four splinters that are left I think I could make an argument that a solid lineup could be built from either water or life.

• Summoner POSSIBILUS THE WISE
  I chose to go with water, I wanted to get those heavy hitting even numbered melee cards and give them all sample. Not a big surprise as I think this is one of the biggest trends in the game right now with the release cards, a heavy melee attack trample is just a great thing to play with.

• First Position DIEMONSHARK
  Pretty much the standard tank for water, the speed and armor combination will make it about as well balanced as possible and only really susceptible to magic which is less of a threat given the lack of earth.

• Second Position COASTAL SENTRY
  We go to second place card with the double strike and trample and reach just makes it overall the perfect card to play with this summoner.

• Third Position DEMENTED SHARK
  I wanted to give myself a melee boost, while it cannot attack from here it will move in for attack once I lose diemonshark. I think it's worse the non-attacking position to give all of my other cards a one day late

• Fourth Position DEEPLURKER
  I think it seriously might be illegal at this point to play a melee focused water match without playing deep worker. The speed, the health, the damage is just a perfect combo

• Fifth Position BATTERING RAM
  I think it's very underutilized, I love a double opportunity lineup, especially one with similar speed and given the melee boost will do to damage. Hopefully getting a trampled in the middle of the lineup

• Sixth Position WAVEBROOD
  I wanted to protect the front of my line at the point as possible and protect my attacking relay monsters by putting wave brewed at the end to taunt all of my enemies attacks for as long as possible

Opponent Lineup & Match Play

• Summoner KELYA FRENDUL another solid choice, The increased speed and armor may prove difficult for me to get all of my hits. As the speed starts to increase my hit percentages are likely to decrease and it has led to some very bad matches before
• DIEMONSKARK
  Same philosophy as my own, it's a great first position tank all around
• DJINN OSHANNUS
  Great second card. Will attack just fine and when it moves to first position it will be difficult for me to hit given the six speed that is at least two greater than everyone of my other cards.
• DEEPLURKER
  Glad to see that they are obeying the law and including a deep lurker in the water line up as required.
• KULU SWIMHUNTER
  This is a solid choice with decent speed, two range attack, and 5 health I feel it's really well balanced and tends to catch me off guard sometimes.
• SUPPLY RUNNER
  Doubling down on the speedy ranged arrow attacks is not necessarily a bad idea. All of their attacks will be more or less focused on when card which could lead to a faster loss for me
• WAVE BROOD
  Looks like we are heavily aligned in the same direction and philosophies. Melee with wave rude in the back for protection.

Overall I have no idea how this will all play out I can see benefits to both teams but if I can avoid too many low RNG misses and I can secure some knockouts that I think trample might be the difference in my victory

Round 1

Round one starts off and the speed differential is noticeable as my opponent attacks majority of the time first. I only have a couple of monsters that have the speed of four that will attack before my phone is slowest monster. This is a concerning trend that may come down the line to hunt me has the round comes to an end neither of us have lost the monster but both of us have taken significant damage to wave brood.

Round 2

Round two starts much the same way with my phone and attacking first three out of four, and eventually knocking out wavered. The only benefit for me is that a lot of my attacks have also taken away the armor and the health of diemonshark so I'm able to secure my first knockout and trample of the match. That trample was key is it helped me deal significant damage to Djinn Oshannus. The only other action is the round is when I lose battering ram.

Round 3

Round three starts and both of us are down a monster for two and I'm lucky enough to secure another knockout, trample and deal more significant damage to deep lurker. Right now I'm getting pretty lucky by securing knockouts with Coastal century and getting three attacks per round versus just two from the trample. As the round ends I'm able to knock out grapefruit bringing them down to just three monsters.

Round 4

Is round four starts I lose Diemonshark, but I gained Coastal century in first position followed by demented shark deep lurker. My attack from close to century triggers a trample and a second attack, quickly followed by the attack and trampled deep lurker. This then allows demented shark to attack the only surviving monster my opponent. They can only do any damage and I am guaranteed a victory.

Round 5

It's pretty clear that when my monsters get on a late run with the boosted melee damage that they can tear through my opponents fairly quickly and give me some victories. Our teams were fairly well balanced from a card level perspective so any edge I gained was from lineup and method versus Cardinal power.

Thoughts - and Chances to Win Again

Always nice when you check the stats to see that there was no luck with RNG come and it was all from better lineup and card choices. Who doesn't like 100% chance to win if the battles were replayed. This just lets you know how likely you are to win if your opponent picks that exactly. I think I'm pretty lucky that one of my favorite lineups is also one of my most golden lineups as if you notice all but the summoner were gold in that match. I used to focus on both for a lot for the SPs bonus but I'm unsure if I will continue thinking gold or higher level cards down the road

~~@senstless

#sbi-skip