Splinterlands BATTLE MAGE SECRETS - Featuring KEEP YOUR DISTANCE

Featuring Bronze League Summoner and Monsters in Action

I'm excited to see the new battle mage Secrets posts. I think this will give a great opportunity to show a lot of different game theory and style play not to mention some great cards to be used in those rule sets. While I tried for the official post this week of aimless, after 30 to 40 matches I didn't have it come across as a rule set and I gave up.

Instead I chose to feature keep your distance ruleset as I think this is a great example of the game style and options, not to mention another showcase of bronze level cards defeating silver league cards.

CHALLENGE RULES

RULESET: KEEP YOUR DISTANCE

Description: Monsters with melee attacks may not be used.

Reasons Why I like it

Keep your distance is a really tough rule set in my opinion. For some reason losing melee cards is much harder to balance out your team than losing either arrows or magic. I feel like half of the cards that I can choose from end up being melee and losing those makes finding a first and second position card much more difficult. Also I think it's very hard to typically counter magic as most of the cards with Boyd as a natural ability or melee monsters.

The Matchup - Where Rules Sets, Splinters and Mana Collide

The Rule Sets

Watch the Match Here

https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_c0bbb4c45a7ee8c446b8d67f33ad3630&ref=senstless

MANA: 39

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

Ruleset: Keep Your Distance: Monsters with melee attacks may not be used.

SPLINTERS: Water, Earth

Initial Rule Set and Mana Gameplay Thoughts

As usual there are a lot of things to take in to consideration. Every match and optimal lineup is a nice intersection between manna, rulesets, and available splinters in conjunction with your own available cards to play.

MANA
I like 39 manual will allow you to set up just about any lineup you could want, although it will clearly not allow you to have too many 10 plus mana legendaries for heavy hitters on your team before it becomes detrimental. Either way it's a nice and balanced number that allows you to be very flexible with your choices
RULESETS
Having both aim true and keep your distance means that it will probably be a magic and arrow heavy attack, with all of those attacks hitting regardless of flying, speed, and phase. This will level the playing field for some of the slower attackers, but speed was still play a factor and they will go last.
SPLINTERS
Having only water and earth makes it more difficult as I assume this will be very magic heavy matchup. While both splinters have some excellent attackers it feels like magic will rule the day.

I want to find a way to counter the magic attacks as best as possible well maybe adding a little bit of boost to my armor, and some healing.

• Summoner IMMORTALIS
  Clearly one of my new favorite cards that I bought this week. It's addition of void to all monsters plus shatter really cranks through the defenses of the opponents while protecting it from magic attacks. The minus one health is also great but doesn't play as much of a factor as the void.
• First Position CENTAURI MAGE

It's not a traditional front tank card but when you consider its high health Plus it's ability to reflect half damage back to all arrow attackers I think it will be a good addition here. When you add on the void from the summoner it becomes very robust tank that will be difficult to take out.

• Second Position FUNGUS FLINGER

But this here to soak up any snipe attacks they may choose to play I think it should help boost the attacks of both my tank and Runemancer.

• Third Position RUNEMANCER FLORRE
  It's almost like it was built for this matchup with both magic and arrows attacking. It's high health can be healed and when you add in the void it makes it almost unbeatable as long I have a tank killer behind it.

• Fourth Position GOBLIN PSYCHIC
  Two magic damage Plus tank heel is always good. While I'm not getting the traditional boost of magic attack here on my team I still think it's well worth it to put the tank kill in.

• Fifth Position QUEEN MYCELIA
  This is another recent edition of this week and I think adding armor to help deflect the first attack on each monster from arrow attacks is going to be needed as I need to find ways to keep my cards in play longer.

Opponent Lineup & Match Play

• Summoner KELYA FRENDUL adding armor and speed to move up the attack order for providing some protection from arrows is always a good play.
• DJINN OSHANNUS who doesn't love Djinn Oshannus, speed, void, two magic damage and 10 health it's a beast.
• NERISSA TRIDAWN not surprising to see another three magic attack monster in play here, great choice with good health
• MAGI OF CHAOS not sure if this was the best play that I would have played or if it would have chosen to throw in something that maybe went away from magic and went more towards arrows. But given the death splinter is not available I guess it's a pretty solid choice
• MERDAALI GUARDIAN the healer behind a total of 23 health on three cards is going to make this match take a while
• WAVE BROOD having a high health card in the back row is really going to make it troublesome to get rid of Djinn Oshannus before round three or four.

Round 1

Before the round starts I am feeling pretty happy with my choice of cards and summoner. Seeing the high magic cards plays perfectly into the addition of void to all of my monsters

Has round one plays out both teams delivered a lot of damage, and shatter has turned out to be quite useful as it gets rid of that pesky Shield even on magic attacks. While there were no knockouts both teams suffered some health losses.

Round 2

I'm happy to see that I'm close to knocking out Wavebrood just around starts while I am still handling most of the attack damage each round with my original tank. From the looks of it I am losing one health per round on Centurin Mage

Round 3

Round three starts and it looks like I might be starting to win the war against Djinn Oshannus but it's going to be a slow and painful drawn-out war.

Round 4

With both tanks having void in a majority of the damage being done by magic means that neither team is really making a lot of traction other than the few health points each round. I'm losing one and they are losing two to the tank respectively.

Round 5

No knockouts nothing exciting around 5:00 at all. Quite pedestrian just typical grinding down the health on both sides.

Round 6

In round 6 I knock out Djinn Oshannus and the tide tips to my favor. With losing that attack I believe and will now be able to sustain my front tank and no longer lose any health.

Round 7

I continue to stay at for health throughout the rounds and I just need to finish off the rest of their monsters before I seal off my victory. At this point it's all but locked down

Round 8

Finalize my picture here and it was good to chop one up especially against cards that were pulled in by a level 4 summoner versus My level one legendary summoner r, the equivalent of a level 2 rare..

Thoughts - and Chances to Win Again

It looks like my choice on summoner played very well and I am 100% likely to win that match up again. I think the addition of immortalis to my lineup will really give me some options when facing heavily magic favorite lineups and it will allow me to use Earth lineups to beat some higher ranked teams that are choosing to play more traditional magic heavy lineups on Earth and water.

I think keep your distance matches will be a prime time to play immortalis as I can help reduce almagic attacks, and I have a monster that can do some damage back by reflecting back arrows for a while. Either way the next time you have it keep your distance match consider playing immortalis to counter your opponent.

~~@senstless

#sbi-skip