Share Your Battle: The Soul Strangler!

The Soul Strangler encounters Mylor Crowling in this week’s SYB challenge.

On the fields of war,
Where armies strangle their foes,
He strangles the souls.

This week's “Share Your Battle” feature is the Soul Strangler! This 3-mana-cost death-splinter staple not only adds a capable archer to death’s ranks, but it also serves nicely as the subject for a haiku!

At level one the Soul Strangler sports two health, two speed and a two ranged-attack-power, making it not so robust and not so fast, but on balance it has a healthy bite for a 3-mana-cost card.

Looking at the Soul Strangler’s level-progression chart we find that its advancement is modest in all areas as it gains just two points each of health and attack power maxing out at four in both, and adding just a single point of speed which places its max at three. However, at its top level of eight, the Strangler also gains the poison ability which can greatly increase this specter’s actual damage if it succeeds in inflicting poison on its unfortunate foes.

Finally it is also clear from the chart that the Soul Strangler never gains any armor at any level.

All told, the sweet spots for this card seem to be at levels two and eight. At level two the Soul Strangler gains a point of speed that it promptly gives up at level 3. But at level two the Strangler is fast and strong for its mana cost. While at level eight, the poison ability makes this archer particularly deadly.

While playing Splinterlans recently I came upon a match against an opponent who seemed to be spamming teams featuring Mylor Crowling, the Unicorn Mustang and Uraeus. Potentially facing a team featuring a tank using the void ability and all team members sporting thorns, I decided to field a team featuring archers. And knowing that this week's SYB feature was the Soul Strangler I chose death as my splinter.

The rules for the match were straight forward with a 16 mana-cap, standard rules and all splinters enabled.

The strategy for this match was also very straightforward. My plan was to use a tank that could hold off my opponent for as long as possible and fill the rest of the team with archers, hoping to do as much damage I could without being destroyed by thorns.

I chose Thaddius Brood as my summoner, for two reasons. First and foremost, Thaddius is one of my two level-2 summoners. Being able to use a higher level team is always a plus. But only slightly less importantly is Brood’s -1 opponent’s health debuff. If I can bring down my foe’s forces that much quicker then all the better.

For my tank, I made an unconventional choice. I used the reward card Ever-Hungry Skull. I actually love this card and use it on my teams way more often than I see it used against me. At some point I caught a gold foil Skull, so my card plays at level three where it’s 3-speed and 8-armor make it about the equal to the Cursed Windeku exchanging Windeku’s thorns for the Skull’s flight. The Skull also costs one less mana. I totally have my fingers crossed that my opponent does not play magic on their team. If they do, I am toast. But if they don’t the high armor will do well against thorns. Further, I am hoping that my flying fiend can avoid a few attacks as well.

In the second slot I placed the Weirding Warrior. With the low mana limit for the match, this 2-speed, 2-mana-cost archer makes the team for its decent speed for its low mana cost.

Next in line is this week’s feature, the Soul Strangler. Opening Chaos Legion packs, I caught a gold foil Strangler, so he plays at level two for me, giving a speed boost that is very helpful when hunting speedy unicorns.

Rounding out the team is the Xenith Archer. As is often the case, the Xenith is in the role of sneak guard precisely to guard against the sneaky Uraeus. If the slow shooting Archer manages to land a hit, all the better.

Earth led by Mylor Crowling. At least things are going as planned.

Here is the field with all summoner’s bonuses applied.

This is going to be a game of hit or miss. And I am looking likely to miss.

I need the Unicorn Mustang to miss at least one of its first attacks, or my goose is near cooked. I can do a max of 8 points of damage to the Mustang before my Skull attacks a second time. In the meantime, the Unicorn will do 8 points of damage (including thorns) to my Skull making my Skull’s second strike a suiside run. If it comes to that, I need to hope my Skull misses, allowing my Weirding Warrior the chance to finish the Unicorn without taking the thorns.

Should both tanks fall at the same time, my middle two will face his back two, with the Battering Ram to act. One 90% chance-to-hit shot to my Weirding Warrior and I lose. Strangler kills Ram. Uraeus kills Warrior and I can no longer attack. Game over.

I am at a big disadvantage in this match, and using the Cursed Windeku as tank and the Carrion Shade in the final position would have been a stronger team. But it’s not entirely hopeless, both tanks are meant to be missed, and what I really need is one miss.

What do the god’s of chance have in store for me this match? You can see for yourself here.

Through round one, the only misses were logged by my Xenith Archer and my opponent’s Battering Ram. With those two slow pokes, this is hardly a surprise.

But now the situation is clearer. If the Unicorn lands its next strike, returning the favor is a suiside run that spells doom for my team. Likewise, my Archer’s miss was critical. Now, even if my Skull misses, the opposing Unicorn will stand. Now, I really do need the Mustang Unicorn to miss.

Well, the highlight of round two is on the first action, and what do you know? I lucked out! From here I will cruise to victory unless I get missy, myself.

As round two ends, I haven’t missed, and it’s all over but the closing ceremonies.

And fittingly, the Soul Strangler lands the final blow.

There’s no doubt that I got lucky in this match. Even so, the speed of my team gave me the chance to get lucky. As always in Splinterlands, speed wins. My Soul Strangler, with its level-2 boosted 3-speed, never missed the speedy Unicorn Mustang and even had a better chance to hit it, than it had of hitting my Skull. Without the Strangler’s four points of damage, I don’t have the chance to get lucky in my match.

But of course, without that miss from the Unicorn… Like I said, I did get lucky.