Battle Mage Secrets: Keep Your Distance - Artillery Needed

Prelude
Hello everybody, how is it going? It's time for more Battle Mage Secrets. Last week's sharing was on how to capture the benefits of having divine shield to start the match and using that to secure victory. This week the ruleset will be on one that is commonly encountered.

The ruleset of the challenge this week is: Keep Your Distance

Ruleset Spotlight

Keep Your Distance
Units with melee attacks may not be used.
Units with 2 types of attack (which include melee) cannot be used.

Abilities/Cards that get shutdown with this rule set
This ruleset is effectively called "no melee". You can only use Magic, Range or cards with no attack. All abilities that are the targeted specifically to melee attacks will not have any effects here. Such abilities include thorns, demoralize, inspire and retaliate.

What thrives with this ruleset?
Now that we are left with range/magic or non attackers, naturally abilities will revolve around protecting our lineup or de-buffing our opponent's range/magic cards.

Protection Abilities
Magic: Magic Reflect, Void, Void Armour, Phase
Range: Flying, Dodge, Return Fire, Protect
Generic: Swiftness (boost Phase, Dodge)

The above abilities either returns damage, adds some form of protection against that particular attack type or improve dodge capability.

Debuff Abilities
Magic: Silence
Range: Headwinds

The above abilities brings reduction in damage output from opponent.

Other than the above abilities mentioned, there are other abilities which I will try to include whenever possible thought they are more of generic abilities:

Healing (Tank Heal, Heal, Triage) in any form is very important especially when matches are heavy in magic where armour serve no means to protect.

Martyr, my current favourite ability which give stat boost to adjacent cards whenever it dies.

Affliction is something which I encountered in the midst of my battles and often I see it wrecking my healing lineup, so if you've got an affliction giving card, do consider it in your lineup. And if we run healing, prepare cleanse to get rid of opponent give affliction.

Stats consideration for this ruleset is simple. High speed and high health is key. But if encounter splinters that are potentially stronger in range cards, some armour will come in handy.

With these in mind, let's start to talk about the battle proper.

The Battle
Link: https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_fb63c5396917cf87ad5bf4684489e7db&ref=vaynard86

Rules

Keep Your Distance
Mana Limit: 40

Splinter	Mana Cost	Position	Reason
Kelya Frendul	4	Summoner	Speed and armour giving summoner
Venari Marksrat	3	1st	Martyr Giver
Djinn Oshannus	8	2nd	Fast magic attacker with phase
River Hellondale	7	3rd	Resurrection giver to enable double Martyr
Axemaster	7	4th	Fast range double striker
Nerissa Tridawn	9	5th	Heavy hitting magic attacker
Igor Darkspear	2	6th	Fast range attacker to fill up the 2 mana void
Total Mana:	40

Opponent Lineup

• Summoner - Kelya Frendul
• Position 1 - Venari Marksrat
• Position 2 - Djinn Oshannus
• Position 3 - River Hellondale
• Position 4 - Nerissa Tridawn
• Position 5 - Venari Spellsmith
• Position 6 - Doctor Blight

Prediction before pressing rumble
I met my match whom also used the double martyr combo. His remaining all magic attacker while I have a mix with range attacker.

Battle Synopsis

Round 1, Double martyr combo activated on both sides. Due to phase, I missed a couple of attacks and now in disadvantage.

Round 2, Not much action, but I realized my Oshannus was dispelled by Venari Spellsmith. Things are not looking hopeful.

Round 3, Axemaster struck twice together with the remaining of my magic lineup and now things looking more even now. Venari Spellsmith and Doctor Blight cannot do a single damage due to Void on Oshannus.

Round 4, Both Oshannus fell together with my opponent's River Hellondale. On to the last few cards remaining to fight it out.

Round 5, River Hellondale fell and now Axemaster become a sitting duck at front line. Hope Nerissa Tridawn can lead my squad to victory.

Round 6 onwards till round 9, it was Nerissa's personal show where she wipe out opponent's Nerissa, Venari Spellsmith and Doctor Blight.

Post Battle Summary
At the start, it looked like there was no way. But Axemaster's double strike open the path to turn the tide. Axemaster able to do damage to opponent Oshannus but my opponent's backline magic monsters can't do anything to my Oshannus which allowed me to hang on longer and finally Nerissa to clear out out everyone else.

Did my strategy work? Yes and no, while I did setup my usual double martyr, fielded Oshannus with void, double striking Axemaster and hard hitting Nerissa, I was caught something that surprised me. Venari Spellsmith dispelling my gained stats from double martyr. While I powered through, this is something that I can learn from.

What's the Battle Mage Secret?
Void and Phase to lead the frontline was important, hard hitting attackers were too and definitely the double martyr. But diversification was actually the key that won the match. My early misses were actually not as fatal as I thought them to be, because 2 of my opponent cards were not doing damage to me, which allowed me to hold longer. The diversification, allowed attacks to go through and get me the victory.

A special learning point is that martyr gained stats can be dispelled like how blood lust is. So this is something to consider and possibly include a dispel card to aid your team against others whom are fond of bloodlust or martyr.

Wrap Up
I hope you guys enjoyed reading my sharing on the rule set Keep Your Distance. I would really appreciate it if you liked and/or commented to let me know what are you thoughts.

I am currently part of PIZZA, an active gaming and creative arts crypto community on the HIVE blockchain and part of PIZZA guild. Popular cryto games such as SPLINTERLANDS, RISING STAR and HASHKINGS are actively discussed in this community.

Many events are being organized from time to time. Join the PIZZA DISCORD. This is a place filled with 💰🍕🎁GIVEAWAYS & AIRDROPS💰🍕🎁 and most definitely consisting of a friendly community to be in.

Till my next battle sharing, take care, stay safe and happy battling!

If you are keen on playing Splinterlands, feel free to join me via this link: https://splinterlands.com?ref=vaynard86