Monster Focus

In this week's Social Media Challenge, I would like to highlight a formidable Monster from the Neutral Splinter: the DRYBONE RAIDER. Introduced alongside the Soulbound Reward Cards last year, this Monster has swiftly established itself as a valuable asset in battles. With its ability to unleash both Melee and Ranged attacks, the rare few hybrid Monsters within the Splinterlands ecosystem, the DRYBONE RAIDER is particularly sought after especially in high mana encounters! 😤

Ability Focus

Double Strike - Monster attacks twice each round

Shatter - Target's Armor is destroyed when hit by an attack from Monsters with Shatter

Cripple - Each time an enemy is hit by a Monster with Cripple it loses one max Health

The Battle

While fulfilling my responsibilities in the Splinterlands scholarship account I have with Balthazar, bltzr-wizard-729, I was able engage in a battle that showcased the effectiveness of using the DRYBONE RAIDER especially in a Up Close & Personal ruleset. To get right into the action, the battle link can be found here. Otherwise, do read on as I go into more detail regarding the lineup and fight.

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Now, let us dive into the rulesets governing this battle. Firstly, under the Stampede ruleset which allows the Trample ability to activate multiple times per attack if the trampled Monster is eliminated. Secondly, the Up Close & Personal ruleset stipulates the exclusive use of Monsters with Melee attacks. Lastly, the Ferocity ruleset endows all Monsters with the Fury ability, dealing double damage to any units with the Taunt ability. The battle is restricted to a generous 60 mana, and only the Life and Dragon Splinters are prohibited from being used.

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Summoner, Astral Entity

Given the limitations set forth by the Up Close & Personal ruleset, I consistently opt for the Death Splinter and prioritize selecting Astral Entity as my Summoner whenever possible. This Summoner provides a -2 Armor reduction and the ability to Resurrect a friendly Monster once per battle. Additionally, granting the Dodge ability to the entire lineup further fortifies my defenses, adding significant value to my strategy! 😏

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First Position, Cursed Windeku

I positioned the Cursed Windeku as my primary tank, capitalizing on its Thorns ability. In this Up Close & Personal ruleset battle, where only Melee Monsters are permitted, Thorns became a crucial advantage. Whenever Cursed Windeku faced Melee attacks, its Thorns ability retaliated by dealing damage to the attacker. Furthermore, Cursed Windeku's Heal ability bolstered its resilience, enabling it to withstand enemy assaults and maintain its effectiveness in dealing damage when necessary! 😆

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Second Position, Shadow Snitch

Next up, the Shadow Snitch emerges as a unique addition to my lineup, occupying the second slot. Its strategic placement here is thanks to its Reach ability, which enables effective attacks from this position. The key motivation for selecting the Shadow Snitch revolves around its possession of the Affliction ability, essential for thwarting the healing capabilities of the enemy's tank, like the Cursed Windeku, once Affliction takes hold! 😝

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Third Position, Disintegrator
Fourth Position, Legionnaire Alvar

Both monsters were chosen for their Demoralize ability. To maximize its impact, I positioned them towards the back of my lineup, ensuring that the Demoralize debuff remained in play for an extended duration. This debuff proved to be a crucial element, complementing the Shield abilities of Harklaw that is in the last position! 😁

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Fifth Position, Drybone Raider

Now, the central focus of today's post: The DRYBONE RAIDER occupies a special position as one of my cherished Soulbound Reward cards. I was fortunate enough to obtain a Gold Foil version of it in one of my End Of Season Reward Chests! This adaptable Monster is capable of delivering both Melee and Ranged attacks, rendering it suitable for battles governed by the Up Close & Personal ruleset. Placing it in the second last position enables it to employ its Ranged attacks which is further complemented by its Double Strike ability! 💪

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Last Position, Harlaw

Harklaw had a significant impact on my decision to opt for the Death Splinter. Its powerful blend of Shield and Demoralize abilities, showcased remarkable effectiveness and synergies, particularly within the Up Close & Personal ruleset. Coupled with the bonus of the Immunity ability, Harklaw firmly secured the last position in my lineup, providing sturdy defense to the backline against enemy assaults and shielding against debuff abilities like Demoralize from the opposing team! 😎

The Analysis

Just like my strategic approach, my opponent also opted for the Death Splinter and deployed the Astral Entity as their Summoner. This only meant that we both consider the Death Splinter to have the most potent setup for this battle's rulesets.

However, the aspect that significantly sets apart our setups is that my team prioritizes the Melee debuff using the Demoralize ability, contributed by the Disintegrator, Legionnaire Alvar, and Harklaw! This strategy grants me the advantage to endure the enemy's assault, buying ample time for the DRYBONE RAIDER to systematically dismantle the opponent's team! 😉

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_{The DRYBONE RAIDER manages to deal 4 damage per attack to the opponent's Coeurl Lurker thanks to the Ferocity ruleset!}

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_{The DRYBONE RAIDER manages to dispatch 2 enemies within the same turn thanks to its Double Strike ability!}

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_{The DRYBONE RAIDER manages strip the Armor of the Legionnare Alvar thanks to its Shatter ability!}

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Do you guys have any go-to strategy as well? Do share them with me in the below comments 😎

If you made it this far, I sincerely appreciate your time and value your encouragement. Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions so that we can discuss about other strategies. Thinking about giving Splinterlands a try but haven't signed up yet? Feel free to use my referral link: https://splinterlands.com?ref=ak08, and be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions!

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Are you interested in reading some of my future writings? Don't forget to follow me! In the meantime, here are some of my most recent blogs if you'd like to view them:

A TALE OF STRATEGY, LUCK AND FORCEFIELD!	RIDING ON THE BLOODLUST THROUGH EXPLOSIVE TACTICS!
DISARMING THE HOLY PROTECTION THROUGH DUMACKE ORC!	GOING AGAINST THE UNEXPECTED FABFOUR IN AN ONE-SIDED BATTLE! (Latest Blog)

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All banners, dividers card and battle images used in this article are open source and obtained from the Splinterlands team or made by flauwy. Do check out his link for other amazing designs!