Ability Focus

In this week's Social Media Challenge, I would like to focus on an intriguing addition to the Splinterlands battlefield that has altered the strategic gameplay dynamics: the WEAPONS TRAINING ability. This ability enables adjacent Monsters to adopt the attack of the Monster possessing the WEAPONS TRAINING ability, provided these adjacent Monsters lack attacks of their own. I believed the maximum increase in attack is limited to 3 damage points to maintain the game balance. Since its introduction, the ability has undergone further refinement, ensuring that these "trained attacks" become a permanent feature of the adjacent Monsters rather than being lost upon the demise of the "trainer"! 😅

Monster Focus

If I am not mistaken, there are only 12 Monsters that possess the WEAPONS TRAINING ability!.
Keep an eye out for these Monsters so as to unleash the full potential of your lineup!

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 WEAPONS TRAINING ability. 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 straight into the ruleset governing this battle, which is perhaps one of the most straightforward battles ever. It revolves around a single ruleset: the What Doesn't Kill You ruleset, which grants all Monsters with the Enrage ability. The battle is limited to 26 mana, and the only banned Splinter is Water.

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Summoner, Grandmaster Rathe

Aside from the Unprotected ruleset, having Grandmaster Rathe on your team can greatly enhance your team's endurance in battles. With his synergistic +1 Armor and Void Armor abilities, this Summoner offers vital defensive support. Furthermore, his Amplify ability is frequently utilized together with retaliatory abilities such as the Counterspell, Thorns, and Return Fire. His defensive capabilities were the primary reason for choosing him as the Summoner for this particular battle! ✌️

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First Position, Evelyn Auvera

Evelyn Auvera is an Epic Soulbound Reward Card from the Life Splinter. It might seem unusual for a unit costing 5 mana to lack attack and not possess remarkable defensive capabilities like the Baakjira from the Water Splinter. However, when utilized effectively and combined with Grandmaster Rathe, Evelyn Auvera can emerge as a formidable tank, as demonstrated in this battle. Additionally, I've strategically positioned Aves Sturgis in the second slot to provide some WEAPONS TRAINING! ✌️

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Second Position, Aves Sturgis

Positioning Aves Sturgis in the second slot presents strategic benefits, courtesy of its WEAPONS TRAINING capability. Leveraging this feature, I could extend the "training" of Magic attack possessed by Aves Sturgis to both Evelyn Auvera and Pelacor Conjurer. Both units acquired 3 Magic attacks via the WEAPONS TRAINING, significantly contributing to the firepower in this battle! Additionally, Aves Sturgis boasts the Divine Shield and Rust abilities, which proved invaluable during the skirmish! 😤

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Third Position, Pelacor Conjurer

The Pelacor Conjurer emerges as an outstanding option for a budget-friendly unit in this battle. Priced at just 2 mana, it showcases remarkable Speed and Health attributes. This time, it even boasts 3 Magic attack, courtesy of the WEAPONS TRAINING effect provided by Aves Sturgis! Enhanced by abilities such as Magic Reflect, Phase, and Divine Shield, the Pelacor Conjurer transforms into a formidable adversary against a variety of enemy Monsters! 😁

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Fourth Position, Time Mage

The Time Mage stands out as a cost-efficient Monster with a mana cost of only 4. It showcases impressive stats, featuring 3 Magic Attack, 5 Speed, and 4 Health. Its Slow debuff ability offers a crucial Speed advantage in battles, while its Rust ability proves invaluable by stripping away 2 Armor stats from the enemy's team, effectively weakening their defenses and enhancing my team's damage potential. It serves as a strategic and budget-friendly option for any team composition whenever I opt for the Life Splinter! 😆

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Fifth Position, Dax Paragon

For a mere 2 mana cost, I summoned another Magic Monster from the Life Splinter, introducing the Dax Paragon to the fray. This Monster boasts 2 Magic attacks, 2 Speed, and a commendable 5 Health. The Dax Paragon possesses the Amplify ability, which heightens the damages of Magic Reflect, Return Fire, and Thorns to all enemy Monsters by 1. Additionally, its Affliction ability, which halts Healing on the target, emerged as a potentially pivotal factor that could significantly alter the battle's course 🙏

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Last Position, Chaos Agent

Earning its spot in my lineup primarily for its cost efficiency at a mere 1 mana, Chaos Agent holds a strategic position in the last slot. This placement allows it to serve as an effective backline tank against any Sneaking enemies. With its Dodge ability, it significantly boosts its chances of dodging incoming enemy strikes. Moreover, its Backfire ability adds another layer to its utility by dealing 2 Melee damage to opponents who miss their attacks! 👊

The Analysis

In a battle where I am unable to rely on my dependable Water Splinter, I often experiment with new lineups to test strategies I have devised or observed others use! In this particular instance, I decided to explore a combination that capitalizes on the WEAPONS TRAINING ability, driven by my eagerness to incorporate my upgraded Aves Sturgis after obtaining the final copy to maximize the Legendary Soulbound Reward Card! 😝

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To my surprise, my opponent also employed the WEAPONS TRAINING ability in this battle, utilizing Zyriel. By positioning Zyriel between Ahna-Chei Botanist and Chaos Agent, these two non-attacking units also gained 3 Ranged attacks! This mirrored my own strategy of providing WEAPONS TRAINING through Aves Sturgis to Evelyn Auvera and Pelacor Conjurer, both of whom acquired 3 Magic attacks!

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Unfortunately for my opponent, the Evade ability offered by Astral Entity proved futile against my team filled with Magic attackers. Furthermore, when a team of Magic attackers faces off against one comprised mainly of Ranged attackers, victory typically favors the Magic-oriented team! 💪

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:

DISARMING THE HOLY PROTECTION THROUGH DUMACKE ORC!	GOING AGAINST THE UNEXPECTED FABFOUR IN AN ONE-SIDED BATTLE!
DRYING OUT THE BONES OF THE ENEMIES BY THE RAIDER FROM BACKLINE!	LET US AVOID REGRETFUL FIRE AT ONE ANOTHER! (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!