This week's battle challenge focuses on the Stonesplitter Orc:

True to the name of their kind, the Stonesplitter Orcs can cleave any stone into pieces, revealing the ores and gems that may dwell within. They are also fierce foes, whose pickaxes can crack the skull of an enemy monster like a nut.

Card Details

An Alpha/Beta rare rarity monster from the Earth Splinter at level 4:

• Estimated cost: $1.371
• Mana cost: 6
• Melee attack: 4
• Speed: 4
• Health: 5
• Armor: 2
• Retaliate ability: When a Monster with a Melee attack, Monsters with Retaliate have a chance of attacking their attacker.

The Stonesplitter Orc is a card I rarely use due to its high mana cost. If it had a lower mana cost, I would almost always use it in Little League ruleset battles. The Stonesplitter Orc has very respectable stats, but at a high mana cost, I would instead be using Flesh Golem, who, at level 4, is the same mana cost but has 10 health. I am not even talking about all the other melee tanks that exist in the Earth Splinter. We are truly spoiled for choice in the Earth Splinter when it comes to tanks with high health, and it leaves poor Stonesplitter Orc stuck as you can't use it as a primary tank (low health) at best, can be used as a support tank.

Battle - Full Battle Replay

Battle Details

• Mana cap: 29
• Ruleset(s): Target Practice, Lost Magic

Lineup Details

• Daria Dragonscale (Summoner): +1 melee damage
• Stonesplitter Orc: support tank + trying it out for the weekly battle challenge
• Furious Chicken: support / filler card
• Dragon Jumper: primary melee damage + dual opportunity with Screeching Vulture
• Lord Arianthus: primary tank
• Screeching vulture: support melee damage + dual opportunity with Dragon Jumper
• Manticore: support melee tank

Did your strategy work? What will you try differently next time?

NO! My opponent's legendary trio (Lord of Darkness, Corrupted Pegasus, Mimosa Nightshade) was too powerful. You must be thinking - that's weird; why play Lord Arianthus in the backline and not in position 1. I thought I was smart by not playing Lord Arianthus in position 1 due to the Target Practice ruleset, in which all range and magic monsters have snipe ability. The snipe ability allows monsters to target not in position 1. Alas, it was a good strategy in theory, but there was no way in stopping the legendary trio that my opponent had served up. The Stonesplitter Orc tried but alas stood no chance against this lineup.

Do you like the Stonesplitter Orc? Why or why not?

There's a lot to like about the Stonesplitter Orc - it has respectable stats and has abilities useful in melee rulesets. Still, unfortunately, it's challenging to pin its role due to its high mana cost and being in the Earth Splinter who has a plethora of high mana cost melee monsters. If the Stonesplitter Orc had a lower mana cost (3 or 4), I would imagine that it would be utilised more by everyone in the community. Not a bad card, but I would instead invest my money elsewhere.

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