Splinterlands Challenge of the Week: Elven Defender

This week's Splinterlands Challenge of the Week was to showcase the neutral Elven Defender.

The Enchanted Defender is a bizarre, niche use card - low mana, good shields but very low health, slow and with a mediocre attack but thorns, so all in all a mixed bag!

But he does make for a great defence against sneak and especially opportunity melee attacks! Especially when there's a slow rule set.

The battle below features the Elven Defender playing a crucial rule against a higher powered opponent, proving that he can be useful, even when your opponent plays a maxed mighty dricken!

The Rule Set and Line Up

  • mana - 20 - so a 4 mana card is a good fit
  • melee sneak - so the defender is awesome at the back!
  • knockout - I ignored it!

Screenshot 20210129 at 21.47.34.png

Summoner - Carla - anticipating melee sneak attacks

  1. Lord A - worth it I've learned even with relatively low mana battles
  2. Failed Summoner - mainly for demoralise. That's two loaded up for this battle
  3. Khmer Princess - triage to help heal against Sneak
  4. Brownie - to inspire, because I'm playing three sneak/ opportunity cards as my main attack
  5. The Vulture - just an awesome card!
  6. Enchanted Defender - a nice choice of card here - thorns for defence against sneak and useful two melee damage, or three with inspire!

Did my strategy work?

Beautifully, to see it in action click here!

  • Round 1 and my strategy is working beautifully - I take out his sneak ranged thing and his creeping ooze due to a combination of my sneak and thorns! The battles at the back, not the front!
  • Round 2 - he loses his Dricken on my Defender's thorns, that was satisfying! And his cocatrice goes down because of thorns and opportunity. However I also lose my Defender on the Manticore's thorns, I'm sad to see him go!
  • Round three - I take out his Manticore, the brownie goes from the thorns.
  • Round four - he's only got Lord A left, and I've got a Vulture with 10 health and triage, it's all over!

How important was The Enchanted Defender?

Well because my opponent played the sneak rule, and with low health cards, his shields and thorns meant he held out and did more damage than his attacks did to me, because of he two demoralise points I had.

So the combination of the Elven Defender and demoralise - lovely for this battle.

But that's only because my opponent played a deck that favoured my defence perfectly.

Had he ignored sneak and payed more attention to snip, this may have been a different outcome!

Final Thoughts: Enchanted Defender - worth levelling up and using?

TBH I'd never really used him before this challenge, which is one of the great things about the Splinterlands Challenge of the Week - you get to explore new cards.

I had expected this card to be a bit of a duff, but it turns out that in more than one battle of trying him out, he did his duty and attracted attacks, dealing two damage with his thorns.

He's really quite handy with the right rule set.

I didn't get lucky enough to be gifted a slow + melee only or sneak rule set, which is where he'd really come into his own, but even without these he's certainly played a role this season.

So I'd say defo worth levelling up to level 6, and he's quite cheap at around $0.04 at time of writing!

I'm certainly going to consider using him more as a defence in sneak rule sets, he seams to work well.

If you don't yet play Splinterlands, why not give it a go?

Anyone using my referral link will receive a free rare card!



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Wow! Great battle!
You totally got 'lucky' with your opponenent playing right into your plans. And by 'lucky' I mean you had the perfect lineup to DESTROY! But you're right, no two battles are ever the same.
I'm loving this guy in the back! Glad you tried him out- and thanks for the tips!
@carrieallen

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