Splinterlands Challenge of the Week: Epic Loss Featuring the Kobold Miner (and a 27 damage deck)

This week's Splinterlands Challenge of the Week was to showcase the Kobold Miner and his sneak ability

I've sacrificed the Fire Splinter to build up my other Splinters, but I see the Kobold Miner being played regularly by my opponents, so for this challenge I've decided to showcase one such opponent losing spectacularly despite playing a maxed deck, including a maxed Miner, against my inferior Death deck, featuring what I guess is the equivalent sneak monster from that Splinter - The Skeleton.

It's worth noting that my opponent fields a squad with 27 damage, and stll loses against my squad even though I'm only doing 10 damage.

Way to fail!

The Rule Set and Line Up

• Mana 40
• Unprotected
• Equalizer

**Summoner - Mimosa - I've had a lot of success with Death and the Equaliser ruleset. I think you 'gain more' with Death as base health tends to be so low.

1. I take a couple of hits on Lord A - but blind works nicely for two misses and he survives. The Dwarf also fails to hit with his retaliate (I hate that ability!) on the Pegasus. Glad that my Shadowy Presence is on soak duty.
2. Carnage - I lose Lord A, but thorns take out that nasty Dwarf. I also lose my beautiful Corrupted Pegasus (ouch!), and my Shadowy Presence at the back, but that was his job. The Skeleton does his bit and poisons the Kobold Miner.
3. A crucial miss on my Haunted Spectre keeps him alive, and I take out both his Reach thing and his miner (good old Poison!). A snipe miss on my SoulStorm keeps him alive.
4. Carnage again. I take out his Serpentine Spy, he takes out SoulStorm, and I'm down to just my Skeleton, but no fear, all is not lost!
5. We exchange blows and we end up thus:

How did my opponent manage to lose despite playing a Deck with 27 damage?

In case you want to re-watch what must be one of the most tragic fails in Splinterlands history, here it is again!

• Firstly, I played BLIND, which accounted for several misses. I probably got a bit lucky with some of these early on.
• Secondly, I had a sneak protector at the back, which neutralised the Kobold Miner
• Thirdly, My opponent split his attacks too much - both Sneak and Snipe watered them down. NOT a great idea with Equaliser, it takes far too long to kill anything!
• My own Skeleton, with Poison, helped a little!
• Stun on my part also played its part!

I noticed that one of the 'pro-tips' that comes up when you're waiting for your battle to commence says one of the best lines of defence is not getting hit at all, damn they got that right.

So I guess that means ONE of us here is a pro?!?

Final Thoughts - on sneak and equaliser

This is a great example of how NOT to play Equaliser, from my opponent.

SO MUCH DAMAGE, and yet so little effect.

If you must play sneak then double up is my recommendation, unless you're playing the Skeleton - in which case his poison is kind of like doubling up, with a bit of luck!