Monster Focus
For this week's Social Media Challenge, I'm excited to highlight a hidden gem from the Soulbound Rewards Cards and the Neutral Splinter: the DUMACKE ORC. Despite often being disregarded for its low Health stats and typically only utilized during the Equalizer ruleset, this Monster definitely deserves a closer look! Join me as I dive into its range of abilities and uncover its true potential in battles. Prepare to be amazed by the strategic value this Monster can add to your lineup! 😜
Ability Focus
Monsters with Retaliate have a chance of attacking their attacker
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 DUMACKE ORC even though the battle does not have the Equalizer 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.
We shall start by examining the ruleset governing this battle. It is a simple match with just one ruleset in effect: the Silenced Summoners ruleset, which states that Summoners cannot provide any stat buffs or debuffs, or use / grant the lineup with any abilities. The battle imposes a mana limit of 29 and bans the use of the Earth and Dragon Splinters.
Summoner, Kelya Frendul
In battles governed by the Silenced Summoners ruleset, the choice of Summoner is largely determined by the Monsters you intend to include in your lineup, as the Summoner's abilities are rendered inactive. In such scenarios, I usually opt for Dragon Summoners since they enable you to incorporate Monsters from the Dragon Splinter alongside another Splinter of your preference. However, as the Dragon Splinter is not permitted in this battle, I decided to select Kelya Frendul from the Water Splinter instead! 😄
First Position, Baakjira
Baakjira emerges as the unquestionable top choice for tanking, especially in the fiercely competitive Diamond and Champions League! I've strategically opted to place it as my primary tank, setting a sturdy foundation for my backline units. Baakjira presents an impressive range of abilities, encompassing buffs and debuffs like Slow and Strengthen. Moreover, its Void ability proficiently reduces incoming magic damage, complemented by its effective Healing capability! 😇
Second Position, Deeplurker
Incorporating the Deeplurker into my lineup, particularly when employing the Water Splinter, stands out as a clear-cut choice. The Deeplurker not only wields the power to inflict Poison on its target, augmenting its already formidable offensive prowess, but it also brings the Demoralize ability into play. This strategic inclusion imposes a -1 Melee attack debuff on the opposing team, thereby amplifying its usefulness in battles and fostering a more holistic approach to tactical gameplay! 😉
Third Position, Pelacor Bandit
The Pelacor Bandit shines as an excellent cost-efficient choice in the game, particularly when facing mana restrictions in battles. Priced at just 3 mana, it boasts impressive stats with 4 Melee attack, 6 Speed, and 5 Health. Its Flying ability enhances its evasion prowess against both Melee and Ranged attackers. Additionally, its Sneak ability proves invaluable in team compositions, allowing it to swiftly eliminate vulnerable enemy backline units! 😛
Fourth Position, Uraeus
Like the Pelacor Bandit, the Uraeus was selected to spearhead the attack on the enemy's backline. This adaptable Monster from the Neutral Splinter is frequently seen in Diamond and Champion League Ranked Battles. With a mana cost of 3, the Uraeus delivers a significant blow with 3 Melee damage and the Sneak ability, rendering it a potent contender in battles with low mana caps. However, its most notable feature lies in its ability to inflict Poison on opposing Monsters 😤
Fifth Position, Chaos Agent
Securing its place in my lineup mainly for its cost-effectiveness at just 1 mana, Chaos Agent occupies a strategic position in the second last slot. This placement enables it to function as a potential backline tank, poised to step in if the DUMACKE ORC is defeated. Its Dodge significantly increase its likelihood of evading incoming enemy strikes. Additionally, its Backfire ability adds another dimension to its utility by inflicting 2 Melee damage on opponents who fail to land their attacks! 😆
Last Position, Dumacke Orc
The blogpost was crafted specifically to showcase the DUMACKE ORC! This Monster shines as an exemplary backline tank, owing to its diverse set of abilities that excel at repelling Melee Monster assaults. Its trio of highly effective abilities - SHIELD, RETALIATE, and THORNS - serve as formidable defenses and countermeasures against Sneak attacks. Nonetheless, it does harbor one notable vulnerability: if the enemy succeeds in inflicting Poison with their initial strike, the DUMACKE ORC could be dead within the first round! 😖
The Analysis
With the Silenced Summoners ruleset in play, my opponent also opted for the Water Splinter for this battle. However, instead of choosing Kelya Frendul like me, they strategically went for Bortus, giving them a cost-saving advantage of one mana, as Bortus only requires 3 mana compared to Kelya Frendul's 4! 👍
Similar to my tactical approach of selecting the Water Splinter, both my opponent and I recognize its array of formidable Monsters, particularly effective in battles with limited mana resources! We both opted for Baakjira as our primary tank, but our lineup diverged slightly in the backline.
When selecting my team for this encounter, I anticipated that my opponent might adopt a similar strategy, focusing on Melee attackers with Sneak and Opportunity abilities as their primary means of offense. Consequently, I strategically positioned my DUMACKE ORC in the rearmost position, serving as both an attacker and a defender! 💪
Without delay, allow me to illustrate the significant role played by the DUMACKE ORC in this battle! With its mere 1 Health stat, the DUMACKE ORC consistently becomes the primary target for Monsters with the Opportunity ability due to it being the Monsters with the lowest Health.
I was thankful that the opponent's Deeplurker failed to inflict the Poison status on my DUMACKE ORC during the initial turn, as that would have exploited its greatest weakness! In the below GIF, you will witness Deeplurker dealing 2 Melee damage to the DUMACKE ORC, only to suffer 5 Melee damage in return due to the THORNS and RETALIATE abilities! 👊
Despite the Runi being immune to the Thorns damage while attacking the DUMACKE ORC, courtesy of its Reflection Shield, it remains susceptible to the RETALIATORY damage it incurs. In the following GIFs, you can observe Runi dealing 2 Melee damage, only to receive 4 Melee damage in return due to the RETALIATE ability! 😉
Do you guys have any go-to strategy as well? Do share them with me in the below comments 😎
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