Ruleset Focus
In this week's Battle Mage Secrets challenge, the spotlight is on the SILENCED SUMMONERS ruleset! I particularly appreciate this ruleset because it levels the playing field. In SILENCED SUMMONERS battles, Summoner effects are rendered ineffective. This means that even players with bigger budgets can't showcase their overpowered Summoners in these battles 😅
Since the SILENCED SUMMONERS ruleset makes Summoner's abilities irrelevant, so what really matters here is a Summoner's mana cost, preferably a low one. High mana cost Summoners lose their appeal in this ruleset because you'd be investing more mana in a card whose effects are nullified. Opting for lower mana cost summoners allows you to allocate more of your precious mana cap to essential monster cards within your lineup! ✌️
The Battle
While fulfilling my responsibilities in the Splinterlands scholarship account I have with Balthazar, bltzr-wizard-729, I was able to engage in a battle that involves the SILENCED SUMMONERS 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.
Now, let's dive into the rules that shape this battle. To start with, we have the Keep Your Distance ruleset, which strictly disallows the use of Monsters with Melee attacks in battles. Following that, there's the Odd Ones Out ruleset, which restricts battles to Monsters with odd Mana costs only. Lastly, the centerpiece of today's challenge: the SILENCED SUMMONERS ruleset, which we've already covered in detail earlier. This battle operates with a mana cap of 52, and the only banned Splinter is Death.
Summoner, Quix The Devious
With the SILENCED SUMMONERS ruleset in play, the selection of a Summoner becomes primarily about the Monsters you want in your lineup, as the Summoner's abilities are nullified. In such battles, I typically choose the Dragon Summoners because they allow you to bring Monsters from the Dragon Splinter along with another Splinter of your choice. Since I don't possess a Summoner that costs lesser than 4 mana, I went with Quix The Devious for this match! 😄
First Position, Void Dragon
In most situations, selecting a tank would usually favor a Melee unit. However, due to the Keep Your Distance ruleset, I made a different choice and went with Void Dragon, a Magic-type monster. Despite its 5 mana cost, Void Dragon offers impressive statistics and is equipped with valuable abilities such as Flying, Void, and Phase. These abilities act as effective defenses against both Ranged and Magic attacks, making Void Dragon a strategic and formidable choice for this battle 💪
Second Position, Gargoya Devil
With the Keep Your Distance and Odd Ones Out rulesets in place, my options for assembling the lineup were somewhat constrained. After careful consideration, I decided to include the Gargoya Devil, mainly due to its 7-mana cost and its formidable 4 Range attack damage. While this monster may not be exceptional, it does fulfill a useful role as a utility Monster from the Neutral Splinter. Despite being a Range Monster, it retains the ability to attack from the first position when deployed, thanks to its Close Range ability! 😤
Third Position, Adelade Brightwing
Choosing Adelade Brightwing is crucial for the success of my strategy. The Resurrect ability it possesses perfectly complements Iziar's Martyr ability. This tactic of resurrecting Iziar has the potential to provide my lineup with a double stat boost thanks to the Martyr ability. Furthermore, the Swiftness ability can grant my lineup a much-needed +1 Speed buff, enhancing our efficiency in dealing damage to the opponent! 😁
Fourth Position, Djinn Renova
When I opt for the Life Splinter, Djinn Renova consistently ranks among my preferred card choices for the lineup. It boasts impressive Magic damage, coupled with respectable health and speed stats, making it a dependable pick. What truly distinguishes Djinn Renova is its Triage ability, which proves to be priceless when I place Iziar (see Fifth Position) in the rear. This arrangement enables Djinn Renova to adeptly mend my team, ensuring they stay in good health and remain highly effective in battle 😝
Fifth Position, Iziar
Iziar serves as the linchpin of my lineup, playing a crucial role in the success of my strategy. To maximize its potential, reaching Level 3 is essential (I was fortunate to acquire 2 Gold Foil copies a few seasons ago), as this level unlocks the Martyr ability. With its Taunt ability, I can strategically place Iziar between the monsters I aim to empower when it eventually falls. Furthermore, its outstanding durability, owing to high health and the Void ability, establishes it as a formidable presence on the battlefield 😎
Last Position, Gem Meteor
Given the constraints of the Odd Ones Out ruleset, my choices for the lineup were somewhat limited. I ultimately settled on the Gem Meteor, primarily due to its 5-mana cost and its devastating 4 Range attack damage. Its noteworthy attribute is its Speed, which stands at 5. However, it's worth noting that under normal circumstances, I would typically avoid selecting a Monster with the Scattershot ability, as it tends to disperse attacks rather than concentrating them on a specific target, leaving more to chance and less control over the outcome 😟
The Analysis
Given the presence of these three highly restrictive rulesets in this battle, especially the SILENCED SUMMONERS ruleset, it's not surprising that my opponent also chose to use a Dragon Summoner. Additionally, utilizing the Chaos Dragon as a tanker is a rather evident choice, considering the Keep Your Distance and Odd Ones Out rulesets 🤣
My opponent decided to build a team heavily focused on Magic, featuring two Monsters capable of Resurrecting their tanker when it falls. However, when confronted with my lineup and strategy, the opponent's team simply couldn't break through my resilient Iziar. Iziar's Void ability, coupled with Djinn Renova's Triage healing capabilities, made it incredibly tough for the opponent. By the time Iziar fell and was Resurrected twice, it had not only granted both Djinn Renova and Gem Meteor a substantial stat boost through the Martyr ability but also made them overwhelmingly formidable for the opponent's lineup to contend with! 💪
Do you guys have any better recommendations for setting up the team in this particular ruleset? Do share them with me in the below comments 😜
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