Ruleset Focus
GOING THE DISTANCE ruleset. 
In battles governed by the GOING THE DISTANCE ruleset, the use of units with Ranged attacks is mandated. As Ranged units tend to have lower durability and are not as effective when positioned in the first slot, players must devise unique strategies to maximize their lineup's potential and outwit their opponents. In the upcoming section, we will explore several abilities frequently encountered in the GOING THE DISTANCE ruleset.
GOING THE DISTANCE ruleset.
Headwinds - Reduces the Ranged attack of all enemy Monsters.
Return Fire - Monsters equipped with the Return Fire ability retaliate against Ranged attacks by inflicting reduced damage back to their assailant, with the damage amount being half of the attacker's damage, rounded up.
Close Range - Monsters with this ability can perform ranged attacks from the first position.
The Battle
Finally, I am able to share a battle post that is using my main account, ak08, as I was able to engage in a battle that involves the GOING THE DISTANCE 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.
Let's start by examining the ruleset implemented in this battle. It is a simple battle with a single ruleset that takes center stage in this week's challenge: the GOING THE DISTANCE ruleset, which we have already discussed in detail earlier. The battle has a mana limit of 29 and allows the use of only the Fire, Water, and Death Splinters.
Summoner, Thaddius Brood
This time, I made a different choice for the summoner in the GOING THE DISTANCE ruleset compared to my usual preference. Typically, I would opt for summoners like Quix the Devious (Dragon Splinter) for its -1 Ranged debuff or Kelya Frendul (Water Splinter) for the +1 Armor buff. However, since the Dragon Splinter is unavailable and I lack a strong Water Splinter on my main account, ak08, I had to select Thaddius Brood, which I believe gives me the best chance of winning 😅
First Position, Venari Marksrat
Second Position, War Chaang
In my lineup across multiple accounts, Venari Marksrat is consistently a popular choice whenever the battle requires it. I utilize Venari Marksrat as a fodder unit in the first position, strategically taking advantage of its Martyr ability upon its defeat. This, in turn, provides a boost to War Chaang, positioned in the second slot. Finding a suitable Ranged monster for a tanking role is often challenging due to their vulnerability with low health and limited usability in the first position. However, this is not the case with War Chaang, as it is a hybrid unit equipped with both Ranged and Melee attacks, hence could be effectively used even in the GOING THE DISTANCE ruleset 💪
Third Position, Supply Runner
Including the Supply Runner in the lineup was a deliberate choice, primarily because of its Swiftness ability, which grants a valuable +1 Speed boost to the entire team. By positioning it in the third slot, it serves as a backup tank if War Chaang were to be defeated. With its inherent 4 Speed stats and the added buff from the Swiftness ability, the Supply Runner becomes a challenging target for opponents, potentially causing them to miss their attacks 😁
Fourth Position, Ravenhood Warden
Fifth Position, Weirding Warrior
These two monsters possess intriguing effects that significantly impact the battle, both revolving around the Armor stat. Ravenhood Warden provides a collective advantage with its Protect ability, granting the entire lineup a substantial +2 Armor buff. Conversely, Weirding Warrior brings a disruptive element with its Shatter ability, completely annihilating the opponent's armor. 😝
Last Position, Soul Strangler
Soul Strangler takes on the role of the primary damage dealer in my lineup for this battle. Despite its low cost of 3 mana, this monster delivers a significant blow with its formidable 3 Range attack. However, due to its fragile nature with a mere 2 Health stat, I strategically position it in the final position of my lineup to prolong its survival. This placement allows Soul Strangler to continue launching its relentless barrage of attacks from the safety of the backline as the likelihood of encountering a Ranged unit with the Sneak ability is minimal in the GOING THE DISTANCE ruleset 🤠
The Analysis
To my surprise, instead of using Kelya Frendul from the Water Splinter, my opponent opted for the Fire Splinter in this battle. However, upon analyzing their lineup, I understood the reasoning behind their decision as they possessed a formidable array of Ranged monsters from the Fire Splinter 😯
As mentioned before, selecting the Death Splinter for the GOING THE DISTANCE ruleset was not my first choice, but I had to work with the resources at my disposal. One of the captivating aspects of Splinterlands battles is the ability to turn the tide in your favor through strategic planning and execution, even in unfavorable circumstances or when playing with lower-level cards 👍
My successful strategy of utilizing the Martyr ability to bolster War Chaang played a crucial role in the battle. However, the true key to my victory lay in the duo of Ravenhood Warden and Weirding Warrior. The +2 Armor buff from Ravenhood Warden proved invaluable in ensuring the survival of my team, while the Shatter ability from Weirding Warrior completely obliterated the enemy's Lava Launcher's armor, leading to a triumphant outcome 😂
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 😜
If you made it this far, I sincerely appreciate your time and value your encouragement. Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions so that we can discuss about other strategies. Thinking about giving Splinterlands a try but haven't signed up yet? Feel free to use my referral link: https://splinterlands.com?ref=ak08, and be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions!
Are you interested in reading some of my future writings? Don't forget to follow me! In the meantime, here are some of my most recent blogs if you'd like to view them:
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All banners, dividers card and battle images used in this article are open source and obtained from the Splinterlands team or made by flauwy. Do check out his link for other amazing designs.