With Conclave Arcana set to come in the Modern format and Chaos Legion rotating into Wild in a few days, we’re on the new battle experience challenge of a major shift in Splinterlands gameplay. Conclave Arcana will replace Chaos Legion in Modern battles, I saw some overpowered cards especially magic-type cards and mechanics while relegating the popular Chaos Legion cards, along with all its promos and Riftwatchers additions to Wild format only. This means my upcoming posts may be the last to feature Modern-format strategies built around Chaos Legion cards; today, I’m spotlighting the Dumacke Orc as a budget-friendly tank alternative for the Up-Close & Personal ruleset, demonstrating how even non-legendary cards can thrive in the evolving meta. As we embrace Conclave Arcana’s new pack offerings and nine innovative abilities, such as Painforge, Resurgence, and Bloodline Tribute, expect to see fresh team compositions and tactical possibilities that will redefine competitive play in Modern format.
Dumacke Orc is a Neutral Common card from the Chaos Legion set, equipped with Shield, Retaliate, and Thorns, and boasts stats of 4 melee damage, 2 speed, 1 health, and 8 shields. Its high shield value makes it a standout choice in rule sets like Up-Close & Personal, Super Sneak, Melee Mayhem, and Equal Opportunity (where all monsters share the same health). While its single health point can be a liability under normal conditions, under Equalizer it becomes a formidable counter-attacker, reflecting significant damage back to foes. This versatility also applies in any battle where Neutral cards are allowed—just be mindful that it can’t be used in Shades of Gray or Taking Sides matches, which restrict Neutral splinter cards.
While Eternal Tofu often takes the spotlight as the premier Thorns user, Dumacke Orc provides a more budget-friendly alternative since most of you got this during Reward Glints shop, especially when paired with other Thorns synergies like Astral Entity alongside Ever-Hungry Skull or Cursed Windeku. To really amplify its counter-damage, pairing Dumacke Orc with units that grant Amplify, such as Venator Kinjo, turns every blocked hit into a lethal blow. This combo ensures that your frontline not only soaks up powerful attacks but also punishes opponents with escalating Thorns damage each round.
Into the battle: https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_030e1bdb8fbca6014ed542d4eb8c5e38
Let’s go into this Modern Format match where the rule sets were Up-Close & Personal, Blood & Sunder, and Born Again, with a 22 mana cap and all splinters except Earth available. Since Eternal Tofu from the Earth splinter was off the table, I opted for Water over Death—mainly because I already rent cards for Water, Earth, Dragon, and Neutral, and branching into Death would’ve been cost-prohibitive. I chose Kelya Frendul as my summoner to boost durability and ranged damage, then fielded Cruel Sethropod as my primary tank, Tide Biter up front for extra melee punch, Pelacor Bandit as my sneak attacker, Uraeus for poison damage, Torrent Fiend to soak hits in the backline, and Dumacke Orc as a secondary tank tucked at the rear. This lineup balanced offense, defense, and utility while keeping costs manageable.
My opponent went with Lily Shieldpaw as a summoner, blending Dragon and Water splinters. The opponent deployed Cruel Sethropod in the front, followed by Halfling Refugee as a secondary tank, Torrent Fiend, Uraeus, Deeplurker, and Pelacor Bandit in the back. Placing Halfling Refugee in the second slot was a smart defensive play, and I suspected Deeplurker would be their main damage dealer. Notably, they didn’t include any Thorns users—perhaps they lacked the cards—so I was confident my Dumacke Orc could neutralize their melee sneak and opportunity attackers. With my mix of tanks, poison, and sneak, I was ready to control the pace and counter their key threats.
As the battle progressed, my Dumacke Orc proved its worth by swiftly dispatching the opponent’s sneak and opportunity attackers—most notably Deeplurker, thanks to its Thorns and Retaliate abilities. I was fortunate that Deeplurker never managed to land its special move early on, allowing my Orc to counterattack effectively each turn. Of course, had my opponent fielded a Death splinter with Astral Entity or even their own Dumacke Orc, the outcome could have been very different. Ultimately, a bit of luck combined with precise positioning and strategy made all the difference in this match.
Good luck to those who participate in the event presale of Conclave Aracana and to myself. Manifesting Black Foil and Gold Foil!!🌟
A Big Thanks! For supporting me, being here, and coming this far. I hope this strategy assists you with some of your battles with these rule sets.
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Credits:
Edited the Design photo Splinterlands Modern League using PicsArt
Screenshot In-game splinterlands