Hello Summoners, how are you doing? This is my second entry for the challenge, and today I’m going to share my experience in a battle where the ruleset completely flipped the usual strategy.
The ruleset was Weak Magic, which means all magic attacks must hit armor first before reducing HP. Normally, magic attacks are annoying since they bypass armor, but this time they became much easier to counter. That’s when I thought: perfect, time to maximize my shield advantage! And for that, I relied on an Archon to secure victory.
I chose the Life element and used Incessant Sage as my Archon because of its Protect ability, granting bonus armor to all monsters. This fit perfectly with the ruleset. Here was my formation:
- Ulundin Overseer → thick armor, high HP, the perfect frontline tank.
- Skyspire Leopard → a reliable unit with 2 melee attack and natural armor.
- Albahoo Forester, Moxian Rebel, and Nimbledook Explorer → this trio was placed intentionally to activate Weapon Training. With the armor boost from Incessant Sage and Nimbledook Explorer, each of them ended up with 3 armor, making them much harder to break through.
- Vengeful Monk → the only monster without natural armor, but I picked him for his Opportunity ability, allowing him to target weak enemies in the backline.
The setup looked simple, but the synergy was strong: Ulundin Overseer anchoring the frontline, the trio synergizing in the middle, and Vengeful Monk exploiting gaps in the enemy formation.
👀 The Opponent’s Team
My opponent didn’t seem to read the ruleset carefully. They chose Kaylia Silverleaf as Archon, which reduces magic damage. But under Weak Magic, magic was already weaker by default, so Kaylia Silverleaf’s ability wasn’t very impactful.
Here was their lineup:
- Dread Tafarian in the frontline → relying on heals to stay alive.
- Anachron Bolter, Lady Amara, Sorrow Harvester, and Blackmoor Wild Elf → mostly magic attackers in the backline.
From the start, I was confident they’d struggle to break through my armor wall.
🔄 How the Battle Went
Round 1
As expected, Ulundin Overseer stood like a fortress. All enemy magic attacks were absorbed by armor. Meanwhile, Vengeful Monk went straight for Sorrow Harvester in the backline. Watching this unfold had me smiling.
Round 2
Sorrow Harvester fell to Monk’s strike. Dread Tafarian continued healing in the frontline, but the repeated attacks from my team were overwhelming. Ulundin Overseer still held strong.
Round 3
Eventually, Dread Tafarian couldn’t keep up—his heals weren’t enough. He went down, though Ulundin Overseer also fell in this round after tanking for a long time. Anachron Bolter was pushed forward as the new tank.
Round 4
Anachron Bolter, who was powerful in the back, turned out to be fragile at the front. His magic couldn’t get through my armor-heavy formation. He quickly fell as well. That left Lady Amara and Blackmoor Wild Elf exposed without solid protection.
Round 5
The opponent’s team collapsed one by one, while mine still had five monsters standing. Victory was secured! 🎉
For the full battle replay, you can watch it here:
🌟 Key Takeaways
- Armor was the true MVP. The Weak Magic ruleset made shields more valuable than usual.
- Archon choice was spot-on. Incessant Sage with Protect was perfect, making the whole team sturdier.
- Vengeful Monk proved underrated. Even without armor, his Opportunity attack was crucial for eliminating backline threats.
- The opponent misread the ruleset. Choosing Kaylia Silverleaf didn’t provide much value here—other Archons would’ve been better.
🤔 Reflections & Lessons
This battle reminded me of an important principle: rulesets define the game.
It doesn’t matter how rare or legendary your cards are—if you misinterpret the ruleset, your strategy can collapse.
For newer players, here are some lessons:
- Always study the ruleset before building your lineup. Even low-cost cards can shine in the right conditions.
- Learn monster synergy. For instance, Weapon Training in my team turned weaker monsters into valuable assets.
And above all: never underestimate the ruleset. Read it first, then decide your Archon and lineup. Remember, team synergy and abilities matter more than just expensive cards.
Even a thin shield can become an unbreakable fortress when used at the right time. 😉
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