How do you drown your dragon? It’s not an easy task, but you’re more likely to succeed in drowning it than training it. This holds true even in the realms of Splinterlands, where dragons, unlike human beings, are common. In fact, if any humans existed there, they’d likely be kept as harmless, cute little pets—akin to the rodents kept by children who aren’t allowed a dog or a cat. Anyway, back to drowning dragons! Here’s a skirmish where I faced a nasty Dragon set, and my Water Splinter set wiped it out. The ruleset modifications guaranteed an epic battle – Equalizer and Lost Magic force you to rethink your strategy, while Deflection Fields render certain monsters almost useless.
My Deck
This ruleset calls for a healer or two and a Gladiator. After weighing my options, I chose Pembrook Nymph to lead my army into battle.
Whenever magic creatures are banished, Commander Slade becomes one of the best tanks available, especially when you don’t have to worry about thorns. Dodge and Enfeeble—his credo.
Although the ruleset modifications were promising, the mana cap did not allow me to draft my best monsters. Endless Gibbon was an economical choice—a cheap yet efficient monster with Reach.
Entering such a battle without a healer would have been sheer madness, so I couldn't leave Merdaali Guardian behind.
Splinterlands is a tough world, where even healers must fend for themselves—don’t expect anyone to adhere to the Geneva Conventions. I needed my Guardian to be weapon-trained, and Kulu Mastermind fulfilled that role; a lethal opportunist, by the way.
I selected Isgald Vorst as the gladiator for my set. Under this ruleset, you require powerful ranged monsters or capable opportunists; I opted for the latter.
Though I lacked mana for a more suitable rear tank, Halfling Refugee proved a reasonable option due to its self-healing ability. I only hoped he wouldn’t grow too weary over the battle.
My Opponent’s Deck
I suspect my strategy took my opponent by surprise—they likely anticipated a deck built around ranged monsters, as evidenced by their choice of Quix the Devious as their summoner. Besides that mistake, their deck was fairly balanced.
Djinn Chwala is generally an effective anti-melee tank, though the ruleset diminished its usual strength. Twilight Basilisk was an improved version of my second-row monster. Dragon Egg Forager is a solid opportunist, particularly considering its mana cost; however, its Scavenger ability ultimately backfired in this skirmish, as you’ll see.
Venari Crystalsmith and Pelacor Arbalest provided up to six ranged damage per round, with Crystalsmith also healing the tank— great value for the mana. When it comes to efficiency, Dhampir Infiltrator outperformed them, though placing it in the rear was somewhat risky. Nevertheless, my opponent rightly did not expect me to deploy Sneakers.
After Round 1
The Battle
As you could expect, the battle took long. The first round saw no casualties, thanks to equalized HP and heavy healing. In the second round, I managed to eliminate my opponent’s tank, with my gladiator delivering the final blow and receiving a buff.
After Round 2
The next opponent's monster fell at the beginning of the fourth round, after which the outcome was effectively sealed. With Dragon Egg Forager advancing to the front, my opportunist monsters began targeting the enemy healer, rendering the loss of my tank insignificant.
After Round 4
Eliminating the two ranged monsters took an additional two rounds, followed by the defeat of Dhampir Infiltrator, which failed to slay Halfling Refugee despite having eight rounds for that—the Refugee’s self-healing proved sufficient. Ultimately, Dragon Egg Forager could not endure alone, and the victory was sealed. The dragons were drowned!
Round 9