In stark contrast to the last edition, Melee Mayhem, we're now gonna dive into a Ruleset that I utterly dread...
In Keep Your Distance no Melee attackers are allowed. Patterns have always been easiest for me to spot when dealing with Melee attacks, so I tend to struggle a bit with this Ruleset. When the tank is difficult to select, it can throw off the whole team-selection process.
Keep Your Distance
I have to admit that it's one of my worst Rulesets. I would probably find a below 500 average if I were able to break down the statistics in that way. Let's dig in and see if we can figure it out together, eh?
No Melee attackers means a few things to me: First, you have to types of attack available to you (Magic and Range). You can also use non-attacking buff or debuff cards or lower level Melee cards that have not yet achieved their attack ability.
Where to Magic?
This is always a tough choice, mainly because of Magic Reflect, a common ability in Keep Your Distance. A powerful mage can be taken out with 2 reflects in most cases, and the stronger their attack, the stronger the reflect.
If you want to use a Magic attacking tank, make sure you go with something that has either high Health or the Void ability, which will soften the blow of Magic Reflect. The Prismatic Energy is one tank that I sometimes like to play in Keep Your Distance.
You will see Lord Arianthus a lot in this Ruleset, especially at high Leagues. His Thorns are wasted, but his Magic Reflect and relatively low Mana cost make him difficult to destroy. He is especially hard to conquer if you have used a team heavy on Magic. If you have 6 monsters on your team in a Keep Your Distance battle, 3 or 4 of them should be Range attackers, just to be safe.
Where to Range?
Just like in most battles, your most powerful Range attackers should be in the back. If one has Dodge or Healing, place it in the way back, even if it has a slightly lower attack. With Keep Your Distance, you'll want to place your Range attackers closer to the front than normal. Sometimes I even pack my entire team with Range attacks behind Lord Arianthus in front.
Use the extra abilities of your Range attackers to heal, repair and strengthen your tank. Make sure that when the first of your Range monsters reaches the front line, they are ready to take some damage without falling.
Watch Out for Blast
Blast was already a defensive concern when playing in this Ruleset, but with the recent addition of Yodin Zaku (who gives Blast to every friendly monster), it became even tougher. It is almost certain that your opponent will use Blast of some kind and you should be prepared. There are a few ways to do this.
Increase Speed and Dodge - By using as many Speed buffs as possible, you can increase the chances of being missed by the Range blasters. In addition, the Blind ability drastically increases your chances of being missed. If you can manage to dodge a Blast attack, you're actually dodging 2 attacks, which is extra bad for your opponent.
Fill up with Squishies - Build your core team with some spaces in between, then fill the spaces with low-Mana monsters that you expect to die within a couple Blast hits. It feels a little cold, using them as decoys like that, but if it works you'll get over it.
Some Cards I Like
Here are some cards that I like to play in the Keep Your Distance Ruleset. That's not to say that these are the best or even my most successful. There are literally hundreds of unique cards in Splinterlands and there are way more right (and wrong) answers than one to every situation.
Lord Arianthus
This is the Ruleset that Lord Arianthus was jarred for. Void, Shield and Magic Reflect at max level. The only thing that can even hurt him without hurting them back are Range attacks, and they need to be substantial.
Prismatic Energy
The Prism is a high Health Magic attacker that is also made for Magic defense. It has the native ability of Magic Reflect and at level 5 it gains the Void ability, making it even more difficult for Magic damage to get through. It's risky to use the Prismatic Energy as a tank, especially knowing that your opponent will have high-powered and fast Range attacks in the back. But the Prism does well pretty much anywhere else in the line, even the way back.
Ruler of the Seas
The main advantage of playing Ruler of the Seas is the fact that he has Magic Blast. When Magic attacking 2 enemies at once, you can be pretty sure he will be Magic Reflected by at least one of them. The good news is that the Ruler's Mana cost of 6 is relatively low for a Mage that packs such a powerful attack.
Cyclops
The Cyclops is still unique and quite useful as a way back monster, especially in Keep Your Distance and Heavy Hitters. He has Shield, so no matter how badly he is pummeled by the enemy sneakers, he should survive to the end. He also sometimes stuns the enemy tank, which is excellent once you have expended most of your monsters defeating Lord Arianthus.
Dark Astronomer
The Dark Astronomer starts out as a regular Range attacker, but once you look closer you can see her true utility. At level 4 she gets the Shatter ability, but that is not what excites me. What excites me is that hidden gem that is only achieved at max level. I'm talking about Blind, the ultimate buff for the Keep Your Distance Ruleset. This ability alone made it worth it for me to max this card.
Pyromaniac
A Sneak attacker with Blast? You've got to be kidding me! You've got to get the Pyromaniac to level 5 to enjoy this incredible ability, but it's well worth the combining. You can forget about Lord Arianthus when you've got a 4 Range attack tearing up the back 2 monsters of the enemy's team. You'll want to keep the Pyro away from the front and the back to make sure he can do the most damage.
Silvershield Sheriff
I fell in love with this mustached horseback lawman as soon as he was released. Starting at level 6, he gets Protect, my favorite of all the abilities. On top of that, he is a Sniper with Piercing, and one of the most powerful Range attackers in the game. The Sheriff is well worth his Mana cost of 9.
Javelin Thrower
The Javelin Thrower is one of the most annoying monsters you will ever face. You will be continually surprised by how often she is missed by Sneak and Snipe attacks. When you're the one playing with her, she's not nearly as annoying, because you'll probably be winning. Make sure you buff her Speed and use the Blind ability if available to you.
I hope this little strategy guide for Keep Your Distance has been helpful to you somehow, or at least entertaining! If you're good at this Ruleset, please give me advice in the comment! Thanks!
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