Splinterlands

Some of the changes in the rules at the beginning of this year left me a bit amused as much as confused. One of the older rules was the "only melee monsters" could be used in battle rule. I have played this rule for over a year, and I know how to win with this rule.

The new rule change brought in two other categories under the same logic. One was only magic monsters could be used, while the other perplexing one was that only ranged attackers were allowed in battle. The former was easy and still quite an interesting one. However, ranged-attacker-only rule? That did not sound right.

Ranged Attacker_Rule.png

Why did it not sound right? Well, for the most part of Splinterlands journey, we narrated the Splinterlands’ anthem – melee first, then magic, and then ranged – because ranged attackers wouldn't attack in the first position. Then, suddenly, this rule caught me off guard. I did get to play
the rule and ended up winning also, but that took some time. The best part about this particular rule was the new thinking and game plan that many players strategized. It was mind-boggling!

So, let’s see the ranged-attack-only rule in play. But before that, shall we spend a minute getting to know Splinterlands? After all, that’s where you will find the ranged attacker rule.

What Game is Splinterlands?

Splinterlands is a digital card game that allows you to collect, trade, battle, rent, and even earn from the cards. The game gives Play to Earn a whole different meaning. By now, you would know that the governance token (SPS) airdrop made millionaires out of the early adopters. It still keeps giving and remains a fun and engaging game.

To give you an idea of how lucky you can get in Splinterlands, read my story of getting cards worth $500 from buying only a few packs worth $20.

Got Cards Worth $500 from $20 Packs

And this is just a tiny number. I have witnessed people getting uber-expensive cards in their pack and selling it for as high as $6500. In fact, there is a whole Splinterlands marketplace on the Hive blockchain and now on Wax too.

Any reason not to try it out? To join, scroll down quickly. 😊

The Ranged Attacker Only Rule Set | Interesting Addition 😊

While ranged attackers generally don’t attack in the first position, there were exceptions. Few ranged attacking cards did have close combat ability. That meant they could battle in the first position. So, this rule would make sense if we had a close combat ranged attacker in our kitty. Or we just position a high-health ranged attacker in the first position, which holds fort while the other monsters in the lineup attack the opposition.

So, drastic and mind-bending was this rule that for the first few weeks the bot accounts would just surrender. Why? Because they did not have any info on how to play the “ranged monsters” only rule. Of course, that has changed since, but the first few weeks were great. I was guaranteed a win as I would more or less come against a bot. Good ol days. 😊

Now we proceed to the battle.

The Battle | Frowns and Angry Brows

I came up with one of the battles in my brawl lineup where the ranged-attacker-only rule was in play.

Of course, it also had the “common monsters disallowed” rule and “additional gladiator card use” rule. But neither affected the ranged-monsters-only rule. So, that was the main rule in play. The total mana cap allowed was sixty, which was also exciting. It meant that we could go on a no holds barred selection of cards. Anyway, there was no way we would have ranged only cards adding up to sixty. 😊

-------------******-----------------

The Face-Off Screen

Both my opponent and I went with the Fire Splinter. The reason for that could be the Lava Launcher under the Fire Splinter. The Lava Launcher is a close combat card, and hence, could battle in the first position.

As you can see in the battle screen below, that seems to be one of the main reasons.

My team is in the lower half of the screen, while the opponent’s team is in the upper half. I had chosen Qid Yuff as the summoner as it gave all monsters the piercing ability. So, even if the shield is there, the piercing monsters can break the shield and attack the health, by the quantity of the attack.

The real deal was the battle, and, for some reason, I was confident. I had a good range of cards. My monsters in the third and fourth positions were blast attackers, which would affect the opponent’s second-position monster too. Also, my attacker in the last position was a “camouflaged” and “opportunity” striker. That meant the opponent’s low-health monsters better watch out.

-------------******-----------------

We Battle Hard

Exactly, at the end of round 1, I had already got two of the opponent’s cards.

Their Lava Launcher was gone, and because of the strike from my Countess Sinash (my card in the last position), the opponent’s card in the last position was also gone. So, that was 2-0 for me, and the battle had just started.

Though, I've got to admit, my own Lava Launcher was close to being decimated too.

-------------******-----------------

And The Battle Hurries to Conclusion | I Got It In the Bag

By the end of round 3, it was already done.

My Lava Launcher and one of the blast cards were gone, but I was still stronger in the battle. The opponent was with the last card, and it did not have close combat. In other words, it would be just my cards attacking and taking down the opponent’s card. There would be no counter-attacks.

I won! 😊

Victory Was Sweet | Battle Was Sweeter | But The Rule Was The Sweetest!

It was indeed a sweet victory, and here is what I referred to as gameplay with ranged attackers rule. This is just one example, but players come up with a plethora of variety in the game, like using summoners to enhance the ranged attack value or using return-fire monsters in the lineup.

A lot can be done and worked out, but for now, I am the winner and super delighted! 😊

I hope you learned a new aspect of Splinterlands and enjoyed it too!