Splinterlands is an action-packed trading card game that encourages players to build a diversified collection of cards and apply the proper strategies to use those cards effectively and win on the battlefield. Although I do like talking about specific cards and their attributes, I also think it's important to realize that simply having the right cards isn't sufficient to win a match. It's also important to employ those cards in the correct way and devise an appropriate strategy. So in today's post, I'd like to share a recent match where I used a powerful magic-based strategy to secure the victory.

The Ruleset
As you can see, this was a 63 mana match where the fire, water, life, and death splinters were available. There were no modifications to the standard rule set.

Choosing An Archon
With these considerations in mind, my first task was to select an archon that I wanted to use in the battle. As I looked at my collection of archons, I realized that my strongest option would be to play either Marlai Singariel or Incessant Sage, since they were my only level 4 archons and would therefore be able to summon the most powerful units. As I considered it, I realized that I had the strongest team in the water splinter. So, I decided to go with Marlai Singariel.

Choosing The Team
Once I had selected my archon, I was able to start picking my team. Obviously, my first goal was maximizing the plus one magic buff that my archon gave. So, I decided to play as many magic units as possible. However, I also wanted to protect these magic units and keep them in the fight as long as possible. So, I decided to put Ulundin Overseer in the first position with the idea that it would be able to soak up a lot of damage and protect my other units.

Battle Summary
Although my opponent and I both used a similar strategy, there was a noticeable difference. The key is that my opponent spread out their damage output a lot more. For example, the opponent's Torrent Sniper had the Snipe ability, which meant that it targeted magic and ranged units that were not in the first position. This means that it targeted my Thandalorian Scion.My opponent's Conclave Tracker had the Opportunity ability, which meant that it also targeted Thandalorian Scion. By contrast, my opponent's Captain Fellblade had the Sneak ability, which meant that it targeted my Captain Fellblade. Finally, My opponent's Commander Slade used its melee attack to attack Ulundin Overseer and pretty much wasted all of its attacks trying to eat through its powerful armor.

By the end of the first round, I was able to knock my opponent's Commander Slade out of the fight.

And by the end of the second round, my team had eliminated both the opponent's Thandalorian Scion and Captain Fellblade.

In round 5, my Warborn Shaman scored the final blow against my opponent's Mystic Scaleweaver and secured the victory.
Analysis
Splinterlands strategy is multifaceted, and there are different layers of choosing the proper team to succeed on the battlefield. On one hand, it's important to have Archons and units that synergize well. In this respect, I think both myself and my opponent did a very good job. However, it's also important to weigh the advantages of concentrating your attacks on one unit versus spreading them out. If this would have been a match with the Dragon's Breath rule set, where magic and ranged attacks have the chance to applying the burning condition to an opponent's unit, it might have made sense to spread oup my attacks and put the burning effect on lots of units. However, this was a standard rule set. So, I thought the more effective strategy was to concentrate all of the fire on a single unit and take it out of the fight so it could stop dealing damage. Remember that a unit with only one health (normally) does as much damage as a unit with 100% full health!
Join Me in Splinterlands
Collecting cards and trying out new strategies is only part of the fun in Splinterlands. I also like earning glint, SPS, and additional NFT cards for winning matches. If you like action-packed trading card games and you also like getting rewarded for winning matches, then I'd invite you to join me in Splinterlands using my referral link.

Disclaimer
As a US resident, I am required to disclose that I might receive a benefit, such as reward or incentive, if you join using my affiliate link. All image credits belong to Splinterlands. Nothing is financial advice.
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STOPThanks for sharing! - @mango-juice
