Batllemage Secrets: CLOSE RANGE

Greetings Battlemages! This week we have a look at a ruleset that changes archers' life: Close Range!

The Ruleset: Close Range

Under the Close Range ruleset, Range units gets their main defect solved: they can now attack in first position! Indeed there's nothing worse than losing attack power, and subsequently the match, because the ranged units have reached the first position. Usually if the game wasn't decided by then, then it's game over.

That being said, I honestly tend to overlook the Close Range ruleset and play like a standard match. Why? Because it doesn't solve the second defect of range units: it's still physical attacks, so mitigated by armor. I tend to like Magic units more. Of course, Range units pack more attacking power than Magic units, but once taken into account the armor, I'm not that sure.

And somehow, I'm used to not let Range units in a position where they would be the last monsters reaching first position. So in the best case this ruleset only influence the position of my monsters, and not really the composition of my team.

The battle

https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_51b4c00514a4f56b45f287299164b088&ref=engilhramn

The battle is played in Modern Silver.
It is opened to Water, Earth, Death and Dragon. The mana cap is 35 and the ruleset is Close Range and Lost Legendaries.

With this average-lowish mana cap, Earth would be good with Obsidian, but Legendaries monsters are too important for this strategy. So if I don't expect Earth, then Death has no real benefit... I prefer Dragon with higher mana cap, so Water was the obvious choice.

The lineup

And so with a mid-range lineup, and no legendaries (sorry Djinn Oshannus), why not experimenting a bit? Let's get the highest value for average mana cost!

Summoner: Pembrook Nymph! That's the experimentation! Access to Gladius cards is good value for the mana cost, right?

First position: Diemonshark, without real surprise: Speed, Armor, Health, everything to be a good tank
Second position: Tide Bitter, cheap and effective unit with Reach, one of the best for 3 mana
Third position: Deeplurker, with the vicious Opportunity
Fourth position: Isgald Vorst, Gladius, Opportunity and Bloodlust, that's even more vicious!
Fifth position: Kulu Swimhunter, good damage value for the cost of 4 mana
Last position: Pelacor Bandit, for the sneaky evading touch

My opponent went for Water with Kelya Frendul, but with a more defensive approach:
Diemonshark as tank, then Swamp Spitter able to repair Armor. Second position would seem too close for a support card, but fear not: there's also Scavo Hireling and Merdaali Guardian in the team! The attacking will be realized by Deeplurker and Kulu Swimhunter.

Round 1

It doesn't start very well for me, my Diemonshark having lost all its Armor already, and Deeplurker missing its attack. I rely on killing quickly the supports with the double Opportunity, I can't afford to miss!

Round 2

My Diemonshark still standing but not for long, while the opponent's one gets its Armor repaired again and again... But at least Isgald Vorst killed the Hireling, activating the first Bloodlust. Oh yeah, and my Deeplurker missed again...

Round 3

My Diemonshark is down. My Pelacor Bandit too. But my Deeplurker finally didn't miss and got rid of Merdaali Guardian. Thing is I have no tank left and still a lot to chew in front!

Round 4

Bloodlust! Isgald Vorst cleanly finished the Kulu Swimhunter! That will compensate for the death of Tide Bitter...

Round 5

Damned that armor repairs! And my Swimhunter is dead now

Round 6

Bloodlust! Hopefully Isgald Vorst had the perfect damage to finish off the Swamp Spitter. No more repairs!

Round 7

Without repairs of armor, now it's a sure victory, even at 1 against 2. Just the perfect damage to kill in one shot the Diemonshark, and then the Deeplurker after one more Bloodlust!

Takeaway

Sure, it is over-powered when Bloodlust gets rolling. But the duo with Deeplurker is hit or miss. I had games where Deeplurker got all the kills and I didn't activate Bloodlust once. A pity to have a Bloodlust Opportunity unit, and to only shoot Armors... So I tend to not use Pembrook Nymph much, actually.

Also, because it's easy criticizing, I didn't like Merdaali Guardian in the team. She was indeed useless. Two Armor Repairs, one Tank Heal. It feels like one is too much really. If physical then you don't need the Heal. If magical then you don't need the Repair, even less 2! But it is sure annoying like hell to play against that!

That being said, see you on the Battlefield!