I've been using a combination of Sneak and Opportunity abilities to prioritize melee attacks on the opponent's backline and low-health monsters. This strategy excels by focusing on speed, damage output, and armor stats to outmaneuver and overwhelm opponents. While it’s effective overall, its success can be influenced by specific rule sets.
The most favorable rule sets for this strategy are Equal Opportunity, which boosts all monsters with the Opportunity ability, Super Sneak, which allows melee monsters to attack from any position, increasing the number of backline threats; and Melee Mayhem, which will enable melee monsters attacks to it's designated any position, maximizing the damage of a melee-focused lineup. Not all the rule sets mentioned guarantee a high chance of winning with the Sneak and Opportunity abilities strategy. Success also depends on analyzing the opponent's previous battle history, the mana cap, and the active elements for each match. Who knows such a rule set may not be favorable or not, but you can still use this strategy if you feel that this strategy would likely higher chance of winning.
I’ll provide an example of this strategy in action, focusing on the Opportunity and Sneak abilities. The primary cards used in this setup are Kulu Mastermind, Deeplurker, Uraeus, and Pelacor Bandit.
INTO THE BATTLE: https://splinterlands.com/?p=battle&id=sl_b8fcb3fb6169115372a2a710e439f637
My Lineup
Summoner - Kelya Frendul
This summoner is helpful in terms of the stats it gives both armor and speed by 1 to all friendly units. Armor and Speed, this is what I want to dominate the opponent in speed while also protecting my monsters.
First Position - Baakjira
Baakjira acts as a reliable tank in the first position, leveraging its Void, Slow, Strengthen, and Heal abilities to absorb damage as much as possible and support the rest of the team. Void reduces incoming magic damage, making it more resilient, while Slow hinders the opponent’s speed by 1, granting an advantage to faster for my opportunity and sneak attackers. Strengthen boosts the health of all friendly units, enhancing overall durability, and Heal prolongs Baakjira’s survival, allowing handle or endurance time for backline attackers to target vulnerable enemies.
Second Position - Kulu Mastermind
Kulu Mastermind is the primary melee attacker and a potential secondary tank thanks to its Shield ability, which reduces incoming melee and ranged damage. Its Weapons Training ability grants Baakjira a valuable 2-melee attack, allowing the tank to contribute to the offense. Opportunity, which targets the opponent’s lowest-health monster, aligns well with this strategy, utilizing & maximizing damage output against weaker enemies. With impressive stats of 5 melee damage, 4 speed, and 9 health, Kulu Mastermind is both powerful and versatile in this position.
Third Position - Deepluker
Deeplurker acts as the secondary melee power, abilities with the opportunity to focus on the opponent's weakest health, complementing Kulu Mastermind’s attacks. The Poison ability adds extra potential to eliminate targets more quickly a chance to apply poison, while Demoralize reduces the opponent’s melee attack by 1, providing defensive support for Baakjira and the team. Deeplurker’s 5 melee damage, 4 speed, and 7 health make it a formidable force, adding sustained pressure on vulnerable backline targets.
Fourth Position - Uraeus
Uraeus is an additional damage dealer with 3 melee attacks, 4 speed, 4 health, and 1 armor, capable of Sneak attacks to pressure the enemy’s backline. Poison increases the odds of swiftly taking out backline targets, and Uraeus’s lower health makes it a potential bait for opponents who use Opportunity attacks. This position enhances the Sneak strategy while simultaneously drawing attention away from other critical attackers, such as Deeplurker and Kulu Mastermind or any opponent that has Opportunity ability.
Fifth Position - Pelacor Bandit
Pelacor Bandit is the third main melee attacker, strategically placed in the backline to serve as a shield for core damage dealers. Its high speed of 6 and the Flying ability increase its dodge rate, helping it evade attacks and maintain protection for the team’s other units. With 4 melee damage and 5 health, Pelacor Bandit is both an offensive threat and a defensive safeguard, using Sneak to keep up consistent pressure on the opponent’s backline.
Last Position - Igor Darkspear
Igor Darkspear rounds out the team as an additional ranged attacker, capitalizing on any remaining mana. With 3 ranged damage, 3 speed, and 5 health, Igor Darkspear can deal solid support damage, while the Stun ability disrupts the opponent’s rhythm by potentially disabling one of their monsters. Positioned at the back, it is less likely to be targeted, allowing it to continue contributing to damage output throughout the match.
Analyzing the battle
The opponents seem to be focusing more on magic attacks while also having 1 melee monster that is overpowered, the Venka the Vile that has stats of 7 melee damage, 5 speed, and 6 health while also having Charge, Peircing, Oppress, and Trample abilities. The opponent also uses the Weapons Training ability with magic attack stats of Aves Sturgis. This is the battle of Opportunity & Sneak strategy water element versus opponent hybrid attack but mainly focus on Magic attack and a powerful melee monster Venka the Vile with life element. I think this is a 50-50 chance of both sides because the opponent has Doctor Blight which can counter my Baakjira Heal ability and would likely defeat in early rounds but since the opponent has a lot of magic units. I might have a higher chance of winning this one. Luck would be decided by the ability to poison, attacks are hit or miss, and the ability of anti-heal if it were able to apply.
As the battle progressed, I was able to execute Time Mage. It was lucky that my Uraeus and Pelacor were able to hit it, especially applying poison with Uraeus's ability despite of difference in stats of speed. In the first round, the opponent deals 12 damage to my Baakjira because of the Oppress ability which increases more damage to those nonattackers monsters. But in the third and fourth rounds, I was able to successfully defeat Venka the Vile and the rest of the lowest-health opponent monsters. My Igor Darkspear also did a good job applying stun on most of its attacks and hit it despite of speed difference. Was lucky this time if my attacks were not able to hit then I might lose this round. That is why speed is important in most of the battle increasing the chance to evade and hit.
Baakjira is undeniably the MVP in this lineup battle. Positioned as the primary tank, it absorbed immense damage from both the opponent's magic attacks and Venka the Vile’s powerful melee, which was particularly threatening with the Oppress's ability. Thanks to its high resilience, speed advantage, and ability to heal, Baakjira could withstand the early rounds, creating the stability needed for the Opportunity and Sneak strategy to work. Without Baakjira’s ability to endure and draw attacks, the strategy would be ineffective, as the backline attackers would lack the necessary support to break through the opponent’s backline position and support defense. Also, this is my favorite tank with utilizing Kulu Mastermind, Deeplurker, Pelacor Bandit, Uraeus, and Noa the Just main combo strategy.
Credits:
Co-Pilot Ai generated thumbnail picture anime with cards and
Edited the Design photo Splinterlands Modern League using PicsArt
Screenshot In-game splinterlands
