Featuring Bronze League Summoner and Monsters in Action!
Given all the changes, and the recent rule change where there are no longer card caps by league and it is basically a free-for-all where even if you were in the sub 1000 rankings you can face max level teams, I have decided to save some matches off and showcase where my tiny little bronze level deck is able to compete and beat those high-ranking gold and diamond teams. Let's dig into this one and see what we got
CHALLENGE RULES
RULESET: STANDARD
Description: No modification to the standard gameplay rules and mechanics.
Reasons Why I like it
Standard just takes you back to the OG days before they were all these rule sets. It was just you, your cards and the strategy you wanted to play. Nothing funky nothing special no three rules sent to try to decipher and get to get best game plan for. It's just your card your approach and your opponent.
The Matchup - Where Rules Sets, Splinters and Mana Collide
The Rule Sets
Watch the Match Here
https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_44c1dca7600b7f0b5a4c6b45b6a46cb4&ref=senstless
MANA: 39
Ruleset: Standard: No modification to the standard gameplay rules and mechanics.
SPLINTERS: Fire, Earth, Life, Death, Dragon
Initial Rule Set and Mana Gameplay Thoughts
- Rulesets
Since it's standard rule sent I think that each of the splinters can build in exceptionally well-balanced team. They all have some excellent lineups especially considering to hire mana. I would not be surprised to see Earth with heavy magic used, fire with the devastating multi-stack sneak attack or some other gray combos - Mana
39 man it means you can play any card you want plus a couple of other heavy hitters. Well it's not truly unlimited usually it's provides you the ability to use several legendary or + 10 and a cards and still fill out the rest of your team - Splinters
Water is missing which is great in the iron Man of rule sets, but I feel like having the rest of them available is really a great opportunity for just about any splinter. The only one I think probably is least likely to be used is Earth as I tend to feel most of theirs have lower health and struggle a bit more in higher mana matches that have most splinters available
- Summoner THADDIUS BROOD
I wanted to try to counter potential Earth line up so I went with Thaddeus to reduce the magic attack - First Position CARRION SHADE
Purely cannon fire and first position. Maybe I'd get lucky with a melee Miss but likely it's just going to take the first attack and to die. It was either here or last position given my lineup and I felt the first was probably most beneficial
- Second Position ULUNDIN OVERSEER
One of my most used cars now with weapons training. It's gargantuan 13 health +6 armor means it is a long-lasting tank when you give it a couple of magic attack through weapons training
Third Position SKOK DUSKBLIGHT
Used a ton for the weapons training, I love to stack my weapons training if possible and giving some of those non-attacking cards and attack makes it much more usefulFourth Position RIFTWING
The card that used to be relegated to not much use is now an amazing card, especially when you can stack a weapons training card on each side of it. Flying plus speed plus scavenger plus two attacks means it just becomes a war horseFifth Position ZYRIEL
It wasn't sure about this card at first, but the fact that it has likely changed what constraining of the three arrow attack is big. That means you can get both surrounding monsters to also have three arrows which is a big nine damage attack per roundSixth Position CLOCKWORK AIDE
Another card that became super useful with weapons training. It is a great rear sneak protection card to do its a seven armor, the additional speed boost that gives is great and when you add three arrow attack it is a great card that can usually last to the second or start a third round
Opponent Lineup & Match Play
- Summoner THADDIUS BROOD
Great minds think alike and I also decided to play thaddeus, except for theirs is a level 8 rare. That means it is at max level and can pull level 10, 8 rare six epic and four legendary. Truly a maximum level card - CURSED WINDEKU
The second maxed out card, bringing in massive damage of four melee plus thorns Plus tank heel Plus slow means it is a really great choice - VENARI BONESMITH
Another great card to use here, it has to spell, likely and poison which makes it very dangerous - REVEALER
Another ability card with stun immunity and reflection Shield it's a great choice to be able to stun your opponent - BARASHKUKOR
A heavy hitting five magic attack card that does additional damage to high Rena cards. This is the first card that's not maxed for the summoner it's only a level two legendary - SPIRIT HOARDER
Another level 2 legendary with both triage and dispel is looking good in this lineup - SILENT SHA-VI
Almost Max this is only a level six common but it has blazing speed of six with seven health and three melee damage. I didn't realize this thing got so fast as it leveled up
Round 1
On the surface things are looking interesting but not great. Do they have a lot of powerful cars, speed and heavy hitters and I'm not 100% sure jealous will play out.
As the first round starts those higher level cards with their bigger speeds attack first and get the first knockout. Is the rest of the round plays out every attack hits until the last one where clockwork misses cursed windeku
Round 2
Not much change, other than I'm done one monster, some armor and half of my 11 health for my new tank. Good news is as is round starts off I am able to secure my first knockout via rift wing. As the round progresses we are trading monsters quickly. I lose Ulundin overseer before I get a knockout on bone Smith. The round ends and we both have four monsters left
Round 3
It feels like it's coming down to the wire. Luckily clockwork still has one more armor to Shield off the attack and then it's my turn. Rift Wing comes through with another knockout giving me a slight advantage. I quickly lose dusk blight but rift Wing has built up a nice base of health to 10. As the round ends we now both have three monsters, and both have some with low health
Round 4
Round four starts and I lose clockwork on the first attack this limits my attacking ability to one magic plus three arrows for a total of four damage per round. Luckily I managed to knock out Barashkykor . There was a 10% chance I could have missed the net would have spelled disaster.
Round 5
Luckily I have enough health due to my life leaks to Shield off at least two attacks. By the end of the fifth round I knock out Spirit hoarder leaving them only one monster. But the trouble is that Silent Sha Vi has some blazing speed. It still has six health when it moves to first position and I'm only guaranteed a one magic damage per round. It will need three rounds to knock out riftwing so I'm going to need to get lucky
Round 6
Around six we trade blows and I do get lucky to start with as Zyriel connects on a devastating blow bringing his health down to two. Even with this hit I still either need a Miss due to my flying ability, or a second hit from Zyriel with only a 60% chance to hit.
Round 7
I managed to pull it off. It hits again for the second time and what essentially is a coin flip. There was still a chance if I missed that I could win if their attack missed rift Wing to the flying but that is a low probability. I got lucky to get two hits a row given the speed differential but I'll take the victory. I think it's pretty impressive to be able to take a bronze deck and compete against a gold league team that is well built.
Thoughts - and Chances to Win Again
I definitely got lucky to win. There were several instances where a single Miss would have cost me the entire match. I also could have gotten luckier and been missed on their attacks with flying but the probabilities are relatively low.
I'm not sure that my lineup is the best lineup that could have been used but I do believe it was probably the best counter lineup to the one by enemy picked. I probably could have been beaten by some Earth or fire lineups that attacked the middle or back of my lineup more efficiently. Having only one sneak card let me get away with minimal rear protection for too long.
I'm definitely jealous of some of the cards abilities they had with tank hill, or poison. Having those abilities seems like a really great way to get some more wins. I'm sure everyone else as you level up has those same abilities but down here in bronze those are harder to find and have a much higher premium. Part of my brain is wondering if it's worth it to rent a few maxed out cards like thaddeus, and cursed Windeku to get some cheap wins.
