I enjoy epic battles in Splinterlands. Sure, skirmishes with a 13-mana cap and unusual ruleset combinations can be catchy, yet the battles that stretch over ten rounds are the ones I find breathtaking. Especially when the mana cap is high enough to draft the best of the best. The ruleset modifiers in this battle added some extra spiciness—Equalizer and Wands Out. Harry Potter fans might compare this battle to the Battle of Hogwarts, though the creatures in the realms of Splinterlands are anything but human. Let’s take a closer look at the battlefield.
Choosing the summoner was easy—I couldn’t imagine this battle without two key cards I’ll introduce later. One comes from the Dragon pack, the other from the Death Splinter. Helios Matriarch was the only summoner who could draft both. And an extra Gladiator, which is always handy.
Believe it or not, Dark Arborist is a common tank in my lineups under some rulesets. It’s perfect for low mana cap games, where it can surprise enemy magic strikers with Magic Reflect and weaken melee monsters with Demoralize. This time, I only needed Magic Reflect.
Venari Bonesmith is another powerful low mana cap monster. I also drafted it for its ability—Life Leech combined with Corrupted Healing from the last monster in my lineup is a great combination, even without Equalizer.
Could I march into such a battle without Night Reaper? I don't think so. This flying magic striker is simply too powerful to exclude. Besides, it has Wingbreak, a skill that has turned the tide of many battles.
Skok Duskblight is most effective when surrounded by cheap unarmed monsters that it can buff. I only needed its high attack here.
Under normal circumstances, Larissa Kerato is a vulnerable monster, often not worth the seven mana points. However, the Equalizer ruleset makes it a force to be reckoned with.
And last but not least, Arachne Weaver. This monster won me the battle—without its Corrupted Healing, the others wouldn’t have lasted the offensive power of my opponent's deck.
My opponent assembled an impressive lineup—their monsters were faster, had better skills tailored to the ruleset modifications, and had higher attack stats. However, this “all-star team” lacked synergy—quite a common mistake you see on many battlefields. There was no healer or supporting monster to buff its allies, except for the summoner's healing abilities. The second weakness of this elite pack was its divided offensive potential. Spreading attacks across three different targets is a great strategy in many rulesets, but definitely not under Equalizer. This worked to my advantage, allowing my healer to keep my monsters alive. If their attacks had been more focused, or if they had a healer, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Round 5
The epic battle lasted nine rounds, with the first casualty falling in the second. My tank held on until the fourth round—a real clash of titans! Many battles are decided within four rounds, but my dominance was clear from the start, as Arachne Weaver did its job well, healing my monsters one by one. Once Djinn Oshannus, an outstanding tank for this ruleset, by the way, fell in the fifth round and Venari Bonesmith could finally leech HP from the opponent’s monsters, the outcome was sealed. It still took four more rounds to finish them off, though.
Round 7
The final round
