Close Range is that special ruleset which will only applies to ranged cards. In short, this ruleset will eliminate the restriction for ranged cards to attack from the front-row. Meaning ranged cards will be able to attack similar to magic cards. But this this addition are not always entirely useful, or might just be a trivial thing. So let's continue to unfold the secrets!
Pros & Cons
1. Close Range allows ranged cards to attack from the front-row; meaning ranged cards become more useful as a Tanker cards. In addition ranged card become less dependent with other cards. Ranged cards can make a fight as the only remaining card, and also benefit from, for example Last Stand ability.
1. Close Range could easily be set aside, since melee cards and magic cards could easily substitute them. Except if there are parallel ruleset which active, for example Lost Magic or Keep Your Distance.
2. Ranged cards with inherent Close Range ability usually have large amount of health and/or armor. Meanwhile a common ranged cards have a rather low health and almost no Tanker abilities. So in result, granting Close Range on ranged cards is less useful, since they are too frail to take the front-row.
Rulesets To Be Watched
Ruleset
Strategy
Lost Magic and/or Keep Your Distance limit the use of other cards other than ranged cards. It means there might be less alternatives for Tanker cards, and therefor ranged cards have better chances for Tanker alternatives.
The battle has 41 mana cap, with Close Range and Fog Of War ruleset, and only Fire and Death splinter are able to be used. For my formation, I used:
Position
Card Name
Level
Mana
Health
Armor
Speed
Damage Type
Damage
Summoner
Tarsa
4
4
-
-
-
-
-
1st Row
Grum Flameblade
1
11
10
5
1
Melee
4
2nd Row
Djinn Inferni
1
7
4
-
3
Magic
3
3rd Row
Djinn Apprentice
4
5
4
-
3
Magic
3
4th Row
Magi Of Chaos
1
6
5
-
2
Magic
2
5th Row
Tenyii Striker
4
5
6
-
3
Melee
3
6th Row
Uraeus
1
3
2
1
2
Melee
2
My opponent formation:
Position
Card Name
Level
Mana
Health
Armor
Speed
Damage Type
Damage
Summoner
Tarsa
3
4
-
-
-
-
-
1st Row
Tusk The Wide
1
6
12
-
1
Melee
1
2nd Row
Radiated Brute
4
5
6
-
2
Melee
3
3rd Row
Lava Launcher
1
9
6
5
3
Ranged
3
4th Row
Djinn Inferni
1
7
4
-
3
Magic
3
5th Row
Ash Mirage
1
7
6
-
4
Ranged
2
6th Row
Lava Spider
4
3
4
-
3
Ranged
2
As I have mentioned previously, Close Range is the ruleset that easily set aside by any players. If you have no restriction for melee and magic cards, then there's no reason to have ranged cards in the front-row. In this battle, both of us use Tarsa as the summoner. So melee will gained damage buff. I bring a 50:50 melee and magic cards. I allocated 11 mana to have Grum Flameblade in the front row just to gain benefit from Bloodlust. Then 5 to 6 mana are allocated to the back-row, with the remaining 3 mana for Uraeus. So I focus on attacking the front row using magic attack and make pincer attack using Sneak. But it was a fatal mistake that I forgot about Fog Of War erase any Sneak ability.
Meanwhile my opponent take a little bit balanced formation, with majority of cards centered on 7 mana. The first row filled with Tusk The Wide. That's a bullseye tactics to counter my magic cards. And then there are Radiated Brute, Lava Launcher, and Djinn Inferni. Lava Launcher itself already had Close Range and redundant with the ruleset. Djinn Inferni with its Giant Killer will cause a lot of trouble for Grum Flameblade. And the last two rows consist of ranged cards. Headwinds, possessed by Ash Mirage, become vain because there are no ranged cards at all.
The first setback happens in the 1st round when I lost the initiatives. Ash Mirage launched an attack to chip Grum's armor, and then Djinn Inferni finish the job with a huge 6 damage. Lukcy Grum possessed Void Shield, and the attack just wasted on the armor. My formation then return the attack with both Djinn launching 3 magic damage each to Tusk The Wide, which of course nulled into 2 magic damage. And Magi Of Chaos and Grum then follow up to attack Tusk The Wide, leaving it with 3 health left. And due to my mistake Uraeus and Tenyii have to stay idle. And unfortunately the combined attack of Radiated Brute and Tusk The Wide make the exact damage needed to destroy Grum Flameblade.
The 2nd round begin. Ash Mirage and Djinn Inferni both combined 5 damage to put Djinn Inferni into demise. Then Djinn Apprentice take up the front-row and quickly act to strike down Tusk The Wide. But Lava Luncher and Lava Spider make their reckoning and strike down Djinn Apprentice. And then Radiated Brute put the final act by pummeling down Magi Of Chaos.
By this point, there's very slim chances for my formation to slip of this battle. Ash Mirage shot down Magi Of Chaos. And before long, Djinn Inferni, Living Lava, and Living Spider deal a combined 8 damage to bring down Tenyii Striker. Lucky for Uraeus, its armor able to block Radiated Brute.
By the start of 3rd round, my fate is already sealed with Djinn Inferni cast its 3 magic damage.
CONCLUSION
This battle shows that Close Range are particularly have very little use. This because usually ranged cards have low health and armor, therefor unsuitable for the front-row. Meanwhile those ranged cards with high health and armor are already inherent with Close Range. But sometimes Close Range can chance the course of the battle if the ranged cards are the only cards left in the formation; they could give a final chance to claim back victory.
This is not unlucky battle for me, but really a fatal mistake by my own. The outcome of the battle might be different with Tenyii and Uraeus able to perform their attack.
