BATTLE MAGE SECRETS : EQUALIZER RULESET

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Equalizer is a rare ruleset to be find. I've been run around 30 battles and managed to have 1 battle with Equalizer. Equalizer easily encourage players to ignore health and focus more on other parameter. In high mana cap battle, this ruleset are less useful, mainly because most card deployed would already at high health, and any difference in health is slight and non-significant. But in low mana cap battle, this ruleset could turn into a battle of wit. Its a Game Theory, the winner is the one with the lowest health which will benefit from being equalized with other card. But if no one would pull the trigger, the entire card will remain in low health pose risk of having fragile formation. The question is who would pull the trigger first?

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Pros & Cons


1. "Don't use high HP monsters and focus on high damage" That's the basic principles under Equalizer ruleset. So this ruleset will be a heaven for `Striker` and `Ninja` type cards.	1. Its a Game Theory where both players will prioritize deploying low health but high damage card, since they depend on health boost from opponent deploying high health cards. But if no one will yield to bring high health card, the battle would turn into a sudden death battle hurt both players.
2. Heal, Tank Heal, and Triage will have more utility because all cards have the same health and thus would gain the same leverage from healing effect. But conversely, if no players would yield bringing high health cards, these will be useless, as no cards gained significant health boost.
3. Card with single health and huge armor (such as Ever-Hungry Skull, Dumacke Orc, and Clockwork Aide) got nothing to lose under this ruleset, and will gain benefit in any circumstances.

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Rulesets To Be Watched

Ruleset	Strategy
	Noxious Fumes will have the most combined effect with Equalizer, basically because all cards will not affected by the same poison damage. It is either who crush the opponent first or who managed to survive through maintaining heal on health.
	Unprotected might have minor effect in conjunction with Equalizer ruleset. Basically any armor would be substituted with the health boost. But if no players yield with high health card, the battle would turn into a more menacing sudden death.

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WATCH BATTLE

So here we have the battle experience with Equalizer as the ruleset.
https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_a35d9745ebdaeb31c645d672ef100f74&ref=kid.miniatures

The battle has 29 mana cap, with Healed Out, Melee Mayhem, and Equalizer ruleset; while only Fire, Earth, and Death splinter are allowed 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	Dumacke Orc	3	6	1	5	2	Melee	2
2nd Row	Disintegrator	4	7	6	3	2	Melee	2
3rd Row	Ant Miners	3	2	2	-	2	Melee	1
4th Row	Radiated Scorcher	3	1	2	-	2	Melee	1
5th Row	Exploding Rats	2	4	1	-	5	Melee	2
6th Row	Tenyii Striker	4	5	6	-	3	Melee	3

My opponent formation:

Position	Card Name	Level	Mana	Health	Armor	Speed	Damage Type	Damage
Summoner	Obsidian	4	4	-	-	-	-	-
1st Row	Fungus Fiend	1	0	2	-	1	Melee	1
2nd Row	Regal Peryton	4	5	6	-	6	Magic	2
3rd Row	Magi Of Chaos	2	6	6	-	2	Magic	2
4th Row	Queen Mycelia	1	4	4	-	1	Magic	1
5th Row	Goblin Psychic	5	6	5	-	1	Magic	2
6th Row	Djinn Biljka	2	3	2	-	1	Magic	2

It's a battle with 29 mana cap, so we cannot rely entirely on low mana card and hope to gain benefit from the health boost. Mana cap must be utilized optimally, which means using cards with mid mana value. And it means these cards will have potential to have more health, which risk myself to pull the trigger (deploying the highest health card). Considering Melee Mayhem ruleset is active, I decided to pick Disintegrator for its Demoralize. It have a 6 health, so I will gain benefit if the battle started above 6 health. Dumacke Orc will be an effective `Tanker` at least having 6 health, 5 armor, and Shield ability. Ant Miners and Radiated Scorchers follow up, mainly since they are melee cards which gained damage buff from Tarsa. Exploding Rats also a good choice under those ruleset while cost only 4 mana. Lastly I decided to deploy Tenyii Striker since there's no other card I could choose. Besides Tenyii possessed Dodge which provide additional protection against ambush attack. To my surprise, I didn't anticipate my opponent decided to use full magic card formation. Its a typical formation as I could see Regal Peryton, Queen Mycelia, and Goblin Psychic being used. In Addition there's also Djinn Biljka which rarely seen but quite powerful considering it cost only 3 mana.

Speed become an winning factor in this battle. Most of my cards are at 2 to 3 speed, while my opponent at 1 to 2 speed. My assault managed to destroy Fungus Fiend while the Blast damage expose Regal Peryton into its main health. Lucky for me that I bring Tenyii Striker which launched it attack into Goblin Psychic. I expect in 3 round, Goblin Psychic will be done. Meanwhile my opponent magic damage are very intimidating. Dumacke Orc fall down directly and Disintegrator left with 2 health remianing. Shield and Demoralize become a waste, and both Tanker only stand a cannon fodder.

The 2nd round opened with Regal Peryton take a killing into Disintegrator. Its now down to 4 against 5. Fortunately Ant Miners gained several health boost from the fallen cards. The tide suddenly turn against myself. My assault failed to score another kill. Meanwhile the wave of magic damage deal an exactly 10 damage which enough to bring down Ant Miners.

Coming into Round 3, the effort started to be fruitful. Exploding Rats strike down Regal Peryton, and Tenyii Striker land the final blow into Goblin Psychic. Its very unfortunate that Goblin Scorcher unable to survive by the end of the round.

Exploding Rats with its Blast ability have performed beyond expectation. The Blast damage have crumble each armor and save the effort for the main damage-dealer to land the blow. Magi of Chaos finally fall down. The battle now turn into 2 against 2. Camouflage backfire against Djinn Biljka as Tenyii Striker focus its attack on Queen Mycelia.

Entering the 5th round, Tenyii Striker level the battle by striking down Queen Mycelia. Now its a face-to-face battle between Tenyii Striker against Djinn Biljka.

Entering round 6, both cards exchanging blow one another. Although Tenyii Striker have lower health, the superiority in damage and speed allowed Tenyii Striker to bring down Djinn Biljka.

CONCLUSION

High damage become an important factor to quickly depleted opposing cards. Both Obsidian and Tarsa help boost the formation to high damage. At first my formation seemed to had the disadvantage due to armor rendered useless by magic damage. Meanwhile my formation had difficulties to breach the opponent's armor from Protect ability. But thanks to superior speed, my formation able to take earlier turn order and quickly make killing blow before they act.