A strong but high mana monster is the Octopider. With a high range attack and decent health ideal for being place a the rear of the formation. The following battle is my use of Octopider in a battle.
(Post Revision)
My first match using Octopider was lukewarm at best. Well not good at all. To make omens here is a match where Octopider actually made a contribution to my battle win.
With a match limited to 22 mana and rule set of taking sides it would not be ideal to go with death splinter. In fact I think fire and earth would have been the better option. Yet I went with death because I had a decent collection of low mana monsters. In fact putting in Haunted Spirit, Screaming Bashee, and Fallen Specter with now 9 mana to spare. It would be nice to get two or even three monsters in such as Twister Jester and Death Elemental or Darkest Mage. Instead I took a different rout and went with a large mana monster in Octopider. The strategy here was have my main formation attack, while Haunted Spirit would be a tanker at the front while Octopider seal the rear with range attack and high health.
My opponent went with a similar strategy where they used a tanker monster in Cerberus followed up with Serpentine Spy, Flame Monkey, Goblin Shaman, Goblin Fireball, and end with Efreet Edler. A lot of small monsters with attacks and ending with Efeet to support the rear it is a decent formation. However I felt I had the advantage since all my opponent's monsters were only level 1.
In the end of round 1 my opponent's Cerberus was knocked out. While in return I lost Cursed Slimeball which was killed by their Serpentine Spy. However Cerberus has more weight than Cursed Slimeball.
Round 2 I would consider nail in the coffin on my opponent. In a swift triple attack I was able to knock out their Serpentine Spy, Flame Monkey, and Goblin Shaman. Octopider played a role in this battle as it was able to kill one of the three monsters.
I would not celebrate so soon since Efreet has last stand ability. Indeed in round 3 their Goblin Fireball is killed and with that only Efreet left.
Efreet by this time had a health of 12 so in it by itself is certainly a foe to contend with. In round 4 it did not take long to knock out Efreet.
My original combo of Haunted Spirit, Banshee, and Fallen Specter combined did damage on Efreet that made it possible to make the kill before end of round 4. Not to exclude Octopider also inflected damage on Efreet Elder.
The match was really limited in mana as we both would not be able to put on high stats monsters. The really focus in the match was to stay alive as long as possible and I sandwiched my formation with Haunted Spirit in the front and Octopider in the rear. In a similar way my opponent with Cerberus in the front and Efreet Elder in the rear.
I survived the match in part my Octopider and Banshee was higher than level 1, but I still think the win can more from my front and rear monster. The Haunted Spirit and Octopider held the formation intact and the formation inflected damage where they needed. Certainly it was a risk on my end to put in Octopider instead of lower mana monsters but at the time I wanted to fortify the not only the front but rear of formation but still inflict damage against my opponent from the rear. Octopider had a better fit than the likes of Twisted Jester or other low mana monsters as Octopider hand higher health and weaken ability which lower all my opponent's monsters health by 1.
Link to the match if you want to watch.
Until tomorrow happy Splinterlands to everyone.
