Greetings, Splinterlands warriors,
This time I want to share a battle that, in my opinion, felt unique, a bit unconventional, yet that’s exactly where the artistry lies. The ruleset was a combination of Back to Basics and Up Close & Personal. When these two appear together, it feels like a strict teachers’ meeting: lots of “no this, no that.”
Back to Basics removes all abilities. No Sneak, no Opportunity, no Charge. Everything returns to its pure form: basic attacks.
Then Up Close & Personal forces us to use only melee monsters.
What does that mean?
It means only the monster in the front position can attack. Those in the back? They just wait their turn like a queue at the cashier.
Under such restrictions, I immediately remembered one foundation card people often overlook: Great Bear Druid.
This legendary monster has two attack types: melee and magic. And that’s the key.
Because in Back to Basics, abilities disappear—but attack types do not. So even though Up Close & Personal limits the lineup to melee, Great Bear Druid can still deal two types of damage once it reaches the front. But that wasn’t even my main trick.
I actually placed him in the backline, while the front was filled with melee monsters with high HP and thick shields. The strategy was simple : let the frontline act as sandbags, while Great Bear Druid waits his turn, and when he finally steps forward… he strikes with two sources of damage.
I also used the foundation archon Marlai Singariel. With a mana cap of 38, the Water element felt like the most logical choice.
Why? Because Marlai can amplify magic attacks. So when Great Bear Druid joins the team, his magic damage isn’t just a complement—it becomes a deciding factor.
Interestingly, my opponent also used Marlai Singariel. So on paper, we were evenly matched. The difference was that I brought a “wild card” in the form of dual attack.
In the early rounds, everything felt slow. The frontline monsters traded blows like two heavyweight boxers running out of stamina. Shields held, HP dropped little by little.
I only hoped for one thing: that my frontline wouldn’t collapse too quickly.
Because once they fell one by one, and Great Bear Druid moved to the front… that’s when the momentum shifted.
Each round, he could deliver two types of damage, while the opponent’s purely melee monsters only dealt one. In such a restrictive ruleset, even a small advantage like this feels massive.
And my favorite part: magic damage pierces armor. While the opponent kept hammering the shields up front, their HP was quietly chipped away by this sacred bear.
Sure enough, the longer the battle went on, the more noticeable the impact of Great Bear Druid’s magic became. The opponent began to lose tempo.
In the end, victory didn’t come with a dramatic explosion, but with gradual exhaustion—like dripping water that eventually hollows out stone.
And if you want to see the match, you can check this link:
From this battle, I learned one important thing:
when a ruleset restricts you, don’t look for loopholes by fighting the rules. Look for them by understanding the rules more deeply.
Many new players see Back to Basics + Up Close & Personal and immediately resort to brute force. Yet monsters like Great Bear Druid quietly offer flexibility.
Yes, bringing Great Bear Druid costs 9 mana. Not cheap. But in a ruleset like this, it’s absolutely worth it.
My advice: when facing Back to Basics and Up Close & Personal, don’t just bring muscle—bring strategy.
Because in Splinterlands, the one who wins is often not the one who hits the hardest…
but the one who patiently waits for the moment to strike twice.
Talk about Splinterlands,
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