Hey friends! How’s it going?
It’s been a while since I last posted. Today, I checked the charts and saw that Bitcoin just hit another ATH—and yes, HIVE is riding the wave too!
In the midst of a packed arena and ever-evolving strategies, I want to share a little story from this week’s Splinterlands challenge. It’s not about flashy legendaries or expensive meta cards—this one’s about how a humble card like Dread Tafarian became the unexpected hero, all because I played him at the right time. Let me walk you through it.
This battle happened under the Counterspell ruleset, which reflects magic damage back to the attacker. That means magic-heavy teams are basically walking into their own doom. It was a perfect setup for melee and ranged monsters, especially those that can survive a bit of punishment.
The mana cap was pretty generous (48), and the available elements were Fire, Earth, and Dragon. I chose to go with Archon Aurelia for her +1 Health buff—it really helps with overall survivability.
My frontline tank was Ulundin Overseer, who has the Flank ability to support adjacent allies. But the real MVP? Dread Tafarian.
A starter card. Cheap. And with Heal at level 1. That self-sustain ability made a huge difference, especially against opponents who couldn’t burst him down in a single round.
I built my team around speed and Opportunity attacks, aiming to quickly take out the enemy's low-HP backliners while my tanks held the front.
Round 1:
Both teams had Halaran Huntress in play, and they were the first to get hit. Unfortunately, mine went down early. Ulundin took some heat from the enemy’s Blackmoor Wild Elf, but thanks to Counterspell, that magic attack bounced right back. Score one for the ruleset!
Round 2:
My Vengeful Monk came under fire, but the enemy’s Monk fell first. Ulundin was barely hanging on, with Blackmoor’s reflected damage hurting both teams—but hurting them more.
Rounds 3–4:
Blackmoor finally knocked itself out after yet another reflected hit. Ulundin couldn’t hold out much longer and went down, shifting the front line. Now, it was Dread Tafarian’s turn to step up.
Rounds 5–6:
Enemy Tafarian was taking major hits, while mine—still fresh from staying in the back—was now fully active. His Heal kept him going despite relentless melee attacks. Meanwhile, my Opportunity monsters continued slicing through the enemy’s rear.
Round 7:
Only Thanalorian Blade and Quilliun Legionary were left on their side. Thanalorian was low and easily wiped out by my own Thanalorian. As for Quilliun? It couldn’t keep up with Tafarian’s constant healing, and the match ended in my favor.
For the full battle replay, you can watch it here:
This match is proof that you don’t need expensive cards to win. Understand the ruleset, leverage starter cards with useful abilities like Heal, and build a strategy that fits the situation.
If there’s one thing to remember—it’s this:
Don’t just look at card power or market price. Pay attention to rulesets and abilities. Sometimes the simplest cards, like Dread Tafarian, can become your unexpected hero.
See you on the battlefield again soon—and may your next battle be a glorious one!
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