Although this ability has been around in Splinterlands for quite some time, whenever I utilize it, I get a distinct "wow" feeling—a realization that in Splinterlands, no matter how powerful you are, there is bound to be some power or combination out there that is even more formidable than yours. While I cannot assert this with absolute certainty—as I am still in the process of learning the game—based on everything I have discovered and explored so far, this observation holds absolutely true.
So, during a late-night battle yesterday—played under the "Four's Crowd" ruleset, which restricted the total number of summoned cards to just four—I placed the Empusan Darkguard (a card possessing the Shadow Focus ability) in the final position. This move triggered multiple effects: firstly, the card itself became Camouflaged, rendering it unable to launch attacks; and secondly, it bestowed +1 Attack Power and the Determine ability upon every other card in my team.
The downside of this move as you can see in this perticular battle was that my card in the final position became "unattackable"—at least until it eventually advanced to the frontline. However, the benefits were manifold: firstly, without exception, the attack power of all the other cards in my team increased by +1; and secondly, it instilled within them a spirit of "Determination." This attribute grants these cards the ability to perform an attack a second time should their initial attempt miss for any reason. This distinguishes it slightly from "True Strike"—an ability possessed by cards whose attacks simply cannot miss—as this card merely holds the power to retry an attack once if it fails. Consequently, if the opponent manages to dodge that second attack as well, the card will not attempt a third strike. Thus, while this ability does not offer the absolute certainty of a successful hit that "True Strike" provides, the spirit of Determination it infuses in your cards certainly grants them the vigor to make a second attempt.
So, for the sake of variety—or to ensure you have multiple options at your disposal—you might consider giving a spot in your deck to a card possessing this specific ability. While it is true that the "True Strike" ability is undoubtedly superior, you obviously cannot fill your entire deck with cards featuring only the "True Strike" ability for a single battle. However, if you possess a card with the "Shadow Focus" ability, you can utilize it to grant the "Determine" ability to every card in your team; furthermore, empowered by their +1 power boost, these cards will be able to inflict even greater damage upon the opposing team. Additionally, if you incorporate powers such as "Ambush," "Better Speed," or "Execute," your team will become virtually unbeatable.
Note:
English is not my first language. So sometimes I use 'Google Translate'. Please don't think that anything I have written in this blog has been copied from somewhere or is AI-generated.
Paragraph Dividers and all the photos are from #Splinterlands.
All the other content images and words are mine unless otherwise stated.
Have a Happy and Blessed day!
