Hello Splinterlands Warlocks and Summoners,
Without much ado, lets go straight into the challenge by first taking a look at the ruleset behind the battle.
We both used the same #Summoner-Aurelia, which gave equal HP bonuses, making this a true test of team composition, timing and strategic positioning.
#Lost-Legendaries meant that no Legendary cards could be used. Forcing both of us to rely on creativity and choice the best from our remaining Foundation monster.
#Global-Warming, on the other hand, is one of those chaotic rule-sets where every monster suffers burn damage at the end of each round. This transforms the battlefield. health management and survivability become far more important than raw attack, strength and speed.
So my key strategy here was simple and that is to build for endurance and not speed only. I wanted monsters that could outlast the flames rather than fall early to them. And the best way to achieving this was to deploy a squad from the Earth Kingdom.
I placed Dread in the first position to soak up the hits and dish out that dreadful hits. He is very reliable even under pressure due to his balanced health and ability. He restores 1/3 HP of max after every round. Making him such a wall to break.
Time Bandit took the middle slot, capitalizing on his magic attack and speed. Dealing a devastating -1 magic attack to the opponents monsters. Has a decent HP to top with his cleansing ability. Restores a frontline units HP by 1 after every round.
From the backline was Kicking Roc. His ability to strike from range dealing -3 damage made him a good choice for this particular battle. He also has a good HP to keep him up for a longer time making him endure the global warming effect longer than others.
In the round 1, both teams clashed head-on. But because mine was faster, I managed to land the first hit coming from Kicking Roc on the opponents frontline Spellmonger. An early advantage that helped me weaken the opponent’s frontline before he could stabilize.
By Round 2, the burn effect had set in, dealing its fiery damage to every monster on the battle field. My opponent’s Spellmonger, with lower health was kicked out at the early stages even before the Global Warming Set in, dealing -2 HP to everyone.
Meanwhile, Kicking Roc was eliminated from the battle following a devastating hit from Vengeful Monk and came Vicious Quillion. Just after that, time bandit was also of the scene due to devastating hits from Vengeful Monk and Vicious. It was such a big blow on my side. But I knew it was not just a battle of speed but of endurance.
The Global warming sets in once again dealing a -2 damage wiping out the opponents sneak attackers Monk and Vicious.
As the heat intensified, both Dreads stood firm barely touched while burn damage wiped out both teams’ backline. By the end of Round 6, my opponent’s formation had crumbled and the Global Warming effect finished what my team had started.
This particular match taught me that under the Global Warming ruleset, endurance trumps speed and aggression. Every monster must be chosen for its ability to survive multiple rounds of burn damage. It also showed me how useful Dread Tafarian can be when it comes to endurance and sustainability. This made the difference in the victory secured. I also learned that balancing lineup between damage output and survivability can help secure a win even when both sides have similar summoners and stats.
Participating in the Battlefield Breakdowns Challenge gave me a reason to reflect on my decisions in battle rather than just the results. Every move, choice and monster placement counts especially when the battlefield itself could turn against you!
I hope my analysis helps other players facing similar rule-sets think beyond offense and appreciate the value of synergy, endurance and strategic monster positioning. That’s all for now.
