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One of the cheapest to rent yet ridiculously strong monster. Before I use the Kraken strategy, this card is normally in my collection, rented for like at least 30 days. He wins 99 mana games with ease being able to eliminate anything each turn.

Recently though, with the introduction of Kelya Frendul and easier access to protect monsters, his win rate is not as high. However, properly combo'ed with cards and rules of combat, he can still do a great job regardless.

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Sand Worm

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Stats | Thaddius Brood

_{𝔓𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔬 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔪𝔶 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.}

Thaddius Brood is a strong summoner because even if you miss predicting the opponent using magic damage, reduced health affects almost any monsters except the ones with already 1 max health such as Battering Ram.

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Abilities

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-1 Magic Damage. Reduces opponent's magic damage by 1 with a minimum of 1. This ability has the same exact effect as Silence ability.

Good counter against Water and Earth Splinters if they are open. However, this is not the reason why I chose this summoner for this time but his other ability.

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-1 Max Health. Reduces opponent's max health by 1 with a minimum of 1. This ability has the same exact effect as Weaken ability.

Reducing the opponent's max health allows the Snipe and Sneak monsters to do their jobs faster and easier.

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𝔄𝔟𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔰 𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔠𝔯𝔦𝔟𝔢𝔡 𝔞𝔟𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔶 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.

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Stats | Sand Worm

_{𝔓𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔬 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔪𝔶 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.}

Sand Worm probably has the highest raw damage in the game at level 1. This is balanced out by his very low speed of 1 making him vulnerable to misses. His health is decent at 5 which makes him fairly easy to kill if focused. However, what makes this card good is that he's a neutral monster meaning you can use him in any element as long as you have the mana or he's not banned.

Sand Worm is a must for 99 mana fights as you can unleash the most powerful monsters in your arsenal.

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Abilities

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At level 1, Sneak ability is unlocked. Sneak allows the monster to attack from any position. The target also changes to the last positioned monster unless the monster with Sneak ability is on 1st position.

With 5 base damage at level 1, adding Sneak is just ridiculously strong. He can one hit most back line monsters. In this rule of combat, Reverse Speed, he also shines as his weakness of 1 Speed becomes a strength.

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At level 6, Snare ability is unlocked. Snare removes the Flying ability effect of monster it hit.

To me, this doesn't make sense because the monster would probably die anyway being hit by 5 damage. However, character-wise, it fits like a glove. Sand Worm strangles the monster pulling them down from the sky. This is how I imagine Sand Worm's Snare ability does if it had some form of animation related to this ability.

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At level 10, Piercing ability is unlocked. Monsters with Piercing ability deals the excess damage from armor to their health.

Normally, without piercing, the armor absorbs the full damage meaning a monster with 4 health and 1 armor must still be attacked twice, first eliminating the armor, then health, regardless of the damage. Imagine the armor as a secondary health.

With Piercing ability, the high damage of Sand Worm is fully utilized as any excess damage to armor is then dealt to the target's health being able to eliminate monsters with low health and armor in one hit instead of two.

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𝔄𝔟𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔰 𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔠𝔯𝔦𝔟𝔢𝔡 𝔞𝔟𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔶 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.

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Battle Highlights

Click the link below to see the full battle:
https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_c16bf8ddc1cee405e214c9f0be17ec22&ref=konaqua122

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Rules of Combat

_{𝔓𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔬 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔪𝔶 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.}

57 Mana Cap. Total mana cost of all monsters must not exceed 57 mana.

Lost Legendary Rules of Combat. Legendary monsters cannot be used during this battle.

Reverse Speed Rules of Combat. Monsters with lowest speed attack first and has the highest chance to hit their attacks and evade others.

Target Practice Rules of Combat. All monsters on the board gain the Snipe ability. Snipe ability changes the target priority of range and magic damage types to non-melee monsters and non-melee monsters that are not in first position.

All elements unlocked except for fire, water, earth, and dragon Elements. Summoners and Monsters from these elements cannot be used during this battle.

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Abilities Used During This Battle

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𝔄𝔟𝔦𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔦𝔢𝔰 𝔲𝔰𝔢𝔡 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔟𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔩𝔢 𝔞𝔯𝔢 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔲𝔰𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔶 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.

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Monsters in

RED

are my opponent's. Those in BLUE are mine.

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Round 1

_{𝔓𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔬 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔪𝔶 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.}

1. Magi Necrosi's attack killed
   Night Ghoul
   .

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Round 2

_{𝔓𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔬 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔪𝔶 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.}

1. Sand Worm
   's Sneak attack killed Dhampir Stalker.
2. Sand Worm's Sneak attack killed
   Liza Fox
   .
3. Gobson Bomber's attack killed
   Queen of Crows
   .

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Round 3

_{𝔓𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔬 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔪𝔶 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.}

1. Sand Worm's Sneak attack killed
   Battering Ram
   .
2. Sand Worm
   's Sneak attack killed Sand Worm.
3. Arkemis the Bear's attack killed
   Junker
   .

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Round 4

_{𝔓𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔬 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔪𝔶 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.}

1. Queen of Crows's attack killed
   Sand Worm
   .

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ᒪIᑎEᑌᑭ

_{𝔓𝔥𝔬𝔱𝔬 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔪𝔶 𝔖𝔭𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱.}

Summoner: Thaddius Brood: Can decrease the opponent's magic damage by 1. Can also decrease the opponent's max health by 1 to eliminate them easier with Snipes and Sneaks.

1. Arkemis the Bear: High health and damage with Protect ability to add armor to the back row for further protection.
2. Queen of Crows: Placed on the second for her high health. She also has Close range to be able to attack when he gets to first position and Headwinds to reduce opponent's range damage.
3. Sand Worm: Has 5 damage at level 1, Sneak ability to attack from any position prioritizing the last monster and 1 Speed. His 1 Speed becomes the fastest in this game due to Reverse Speed rule of combat.
4. Dhampir Stalker: Has insane 4 damage for a rare monster. Also has True Strike so he cannot miss his attacks even if the Reverse Speed rule of combat becomes a liability in this battle for him.
5. Magi Necrosi: Has Camouflage ability to protect him during this battle and Snipe to prioritize opponent's range and mage units.
6. Gobson Bomber: Same with Magi Necrosi but with an extra twist. His Recharge ability makes him attack every other turn but thrice the damage.

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ᗪIᗪ YOᑌᖇ ᔕTᖇᗩTEGY ᗯOᖇKEᗪ?

Yes. The Protect ability from Arkemis the Bear clearly hindered the opponent's Sneak attacks as I slowly break through their defenses. It would've gotten a bit more smoothly if I had Disintegrator's Demoralize to reduce the opponent's Sneak power. It was a bit of mistake on my part for not predicting how the battle would go.

The combination of Thaddius Brood's -1 health and Sand Worm's 5 damage was able to eliminate the opponent's gladiator before it became a problem.

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ᗯᕼᗩT ᗯIᒪᒪ YOᑌ TᖇY ᗪIᖴᖴEᖇEᑎTᒪY ᑎE᙭T TIᗰE?

Gobson Bomber to Disintegrator. I don't know what I am thinking when I played Gobson Bomber. Even though it was a good card and helped a lot during this game, I would prefer Disintegrator over him. The reason is Disintegrator's Demoralize ability.

While Life and Death Splinters does not have melee focused summoner like Tarsa, they still have a good range of melee monsters with Sneak abilities such as Silent Sha-vi, Undead Badger, Dumacke Exile and Stitch Leech. These are besides the neutral monsters with Sneak abilities.

If my opponent focused on Sneak, my whole build would collapse and that is why using Disintegrator is better in this battle than using Gobson Bomber.

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𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆

Sand Worm and Thaddius Brood in Reverse Speed Rule of Combat Rules of Combat

? 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒐𝒓 𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒕?

Yes. Sand Worm is one, if not the best, monster in this rule of combat. His 1 Speed and 5 damage is really strong because the rule of combat changes the weakness into strength.

Thaddius Brood decreasing opponent's max health is also very strong when combo'ed with Sand Worm as it increases the opponent's chance of getting one shotted.

• This post is an entry for Splinterland's Battle Mage Secrets contest.
• Other sources that I do not own are cited under their respective photos. Photos and drawings without cited sources are mine and made for this post.
• Animated Banners and Dividers are edited in Canva Pro.
• Some of the fonts used are from instafonts.io

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