After several delays, finally I can finish the plenary conclusion for the melee traits mapping. Before we continue, you might want to revisit the previous post for each Splinter faction which related to this post (Fire, Water, Earth, Life, Death, and Dragon). And then the guidelines to read traits mapping could be find here : Traits Mapping Grid, Update 1, Update 2, and Update 3. So let's start by viewing the general outlook.
Card Distribution
There's abundant number of melee cards compared to other attack type. While Fire Splinter always associated with powerful melee cards, Death Splinter actually have equal number of cards with them. The mass of cards allows melee cards to encompass a wide range of mana levels. While the lower mana have moderate number of cards, the mid to high mana range have more numbers of melee cards which is distributed quite equally among the Splinter. The peak of the distribution could be found on the 3 to 4 mana, and the 7 mana. Melee cards is also where we will find that one card with the highest mana (15 mana), Agor Longtail, which possessed dual attack on magic and melee.
By the rarity of the card, 50% to 60% of melee cards consist of Normal type. But there's exception for Dragon Splinter, which only have 1 Normal type card. Meanwhile around 15% to 20% of the cards come from Rare type, another around 15% to 20% are of Legendary type, and less than 10% are of Epic type. In conclusion, melee is always the primary readily available cards. They are inexpensive, have large number of choices, and will gain more growth from leveling up them.
Traits Mapping
Melee cards have two major roles that can be taken, either as Tanker cards or Ninja / Striker cards. Both roles are equally important, because melee cards basic attack could only attack from the front-row, thus its important to have high health to sustain incoming attack. Alternatively several melee cards could strike using Target Altering Abilities, which open the second roles as Ninja / Striker. Based on this profile, we could clearly that some Splinter have several outlier cards which reached on the border of SOUTH and SOUTH-EAST quadrant. And then there are also some outlier card which started on the upper border of the SOUTH quadrant.
Compared to magic cards and ranged cards, melee cards started with an average higher status parameter, and this not include the more number on armor aspect. Its clear if we saw from the epicenter where most of the cards gathered. The melee cards gathered on the border of SOUTH-WEST and SOUTH quadrant, meanwhile magic cards and ranged cards inclined more toward the left side of SOUTH-WEST quadrant. Comparing one splinter after another; Fire, Earth, and Death Splinter show an average powerful cards compared to the other splinter.
The max level chart is where the magic show up. Melee cards show tremendous growth, which is far surpassed the magic cards, and side-by-side but mostly better than ranged cards. This seemed thanks to the large number of Normal type cards. Speed grow hugely with the number of blue nodes, which seemed related to cards taking Ninja roles.
Remember that melee cards have more number of high mana levels cards? Usually high mana card have more diminishing effect on health and damage, but melee cards have shown no setback with most cards gathered in the SOUTH quadrant, and several other gained stronger attack by entering the CENTER or SOUTH-WEST quadrant. Earth and Death Splinter seemed to have major Tanker cards with mostly have higher health than other splinter. But Death Splinter cards seemed more dispersed, since several cards are left behind on the SOUTH-WEST quadrant. In term of damage, Striker cards with high damage could be found mostly on Fire, Earth, and Death splinter.
Abilities Mapping
As been mentioned in post for each Splinter. The melee cards majorly focused on Tanker and Striker abilities. Meanwhile Support abilities are almost none and could be ignorable. Compared with magic cards and ranged cards, the average melee cards possessed more number of abilities. The possibility is because Tanker and Striker benefit solely to the possessor, therefor they have less value and its reasonable to have more on those abilities. Whilst Support abilities have more wide impact because it affected other cards or even the entire formation, so the number of these abilities are limited.
The abilities for melee cards are quite various. But Reach are the mostly founded abilities. Opportunities and Sneak follow it in equal number or less. Status Ailments abilities (Shatter, Poison, Cripple, Stun, etc.) always available, but Fire Splinter have the most of it. Piercing are always available in all Splinter although their number are rather limited.
Tanker abilities show up more completely compared to Striker ability. Shield are showing up mostly in most numbers. Void and Void Armor follow up with lesser number. Retaliate come up quite often, but Fire Splinter have the most one. Flying also show up in quite large numbers, but uniquely only Fire Splinter have no melee cards with Flying. Also there're more Taunt ability compared to the magic cards and ranged cards.
Personal Thought
Most of the melee cards are decorated with substantial status parameter and formidable Tanker abilities. Some of the cards have Support abilities. This is powerful addition, considering the widescale effect these abilities can bring. The other important thing of melee cards, they have the most of Sneak and Opportunity, which bring exclusive access to strike from back-row.