Splinterlands Challenge of the Week: Back to Basics with the Grumpy Dwarf!

This week's challenge was to showcase the Neutral Grumpy Dwarf.


This is quite a nice card for players new to Splinterlands as he has reach from the outset and, for a low level card, OK shields/ health for reasonably low mana, although he is a bit slow!

I thought I'd try this week's Splinterlands Challenge of the Week with what cards I've got left over from rentals, which ain't a lot, although more NOW at season's beginning than at season's end, which I guess is one of the very few upsides from a rentals perspective!

Below I present one way in which beginners to the game, in novice league, might use the Dwarf Effectively.

It's actually quite an interesting battle so far down the leagues, probably thanks to the high-ish mana cap!

The Rule Set and Line Up

  • Mana cap 30
  • Standard Rules (Novice League!)

Screenshot 2021-08-31 at 18.10.06.png

Summoner - Tirius

  1. Failed Summoner - The ShieldBearer - starts off with Taunt, so well worth it in high mana battles, as EVERYONE plays sneak or snipe!
  2. Grumpy Dwarf - seemed like a good fit with Reach
  3. The Chicken.
  4. Divine Healer - quite a lot of capacity for heal with the high health of my tank!
  5. Lone Boatman - snipe attack one
  6. Mantoid - snipe attack two.

What can I say, EVERYONE plays snipe or sneak!

NOTE that my opponent is no novice muppet - he's playing a decent strategy!

Did my strategy work?

Beautifully, to see it in action click here!

  • Round 1 - The Shield Bearer soaks up ALL of my opponent's decent attack, and is gratifyingly healed back up to 9 health points at the end of the round. I take out his Hexing no attack thing.
  • Round 2 - No losses this round, BUT a painful miss on his Jester means both snipe attacks are still active, and that means....
  • Round 3 - I lose my Shielbearer early on. OUCH! I miss his Jester with my first snipe attack, but then take him out with the second
  • Round 4 - My opponent's sneaks are now sneaking and his snipers sniping because my taunting tank is no more. This actually works in my favour as they hit shields thanks to Tirius! The Dwarf falls!
  • round 5 - It's going to take that Skeleton too many rounds to kill my Mantoid, and I take out his second sniper, now all attacks are focused on the tank! The Chicken Dies
  • round 6 - 4 damage on the Haunted Spirit, but he heals back up to 5 health, this is going down to the wire!
  • round 7 - Or maybe not! 4 damage on the Spirit, only healed back up to three, Divine Healer looking good with what is now effectively self-heal!
  • Round 8 - it's all over - his Spirit falls, now it's just a matter of finishing off that Skeleton who cant' damage the healing healer!

How important was The Dwarf?

Well he did his bit, but TBH he had little to do with the victory, rather this was due to the following:

  • The tank initially soaking up all the sneak and snipe attacks, heal kept him alive for three rounds.
  • Then shields soaking up the sneak and snipe attacks.
  • My own snipe attacks, despite misses, came through (doing more damage than the Dwarf).

Having said that, it was a close battle and the Dwarf did do damage every round he was alive and soak up 2 attacks, so he played a role!

I think maybe I won as my opponent was expecting a magic attack, hence the void up front followed by heal.

Another problem was that he split his attacks too much and sneak was too piddly with just one damage!

It's always a risk anticipating an attack that doesn't manifest itself!

Final Thoughts: The Dwarf - worth buying?

On the plus side, you can use him with every splinter as he's a neutral card, but with only one damage he wouldn't do ANYTHING against a tank with the shield ability.

And he wasn't crucial to this match, so I'd say NO, focus on those snipes and sneaks and tanks and healers instead!

He's not even really a decent second tank!

If you don't yet play Splinterlands, why not give it a go?

Anyone using my referral link will receive a free rare card!

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