Amidst the Chaos that has brought only darkness and despair.
A small flicker of light may carry all the world's hope.
The Riftwatchers are coming
And the Splinterlands will never be the same. - Riftwatcher's Trailer
Introduction
Hi! @Saydie here, playing Splinterlands everyday.
Ritwatchers is a mini set for the Chaos Legion much like how Dice is for the Untamed and for quite a while now, Riftwatchers have been available for ranked battles and has brought big changes on the game. Not only that most of the monsters are mana- hungry as lots of them cost high mana, some even exceeding 10, they also introduced a new ability called Fury which doubles the damage for monsters that have the Taunt ability. I'm done with the all the Summoners as well as the Fire , Water, Earth and Life monsters, now I'm going with the Death Element.
Arachne Thug
| Edition | Riftwatchers |
|---|---|
| Mana Cost | 6 |
| Element |  Death |
| Rarity | Common |
| Card Type |  Melee |
| Abilities |  Reach,  Trample  Knock Out |
| RF Burn Val. | 5 DEC |
| GF Burn Val. | 125 DEC |
Lore
The venari and scavo made their homes and livelihoods within the Realm of Silence. They carved a trade from the precious metals that they mined. They collected rare tubers and fungi to sell at markets and feed their families. The two races lived a semi-harmonious life together.
That all changed when the arachne entered the dark tunnels.
Enticed by the enormous caverns and bountiful food supply, these spider-bodied fey soon expanded their territory. They had no care for the Realm’s other inhabitants other than as slave labor or hunting sport. The venari and scavo were pushed closer to the surface, terrified of their spidery nemesis and their webs.
The arachne rarely came to the surface until the Chaos Legion arrived. They didn’t side with the invaders but simply used the war as an excuse to expand their hunting grounds. Now, they roam the land near their burrows, killing for the sheer pleasure of it. Continue Reading...
Card Stats
Use Case
Arachne Thug is a melee monster of the Death element. It has the Reach ability at level 1 which allows it to be able to attack even when it was on the 2nd position which makes it a good secondary tank as it also has a decent health of 5 and armor of 2. At level 5, it will gain the Trample ability which allows this card to attack again if this card was able to defeat the first monster that works best on Stampede where Trample can be triggered multiple times. When it reaches level 9,it gets the Knockout ability which will deal 2x damage on stunned monsters. Since this monster uses 6- mana to use, it made it suitable for Evens StevensEvens Stevens rule set.
Arachne Thug Triggering Trample and attacking Dragon Jumper after defeating Radiated Brute.
Source: @saydie
Card Price
| Card Foil |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Market Price | ||
| Rental Price |
Night Ghoul
| Edition | Riftwatchers |
|---|---|
| Mana Cost | 11 |
| Element | Death |
| Rarity | Common |
| Card Type | Melee |
| Abilities |  Taunt  Forcefield |
| RF Burn Val. | 5 DEC |
| GF Burn Val. | 125 DEC |
Lore
On the storm-ridden realm of Veorgaror, the night ghoul carved out its existence in the lonesome darkness. It fed on small prey in the wetlands and underground, and although it looked utterly terrifying, the creature rarely killed, preferring instead to forage the rotting meat of corpses.
When the Chaos Legion captured it, they saw a vicious potential buried deep within the monster. They took the powerful topaz garnet, fashioned within the chaos forges using dark mana, and forced it into the creature’s eye socket. The gem’s magic radiated bursts of pain through its skull, sending it into a murderous frenzy. Not only that, but the gem’s chaos energy also served as a dampener, allowing the ghoul to absorb massive damage with minimal effect.
The Chaos Legion needed somewhere to test the night ghoul’s effectiveness as a berserker killer, and where better than the Splinterlands. It never hurts to remind a conquered people of who won, now and again. Continue Reading...
Card Stats
Use Case
Night Ghoul is a melee monster of the Death element. It has the Taunt ability which attracts all abled monster to attack this monster which will help to avoid other monsters to be attacked by monsters with Opportunity, Sneak or Snipe and must just be the monster you need when there is a Explosive Weaponry or against Yodin Zaku that gives Blast ability because Night Ghoul can limit the damage to itself and the one next to it unless it has Reflection Shield. It will also gain the Force Field ability at level 6 that reduces damage to 1 from opponents with 5 or more damage. As this card only has a huge mana cost of 11, it is more useable for high mana battles and from Odd Ones Out rule set where only Odd mana monsters can be used.
Night Ghoul tanking all opponent attacks.
Source: @agonyaccepted
Card Price
| Card Foil |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Market Price | ||
| Rental Price |
Cabalist
| Edition | Riftwatchers |
|---|---|
| Mana Cost | 7 |
| Element | Death |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Card Type |  Magic |
| Abilities |  Amplify,  Giant Killer  Demoralize |
| RF Burn Val. | 20 DEC |
| GF Burn Val. | 500 DEC |
Lore
When High Magus Obin Invaras betrayed the great council and joined with Silus, it split the order in two and caused a rift that might never mend. Obin cast out the temporal masters that remained loyal to the council and the Splinterlands, banishing them from the Temple of Time. Those that sided with the High Magus became known as anachron cabalists.
These cabalists expanded their studies to find new and diabolical means to bend time to their will. They can be a great boon on the fields of battle. However, they are incredibly vulnerable when working their magic, and a dead wizard is no use to anyone. Continue Reading...
Card Stats
Use Case
Cabalist is a magic monster of the Death element. At level 1, it has the Amplify that gives + 1 damage on reflected damage such as Magic Reflect, Return Fire and Thorns that now has their own corresponding rule set. At level 3, it gains the Giant Killer ability that deals 2x the damage when the target has more than 10 mana like Kraken and Kron the Undying while Demoralize at level 6, will reduce the melee damage of all opponent monster by -1 as long as this monster remains on play. With 7 mana cost, this card will be available when there is an Odd One Out rule set.
Magic Reflect and Return Fire amplified by Cabalist.
Source: @avainattempt
Card Price
| Card Foil |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Market Price | ||
| Rental Price |
Queen of Crows
| Edition | Riftwatchers |
|---|---|
| Mana Cost | 9 |
| Element | Death |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Card Type |  Range |
| Abilities |  Close Range,  Headwinds  Slow,  Return Fire |
| RF Burn Val. | 20 DEC |
| GF Burn Val. | 500 DEC |
Lore
Born Marissa Maewyn in a small village on the outskirts of Lyveria on the continent of Anumun, the Queen of Crows has had the power to speak to and control crows even as a child. Others ostracized her for her unusual ability, and she grew up an outcast. Her crows were her only companions, and she used them to defend herself against those who sought to harm her because they feared what she could do.
She spent her adolescence in study of the dark arts and became enthralled with Alturia Dragonforth, the Dark Enchantress and Lagfael’s Queen, who originally hailed from nearby Lyveria. In time, Marissa’s enthrallment turned to envy. She fantasized about journeying to Mortis, replacing the Dark Enchantress, and joining with the Lord of Darkness in an unholy union.
As her power grew, so did the townsfolk’s fear, and one night, a mob of them broke into her home. Her parents were killed defending her, and in her rage and sorrow, Marissa commanded her crows to slay those responsible... along with everyone else in the village.
Afterward, she traveled across the seas to Beluroc on the continent of Mortis. Here, she consolidates her power and aids the Dark Eternals in their quest to bring the world to the one true darkness. She works diligently and quietly, all the while attempting to gain the attention and favor of the Lord of Darkness and realize her ambition of ruling at his side.
Continue Reading...
Card Stats
Use Case
Queen of Crows is a range monster of the Death element. It has the Close Range at level 1 which allows it to attack even when this card gets in to the 1st position which can be a good card to use under the Thorns and Magic Reflect rule set then the Headwinds at level 3 reduces the range damage of all opponent monsters as long as this card remains on the play. When it reach level 5, it gains the Slow ability that reduces the speed of all opponent monsters by -1. Finally, it gains the Return Fire ability at level 7 which will return range damage back to the opponent.
Queen of Crows reducing the range damage with Headwinds and using Slow to reduce the speed of the opponent team.
Source: @saydie
Card Price
| Card Foil |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Market Price | ||
| Rental Price |
Raa
| Edition | Riftwatchers |
|---|---|
| Mana Cost | 12 |
| Element | Death |
| Rarity | Legendary |
| Card Type | Range |
| Abilities |  Flying,  Double Strike  Scattershot, Giant Killer  Rust |
| RF Burn Val. | 500 DEC |
| GF Burn Val. | 12500 DEC |
Lore
When the Dream Ryder traveled into the underworld to become the Overlord of Dreams and rule the Five Realms of Mortis Deep, he all but forgot his previous life as a desert warrior. That all changed, however, when his old friend and companion, Raa, found his way into the underworld through the hidden gateway on Bren-Ha’s western slopes. The Overlord sensed his friend’s presence and rushed to protect him from the terrifying monsters of the Five Realms. Alas, he was too late. When he found Raa, there was little he could do to save his dying friend’s shattered body. Instead, he cradled Raa’s spirit and carried it with him until he could find a worthy vessel.
As retribution for the attack on his oldest friend, the Overlord traveled to the Realms of Silence, Fear, and Justice, demanding a tribute from each of the realms’ guardians. Next, he uncovered the crumbling bones of his predecessor, once thought lost among the wild nightmares of the Dream Realm. The Overlord fused the spirit of Raa with the broken skeleton and imbued it with the tributes of the other realms. A burning red light shone from within and, beneath its rotting leather hood, Raa’s eyes lit with a warped crimson fire.
The Overlord was not finished. There was one last realm that needed to atone. The Overlord rode his dark steed, Nightwind, into the Realm of Deception and once again demanded a tribute. The realm’s guardian attempted to fool the Overlord and produced the chain used to shackle truth and hide honesty. He was certain his master would not dare to take it, but the Overlord of Dreams carried it away and gave it to Raa. The Realm of Deception fell. into turmoil as truth and honesty spilled forth. Continue Reading...
Card Stats
Card Use Case
Raa is a range monster for the Death element. At level 1, this card has 3 abilities namely, Flying which gives 25% dodge chance against melee and range attacks while also prevents damage from Earthquake rule set, Double Strike that allows this card to attack twice per turn and Scattershot which randomizes the target for each of it's attack. At level 2, it gains Giant Killer which deals 2x the damage on monsters with more than 10 mana like Kraken and Kron the Undying and at level 3, it gains the Rust ability which reduce the armor of all opponent monsters as long as this card remains on play. With 12 mana cost, it is most suitable for high mana battles and you can find this card on Evens Stevens rule set where only even mana cost monsters can be used.
Raa attacks High Priest Darius twice with the Double Strike and Scattershot.
Source: @avainattempt
Card Price
| Card Foil |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Market Price | ||
| Rental Price |
Kain Hace
| Edition | Riftwatchers |
|---|---|
| Mana Cost | 8 |
| Element | Death |
| Rarity | Legendary |
| Card Type | Magic |
| Abilities |  Blast,  Reflection Shield  Redemption |
| RF Burn Val. | 500 DEC |
| GF Burn Val. | 12500 DEC |
Lore
Long ago, Kain Hace was considered the most powerful warlock in all of the Belurocian Empire. It was rumored that he had forged a dark pact with a greater archfiend to gain his immense power. Others believed it was Yzaos himself, God of Death and the Lower Planes, through whom Kain channeled his magic.
Yet in spite of his awesome power, Kain sought neither conquest nor control. Instead, he used his magic to serve the Belurocian Empire and its people. He was the hero of the Onyx Wars, decimating the Silver Shield’s armies outside the gates of Beluroc. When drought and famine threatened the empire, he called upon the shadows and the darkness to blanket the land in thunderheads; torrential rains fell and crops rose high in their fields once more. He tamed the eruptions of Bren Ha, keeping the volcano dormant. He stood against the eldritch monstrosities of the Dark Oblivion. He feared nothing… well, almost nothing. Continue Reading...
Card Stats
Card Use Case
Kain Hace is a Magic monster for the Death element. At level 1, this card has the Blast ability which deals additional damage to the monster adjacent to it's target and at the same time, it has the Reflection Shied which makes it immune to Blast and reflected damage, making it ideal to use for Explosive Weaponry and Magic Reflect rule set. At level 3, it gains the redemption ability which deals -1 damage on all the opponent monster when this card was defeated. Due to it's low health and slow speed, this can be ideal for Equalizer where all has the same health and Reverse Speed where the slower monster gets to attack first. As this is an 8- mana monster, it will be available for Evens Stevens rule set.
Kain Hace attacking Mycelic Slipspawn and defeating Djinn Biljka in the process with Blast damage.
Source: @agonyaccepted
Card Price
| Card Foil |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Market Price | ||
| Rental Price |
Note:This are the market price for the Death Riftwatchers cards by the time that I checked on it and is subject to change depending on when you check for prices. Source: Peakmonsters
Final Thoughts
With Riftwatchers now added to the ranked battles, it added more varieties and combinations on the strategies that we can use specially on High- Mana battles and one thing I notice is that even at their base level, most of this monster are competitive enough for higher leagues.
The Death team has a very balanced team in terms that it has a splinter available for every attack types. I think this group has offered some really good cards with and good skillsets compared to the other elements and has more synergy with each other like you use Night Ghoul as tank then followed by Kain Hace during Explosive Weaponry rule set or when you can use Cabalist to Amplify the Return Fire from Queen of Crows.
In general. I like all the cards from this set but when it comes Queen of Crows and Cabalist sticks out to me as they have good skillset and can be used more often as they are only both rare monsters.
Previous Post
All the image that I edited here belongs to Splinterlands.
Footer and divider image made by splintercell-01
Card abilities and rulesets from Splintercards
Thank you for reading my post. If you're interested to play Splinterlands, you can join by clicking this link.