Introduction

Splinterlands is an addictive game, I must admit. I am fine with this kind of addiction where the game requires us to strategize a battle. It requires some level of thinking, and that is a good thing. Besides, it is entertainment unlimited.

The best part of the game is to figure out the kind of melee attack monster to be placed in the first position. By now, the players – newbies and pros – alike would have recognized that the first position attacker should have good health to take an opponent’s attack while have a strong attack value to pulverize the opposition.

Given such a stat, one of the most obvious choice for the first position attack monster is the Goblin Mech – the sly little goblin in a mechanical tank!

Goblin Mech, did I say?

Yes, indeed. Let’s get to know the Goblin Mech a bit more. Goblin Mech belongs to the common monsters, and this makes it readily available to any splinter type. Barring those battles where the rules prohibit the use of common monsters, the Goblin Mech can work in any combination under any splinter.

The best part is that the Mech has its different strengths accentuated under the respective splinter. For example, the Fire splinter enhances its attack value by one taking its already lethal attack value to 5. The Earth splinter, on the other hand, enhances its health by 1. Depending on the splinter type, the Mech becomes a ruthless obliterator of the opposition.

Having learnt about the Mech’s destructive stats, let get to see the Mech in action.

Battle With the Goblin Mech

In this section, we will look at one attack where the Goblin Mech leads the attack. I have chosen the Mech under the Water Splinter. Let’s get to know the choice of monsters and how the attack progressed.

Screen 1: Enemy and I Face-off

You can see my lineup as much as the opponent. To be honest, the opponent’s lineup seemed to be a little weak, barring the Shield Bearer. My lineup, on the other hand, has the Crustacean King, which every round improves the health of the first position friendly monster (Mech in this case). And then I rounded up the lineup with ranged attack monsters, out of which the Water Elemental is a self-healing monster.

So, let’s see how the battle goes.

Screen 2: How did the Fight Look Like?

I pulverized the opponent is what I can say.

The opponent’s choice of Shield Bearer was right. But the Shield Bearer has a quality of attracting all attacks to itself. So, not only the Mech but also the ranged attackers went for it, thus totalling it in no time.

After that, the Mech completed the honours. That’s how capable the Mech is in a lineup.

Strategies Around the Goblin Mech

The Goblin Mech, as I have already said, is a great attacker for any team. The Mech becomes even more lethal when it is paired with health-enhancing monsters.

Goblin Mech + Wood Nymph (or Crustacean King)

Gobline Mech’s armour ensures that its health remains safe while taking massive blows from the opponents. However, once the shield is taken out, then the health of the Mech is vulnerable. These are times that a good pairing helps.

Any health-enhancing monster like a Wood Nymph under the Earth Splinter or Crustacean King under the Water Splinter form a good combo with the Mech. These monsters increase the depleted health of the Mech during their turn. This action adds a new lease of life for the Mech to continue for one more round. And with an attack level of 4, just one extra round for the Mech could end up being a victory for your team.

Of course, a Wood Nymph is an excellent combo than a Crustacean King, as the Nymph attacks as well as enhances the health of the Mech. Every splinter has such health enhancers, and depending on the need of the battle, a Mech can be paired, appropriately.

Strategy 2: Battles Where Non-Flying Monsters take A Hit after Each Round

Now, this is an odd place for the Goblin Mech as it is a non-flying monster and will be hit by the earthquake. However, the armour and health, allows the Mech to take attacks and the earthquake reduction (at least for a round) and continue.

A single round of survival of the Mech is enough to pulverize the opposition. So, the main bet here is that the Mech will outlive the earthquake and the opponent’s attacks.

Challenges of Using the Goblin Mech

Challenge 1: High Mana Requirement

This is a no brainer challenge that the Goblin Mech faces. The mana requirement of ten makes it unusable in low mana matches. In fact, even in moderate mana matches like those between 20 to 30, the Mech is a problematic choice to fit in.

The reason is quite apparent. One of the main strategies in all Splinterlands games is to ensure that we have enough attack monsters. There is no point in having just one or two monsters as the opponents with an extended lineup can easily defeat us. Of course, there would be exceptions, but mostly the rule is that an extended lineup has a better chance of victory. If that is the case, then the Mech takes up too much mana to allow the inclusion of other monsters. So, the choice is better to leave the Mech out of the battle.

Therefore, unless the battle allows a high mana cap, it makes no battle sense to include the Mech.

Challenge 2: Goblin Mech is Porous to Magic Attack

The main advantage of the Goblin Mech is its armour over and above its health. Most of the melee and ranged attack has to deal with the armour before impacting the Mech’s health. But before the opponent can destroy the shield, the chances are that the Mech would have destroyed the opponent’s monsters. So, Mech is one touch monster to kill.

However, the scenario changes when the opponents have a magic monster or more than one magic monster in their lineup. As magic hits the health directly, the armour is of no consequence. In such cases, the Mech is just like any other monster with a health value of 7. As such, it has a high chance of being destroyed even before it could unleash its deadly attack.

So, opponents with massive magic attack could easily have the Mech’s advantage undone. That is one sore point in the Mech’s appraisal card!

Which other Monsters from Other Splinters are Equivalents of the Goblin Mech?

There are few such monsters which form an equivalent to the Goblin Mech from other splinters. Since the Mech is a common monster, it shares space with these monsters under each splinter. Let’s talk about each of the monsters.

Here they are, and of course, this is not an exhaustive list.

Let’s get to know each of the monsters in brief.

• Molten Ogre – This is a monster belonging to the Fire Splinter and one with health more than the Goblin Mech. Because of the use under the Fire splinter, it’s attack value increases to 4 when used in battle. That makes it one potent opponent.

• Sea Monster – This is a self-healing monster from the Water Splinter. The self-healing ability allows the monster to continue despite a barrage of attacks, and that makes it a potent opponent. Just imagine the Sea Monster being used along with the Crustacean King, a healing monster, there would be no stopping this beast.

• Shield Bearer – This monster belongs to the Life Splinter. Much like the Goblin Mech, it is one of my favourites. Why? Because this monster attracts all the opposing monsters’ ire towards itself and therefore, allows its compatriot monster to attack across the enemy. A very potent monster, in my opinion. I have used this monster along with Goblin Mech multiple times, and that helps the Mech destroy the opposition while the opposition is focused on the Shield Bearer. A potent combination!

• Nectar Queen – Nectar Queen is one of the heaviest battle attack monster from the Earth splinter. It is high on both, the attack value and health, and interestingly, requires one mana less than the Goblin Mech going into the battle. So, if there is a choice of Nectar Queen or Goblin Mech, one would be tempted to take the Queen because of the mana cap.

• Undead Rexx – And here’s one monster from the Death Splinter. The Rexx is one of the most potent in the list when it comes to attack value. At attack level 5, it can, literally, take down the opposition monster in one attack. All the best, if you come across the Undead Rexx during your battles.

So, that’s a small list of monsters worth watching out for when using Goblin Mech at the front.

How do We Level Up the Goblin Mech

Goblin Mech is already an impressive monster which has the piercing ability. This is something we did not discuss so far. If the Mech’s attack value is higher than the opponent’s armour value, then it reduces the health by the left out attack amount.

As an example, if the Mech attacks with a value of 4 and the opponent’s armour left is 2 and health 4, then the Mech’s attack destroys the armour (armour becomes zero) and reduces health to 2. I hope you get a sense now.

What’s impressive is that the Mech gets even better as it levels up.

At level 6 and beyond the Mech has stun ability too. Just imagine the opponent’s monster not just being pierced but also stunned. That’s a double whammy, in my opinion!

So, go and level up your Mech faster. I am already on level 3. 😊

So, what’s your feeling about the Mech?

I have used the Mech in many battles with most of them ending on the winning side. It is a great monster to have and readily available under any splinter. Mech is a no brainer choice!

If you have not already used it, then try it and let me know in the comments if you loved it. I have reasons to believe that you would have, indeed! 😊

Image Courtesy: Splinterlands