You need this to increase your rank in Frontier Mode

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

^{The tips and possible advises in this article are designed for Bronze League, in which I am in right now.}

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

Introduction

The thing about magic damage is that it doesn’t care about armor. It passes through everything hitting health directly. In Frontier Mode, that’s a big deal since most tanks rely on armor to survive long enough for the backline to win. This is where Saltwater Mage stands out, a small but dangerous epic card that can easily break through enemy lines.

Saltwater Mage might look fragile at first glance, but her damage potential is incredible for a low-level monster. She doesn’t need much investment to be useful and her magic damage is strong enough to carry the match. In the right setup, she can quickly become the reason your opponent’s lineup loses.

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

Saltwater Mage have decent stats. The health might not be as good but her role is a damage dealer so having higher health is just optional. There's also no much reason to level her up as only health will increase. Even a level 1 Saltwater Mage can carry you in your Frontier Mod games.

Saltwater Mage have only one ability, Sneak. But that's enough because combined with a Magic damage, it is hard to stop. You would usually put a unit with armor as the last unit because most Sneak units have melee attack but since it's magic, that counter strategy does not work as its attacks passes through armor.

💊 Abilities 💊

Sneak: [Target Modifier] The attack priority of this monster's attack is changed to "The opponent's monster that is on the last position."

Pros

Sneak with Magic Damage. Saltwater Mage’s Sneak with Magic Damage makes her hard to counter since her attacks go straight through armor. Even makeshift tanks with high armor can’t block her damage making her a reliable damage dealer from the backline.
Only needs low level. She also works well even at low levels. A level 1 Saltwater Mage already deals 2 damage, which is strong in Frontier Mode where most monsters have limited health and abilities.
Very cheap to buy Another good thing is that she’s very affordable. You can get one for around $0.44 in the market making her a great choice for players who want strong magic damage quick without spending too much.

Cons

Leveling Up does not increase damage.
Leveling her up doesn’t really improve her damage. Her damage stays the same and only her health increases which isn’t that useful since Saltwater Mage focuses on damage, not survival.
May become a target of Opportunity abilities.
Saltwater Mage can also become a target of Opportunity abilities. Since her health is low at early levels, opponents with Opportunity can easily take her down before she gets to deal much damage.
May be somewhat difficult to earn by playing the game
Lastly, she can be a bit hard to earn through daily rewards. Saltwater Mage is an Epic rarity card so getting her by playing the game may take time unless you’re lucky with your reward chests.

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

Rank	Rules of Combat	Description
	^Equalizer	The Max Health of all monsters on the board will be equal to the Max Health of the monster with the highest max health: fixes Saltwater Mage's low health problems
	^{Armored Up}	All monsters gain +2 armor for this battle: gives protection to Saltwater Mage while not being a hindrance since attack passes through armor given by Armored Up Modifier
	^{Wands Out}	During this battle, only monsters with magic damage type are allowed: not a lot of defensive monsters.

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

Rank	Rules of Combat	Description
	^{Noxious Fumes}	All monsters on the board are given the poisoned status at the start of the battle. Poisoned monsters take 2 damage at the start of every round.: Noxious Fumes is dangerous for Saltwater Mage because she doesn’t have high health to survive poison damage over time. Without Immunity or a way to cleanse, she usually gets taken down after a few rounds.
	^Counterspell	All monsters on the board gains the Magic Reflect ability that inflicts half the damage to any monsters with magic damage attacking this monster: Counterspell is another bad modifier for her since she has no defense against Magic Reflect. Every attack she makes bounces back some of the damage, which can quickly lead to her own defeat.
	^{Equal Opportunity}	All monsters on the board gains the Opportunity ability that changes the targetting mechanics to "Opponent's Monster with the least health.": fixes Saltwater Mage's low health problems

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

Rank	Monsters	Description
	^{Captain Fellblade}	Captain Fellblade is one of the best partners for Saltwater Mage because both have magic damage with the Sneak ability. This lets them target the opponent’s backline together, quickly removing problematic monsters from the opposing side. When used side by side, their combined pressure makes it very hard for opponents to recover.
	^Bellowmancer	Bellowmancer works perfectly as a front-line defender for Saltwater Mage. His Taunt ability draws enemy damage away from the backline, giving Saltwater Mage more time to deal consistent magic damage. At higher levels, his Shield makes him even more durable against melee and range damage.
	^{Marlai Singariel}	Marlai Singariel is an ideal match since her ability boosts all friendly magic monsters by +1 magic damage. This makes Saltwater Mage’s Sneak attacks much stronger and allows her to eliminate enemies even faster. Together, they form a dangerous combo that as long as your other monsters will take advantage of her ability.

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

In this battle, since I am using Marlai Singariel as the archon, I used a more magic-focused lineup. I also have three tanks in the front to solidify my defense in case the opponents come in hard.

Lineup

^{Marlai Singariel}

Marlai Singariel plays a key role as the main damage booster of this lineup. Her ability gives all friendly monsters with magic damage an extra +1, which turns even weak monsters into decent ones. With her on the team, your overall magic damage increases, helping to break through opponents bypassing their armor.

^{Port Guardian}

Port Guardian acts as the main tank for the Water Splinter in Frontier Mode. He has solid armor and good health, making him capable of taking several hits before going down. His role is to buy time for the magic attackers behind him to keep dealing damage safely.

^{New Beluroc Aegis}

New Beluroc Aegis adds protection through his Taunt ability. This forces opponents to target him instead of your key monsters, especially Saltwater Mage. The longer he stays alive, the better your damage dealers can perform without getting disrupted.

^{Great Bear Druid}

Great Bear Druid brings both melee and magic damage. The extra magic damage benefits from Marlai Singariel’s buff, making him hit harder than usual. He also has good enough stats to act as an extra tank when your front line starts falling apart.

^Spellmonger

Spellmonger looks weak at first because of his low health, but his armor and Thorns make him surprisingly useful. He acts as bait for monsters with the Opportunity ability like Vengeful Monk, keeping Saltwater Mage out of danger. This small detail can often save you unexpectedly. I cannot tell you how many times I fell for this trick when using a different build.

^{Water-Logged Wizard}

Water-Logged Wizard is a solid filler unit that adds more consistent magic damage to the team. She works perfectly with Marlai Singariel’s ability since the +1 magic damage instantly raises her value allowing her to do 2 damage total. Even though she doesn’t have any special ability, she can still deal magic damage which is important.

^{Saltwater Mage}

Saltwater Mage is the main carry of the lineup. Her Sneak magic damage is hard to counter since it passes through armor and targets backline monsters directly. When left unchecked, she can wipe out the opponent’s backline team in just a few rounds.

^{Edited in Canva Pro.}

In this battle, the opponents are focusing more on breaking my line through the front which is very much welcome. This means that my Saltwater Mage is on the safest position in this battle. If the opponents would not prioritize Saltwater Mage, she could quickly take over the game by eliminating monsters from the back, which has the least tankiest monsters can be found just like in this battle.

^{> > Click here to view the full battle < <}

Saltwater Mage is a great option in Frontier Mode for players who want consistent magic damage without relying on higher-level monsters. Her low cost in the market, strong Sneak magic and synergy with Archons like Marlai Singariel make her a strong backline threat.

You can get her through rewards by simply playing the game, which is a plus. However, if you're impatient like me, you can get a copy of her for half a buck which is good for the amount of wins she can give you.

While Saltwater Mage's low health makes her vulnerable, pairing her with Taunt units or playing in the right Modifiers can make her a hidden overpowered pick.

This post is an entry for Splinterlands Social Media Contest.
Animated Banners and Dividers are edited in Canva Pro.
Other sources that I do not own are cited under their respective photos.
Some of the fonts used are from instafonts.io

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