Hello Battle Mages!
Welcome to another Splinterlands Battle Mage Secrets Weekly Challenge. For this challenge, we are going to discuss the briar patch ruleset or the ruleset where all monsters have the thorn ability. This is like everyone have the Mylor effect.
For those who are new to my post, I usually post information about Gold Modern league which I usually play in rank, brawl and tournament.
🌵 Ruleset: Briar Patch
Briar Patch |
With the Patch Briar ruleset, all monsters gain the thorns ability which is very powerful and gives pain for melee monsters.
When a battle mage see the Briar Patch ruleset, first thing to comes in mind is to avoid using melee monsters and focus mainly on magic monsters followed by range monsters but Splinterlands random ruleset is very playful where in a Briar Patch co-exist with Up Close and Personal ruleset or even the lost magic and weak magic ruleset.
In this case, there are two strategy to play the Briar Patch ruleset. First is avoid using melee monsters and the second is to survive the thorn damage.
Consideration
In my perspective, when Briar Patch usually occurs, here are the strategy I use to deal with this ruleset:
First thing that comes in my mind is whether I can use a pretty good lineup limiting my usage of melee monsters which have the reflection shield ability. This determines whether the water, earth and life splinter is available as these element do have a pretty good magic monsters to use in the battle.
Second thing is determining whether I can be able to sustain magic damage and can be able to perform healing functions. With this line-up I would be able to stand a chance in the battle.
If the above condition is not met or the ruleset only allows melee monsters, then my strategy to find a monsters with shield ability as this ability can reduce the thorn damage and physical attack. I may need to consider as well those with repair ability to sustain the armor and demoralize ability to weaken the melee attack from the monsters, in this method a thorn damage will be much painful from the attacker that really doing damage on my line-up.
🌵 Cards
Suggested Cards
Let us first check the summoners which can be a pretty good help in the Briar Patch ruleset.
In my opinion, below summoners are a good choice:
 Kelya Frendul |
Kelya Frendul gives the extra armor and speed which can be a good protection against thorns. Also in water splinter, there are monsters that can be a great choice and good use for the Briar Patch ruleset. In the later part of this post, I will be listing my favorite monsters for the briar patch ruleset. This summoner can be use if going for a sustain lineup, a magic lineup or even a all melee lineup. |
 Obsidian |
Obsidian from the earth splinter gives additional boost to the magic damage in which earth splinter do have a lot of magic units to use which in-case preventing your units to suffer from thorns damage. This summoner can be use if going for magic lineup. |
 Immortalis |
Immortalis, on the other hand can be use if expecting an opponent in using magic units which reduces the damage received from magic attack. This is a pretty good summoner in Briar Patch as it gives the protection for the magic. This summoner can be use if predicting that opponent will use magic lineup. |
 Fernheart |
Fernheart is another summoner from the earth splinter for a choice to go all range monsters which provides the ability for those monsters to attack even in the frontline. This gives the advantage of those monster to not suffer in thorns damage and can still attack in the frontline. This summoner can be use if going for range lineup. |
 Grandmaster Rathe |
Another important summoner for the Briar Patch ruleset due to several factors. First is the extra armor it can provide that can temporarily absorb thorns damage, the amplify ability which increases the thorns damage inflicted to the melee monsters of the opponents and void armor which is very useful against magic attack. Also the life splinter do have a lot of option for monsters card to be use in Briar Patch. This summoner can be use to perform sustain lineup, a magic line up or even a all melee lineup. |
 Lorna Shine |
Lorna Shine from the dice element provides a temporary protection against thorns damage. This card maybe use and may help in winning the battle. |
In choosing the monsters, I will divide the monster list into several parts as these monsters may be use on how we are building the line-up. Let's start first by listing those monsters that can be a good tank to sustain magic damage and those monsters that can support it.
Please do note that these list are based on my perspective and other battle mage may view it differently.
| Starting from Gold league, Baakjira can perform heal and with high health, it can heal 4 health. Being a tank against melee can deal quite a great thorns damage and can sustain attack against magic due to void ability. | ||
| Djinn Oshannus is known as the great defender against magic. In Briar Patch, Oshannus can be a good tank as well against melee and magic attack. | ||
| Merdaali Guardian can heal and repair armors which is a good support to sustain damage. | ||
| Swamp Spitter is a range monster that can repair armors. | ||
| Pelacor Mercenary maybe not 100% effective in sustaining damage but with healing ability and support from Goblin Psychic and Immortalis, this card can perform a good defense against thorns and magic attack. | ||
| Bramble Pixie as the secondary tank also have healing ability which can sustain damage against thorns while in the second position. | ||
| Adelade Brightwing can be a good support in the backline doing repair and ressurect. | ||
| Uriel the Purifier is a melee monster but this card do have a good damage, healing ability and can sustain damage in the frontline. |
In terms of melee monsters, the melee monsters with shield, reflection shield and demoralized are those melee monsters that are great in Briar Patch.
Disadvantage Cards
Basically, the disadvantage cards are the melee monsters as they are vulnerable to the thorns damage especially those with low health and no armors and without the abilities of shield, reflection shield.
🌵 Battle Strategy
I will be revising the battle strategy section for this post as I will be sharing 2 battles using different approach. I won't be doing the per round analysis but more on the team composition and battle analysis for each match.
Battle #1 (Sustain and Magic Line-up)
Rules of Combat
Modifications: What Doesn't Kill You, Stampede, Briar Patch
Mana Cap: 32
Playable Splinters: Fire, Water, Life and Dragon
Team Composition
With the Briar Patch, the option is to use magic and range unit with sustain abilities against magic.
- Summoner: Kelya provides extra armor against melee attack since in this battle no monster from my side is affected by thorns damage.
- 1st Position: Djinn Oshannus in the frontline position whic is against magic damage, either reducing it or dodging the damage. The what doesn't kill you is in effect which triggers enrage thus increasing the baseline stats. The forcefield can be a good benefit as well for those attack with 5 and above.
- 2nd Position: Tide Biter utilizing the reach ability unaffected by the thorns damage due to the reflection shield.
- 3rd Position: Merdaali Guardian to help Djinn Oshannus to sustain the frontline by doing heal and armor repair.
- 4th Position: Venari Wavesmith to aid for additional armor layer since there are currently two monsters with repair ability.
- 5th Position: Swamp Spitter with the repair to aid those damaged armors from the attack as well as dealing extra damage in the frontline.
- 6th Position: Igor with the stun can disable a frontline monster that can perform sustain damage.
Battle Analysis
Looking at the opponent's lineup, there are few monsters affected by the thorns ability.
- Deeplurker and Pelacor Bandit were the monsters that are affected by the Briar Patch. These monsters will suffer thorns damage when attacking backline monsters.
- Baakjira with the help of Merdaali Guardian may be able to sustain the damage dealt, however Igor stun may prevent Baakjira to perform self heal.
- Angelic Mandarin may sustain the damage deal by the thorns from Deeplurker but only until such time that Baakjira will be able to sustain the frontline.
- Djinn Oshannus is too powerful in the frontline as it won't be defeated by the attack from Angelic Mandarin and River Hellondale
- Tide Biter deals a pretty massive reach attack as the reflection shield prevents it from receving any thorns damage.
- If Deeplurker is position between Merdaali Guardian and Angelic Mandarin, I might be defeated in the battle.
Battle #2 (All melee)
Rules of Combat
Modifications: Silence Summoners, Briar Patch, Up Close & Personal
Mana Cap: 17
Playable Splinters: All Splinters
Team Composition
With the Briar Patch and Up Close & Personal ruleset is in play there is no other option but to use melee monsters.
- Summoner: The summoner does not really matter except for monsters selection as silence summoners is in play, with Kelya Tide Biter can be use in the battle. Quix is a good option as well to have a wider range of monsters.
- 1st Position: Legionnaire Alvar with demoralize and high armor could be a pretty good tank which may reduce all opponent's monsters melee attack.
- 2nd Position: Tide Biter utilizing the reach ability unaffected by the thorns damage due to the reflection shield.
- 3rd Position: Hardy Stonefish acts as a buffer against opportunity and sneak attack that deals with thorns damage.
- 4th Position: Torrent Fiend is another buffer against opportunity and sneak attack that deals with thorns damage.
Battle Analysis
Looking at the opponent's lineup, the monsters use are pretty good lineup considering Blinding Reflector with a high armor in the frontline, Vulguine wuth the scavenger ability to increase its health, stitch leech with the sneak and life leech ability, Uraeus with the poison and sneak and Celestial Harpy with the opportunity attack and soul fiend as a buffer against sneak attack. This seems to be a powerful line-up.
- One big advantage is that Legionnaire Alvar reduce the attack of all monsters because of the demoralize ability by 1. This demoralize plays a very important role in order for the opponents to suffer damage against thorns.
- Tider Biter is unaffected by the thorns plays another important part in the battle.
- The backline buffer may not be enough to defeat the opponents sneak and opportunity attack.
- The speed difference plays an important role as well as there are misses happened in the battle
- Legionnaire Alvar thick armor sustained the damage and provided a great defense to defeat the monsters using the thorns.
🌵 Closing Remarks
Briar Patch is really a good ruleset which may plays different strategy. It can be totally avoiding use of melee monsters and focus on the magic and range units. It can also be a melee monsters but with the effect of reducing the damage taken from the thorns.
Having this ruleset provides a versatility to players in deciding which strategy to use and predict which line-up your opponent will do.
Which strategy do you use for the Briar Patch? Do you usually predict the move of your opponent?
Thank you for reading! See you in the next Battle Mage Secrets Weekly Challenge!
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2 Excellent battles with a lot of detail of strategy and explanation, striking format. Good work.