Hello Splinterlands Summoner, how are you today? At the start of this month, the price of Hive is beginning to climb, and I truly hope it keeps getting better from here.
In this post, I’m once again joining the weekly social media challenge. The theme this time really fits my recent battle—it felt like riding a rollercoaster. At one point I was threatened, almost ready to give up, but in the end, I struck back in a completely unexpected way. All thanks to one retaliate moment that triggered at the most crucial time.
Battle Setup
This match was played under the Blood and Sunder and Heavy Hitters rulesets, with a mana cap of 38, and available elements being Fire, Water, Earth, and Life. With these rules, I had to be extra careful—once armor is gone, defense can crumble fast.
I picked Franz Ruffmane as my Archon, providing +1 shield to strengthen the lineup. Up front, I placed Drybone Barbarian, a tough monster with enrage and retaliate. My hope was that he could be both a wall and a counter threat.
As additional defense, I brought Pelacor Conjurer with flying and magic reflect. At the back, Aves Sturgis was set for weapon training, and Helmet Kharafax with bloodlust, scavenger, and void, who usually turns into a wrecking machine. I also included Olivia of the Brook with opportunity and mimic, plus Djinn Renova for strengthen and triage. Overall, it was a balanced setup, aiming to mix durability with counterattack potential.
The Opponent’s Team
My opponent went with a strategy I often use myself. Lobb Lowland was chosen as the Archon, granting +1 speed for extra agility. Up front, Hill Giant was the opening tank, followed by Terraceous Hulk with taunt and void armor in a key position. They also had Thane Newsong with inspire to boost physical damage even more.
What made me uneasy was the backline: Uraeus with sneak, and the dangerous Katrelba Gobson with sneak, double strike, and bloodlust. If Katrelba gets even a single kill, he becomes a nightmare. To top it off, the opponent brought Clockwork Aide with swiftness.
The Battle Progress
In the opening rounds, all my magic attacks were forced onto Terraceous Hulk due to taunt. As expected, his defenses were hard to break through. Things got worse when Katrelba Gobson immediately eliminated Djinn Renova in the backline. My stomach dropped—the rear was now wide open. I honestly thought, “Oh no, this one’s lost already.”
The opponent’s sneak duo kept tearing through my backline. Uraeus and Katrelba ran rampant. Meanwhile, up front, Drybone Barbarian managed to take out Hill Giant and then Terraceous Hulk. But the situation kept spiraling—Helmet Kharafax was also taken down by Katrelba.
At this point, only a few of my monsters remained, and I was already pessimistic. Drybone Barbarian was left hanging by a thread, forced into a one-on-one with Katrelba Gobson. Just as I feared, Katrelba finally struck him down.
But here’s where the miracle happened—retaliate triggered at the very last moment! Before going down, Drybone Barbarian countered with a crushing blow that instantly eliminated Katrelba. It felt like a movie plot twist—I was ready to throw in the towel, and suddenly the tide turned in my favor.
With Katrelba gone, only Clockwork Aide remained. From there, the rest of the match was smooth sailing. The final blows secured my victory.
For the full battle replay, you can watch it here:
Reflection
Looking back, my strategy wasn’t exactly flawless. My backline was clearly fragile, and early on I was convinced I’d suffer a crushing defeat. But that’s exactly the beauty of Splinterlands: there’s always room for surprise.
In my opinion, retaliate is one of the most underrated skills. Many newer players might not realize just how impactful it can be when it triggers at the right time. In this case, it literally flipped the outcome of a match I was 90% sure I’d lose.
For new players, this battle is a good reminder that strategy isn’t only about creating a “perfect” lineup. Chance, skill synergy, and the courage to experiment with unusual combos all matter. And don’t underestimate defensive abilities like retaliate—sometimes that small detail is what completely catches your opponent off guard.
Closing
So, what did I learn from this battle? Never lose optimism mid-game. Even when cornered, there’s always a chance to turn things around. My quick advice—if you own Drybone Barbarian or any monster with retaliate, give it a try now and then. Who knows? It might just become the unexpected hero, like in my match.
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Congrats on the post!!
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!STP
Thanks for sharing! - @rehan12
