Ability Focus

In this week's Social Media Challenge, I intend to dive into the long-standing THORNS ability within the Splinterlands game.

The THORNS ability empowers a monster to retaliate against attackers by reflecting damage when subjected to a Melee attack. This ability is extensively employed in the game, and the purpose of this post is to showcase its efficacy and dominance in battles. 👀

As of today, there are a whopping total of 41 monsters with the THORNS ability!

The below rulesets promote the use of Melee monsters in the battle,
making it advantageous to include the THORNS ability in your lineup.

Up Close & Personal - Only monsters with Melee attack may be used in the battles.

Super Sneak - All Melee units gain the Sneak ability at the start of the battle.

Melee Mayhem - Melee attack monsters can attack from any position.

---

The below abilities synergize well with the THORNS ability.
Keep an eye out for monsters possessing these abilities when constructing your team, as they can greatly enhance your chances of achieving victory ✌️

Amplify - Increases Magic Reflect, Return Fire, and THORNS damage to all enemy monsters by 1

Reflection Shield - Monster is immune to all indirect, or reflected damage. i.e THORNS damages

---

When discussing the THORNS ability, Mylor Crowling is a Summoner that instantly comes to mind for many Splinterlands players. This particular Summoner is highly sought after in the aforementioned rulesets, as the THORNS ability bestowed upon the lineup creates a remarkable synergy when maneuvering through these rulesets. I have developed a deep fondness for utilizing Mylor Crowling, especially during my initial forays into Splinterlands within the lower tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold Leagues), as the devastating THORNS damage proved overwhelming for any opposing Melee monsters 😁

The Battle

In my alt account, jimbei, I had the privilege of engaging in a battle that flawlessly showcased the potency and efficiency of the THORNS ability which is also further complemented by the Amplify ability! 😍 To get right into the action, the battle link can be found here. Otherwise, do read on as I go into more detail regarding the lineup and fight.

---

Let's start by examining the ruleset for this battle. The first rule is the Aim True ruleset, which guarantees that all attacks will successfully hit their targets throughout the battle. Next, we have the Up Close & Personal ruleset that only allow the use of monsters with Melee attack in the battle. Lastly, the Silenced Summoners ruleset imposes limitations on summoners, preventing them from applying stat buffs, debuffs, or granting abilities to the lineup. The battle has a relatively low mana cap of 21, and only the Water, Earth and Death Splinters are allowed.

---

Summoner, Thaddius Brood

Given the presence of the Silenced Summoners ruleset, the selection of a summoner is primarily based on the desired Splinter to be incorporated into the lineup. In this specific battle, I opted for Thaddius Brood as my summoner to fully utilize the potential of the Death Splinter in my strategy and of course to showcase the focus of this blogpost which is the THORNS ability ✌️

---

First Position, Ever-Hungry Skull

Considering the Up Close & Personal ruleset, the Ever-Hungry Skull emerges as a prevalent choice for a tank in these battles. With the restriction of only allowing monsters with Melee attacks, this monster, despite having a mere 1 health at maximum level, can be effectively deployed in the first position without much concern unless facing hybrid monsters that possess both Melee and Magic damage. Thanks to its substantial armor and retaliatory capabilities such as THORNS and Return Fire, the Ever-Hungry Skull can inflict significant damage upon opposing monsters 💪

---

Second Position, Shadow Snitch

The inclusion of Shadow Snitch in the lineup, particularly in the second position, is highly advantageous due to its Reach ability. Despite its low cost of only 4 mana, this well-rounded monster possesses a balanced combination of Attack, Speed, and Health. The Affliction ability it possesses can also be strategically valuable in preventing the opposing tank from benefiting from healing support through its own ability or from the backline 👊

---

Third Position, Venator Kinjo

I consider this monster to be crucial in my lineup as it enables both my frontline and backline tanks to showcase their THORNS ability to great effect. Venator Kinjo, while not particularly formidable on its own, possesses exceptional supporting abilities. As previously mentioned, its Amplify ability significantly enhances the THORNS damage inflicted on my opponents, allowing it to contribute to the battle simply by being present in the lineup 😝

---

Fourth Position, Corpse Fiend

To be honest, Corpse Fiend was selected as I have ran out of mana. It is a particularly useful fodder unit when there is space available in the lineup, and the fact that it costs nothing is a definite advantage! Even though my Corpse Fiend has the Silence ability that is gained at its maximum level, that ability is pretty redundant in the context of this battle since the Up Close & Personal ruleset is in play 😂

---

Last Position, Cursed Windeku

I chose Cursed Windeku as my backline tank primarily for its THORNS ability, which serves as a strong defense and countermeasure against Sneak attacks from enemy monsters. Additionally, Cursed Windeku's Heal ability enhances its resilience, enabling it to endure the enemy's assault and deliver damage when necessary, in case the rest of the team falls short 🤠

---

The Analysis

I had a hunch that my opponent would use the Water Splinter, based on their consistent selection of that splinter in four out of their last five battles, as indicated in the battle history during the preparation stage. Observing and predicting the opponent's lineup is an underrated skill that Splinterlands players should definitely pay more attention to.

Since I anticipated a Water Splinter lineup, I expected it to include Sneak ability monsters like the Pelacor Bandit and Uraeus. To prevent the Ever-Hungry Skull from immediately succumbing to Poison inflicted by Uraeus, I strategically placed Cursed Windeku as my backline tank instead.

Although the damage output of the Death Splinter cannot match that of my opponent's Water Splinter, the sustained damage from THORNS, further amplified by the Amplify ability, proved overwhelming for my opponent to handle. In the end, I emerged victorious 🤘

Do you guys have any better recommendations for setting up the team in this particular ruleset? Do share them with me in the below comments 😜

If you made it this far, I sincerely appreciate your time and value your encouragement. Please feel free to leave any comments or suggestions so that we can discuss about other strategies. Thinking about giving Splinterlands a try but haven't signed up yet? Feel free to use my referral link: https://splinterlands.com?ref=ak08, and be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions!

---

Are you interested in reading some of my future writings? Don't forget to follow me! In the meantime, here are some of my most recent blogs if you'd like to view them:

• Battle Mage Challenge - A battle analysis featuring the EXPLOSIVE WEAPONRY: BLAST OF RANDOMNESS

• Social Media Challenge - A battle analysis showing a battle full of OPPORTUNITIES

• Battle Mage Secrets - A battle analysis showcasing incredible synergy between DOCTOR BLIGHT AND BORN AGAIN RULESET (CONT'D)

• Social Media Challenge - A battle analysis showcasing incredible synergy between DOCTOR BLIGHT AND BORN AGAIN RULESET

---

All banners, dividers card and battle images used in this article are open source and obtained from the Splinterlands team or made by flauwy. Do check out his link for other amazing designs.