Battle of the Day – Hidden Gems in the Splinterlands Arena

Hello Summoners of Splinterlands! I hope you’re all fired up and ready to face those weird rulesets that sometimes throw us off guard. And of course, I also hope our crypto assets keep climbing higher and higher.

Following this week’s theme, Hidden Gems, I want to share a battle that I found really interesting. My lineup wasn’t exactly a powerhouse, but surprisingly, it turned out to deliver something completely unexpected.

The whole twist began with the rulesets. This time it was Even Stevens and Target Practice, with a mana cap of 36. Available elements: Fire, Life, Death, and Dragon.

The moment I saw Target Practice, my first thought was: “Okay, every monster on the field is going to have Snipe.” Usually, that’s a pain because non-melee monsters become easy targets. So, my strategy was simple: avoid non-melee monsters as much as possible and go full-on melee with strong armor support.

For the summoner, I went with ETERNAN BRUNE. The reason was clear—his ability to reduce 2 points of enemy armor makes for a strong opening.

Here’s my lineup:

• Antoid Platoon (shield, front tank)
• Chimney Wallstop (reach, repair, bloodlust – the main spearhead)
• Ferox Defender (protect, repair – crucial to keeping armor intact)
• Battering Ram (opportunity – small but super annoying)
• Iidri Fyre (taunt, redemption – bait that creates early chaos)

Now, for the opponent’s team.

They used Helios Matriarch (+1 speed and conscript). Their formation looked solid:

• Nimbledook Explorer (tank with protect)
• Pelacor Conjurer (flying, cheap but effective)
• Berix Snakeye (weapon training)
• Helmet Kharafax (bloodlust + scavenger, boosted by weapon training)
• Aves Sturgis (also weapon training)
• Supply Runner (ranged support)

Looking at that lineup, I was honestly nervous—especially with Helmet Kharafax ready to become a dual-attack monster thanks to weapon training.

🔥 The Battle

Round 1

Iidri Fyre immediately became the victim of those snipe attacks. He went down before the round even hit the halfway mark, but his redemption effect chipped away at enemy HP. Meanwhile, Chimney Wallstop destroyed Nimbledook Explorer in the front, triggering his first bloodlust. That was epic!

Round 2

Antoid Platoon got ganged up on by Helmet Kharafax, Supply Runner, and Aves Sturgis—he fell quickly. But Chimney stole the spotlight again, knocking out Pelacor Conjurer and getting another bloodlust boost. Ferox Defender was busy repairing armor, while Battering Ram chipped away at Aves Sturgis.

Round 3

The enemy focused more on Chimney Wallstop, but he held his ground. At the same time, Battering Ram sent Aves Sturgis packing. Not bad at all for a tiny monster with just 1 attack point.

Round 4

Chimney turned into a wrecking machine, this time wiping out Berix Snakeye. Ferox kept repairing armor, keeping the team solid, while Battering Ram switched targets to Supply Runner.

Round 5

The most satisfying moment: Chimney slammed Helmet Kharafax with 9 damage, leaving him hanging on, only to be finished off by Battering Ram. Supply Runner was the last one standing, but by the next round, it was game over. Victory was ours! 💥

For the full battle replay, you can watch it here:

👉 LINK BATTLE 👈

---

Key Takeaways from This Battle

• Battering Ram – Honestly, I didn’t expect much from this tiny monster. But thanks to opportunity, he kept hitting weak targets and ended up being a major contributor.
• Chimney Wallstop – Definitely a true Hidden Gem. Paired with Ferox Defender’s repairs, his bloodlust snowballed into a force that wiped out the enemy lineup.
• The melee-only strategy worked wonders. The opponent expected snipe attacks to mess up my formation, but since I barely brought any non-melee units, their advantage was wasted.

Thinking back, this battle offers a valuable lesson for newer players. Sometimes, small or underrated monsters can have a huge impact if played under the right ruleset. That’s why guilds and communities are so helpful—sharing strategies like this helps us all learn how to read the battlefield better.

The biggest lesson from this fight: never underestimate small cards or odd strategies. Hidden Gems can become game-changers when used wisely.

My short advice: always pay close attention to rulesets and monster abilities. Sometimes victory doesn’t depend on who has the most expensive cards, but on who can read the situation best and maximize each card’s potential.

See you in the next arena, Summoners! ⚔️

Talk about Splinterlands,
If you haven't tried out this fantastic game called Splinterlands yet, I invite you to Join.
It's free, but you'll need to invest in a beginning deck or buy gaming cards to gain real assets like cards and tokens.

---

If you already joined the splinterlands, and are looking for a place to grow. We need YOU. We are a chill, social guild looking for a few more active members! If you think you might be a fit, join us in our Discord