Speed Kills: When Power Isn't Enough
Hey Splinterlands warriors,
Welcome back to this week’s Splinterlands social media challenge post! Today, I want to share a personal battle story that reminded me—yet again—that speed can completely flip a match upside down.
It All Started With Confidence…
The rulesets were MELEE MAYHEM and LOST MAGIC. So, no magic monsters, and melee units could strike from any position. Perfect chance to go full melee with tough tanks and armored brawlers.
For my lineup, I went with Drybone Raider, Hugo Strongsword, Dumacke Orc, and Disintegrator, all led by Ranz Ruffmane as the archon. Ranz gives extra armor, and my monsters were built to take hits and hit back hard. I felt pretty confident that I had this one in the bag. After all, I expected my opponent to use melee or ranged monsters too. I thought I was prepared.
But man… I was wrong.
Enter Kelya Frendul: The Speed Trap
My opponent used Kelya Frendul, an archon that buffs both armor and speed. At first glance, the armor bonus didn’t worry me much. But the speed… oh boy.
They fielded Commander Slade at the front, with support from Deep Lurker, Sergeant Grauzral, and Supply Runner. All of them had base speeds of 3 or more—and with buffs from Kelya and their abilities, each one moved like they had rockets in their boots.
From round one, the problem was crystal clear. My monsters kept missing. Hugo’s swing? Missed. Drybone Raider? Missed again. Even Retaliate from Disintegrator missed multiple times. It was like my team was chasing shadows—trying to tag sprinters in a foggy race.
One by one, my monsters fell. And the craziest part? My opponent’s formation stayed completely intact until the end.
Lessons Learned
This battle hit me with a harsh but valuable truth: Speed matters.
Not just because it lets you strike first—but because high speed combined with abilities like Dodge or Flying makes your monsters almost untouchable.
Even if your team has great attack power, it means nothing if your hits don’t land.
The enemy’s synergy was perfect. Every card contributed to the theme: fast, durable, and deadly. Their formation was smooth, efficient, and ideal for the mana cap and ruleset.
If you’re new to Splinterlands, this is something to take seriously. Many beginners get caught up in raw attack and armor, but underestimating speed can cost you everything.
If you're curious, you can watch the full battle here:
For the full battle replay, you can watch it here:
Sometimes it only takes one battle to teach a big lesson—and this one sure did that for me.
So here’s my advice:
Whenever you see a ruleset that limits magic and encourages melee, don’t just think about armor and brute force. Think speed. Think evasion. Because if your opponent plays smart with fast, agile units, you might not even get a chance to hit them.
And lastly, don’t get overconfident—what looks strong on paper might just be training fodder for a smarter opponent 😅
Until next time, keep battling and keep learning, Splinterfam! 💥
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Thanks for sharing! - @underlock
