The Underdog Strikes Back: My Battle Against Lily Shieldpaw

Hello, Splinterlands warriors!
How’s it going today? I’ve got a little story to share—one battle that became the highlight of my day. It wasn’t just about having powerful or expensive cards, but all about strategy and smart monster placement.

This time, I faced one of the most feared legendary archons out there: Lily Shieldpaw. Yep, Lily's Support and Camouflage abilities can really mess up your reading of enemy formations and make her team hard to hit. But in this ruleset—Lost Legendaries, Weak Magic, and Tis But Scratches—everything turned upside down.

With a mana cap of 44 and available elements being Life, Fire, and Dragon, I quickly leaned toward the Life element. Why? Because I’ve got a solid archon who never disappoints: Franz Ruffmane. This guy is amazing at boosting team performance, especially when building a physical-attack-centered strategy.

My Go-To Formation

Here’s how I set up my team:

• Franz Ruffmane as the archon
• Drybone Barbarian as the front tank
• Olivia of the Brook for support with Mimic
• Djinn Renova for magic attacks and healing
• Captain Katie, the bloodlusting killer
• Thanalorian Archer, a sniper unit
• Uraeus, the sneaky assassin with poison

Now, I didn’t choose this team just because they’re big hitters. The real strength lies in the mix: physical attacks, magic, poison, and speed—it all worked together like a charm.

The Battle Begins...

Round 1 kicked off with a bang.
The opponent’s Supply Runner struck my Drybone Barbarian, triggering his Enrage ability! That boost in damage let him retaliate hard, taking down both Forgotten One and Radiated Brute—along with himself. A fair trade! Then Molten Ash Golem moved up and—bam!—got poisoned by Uraeus. Uh-oh, things were heating up!

In Round 2, Uraeus's poison continued to chip away at the Golem’s HP until it dropped. I did lose Olivia of the Brook to a magic attack, but Captain Katie got revenge by eliminating Djinn Apprentice, which activated her Bloodlust. Her damage ramped up fast! Meanwhile, Djinn Inferni also got poisoned.

Round 3, and the poison finished off Djinn Inferni. Only Supply Runner was left. Even though it got healing support from Lily Shieldpaw, a combination of attacks from Thanalorian Archer, Djinn Renova, and Captain Katie sealed the deal. Victory was mine!

What Can We Learn?

This battle was a clear example of how important timing and monster placement are. I knew Drybone would Enrage after the first hit, letting him strike back harder. Olivia, placed right behind him, gave a support boost even though she eventually fell—helping Djinn Renova make her next move count.

Captain Katie was the MVP. Once she got a kill, Bloodlust made her unstoppable. And don’t underestimate Uraeus! That poison effect can quietly wear down even the most armored foes.

The best part? Despite facing the crowd-favorite legendary Lily Shieldpaw, I managed to win by sticking to a solid combo and making full use of the ruleset. In Weak Magic, cards like Djinn Apprentice and Djinn Inferni don’t hit as hard, and Tis But Scratches made small attacks more meaningful over time.

If you're curious, you can watch the full battle here:
For the full battle replay, you can watch it here:

👉 LINK BATTLE 👈

A Note for New Players

If you're just starting out, this battle is proof that you don’t need all the overpowered or legendary cards to win. Learn the rulesets, use poison, martyr, or enrage effects wisely, and place your monsters strategically. Many Soulbound or Common cards can shine if you play them right.

Don’t be afraid to learn and experiment!
Don’t always rely on big monsters. Sometimes, the small, cheap, and overlooked ones are the key to victory. Understand the ruleset, build synergistic combos, and most importantly—enjoy the fight. Because every win isn’t just about the reward—it’s about the satisfaction of seeing your strategy actually work. 😎

Talk about Splinterlands,
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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.

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