When Tanks Decide the Game in the Right Ruleset

Hey Splinterlands friends!
This week I’m still diving into rulesets and strategies in the game. And this time, I want to share a couple of fun battles I just played. The focus? Solid defense. Yep, sometimes it’s not about who strikes the fastest—it’s about who can hold the line the longest while frustrating the opponent. And these two matches make a great comparison.

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Battle One: Alva the Crusher in Fog of War

The Fog of War ruleset always changes the game’s rhythm. With sneak, snipe, and opportunity turned off, every attack is forced straight at the frontline tank. That’s where having a super tough tank makes all the difference.

I placed Alva the Crusher as my main wall. He’s got two crucial abilities: Shield to reduce melee and ranged damage, and Retaliate to punish anyone who dares to swing at him. Paired with the Counterspell ruleset, my opponent avoided magic monsters altogether—giving Alva even more freedom to shine.

The lineup looked like this:

• Noa the Just to chip away at armor,
• Kulu Mastermind with weapon training,
• Disintegrator with demoralize,
• Swamp Spitter for armor repair,
• and a Martyr, placed Venari Marksrat, boosting Alva when it fell.

The result? Just as expected—Alva dominated. My opponent wasted energy hammering away at his defenses, only to get punished by Retaliate. With consistent armor repair and the demoralize debuff, breaking through was nearly impossible.

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

👉 LINK BATTLE 👈

Battle Two: Dumacke Orc, the Living Wall

Next up, I faced Possibilus the Wise, a summoner notorious for his melee spam combos—usually a nightmare if he’s paired with monsters like Drybone Raider or Venator Kinjo.

This time, I tried a slightly different approach:

• Gargoya Lion upfront with Void for magic resistance,
• Disintegrator again with Demoralize,
• Scavo Hireling for repair,
• Uraeus with poison,
• Halfling Refugee for sustain and damage,
• and Dumacke Orc as my second wall, packing Shield + Retaliate.

I used Archon Eternan Brune, which stripped 2 armor from all enemies at the start. That one move slowed my opponent’s melee assault to a crawl. And then Dumacke Orc did the rest—each time he got hit, Retaliate fired back, chipping away at their frontline until their team crumbled.

By combining a sturdy “magic wall” in front and a “melee wall” at the back under the Super Sneak ruleset, I managed to flip the fight and claim victory.

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

👉 LINK BATTLE 👈

Retaliate: The Counter That Breaks Opponents

If there’s one ability that stole the spotlight in both matches, it’s hands down Retaliate.

Think about it:

• In Fog of War, every attack is forced onto the tank. If that tank has Retaliate, every strike has a chance to backfire. It’s like having built-in thorns that make opponents regret swinging in the first place.
• Against Possibilus the Wise, whose whole identity revolves around spamming melee attacks, Retaliate is even nastier. Dumacke Orc turned their aggression into a weapon against them—proof that sometimes the best defense is literally an automatic counterattack.

In short, Retaliate isn’t just a side perk. Under the right ruleset, it can decide the entire battle.

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Fog of War vs Super Sneak: Two Opposite Worlds

When you think about it, Fog of War and Super Sneak are like two sides of the same coin.

• Fog of War → All focus is on the frontline. Tanks reign supreme, armor repair and healing are priceless, and Retaliate shines brightest.
• Super Sneak → All melee attacks dive straight to the back. Suddenly, rear positions become critical—even small support monsters that usually hide safely can be targeted first. Tanks are still important, but you need a “mini-tank” at the tail as insurance.

These rulesets force you to rethink positioning. In Fog of War, you build a front wall. In Super Sneak, you need to fortify the back wall.

Here’s what I took away from these matches:

1. Counters are gold. Retaliate, Demoralize, and debuffs make enemies beat themselves.
2. Never underestimate tanks. Choosing the wrong tank in Fog of War can mean an instant loss.
3. Rulesets = meta shifts. Fog of War turns tanks into kings, while Super Sneak makes rear protection critical.
4. Durability > quick damage. Sometimes, the winner isn’t the one who hits first, but the one who lasts longer.

So, if you’re playing under Fog of War, don’t just think about big damage. Prioritize defense. A sturdy tank with Retaliate and reliable support can completely turn the match.

And on the flip side, always stay flexible. The meta can shift drastically with just a single ruleset change.

Now I’m curious—what’s your go-to lineup for Fog of War?

Let’s share and experiment—because in Splinterlands, the best strategies often come from the most surprising ideas!

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