Hello there.
For this week's Engagement Challenge, the team asked us to share and discuss our favorite battle lineup. Some players might be hesitant to do so, especially if it is a team that wins a lot. I personally don't mind, and have been sharing my strategies and team composition for a long time now.
I make it a point to have 2-3 teams viable for each element, and I have preferences for low or high mana battles. I also have a go to team for when an attack type is not available, or is the only one available. This mostly boils down to experience, and what I feel at the moment. But, if there are little to no restrictions, one of my go to is my Earth team in Survival.
I have just started my run in survival, but this was also my go to setup when Chaos Legion was still available in Modern. I can say that this team can beat even full Gold teams, and even Diamond teams when they are not expecting it. I will try to explain the parts of the team in more detail below.
Archon
First, is the summoners. The main win condition of the deck is a Gladiator card, so we need either Lobb Lowland, or Helios Matriarch to use it. If the ruleset is "Are you not entertained" or during a Brawl battle, these can be replaced. Between the two, I prefer Helios for more flexibility, and increasing Speed is always good, while decreasing the opponent's speed can be useless [if one or more of the opponent's monsters are already at 1 speed].
Core
Katrelba Gobson is the most important monster, and the win condition of this team. Its Bloodlust can make it scale quickly and obliterate the opponent's team in a blink of an eye. The higher level the level of Katrelba, the better. Mine is only at level 5, but getting that Snare can be clutch, especially if the opponent has a Flying monster near the backline.
Thane Newsong with its Inspire makes Katrelba deadlier and stronger. I have a level 3, so the Strengthen can make the team just a little bit tankier, and I can't count how many times that has proven clutch. It is a nice to have, but the team is still plenty strong even without it.
To take advantage of Katrelba's Bloodlust, I like to use a Protect monster. Once Katrelba gets a kill, it gets a +1 armor, and that can help its survivability a lot. Queen Mycelia is my choice most of the time, but in high mana battles I like to use Arkemis the Bear as a secondary tank. If one of these three* [Mycelia or Arkemis; I don't use them together] cards are not available, I avoid using this team.
Taunter
Using a Taunt monsters is not limited to this team, but is something that I frequently do if possible. Taunt monsters can split the target of the opponent's attack, which in turn can help both it and my front tank monster to survive longer. The Taunt also helps make sure my Katrelba is safely able to attack. I use Mycelic Slipspawn or Syrenth depending on whether I expect my opponent to use Magic or not. If it is a high mana battle, I will use Terraceous Hulk for its high stats and to work against all attack types.
Setup Damage
I named them Setup Damage, because doing damage is not their primary purpose. For Uraeus and Vruz, they are faster than Katrelba and can usually remove the Protect armor of the monster in the backline. Thane's Inspire makes this possible, and makes Dhampir deadlier. Dhampir Infiltrator is slower than Katrelba and can sometimes make the last blow, but with its Double Strike, it can set up Katrelba next turn if it does steal the kill.
I prefer using Infiltrator for the additional damage if I can, but in a pinch, I will use Uraeus over Vruz just for that extra 1 damage. In low mana battles, Vruz is the one I use as a last resort.
Carnage Titan is a special mention since I will only use it during 99 mana battles with Grund. It becomes a secondary win condition in its own, where I kill their team from both front and back.
Front Tank
My front tank is the last card I consider. Because of that, it is the most flexible and relies on how much mana is left over. For low mana battles, Halfling Refugee and Hill Giant are my go to monsters. In high mana battles, it mostly depends on the rulesets and what my opponent uses. I can go Djinn Chwala if there is reach, or Grund if I want to burst my opponent. I prefer Endless Ape and Pelacor Mercenary if possible because of their survivability.
But again, this is very flexible depending on the rulesets. I can use Gargoya Lion for the Void, or Lurking Puffer if there is Briar Patch in a low mana battle. In really low mana, I can even use Kra'ar Xoc, and put Thane in front. The combinations are plentiful.
Overall, this is my favorite lineup because of its flexibility. It can work in low mana battles, as well as in high mana battles with a few tweaks. In survival, I frequently run this a lot, and would just mix it up a little with other elements to keep my opponents guessing what I will use. My Life team is a front to back type, while my Water is an Opportunity Possibilus team, so this Earth Sneak team hits them even harder.
That is it for me breaking down my favorite team. Don't hesitate to let me know what you think, and if you have suggestions for improvement. And as always, these are Not Financial Advice, and Do Your Own Research.
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