Eight Abilities, Eight Ways to Lose

Hello Splinterlands warriors, welcome back to my little notes continuing yesterday’s post—one that isn’t just about winning or losing, but also about admiration, confusion, and sometimes shaking my head at how this game keeps getting more and more serious.

This February, Escalation: The Conclave Arcana Mini-Set doesn’t just arrive with new cards, but also with 8 new abilities that, honestly, feel like they were deliberately designed to speed up the tempo of war. If in the past many battles ended as contests of patience and RNG mind games, now it feels more like: whoever mispositions, goes home first.

When I first read the list of abilities, I thought, “This isn’t adding features—this is adding stress.” But after trying to anticipate how these abilities work, that’s actually where the fun lies.

The first ability that immediately put me on alert is Apex Strike. Simply put, monsters with this ability will attack the enemy with the highest Power. This means monsters that were usually safe because they hid in the back or used Camouflage can suddenly become targets.

Take DARKGUARD IRONWING, for example, with a 2-point ranged attack—it looks small, but it always targets the most dangerous enemy. It’s like a sniper that doesn’t care about position, only about who hurts the most.

Then there’s Bloodline Pact, an ability that feels like family drama. One bloodline, one fate. If one member kills an enemy, all of them grow stronger. But if one dies, everyone suffers.

Monsters like MAUD STONEFOOT with 0 mana become interesting—cheap, but with potentially huge impact. This ability teaches one thing: if you’re playing combos, don’t do it halfway. Either protect them fully, or destroy everything outright.

Bulwark makes me smile wryly. When this monster is placed in the front position, its Power drops, but its HP and Armor spike. It turns into an instant tank.

SILVER SHIELD SENTRY, for example, can suddenly become a living shield. The strategy is clear: put it there not to attack, but to buy time.

The most “mischievous” ability is Decoy. It’s like a selective version of Taunt, drawing attacks from Snipe, Apex Strike, and Opportunity.

LIVING BERM with Poison Burst is a classic example: it gets attacked by everyone, but the attackers end up poisoned. Sometimes you lose—but while laughing.

Determined, in my opinion, is the most annoying yet fairest ability. If an attack misses, it attacks again. So skills like Dodge, Flying, and Phase no longer feel safe.

OBSIDIAN DREADCORE with massive damage and Determined is a nightmare: miss once, and you’d better brace yourself for another hit.

Then there’s Flame Fed, an ability that turns the concept of “burning” into irony. Burning is usually a punishment—now it becomes a buff.

IGNITED ALCHEMIST actually grows stronger when burned. It teaches one thing: sometimes a debuff is just a matter of perspective.

Reprisal is also interesting, because monsters that deal huge damage are forced into the spotlight. If they deal more than 5 damage, they automatically gain Taunt.

Take PHELGMOST as an example—after gaining Taunt, it gets swarmed, and with Fury in play, it can be killed very quickly.

The most philosophical ability, in my view, is Shadow Focus. The monster in the last position gains Camouflage and cannot attack, but the entire team gets +1 Power and Determined.

FIREBRAND RANGER becomes a real dilemma: do you use it to attack, or sacrifice it for a team-wide buff? It’s like a team captain sitting on the bench while all the players become stronger.

From the community side, these abilities have brought discussions back to life. Many new players are helped because it’s no longer just about expensive cards, but about positioning and understanding mechanics. On Hive, people will start sharing formations, not just showing off wins.

The biggest lesson I take from this is that the new meta teaches us to dare to take risks, while still understanding the consequences. There is no such thing as a completely “safe” position anymore.

And from me to all of you: don’t just memorize the abilities—feel their impact in battle. Because in Splinterlands, theory matters, but experience is what will keep you alive.

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