[Splinterlands] Fear the Might of Chaos Knight!!!

This is my entry to the Splinterlands Share Your Battle featuring CHAOS KNIGHT. If you want to join in this challenge, you can check this link. Alright, let's start first with the monster's lore, then deep dive into its compatible summoners, monster's stats & abilities, and the highlighted battle.

CHAOS KNIGHT

Chaos Knights are most often found at the front line of the Chaos Legion's invading forces, although they are sometimes enlisted to defend garrisons, leadership, and other high-value assets. They are heavily armored and wield massive battle axes that are able to cut down even the mightiest of foes.

Those of the Order of the Silver Shield stood waiting as the Legion of Chaos closed the distance between the two armies. The Shieldbearers in the front rank planted their shields firmly in the earth and set their feet, while archers and mages readied their bows and their spells. Those wielding melee weapons tightened their grips on their hafts and hilts, ready to charge once the Shieldbearers had born the brunt of the initial assault.

At the head of the column opposite them, Chaos Knights led the charge, the throng behind them screaming and jostling to be the first into battle. The heavily armored knights hefted battle axes that were impossibly large, and those of the Order of the Silver Shield eyed them warily.

Arrows flew. Spells were flung. At last, the two armies met, clashing together with a violent ringing of steel on steel. The Shieldbearers leaned into their shields, preparing to give those in the rear as much time as possible to inflict their lethal ranged damage. But when the Chaos Knights swung their mighty battle axes, the Shieldbearers could not hold the line. They staggered backward. Another swing, and the Order's front rank broke.

Then the Legions of Chaos swarmed over them.

CHAOS KNIGHT is one of the newest additions in the Life Splinter from the Chaos Legion release. I considered CHAOS KNIGHT as one of the most high priority tank for low to mid mana cap. Aside from tanking the damage from enemy monsters, CHAOS KNIGHT is lethal againts high mana monsters and best partnered with melee monsters on your team.

STATS and ABILITIES

At its initial level, a 2 melee attack with SHIELD ability is already a good qualities for a tank. With only 6 mana requirement, it has a decent Armor and HP suitable against melee and ranged attacking monsters.

While at its max level, it has 3 melee damage, 3 speed, 5 armor and 6 HP as its max stats. While having SHIELD, GIANT KILLER, and INSPIRE at its abilities at max level.

Abilities:

ABILITY
	SHIELD: Reduced damage from Melee and Ranged attacks. The damage to monsters with SHIELD is computed as half of the attack power, rounded up (aside from 1 damage). Earthquake and Thorns are considered melee damage so SHIELD can also reduce the damage from it 1 melee or ranged attack = 0 damage 2 melee or ranged attack = 1 damage 3 melee or ranged attack = 2 damage (1.5 rounded up to 2)
	GIANT KILLER: Does double damage against targets that cost 10 or more mana. This is the best counter against monsters with high mana requirement. With the release of Chaos Legion, a lot of monsters with high mana requirement is introduced. There were also a change in the mana cap requirment in each battle where in we can now see mana cap of 50 to 60 instead of just 40+ then 99. This means that we will now see a lot of high mana matches especially on higher league
	INSPIRE: Gives all friendly monsters with +1 Melee attack. This can increase your team damage when you are using melee monsters with SNEAK or OPPORTUNITY abiltity

SUMMONER COMPATIBILITY

	SUMMONER COMPATIBILITY
	CHANSEUS THE GREAT is the one of the legendary Summoner from Life Splinter. It has ARMOR REPAIR, TRIAGE and RESURRECT which is a perfect support combo. CHAOS KNIGHT can benefit from the armor repair provided by this summoner and as well as the resurrect ability in case it gets taken down.
	THE PEAKRIDER is also a legendary Summoner from Life Splinter. This summoner can reduced the damage of ranged monsters by 1 and also provides a +3 additional armor to all frienly monsters. In a match where magic monsters are restricted, it can be a good tandem with CHAOS KNIGHT especially againts a Heavy Ranged line-up lead by General Sloan or other Summoners with ranged buff damage.
	LORNA SHINE provides all friendly monsters with DIVINE SHIELD ability at the start of the battle. This is also a good defensive buff since it can also absorb magic damage as well.
	TYRUS PALADIUM provides all friendly monsters with additional +1 armor
	MOTHER KHALA provides all friendly monsters with additional +1 HP

There are other Summoners from Dragon Splinter that is also good to combine with Life's CHAOS KNIGHT like DARIA DRAGONSCALE for added Melee damage, or BYZANTINE KITTY for the +2 Speed, 100% hit rate, and Tank Heal. We can also use QUIX THE DEVIOUS for a defensive strategy against ranged monsters.

FEATURED BATTLE

https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_85c6489ae3851cf841070538963970e5&ref=jpleron

Battle Condition	Description
Rule #1	EQUALIZER - The initial Health of all Monsters is equal to that of the Monster on either team with the highest base Health.
Rule #2	RISE OF THE COMMONS - Only Common and Rare Monsters may be used in battles
Mana Cap	42
Allowed Splinter	Fire, Life, Water, and Dragon

MY LINE-UP

CARDS	Description
	Quix the Devious reduces the ranged damage and speed of all enemy monsters. I opted to use this summoner because I want to play defensively by reducing ranged damaged using this summoner. This will work well with the SHIELD ability of Chaos Knight
	CHAOS KNIGHT, our featured monster in this week's challenge, has a mediocre HP, Armor, Speed and Melee damage. It has SHIELD ability which will greatly reduced the damage of melee and ranged damage from opponent. Even though CHAOS KNIGHT has mediocre HP for a tank, with the help from Equalizer ruleset, its HP increases to 9 HP for this battle.
	DISINTEGRATOR has a medium melee damage with DEMORALIZE ability. This will reduce the damage of melee monsters on opponent side. This is a good combination with SHIELD ability to further reduced the melee damage.
	ELVEN MYSTIC, is a Neutral monster with magic damage and SILENCE ability at level 4. My strategy in this match is to reduced damage from all types of attack from melee, ranged or magic. SILENCE ability will reduced the damage from opponent's magic monster
	VENARI CRYSTALSMITH has a ranged attack with TANK HEAL ability. This will help our tank, CHAOS KNIGHT, to survice longer in the match.
	PELACOR ARBALEST is a Life Splinter ranged monster with DOUBLE STRIKE ability. With DOUBLE STRIKE ability, it can attack twice in each round providing most of the damage from our line-up.
	SUPPLY RUNNER is a Neutral Ranged monster with SWIFT ability. With SWIFT ability, it can increase the speed of all friendly monsters by 1. Speed can also be used as in defensive mode by increasing your chance to evade attacks. Speed can also determined the attack order in every round.

ROUND 1

At the start of the round, we were able to reduced the melee and ranged damage of enemy monsters with the help of Quix the Devious's buff and Disintegrator's Demoralize ability. Their damage towards CHAOS KNIGHT was further trim down with the help its SHIELD ability.

Our attacks were also focused on a single monster that was why we were able to take down one monster each round. SEA MONSTER did not have time to recover HP as we were able to burst it down.

With the Speed buff from SPEED RUNNER, enemy's SAND WORM's attack never hit our monster.

Ranged attacks coming from enemy's CRUSTACEAN KING and WATER ELEMENTAL were reduced to zero damage.

ROUND 2

At the end of round 2, we were able to take down another monster from enemy line-up. Enemy's FLYING SQUID melee attack was reduced to 1 and its damage was further reduced to zero with the SHIELD ability.

Same with what happened in round 1, SAND WORM's attack never connected to SPEED RUNNER because of the speed difference.

ROUND 3

In round 3, we were able to take down enemy's DEEP LURKER. We were able to take down 1 monster in each round given that all monsters have the same HP equal to 9. It took the enemy 3 rounds just to destroy the armor of CHAOS KNIGHT.

ROUND 4

At the end of round 4, we were able to took down the last melee monster from enemy line-up. With both of enemy's ranged monsters has zero damage towards CHAOS KNIGHT, it is a secured victory already.

ROUND 5

We eliminated CRUSTACEAN KING and left the enemy with WATER ELEMENTAL only.

ROUND 6

We failed to eliminate WATER ELEMENTAL in this round because of the self Healing ability.

This is the only round where we failed to kill one monster.

ROUND 7

End of the match. There's no way we will lose since the only card in opponent side will not attack and the self Heal is not enought to sustain the damage from our attacks

Check this link to watch the full battle replay:
https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_85c6489ae3851cf841070538963970e5&ref=jpleron

SUMMARY

Did your strategy work?

• My strategy is to go with a full defensive line-up by reducing the damage from all kinds of attack. Quix the Devious reduces the ranged damage. Disintegrator reduces the melee damage with the use of Demoralize ability. Elven Mystic reduces the magic damage with the use of Silence ability. I also had Swift ability to increase the speed of our monsters, which helps in evading attacks from opponent.

• As you can notice, enemy's Sand Worm never made a successful hit to our monsters. The speed difference between Sand Worm and Speed Runner is only 3, which means a 30% chance for Supply Runner to evade attacks from Sand Worm. But I guess luck is on our side as Speed Runner was able to evade 3 consecutive attacks from Sand Worm

• Then to complete our defensive strategy, we had CHAOS KNIGHT's SHIELD ability to further reduced the damage from melee and ranged attacks.

• The Tank Heal from Venari Crystalsmith was never triggered in this match as only the armor of CHAOS KNIGHT was destroyed.

What will you try differently next time?

• If only Sand Worm's attacks hit our Speed Runner, Sand Worm only needs 2 turn to eliminate Speed Runner. Deep Lurker can also help Sand Worm to attack our backline monsters. Given this information, I may have use The Peakrider as the summoner to give additional armor to our monsters. I may also use monsters with Armor Repair like Armorsmith or Lone Boatman to repair the armor provided by Peakrider or Tyrus Paladium.

VERDICT | Is CHAOS KNIGHT a good card?

• CHAOS KNIGHT is really a good tank pick for Life Splinter. To be honest, I still prefer SHIELDBEARER as my main tank because it has the TAUNT ability which can better protect backline monster. But with CHAOS KNIGHT's unique combination of abilities, it's also good pick especially with the INSPIRE and GIANT KILLER combination.

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