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^{This post was made as entry for Splinterlands Social Media Challenge}
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Some Splinterlands units are all about doing one job really well and Spinetail Fiend is one of those. It doesn’t try to tank damage or support your team it just focuses on putting pressure with solid melee attack. At only 6 mana it’s efficient and can be slotted into many low-to-mid mana battles but this is only true in Frontier Mode battles.

Of course being fragile means you have to protect it or find ways to make it last longer in battle. Still for a common unit, it delivers more than you’d expect especially as a second tank. In this article we’ll go through why I find Spinetail Fiend very useful and can be a smart pick and when it might not be worth putting in your lineup.

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Let's talk about… Spinetail Fiend

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Lore:

Spinetail fiends are bestial predators from the lower planes that stalk the bogs and reed-choked wetlands of the Fenmoor Basin. They feed on flesh and fear, hunting in small packs with cruel, honed instincts. They strike from the mist, unseen until it’s too late. Their name comes from the tails: whip-like things lined with spines, made to tear through meat and shatter bone.
Locals speak of a sudden stillness, hoarse barks in the fog, and the cold certainty that spinetail fiends are closing in. Chances are, they already have.
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Other part of the lore can be found in this link…

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Stats:

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Mana: 6	Rarity: Common
Damage: 3 melee	Armor: 0
Speed: 4	Health: 5

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Abilities
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Spinetail Fiend has no abilities.



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Buy and Rent:

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At $0.600 for a max level Spinetail Fiend the price is extremely cheap for a fully leveled common. You’re getting a card with 3 melee attack and good speed at a cost that’s almost nothing compared to higher rarity cards. This is obvious since this unit has no abilities and yet does not have that high stats but can still be useful in certain battles. For players building budget decks or filling gaps in their Frontier Mode team, Spinetail Fiend is absolutely worth buying.

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There’s no rental price available right now for Spinetail Fiend which makes it hard to judge. You can get it through loot chests in Frontier Mode though so you can get it for free if you want. Given its 3 melee damage at max level, it could be a good unit during certain rule sets. In general though it should be worth trying to get some through battles or buying it from themarket if you can grab it at a low DEC price.

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Rule Sets:

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Use it in...

Melee attack Units can attack from any position. Spinetail Fiend becomes a real threat in Melee Mayhem since its 3 melee damage can hit from anywhere on the field. This makes it much more flexible as it can contribute right away even outside the first position. It also allows you to safely place it deeper in your lineup where it won’t take too much damage while dealing its own.

All melee units have Sneak (targets the enemy unit in the last position). With Sneak stacking on every melee unit, this rule set is almost perfect for Spinetail Fiend. It joins the rest of your melee lineup in overwhelming the opponent’s backline which is where healers and damage dealers usually placed. The Spinetail Fiend’s 4 speed also makes sure it gets hits in quickly before those units can respond.

All units have Reach (can use melee attacks from the second position). Maneuvers rule set may not be as useful and flexible as Melee Mayhem rule set but Spinetail Fiend still benefits by gaining Reach and striking right behind your tank (or placing Spinetail Fiend in the front while your main tank deals damage behind it). This keeps it actively contributing damage while not being exposed to the enemy frontline immediately. With 3 melee damage it works well in this role and can pressure opponents from the second position safely.

Avoid using it in...

Units lose the Sneak and Snipe abilities. Spinetail Fiend loses a lot of its identity here since you cannot give it Sneak or other abilities that allow it to attack from afar. Without the ability to sit back and attack targets from the rear, it has to fight up front which makes its low health a liability. This rule set really exposes how fragile it is when Spinetail Fiend is forced into direct combat from the front.

Magic attacks hit Armor before reducing Health. Normally, Weak Magic helps low armor units but Spinetail Fiend doesn’t even have armor to begin with so it gains nothing here. Opponents who rely on magic damage won’t be slowed down by this rule set which makes Spinetail just as vulnerable as always. It ends up being one of the least useful cards in this rule set.

All Units start the battle Poisoned. With only 5 health and no way to cleanse or heal itself, Spinetail Fiend melts down fast in this rule set. Even if it lands some good hits, the poison damage will quickly take it out before you can get value from it. Unless paired with strong supports, Spinetail Fiend is just not worth using in this rule set.

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Battle Summary...

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Watchus Fighticus! Replay battles that are oh-so-victorious!
Click here to watch the full battle!

Battle Strat: When I have extra mana to spare, I always add Spinetail Fiend in the front to act as a second tank. Usually, you put the one with Void or Shield first to reduce the damage and save Spinetail Fiend in case they fall but not me. In Frontier Mode, there are very limited units you can use so usually, you can expect a mix of damage which makes units with only Shield or only Void very fragile. I use Spinetail Fiend to soak up some of the melee damage and once my back line were able to reduce the enemy's damage dealers, that's when my main tank goes to the front.

Battle Summary: This strategy is very effective. In this battle, the rules doesn't really give benefit for me and the enemy player. This makes it an easy battle to control and with me having two tanks, Spinetail Fiend and Nim Guard Captain, the flow of battle easily went towards my favor. The enemy also used a Taunt unit while being in the Ferocity rule set which is a no-no. All my units gain Fury which deals double damage to any unit with Taunt making its Taunt unit very squishy in this battle.

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Disclaimer

Other photos and images that I used in this post can be found in these websites below:

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About the Author

<sup>Hey! I’m Mavis the Muggle, your friendly Splinterlands addict with a slight obsession for all things Harry Potter. 🧙‍
When I’m not immersed in gaming or wizardry, I’m busy learning new things. Recently, I’ve been having putting a lot of effort and having a blast creating content on Hive so relax!

You can support me by upvoting this post, reblogging, leaving a comment below or by using my Splinterlands referral link.</sup>

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^{║ ║}
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Life is like a camera. Focus on what's important. Capture the good times. And if things don't work out, just take another shot.
- Ziad K. Abdelnour