If your Monsters could never be missed,
Which ones would you choose to enlist?
The slowpokes, the stunners,
The OP big gunners?
Choose well and your foe will be pissed.
Welcome back to the Ruleset Strategy series, the series in which I take you one by one through the 27 Rulesets of Splinterlands.
What is a RuleSet?
Each time a player battles in Splinterlands, either one or two RuleSets is provided as part of the specific and unique parameters of that battle. These unique RuleSets are only one of the variables that ensure that no matter how many times you battle, the same battle will never happen twice.
For more details on RuleSets and a full list with enlarged icons, visit THIS POST.
Disclaminer: I'm not the best.
I may be pretty good at forming words into sentences, but I'm far from being one of the most skilled Splinterlands players. There will always be strategies and cards that I miss, and there are always plenty more tips and ideas from other players. Make sure that if you have a tip to add, you share it in the comments so that others may benefit.
Today we're discussing a Ruleset that (I think) gets everyone just a little bit excited when it pops up on the Enemy Found screen...
Aim True
This Ruleset is pretty straightforward. No fancy bells or whistles. No complex causalities. Melee and Ranged attacks always hit their target.
The first thing that this means to me is that Speed is not going to be a factor in this battle. Usually, Speed is the main Attribute that determines whether an attack hits or misses. This is why the Cyclops misses the Cocatrice approximately 100% of the time (unless the buffs and debuffs are just right).
Play the Slower Monsters
Since Speed is not a factor and the Range and Melee attacks will always land, you are given a rare opportunity in Aim True to play with Monsters that are much too risky to play in many other Rulesets. I'm talking mainly about slower Monsters. Not every low-speed Monster is ideal for the Reverse Speed Ruleset, which has a rigid reverse pattern. Low-speed Monsters with stun for example are extremely valuable in Aim True because they will land more attacks.
Don't use a Summoner that gives a buff or debuff to Speed. Of course you should always use the Summoners you have, but in this case you will be wasting the Summoner's power.
Edit (added 7/19 from @blog-beginner's comment)
This comment brought up a great point. Although I have never worried much about Speed in this Ruleset, another tactic is to pay extra attention to Speed. If you are able to attack with every one of your Monsters before the enemy can make a move, that is another nearly sure way to win.
Especially with Monsters who have Opportunity (which tend to have lower Health), Speed can make all the difference in whether or not they are able to land an attack before they die. Screeching Vulture is an excellent example. Thanks for the tip, @blog-beginner!
Some of my Favorite Abilities for Aim True
Poison
When I'm guaranteed a hit on every attack, I want to always make the most of them. The more opportunities I get to Poison the enemy team, the better off I'll be. I like Poison, but double Poison is even better in this Ruleset.
Stun
I like Stun for the same reason I like Poison. When I cannot miss, I am afforded more chances to use these precious 50% Abilities. I call them 50% Abilities because (unless altered by another Ability), they are triggered 50% of the time. One of my Splinterlands Golden Rules is Use every ability in each battle as many times as possible.
Thorns
Defensive Abilities like Thorns can be even more useful in the Aim True Ruleset than in Standard. Sometimes the only thing that saves you from perishing by Thorns and winning is a lucky and ironic miss. In Aim True, there is no missing, so Thorns always does some damage.
Retaliate
Retaliate is the best of both worlds: A 50% Ability that is also defensive. Retaliate is especially good in the back, often taking out the enemy's Sneaker before even going down. Retaliate and Thorns are a match made in heaven in this Ruleset.
Blast
You may think that Blast is the ultimate secret weapon for this Ruleset, but here is something to consider: The adjacent damage caused by Blast never misses in any Ruleset, but only if the core attack lands correctly. So while it is slightly better than normal, Blast is not lifted to some level of godly perfection. But it's still good enough to be one of my favorites.
Here are some Aim True Cards that I Like
Exploding Dwarf
Usually this guy is a bit of a gamble. For example, if you stick him in the front and he doesn't get a single attack off, you're most certainly going to lose. By contrast, if he lands 2 attacks, you'll almost definitely win. In Aim True, he's a little more predictable, and predictability is always a good thing when you're talking about Dwarves that explode.
Frozen Soldier
While I didn't mention it above, the Shield Ability is quite effective in the Aim True Ruleset, since a Monster with it can essentially take double the hits of a Monster without. Plus, if you can get the Frozen Soldier to level 5, it gains Reflect. From then on it is not only well-protected, but covered against Melee and Magic attacks. It should be noted that Reflect does not reduce damage from Magic attacks, so the Soldier is still vulnerable to powerful Magic.
Stone Golem
Right at level 1, the Stone Golem comes with 6 Health, 2 Armor and Shield, making him an excellent contender for beginners in the Aim True Ruleset. It also costs only 5 Mana, so it is easy to fit into any low-Mana battle. At level 5 the Stone Golem gains Stun, making it formidable against any Champion level team. For a short story about the toughness of Stone Golems, check out THIS post.
Hydra
I must confess, I don't even use Hydra in battle myself, but I have been beaten by it so many times, and always in the same way. This card is nearly indestructible in the back when it has both Thorns and Retaliate. Even on level 1 it has Healing, making it quite difficult to kill at any level. I suppose if it is on your team you'll probably win.
Silvershield Assassin
This lady is downright deadly in the Aim True Ruleset (and many others). The particular reason she packs such a punch here is Double-Strike + Poison. That means every single turn that she gets to attack, she will get 2 separate 50% chances to Poison her target. That's not the same as 100%, but still. She's a gem. Worth the 7 mana.
I hope this edition of the Ruleset Strategy series was help to you in some way. If you have some good ideas for the Aim True Ruleset, please share them in the comments so the whole class can benefit! Thanks!
Previous Editions of the RuleSet Strategy Series
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