DEEP DIVE: Astral Entity Tips & Tricks
splinterlands·@torran·
0.000 HBDDEEP DIVE: Astral Entity Tips & Tricks
<center></center> In case you missed it, the stats for the 13th airdrop card, Astral Entity, from the Chaos Legion set were released last week, and on top of that, we've also had all of the upcoming reward card stats released. You can check out all of the new reward card stats in my original post [Soul Bound Reward Cards: First Look!!](https://peakd.com/splinterlands/@torran/soul-bound-reward-cards-first-look), but also make sure to check out my follow up post [UPDATE: Soul Bound Reward Card Nerfs](https://peakd.com/splinterlands/@torran/update-soul-bound-reward-card-nerfs) that covers the 13 changes that have been implemented. <center></center> ## <center>Lore</center> *From the shadows and the ether comes an eldritch entity known only as the Astral Entity. It is a celestial being that drifts through rifts in reality, searching for new planes and realms. There are almost no recordings of the Astral Entity in the athenaeums of the Splinterlands, but if one was to search through forgotten scrolls in the cobwebbed corners of ancient libraries, they would find the briefest mentions of this being. Snippets from across the centuries mention a humanoid shape made of cosmic energy. No one knows where it came from or what it wants, but it has only been recorded doing one thing: observing.* *In spite of this, death always seems to follow the Astral Entity’s arrival. Clans and nations go to war. Crops wither, livestock become ill or infertile, and famine ravages the land. Droughts, plagues of locusts, and violent storms bring empires to their knees. And when it’s over, the Astral Entity vanishes without a trace.* *When the Chaos Legion invaded the Splinterlands, the rift they opened echoed across realities. This drew the attention of the Astral Entity. It was able to slip through the rift undetected and explore this new world.* *It witnessed a world rich in mana, with diverse people and dramatic landscapes. It also witnessed a world crushed by the grip of the powerful Chaos Legion and their leader, Silus of the Rift. The Astral Entity observed the battles, the people suffering, and all the death, but it did nothing to intervene. What it did do was learn. It learned the strengths and weaknesses of not only the Splinterlands, but of the Chaos Legion, as well.* *The time may come when the Astral Entity chooses a side. Whatever choice it makes will be purely for its own gain and based on all it has learned from its eons of passing through the rifts.* <center></center> ## <center>Astral Entity</center> <center></center> Astral Entity looks like it's going to fit in with the Death Splinter extremely well. -2 Armor, [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34), and [Resurrect](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=13) are just what Death has needed for quite a while. <center></center> ## <center>Stats</center> --- #### -2 Armor <center></center> There's SO much Armor floating around now in every Splinter that it makes using Death a lot more situational than it used to be. I would've liked to see Death *gain* some Armor here, but this is just as good and it'll also keep people on their toes a bit more. Also, now that we have the new [Protect]() monster coming for Death in the new batch of Reward Cards, having -2 Armor on the Summoner makes that card even more awesome! --- #### Dodge <center></center> [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) gives each monster a 25% chance at dodging Melee and Ranged attacks. Coupled high speed and [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2), this can lead to some extremely frustrating battles for your opponent. You'll still be vulnerable to Magic attacks, but if you're using any monsters with [Phase](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=63), you'll be giving them a run for their money as well! >It's important to note that Dodge is being applied as an ability (we can tell by the green ring around it), so for all of you counting on [Dispel](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=66) to even things back out, you're out of luck. --- #### Resurrect <center></center> [Resurrect](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=13) applies to the first monster on your team that is eliminated and brings them back to life with 1 HP. This might not seem like much, and to be honest it isn't, but there's a trick to make that less of a problem. The last thing you want is for Resurrect to trigger on your Corpse Fiend or something like Carrion Shade, so using a [Taunt](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=32) monster or keeping an eye out for certain rulesets to use other monsters is crucial. It can be a tricky ability to use effectively, but once you get the hang of it, it's extremely powerful and can drive your opponent mad. <center></center> ## <center>Taunt Monsters</center> #### Dark Ha'on  While Dark Ha'on may not have a ton of speed, it has [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) starting at level 1 so you'll still have a 50% chance at dodging Melee and Ranged attacks. Starting at level 2, you'll have the [Scavenge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=37) ability so that will help keep things going. [Void](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=12), at level 3, will help tame some of those Magic attacks. Level 4 unlocks the highly revered [Magic Reflect](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=16) to help put those Magic spammers in their place. --- #### Night Ghoul  Night Ghoul starts off pretty slow, but that can be a huge bonus in the [Reverse Speed](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=22) ruleset. Starting at level 6, you'll gain the [Forcefield](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=88) ability. Forcefield is nice for shutting down things like high damage Fire Melee lineups, [Inspire](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=11) boosted lineups, and even high damage Neutral monsters like Sandworm. Other than that, Night Ghoul isn't super impressive but at least you won't have to worry about resurrecting Corpse Fiend or something along those lines. --- #### Coerul Lurker  I know what you're thinking... *But Coerul Lurker already has Dodge!* You'd be correct in that statement, but it's still an option for [Taunt](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=32) and starting at level 2, it also has [Phase](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=63). Aside from unlocking [Thorns](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=59) at level 4, the real advantage here is giving your lower HP monsters a chance to do some damage and preventing [Resurrect](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=13) from triggering on something unintentional. <center></center> ## <center>Rulesets</center> --- #### Aim True <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AKApqw2yr4NMDvDJ3wBYMMuLpU5YtWCEcvP8xLvk3yc5aNE2hMKbHkF1Za31838.png </div> This is a **terrible** ruleset for this Summoner because it's basically a [True Strike](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=56) ruleset so [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) isn't going do you any favors here. --- #### Armored Up <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AK9PYBNSGJfK6BfhcSTRPE8v793RqXf6QLpggfTB51uqXkEYLwaFjZWfX24c7ok.png </div> This is a **great** ruleset for this Summoner. Thinking you're getting +2 Armor only to have it taken away by your opponent's Summoner can really throw a wrench in your plans. --- #### Fog of War <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AK9Psz2S74djD1atoBnV2PZBecLbXQMv5AKtUSFmaozLxm8LLWScEVRBhM9x1tH.png </div> Without having to worry about [Sneak](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=3), [Snipe](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=4), or [Opportunity](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=31), a [Taunt](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=32) monster isn't exactly necessary in this ruleset because, unless your opponent is using [Scattershot](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=93), all of their attacks will be directed at your monster in the first position. Make sure you put something there worth resurrecting! --- #### Lost Magic <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AK2CPUpg6n9mXyKLSDi6pce2Wr2hjCQ1o9JjDvjSrBJrjvMWsinYZKuQUGrtZqh.png </div> You don't necessarily have to avoid this ruleset. Just know that [Phase](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=63) isn't going to do you any favors here. In this case, I'd likely avoid Coerul Lurker and use one of the other [Taunt](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=32) monsters. --- #### Reverse Speed <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AJkRBbUFAVCGMGAPyYsJkgXtxhCvP7KBXBtxix61mqNUP6Yuyc5sXTSPn1btaZg.png </div> Death has a couple absolutely nasty 1 Speed monsters with [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) that will really shine in this ruleset. Keep reading to find out more about them below! --- #### Silenced Summoners <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AK51GRhdznYhjmAAbNR235SuFh5tajjdjBhMMPAUFowd8oUCNpiHUoKpEF8c8Sf.png </div> You're wasting mana by using this Summoner in this ruleset. Do yourself a favor and stick to something with lower mana. The lower the better. If you're feeling frisky, give Kretch Tallevor a try and bring some Dragons into the mix! --- #### Super Sneak <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AKR9UNq35Yw4vBbcPpY7fXhPzxdc1sK7bGv6TNeY2YKgrAvWvENowZtW8S7BE7z.png </div> As you'll most likely be facing attacks at both ends of your lineup, you'll definitely want to have one of those [Taunt](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=32) monsters in play to prevent an unintentional resurrection. --- #### Unprotected <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AJg9izfsn4rTG1PUremJEr6jUjG3AZthq9joFtJoFeg3ox7MXGhKchs9r7whCEN.png </div> This is another ruleset you don't necessarily have to avoid, but your opponent's Armor will already gone. That doesn't mean you can't still use this Summoner for the [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) and [Resurrect](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=13) abilities though. --- #### Up Close & Personal <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AKqaWLPemBqzuwTH5nKM8iDDSQFVAbnnMi1hN85eGEqxVQVHqxn1gXEySMMtfuS.png </div> There's nothing really special going on with this ruleset, but at least you don't have to worry about any high powered Magic spams eating through your [Taunt](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=32) monsters. Also, if you're using Coerul Lurker here, don't forget that unless you're using it for [Thorns](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=59), the Summoner already applies [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) and [Phase](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=63) isn't going to be anything to help you. --- #### Weak Magic <div class="pull-left"> https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/torran/AK3aQWoz9mVVXBaiCVzvnwc36mGfY9FEY1dMKBbcGWHfHfjiP2fW58UN3WgjgCQ.png </div> Not only are you hitting your opponent with -2 Armor and opening them up to some Magic attacks, but with up to 6 Armor, Night Ghoul is going to be your friend here. <center></center> ## <center>Other Notable Monsters</center> --- #### <center>New Reward Cards</center> ##### Possessed Puppet  This card starts off with low HP, but at least Death gets some [Double Strike](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=17). I wouldn't use this a main tank, but the [Melee Mayhem](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=19), [Equal Opportunity](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=8), and [Super Sneak](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=28) rulesets would be good for this one. --- ##### Wily Coyotian  This card starts off pretty weak, but once you get a few levels into it, you get quite a bit for 2 mana. By the time you hit level 6, you get [Phase](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=63) and that can be pretty strong against a lot of the slower Magic monsters. This is also going to be a great card in the [Little League](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=16) rulesets. --- ##### Ravenwood Warden  Ravenwood Warden starts off with pretty low HP, and while not absolutely necessary, I highly recommend using a [Taunt](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=32) monster if you have enough mana for it. [Protect](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=33) is such a great ability and the Death splinter has needed it for a while. Once you hit level 5, you'll unlock [Inspire](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=11), which will help give those Taunt monsters a little extra oomph. --- ##### Will-O-Wisp  With this card you get [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) at level 1 with good Speed, and a ton of HP. [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) is going to make sure this card stays in the fight for a while so make sure to pair it with [Weapons Training](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=98) for maximum effect! I also like that once you hit level 4, we get another option for [Silence](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=19). --- ##### Usut  This is going to be a [Reverse Speed](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=22) MONSTER! [Bloodlust](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=86) is a ton of fun, but remember that [Dispel](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=66) can now remove the buff. [Oppress](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=53), coming in at level 2, should be a good ability for all the new no-attack monsters. Finally, [Heal](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=7) is unlocked at level 3 and will go far to making sure Usut can inflict as much damage as possible. <center></center> #### <center>Old Rewards & Promos</center> ##### Nightmare  This card is one of the fastest cards in the Death Splinter. Not only that, but it starts off with [Blast](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=22) at level 1 and then you get [Phase](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=63) starting at level 6! You might run into some trouble against the ever popular Cursed Windeku tank, but pairing it with Ravenwood Warden and its [Protect](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=33) ability will give you a better chance of making it through alive. --- ##### Phantasm  Phantasm is another speedy card. It also starts off with [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) so we're talking a 50% chance of dodging Melee and Ranged attacks at level 1. Add in the Speed calculation and this thing is going to be hard to hit! Starting at level 5, you unlock [Return Fire](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=42) so you're opponent is going to be in for some pain if they even manage to land a hit. [Retaliate](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=8) is unlocked starting at level 9 so there's a chance for little something something in store for those attacking Melee monsters that also happen to get lucky. --- ##### Vampire  7 Speed *and* [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) at max level? Add in [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) and this card is like a mini Phantom of the Abyss. [Life Leech](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=20) is sure to pack on some extra HP by the time anything actually hits this guy. Good luck hitting this one! --- ##### Fallen Specter  Fallen Specter is another fast card from the get go. It starts out with 6 Speed and [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) and instead of it getting faster as it's leveled, it progressively adds in [Demoralize](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=28), [Headwinds](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=30), and [Blind](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=65). Unfortunately, we're not getting any help here in the HP department so watch out for Magic attacks. --- ##### Corrupted Pegasus  The only [Tank Heal](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=9) monster in the entire Death splinter. Unfortunately for the levels, that ability isn't available until you reach level 3. That doesn't mean this isn't a good card at lower levels though. At level 2 you unlock [Strengthen](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=29). It may not be heal but an HP boost is still pretty effective. Not only that, this card comes with [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) from the beginning so you'll still enjoy the 50% chance at dodging Melee and Ranged attacks. <center></center> #### <center>Chaos Legion & Rift Watchers</center> ##### Riftwing  I've always been of Riftwing and with Astral Entity, it gets even cooler. High speed and [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) triggers [Backfire](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=91) fairly often and adding [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) to the mix is going to make this card even more deadly. --- ##### Silent Sha-vi  One of the best [Sneak](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=3) cards in the Chaos Legion set just got even better. Not only is [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) is going to make it even harder to hit, but -2 Armor is going to help you pick through your opponents backline faster than ever! --- ##### Djinn Muirat  [Void Armor](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=49) is such a great ability to have for [Resurrect](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=13), but keep in mind that can be a risky move with here without [Taunt](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=32). The way around that is the [Fog of War](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=11) ruleset. In Fog of War, it's a *safer* bet that all of your opponents attacks will be focused on your main tank. I say safer because they could still get lucky with some [Scattershot](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=93) and take out a monster you didn't want Resurrected. You can avoid this by running a lineup that's full of monsters with decent HP and avoiding low HP monsters like Corpse Fiend, Carrion Shade, etc. This card works quite well behind Legionnaire in those situations. --- ##### Legionnaire Alvar  If [Resurrect](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=13) is your plan and you're in [Fog of War](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=11), this the tank of all tanks. Mana permitting, pair it up with Djinn Muirat behind it and go to town. Hopefully your opponent used a 10+ mana tank because hitting someone with double [Giant Killer](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=92) is a lot of fun. If you're playing Silver league or above, you can throw in a level 3, or higher, Cabalist and hit them with TRIPLE Giant Killer. Now *that's* a party! <center></center> #### <center>Untamed & Dice</center> ##### The Gorlodon  Gorlodon is a double-edged sword. First off, in the [Reverse Speed](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=22) ruleset, this thing is going to be pretty tough to hit. Second, [True Strike](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=56) comes into play at level 3 which also make it a great card against any card with the [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) ability. --- ##### Soulstorm  Here's another heavy hitting, high speed, [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) monster that's going to make life difficult for your opponent. At level 2, you gain the [Snare](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=35) ability which should help to reign in some of those Flying monsters you're attacks are always missing. --- ##### Cthulu  Cthulu's long been a favorite of mine, especially once [Stun](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=6) is unlocked at level 2. In [Reverse Speed](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=22), coupled with [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2) from level 1, this card is going to be a beast! [Weaken](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=1) becomes available at level 3 and [Last Stand](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=57) at level 4. Keep in mind that Last Stand also increases Speed. --- ##### Tortisian Chief  This card is pretty clutch and not just for the Death Splinter. Aside from the [Healed Out](https://splintercards.com/rulesets.php?rs=12) ruleset, a neutral card with [Tank Heal](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=9) is extremely useful anywhere you can fit it in. For Death, with the exception of a high level Dark Ha'on, the currently available [Taunt](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=32) monsters lack any kind of protection from Magic attacks, so this card will allow them to stay in the fight longer. <center></center> #### <center>Alphas & Betas</center> ##### Skeleton Assassin  Skeleton Assassin has so much speed going on that adding [Dodge](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=34) is going to make it a hard target. My favorite thing about this card, aside from the Speed, is that starting at level 6, you get everyone's favorite ability: [Poison](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=64). --- ##### Dark Enchantress  Dark Enchantress starts out with moderate Speed, but not only does she get faster as she's leveled, she starts out with [Flying](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=2). We're talking about a 50% chance of evading Melee and Ranged attacks before we even add in Speed calculations. Yes, please! --- ##### Spineback Wolf  Spineback Wolf is another little Speed demon. You also unlock the [Thorns](https://splintercards.com/abilities.php?ab=59) ability at level 5 so if by some chance your opponent *does* land a Melee attack, they're going to be rewarded with some Thorn damage for all their trouble. <center></center> ## Final Thoughts I think Astral Entity is a great addition to the Chaos Legion set. Even though it may not have the abilities a lot of people were hoping for, the ones it received definitely even the playing field and make the Death splinter a much more viable option in a lot of situations. <center></center> ## <center>Sign Up To Play</center> --- <center>Want to try your luck with Astral Entity?</center> ## <center>👉 👉 👉 [SIGN UP NOW](https://splinterlands.com/?ref=torran) 👈 👈 👈</center> --- <center></center> ## <center>Thanks For Reading!!</center> --- <center></center>
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