Serpentine Spy 🔪 Backfiring killer in Splinterlands

Hi there!

This week challenge is about: SERPENTINE SPY

Wonderful card, I think. It is strong and useful from novice to champions league.

But in Splinterlands strong card often means expensive card: the Spy makes no exception. It's the classical common expensive card, needing about 30$ to max it out. And is not a case that its second amazing ability (poison) comes out at level 10. But let's proceed with order.

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Card analysis

3 MANA card with 4 Melee damage, fast and vulnerable, with Opportunity and Poison abilities. Outstanding.

The action is: Look for the weakest opponent, hit him, if not killed maybe poison with 50% chance.

Don't underestimate its POISON ability! There are only other 3 cards in the game capable of poisoning a monster not in first position (so out of cleanse):

As told before this card is amazing also in lower leagues having 2 melee attack since level 1.

Actually, sometimes is also really risky to play it, let's see why in the following section.

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Card usage

I think this card has a definite use case and is not made to kill puppets. I think that putting him to kill furious chickens is just wasting its power. Other opportunity monsters (Slower and with scavenge ability) are better suited to do that task. For this reason I see him better played in high mana matches than low mana ones.

Caution also in always playing him!! There are some monsters it has to avoid at all costs:

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Enchanted defender is the second more armored card in the game (behind only the 10 armor of diamond dragon) and having only 1 health he probably will be opportunity target. Really dangerous that thorns! The good news is that with poison he suddenly die.

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Exploding Dwarf is the enemy number one. Infact, when (deadly) hitten by the Spy he will retaliate with a 50% probability: 6 PIERCING MELEE + BLAST + TRAMPLE. Really, really dangerous!

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In my opinion the rule sets to be avoided are:

• Melee Mayem
• Super Sneak
• Equalizer
• Heavy hitters

In all other rule sets it can be a good idea to pair to the Spy a fast ranged attacker (Spark Pixies are perfect) to take out Exploding Dwarf since the beginning.

Let's come now to rule sets where Serpentine Spy is preferable: well, in all other! ..including especially:

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In Fog of War rule set, sneakers and snipers are no longer able to hit backline monsters while opportunity monsters can! So good choice, but caution to Enchanted Defender + repair and to other opportunists!

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In HIGH MANA Little League rule set the Spy is an option, hopefully we will not find any puppet and will going to hit significative targets.

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The Match ⚔️🛡️

Today I present an unusual match to show how much deadly can be Exploding Dwarf to Serpentine Spy and its team. Actually I was the one playing the Dwarf and the Spy was my opponent 😎

There is noting more to add to what already previously pointed out. Just enjoy the battle! 💣💣

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To conclude, I own a lvl 6 Sepentine Spy, but I rarely use it, because to be competitive in my league (Diamond+) it must be maxed out to gain the poison ability. And I think it is too expensive given the risks.

At price of 0.03$ I'll consider to maxing him out.

Thanks for reading, cheers!

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