Analysis of the New "Triple VOUCHER" Cards (Grayhammer Painsmith) Part 1

Greetings Splinterlovers 💚

Splinterlands never ceases to amaze me—they keep rolling out incredible updates even given the current market conditions. That said, I must admit that right now we’re more bullish than we were a few weeks ago, though overall, the trend has been negative in recent months; Even so, the team has released many updates and made good progress, including the “Escalation” mini-set and, right now, three incredible cards that can only be obtained through the exclusive “VOUCHERS” store. I know this might not sound very novel, but it’s the first time three cards have been released at the same time in that store.

This means that new cards are constantly being added, which means that new strategies and the “metagame,” as we know it, are constantly changing. So, if you don’t stay on top of the latest updates, practice, and play every day, you won’t be able to become the best player or players. My goal is to guide the majority of new players in Splinterlands—those users who are just getting started and are desperately trying to understand the game system and master the battlefield.

So today, I’ll be focusing primarily on everything related to “Grayhammer Painsmith,” since I don’t want to overwhelm you with too much information. This will be the first of three posts, but in the next few posts, look forward to a detailed analysis of the other two.

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Statistics and Design by (Grayhammer Painsmith)

This card has a very distinctive design that definitely catches my eye, since it belongs to the dwarves’ “Bloodline,” yet it looks like a hybrid of a monster with supernatural powers; however, its appearance makes it seem dangerous and, at the same time, immune to pain, as it has chains bolted to its sternum and a glowing converter embedded in its belly. As I said, perhaps its strength or the power of its “rank” attacks comes from the pain it feels within itself; this is why it seems truly relentless against enemies, no matter who stands before it. Anyway, it’s a grotesque design—not one of my favorites, since I have a preference for girls and their illustrations—but it’s not bad either.

General statistics

• It's a common card, but don't be fooled—the truth is, it's very dangerous at higher levels.

• A dual-element card—in this case, “Death and Earth”—not to mention that it can team up with any element as long as it shares the same bloodline as the “Dwarves.”

• It has only 2 ranged attack points, as it isn't really an offensive card; rather, it functions as a card that bolsters "Defense," but it does provide some support to the offense.

• It doesn't have a shield, but it does have a large number of hit points—13 in total—which are more than enough to withstand a good number of rounds on the front lines, while the back lines provide the offense and support needed to defeat your opponent.

• At its highest level, it has 3 speed points, which isn't bad; I see it as a middle ground—it's not fast, but it's not slow either, so it strikes a good balance in that regard.

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Note: Generally speaking, this card functions as a “Tank”; however, its effectiveness depends heavily on how you choose to use it, as it can perform very well on the front lines, but it also works exceptionally well in the rear, providing some of the best support in the entire game. This means that, in reality, it’s a very versatile card, but 80% focused on providing support to the rest of the team, as well as offering solid defense that can help you win crucial battles.

⁣Abilities and Synergies (Mastering the Battlefield)

What really makes this card versatile and unique are its abilities, but—especially if you're new—you should already know this, since this is basically the most important thing you need to learn if you want to gradually master the gameplay and become an elite player capable of competing against the best. Of course, it’s not exactly easy; however, it’s not overly complicated either. All you need to do is read up on and understand the basics of the game to start thinking creatively and play the card at the right time and place.

In any case, to understand what it actually does, what it’s capable of, and how we should really play it, I’ll explain each of its abilities; here you’ll see why it’s a dangerous and extremely useful “support” card:

Abilities and/or Synergies

• Basic abilities: On the one hand, this card has the “Close Range” ability, which allows it to attack with its ranged attack from the first position; in addition, it has another ability called “Rust,” which works best in synergy with the former, since, when an attack hits an opponent with a shield, this ability removes 2 shield points from the target.

• The masterpiece “Shadow Focus”: In my opinion, this is one of its best abilities—and one of the most interesting in the entire game—because when you play it in the last position, it gains the “Camouflage” ability, which makes it disappear from the opponent’s radar; since it isn’t in the first position, they can’t attack it. However, when “Shadow Focus” is in play and gains the aforementioned ability, this card will stop attacking, but in exchange, all allies gain +1 attack power, not to mention that they also gain the ability called “Determined,” which allows cards possessing it to perform a second attack if the first one fails.

• The synergy of “Painforge with Heal”: Painforge is incredibly powerful if you can play it perfectly, because if this card takes damage—whether from poison, burn, or any type of damage dealt by an ally—it gains +1 attack power, turning it into an unparalleled offensive weapon. On the other hand, the “Heal” ability allows this card to restore its health points each turn, limiting the damage from “Painforge.”

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Excellent modifiers for (Grayhammer Painsmith)

• Noxious Fumes: This is one of the best builds for this character, allowing us to take full advantage of two of its abilities. I’m referring to “Painforge,” since taking poison damage each turn boosts our attack power; however, thanks to “Heal,” we can easily mitigate that damage while maintaining our attack power, stripping our opponents’ armor, and dealing significant damage.

• SuperSneak: This is where his ability called “Shadow Focus” really shines, as it grants him “Camouflage,” allowing him to evade attacks while boosting the rest of the team—not only with attack power, but also with the ability to attack twice in a single turn if his first attacks miss.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this analysis of the new card called Grayhammer Painsmith. It’s a fantastic unit, and I’m still surprised it’s a common rarity, since its combination of abilities and the ways we can use it on the battlefield are simply impressive. There are so many possibilities, and that’s what makes it not only fun but also a lethal and unpredictable force in battle.

So, if you liked this post, feel free to leave a comment—let me know what you think, what other strategies you’d like to try once you’ve got the hang of it, and I’ll be happy to respond.