When Ranged Monsters Become the Real Threat
Hello Splinterlands warriors, in today’s Battle of the Day I want to share a match that reminded me just how scary ranged monsters can be. There’s just one problem: they’re often underestimated.
Maybe it’s because many players focus on the classic weakness of ranged units. Once they end up in the front line without the Close Range ability, they’re basically done. They just stand there like a night watchman who forgot to bring his baton. But that’s exactly what makes Splinterlands interesting. Sometimes, cards that seem to have major weaknesses actually become the key to victory when placed in the right formation.
And this time, I experienced it firsthand when facing LOVING THE MOU, one of the more intimidating legendary archons.
With a mana cap of 34, the team options felt limited. I couldn’t go too extravagant. I ended up choosing Prophet Rosa as my main archon. In my opinion, this is one of those quietly dangerous archons for ranged monsters. The +2 ranged damage buff is no small bonus—it’s like giving a sniper two cups of coffee at once.
On the front line, I deployed Halfling Refugee, Ironwing Juggernaut, and Mindless Thrall. Their job was simple: survive as long as possible so the backline could do the real work.
The real weapons were in the back. I used Steppe Stalker and Chaos Battle Mage—two ranged monsters I trusted to fully benefit from Prophet Rosa’s buff.
And I deliberately chose Steppe Stalker for one important reason: it has the Close Range ability.
It may seem trivial, but that ability would later make a huge difference in the battle.
Meanwhile, my opponent came in with a fairly solid lineup. Archon LOVING THE MOU brought elemental bloodline power and Canisan, which can apply poison. Fortunately, they didn’t fully capitalize on the bloodline. Still, they were dangerous with Blast and Magic Reflect.
Their team consisted of Halfling Refugee, Taye Loreswift, Gramel the Hunger, Anasth Soothsayer, and Enchling Enforcer. As soon as I saw Blast applied to Taye Loreswift and Gramel the Hunger, I knew the battlefield would heat up quickly.
The battle began.
And sure enough, the enemy attacks were brutal. Blast spread damage across my team, and Magic Reflect caused some trouble for my Mindless Thrall. But on the other hand, I started noticing something exciting.
The damage from Steppe Stalker and Chaos Battle Mage was very real.
Each attack dealt around 4 to 5 damage—not just small pokes anymore, but more like throwing chairs in a coffee shop brawl.
One by one, the enemy monsters began to fall. Even their healer, Anasth Soothsayer, couldn’t keep up with the sheer damage output of my ranged units.
That’s when I felt Prophet Rosa truly shine.
Sometimes players focus too much on using archons to boost tanks or magic units. But a strong ranged buff like this can turn ordinary monsters into destruction machines—especially if those ranged units can still attack from the front line.
And then came the most interesting moment near the end.
The opponent’s ranged monster was forced into the front position.
And suddenly—it couldn’t do anything.
I could only smile, because my Steppe Stalker was still attacking thanks to Close Range, while the enemy’s monster looked completely lost in the arena.
And in the end, victory was mine.
You can watch the full battle here:
What I love about this battle is its simple lesson: don’t just look at a card’s weaknesses—think about how to cover them with the right formation.
New players in the Splinterlands community often dismiss ranged monsters too quickly because they’re afraid those units might end up in the front. But there are many solutions: use Close Range, maintain a strong frontline longer, or combine with an archon that amplifies their threat before enemies get close.
And honestly, I’ve started to like ranged monsters more and more lately. When properly buffed and positioned, their damage feels far more terrifying than the numbers suggest.
If I had one piece of advice for battles like this: don’t be afraid to use ranged monsters. Just make sure you have a backup plan when they move to the front. Because in Splinterlands, an archer who can survive on the front line is often more dangerous than a knight who starts the battle overly confident.
Talk about Splinterlands,
If you haven't tried out this fantastic game called Splinterlands yet, I invite you to Join.
It's free, but you'll need to invest in a beginning deck or buy gaming cards to gain real assets like cards and tokens.
If you already joined the splinterlands, and are looking for a place to grow. We need YOU. We are a chill, social guild looking for a few more active members! If you think you might be a fit, join us in our Discord
