Hello Splinterlands Summoners and welcome to another edition of Community Engagement Challenge! We have another ruleset themed post for today. I'll choose one ruleset and discuss strategies on how to play them as well as units that will be strong in that ruleset. Then I will show some of my own battles of that particular ruleset. For today's topic, let me talk about Melee Mayhem.

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Melee Mayhem

Under normal circumstances, melee units can only attack from the tank position unless it has abilities like Sneak, Opportunity or Charge. Melee Mayhem changes this as it allows melee units to attack the enemy's tank from any position.

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Strategies

1. Use all Melee

There are a lot of melee units that have a lot of attacks and defense especially tanks. Problem is you can't use them in normal battles because they can't attack from the back. With Melee Mayhem, they can attack so using an all melee team will have its advantages.

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2. Use Units with Thorns and Retaliate

You can anticipate and punish your enemy who will use an all melee team by using a tank with Thorns or Retaliate abilities. These abilities will counter melee attackers so using them will be a great strategy.

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3. Use a Defensive Tank

Since this ruleset will allow melee units to target your tank, using a tank that has a high armor and health stat will be a good strategy to help sustain it. Tanks with abilities like Dodge, Heal or Shield will also be great in this ruleset.

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4. Focus on Fast Units

Speed is an advantage in this ruleset. Provided that there is no Reverse Speed, prioritize using fast units to eliminate your enemy units first before they attack you on their turn. Reducing the number of their attackers before they can do damage will give you a big advantage.

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5. Go for Offense

You may also choose to go on the offensive. Choose units with high damage and abilities like Double Strike, Trample or Bloodlust if the ruleset allow it.

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6. Choose High Damage Magic or Ranged Units

Anticipate that your opponent will try to counter your melee units. Choose high magic units instead. Magic attacks generally ignores armor so using them is a great counter by itself against melee. You may also use high damage ranged units to help deal damage.

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Ideal Archons and Units

Choose archons that will buff your attacks, give additional health and defense or grant your units with healing. For units, choose ones abilities that will help melee units or weaken the enemy team's melee.

Fithe Bladestone

Fithe Bladestone is the Fire Archon. He provides two armor stats that will be an additional defense against melee attacks. He also buffs dwarves against magic attacks in case your enemy chooses strategy #6 above.

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Cryptic

Cryptic is a strong archon in the Melee Mayhem ruleset. He decreases the enemy's speed and blinds them. He can also grant the Retaliate and Enfeeble abilities to two allied units. Your units' chances to dodge will be increased while also having Retaliate and Enfeeble.

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Underboss Fabino

Underboss Fabino will increase melee attacks of two allied units by two. This is a great buff for melee units that increases their damage potential.

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Oridum Graybrow

At level two, Oridum Graybrow will be very strong in Melee Mayhem. He deals four melee damage, has four speed and six armor. He also has the Thorns and Resurgence ability for offense and sustainability respectively.

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Commander Slade

Commander Slade at level three is a great melee tank and damage dealer. He deals four melee damage and has five speed. He also has six armor and nine health. Further, he has the Enfeeble and Dodge abilities. These are a strong combo of stats and abilities against melee units.

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Warborn Chieftain

The Warborn Chieftain is currently my favorite tank because I frequently use the Earth splinter. His stats and abilities are great. He deals four melee damage, has three speed and eight health at max levels. His abilities are mix of defense and offense. For Melee Mayhem, his useful abilties are Shield, Demoralize and Stun.

There are more archons and units out there that I didn't mention but you can find them by searching for units with abilities that I mentioned above.

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Featured Battle

In this battle I used Quilliun Legionary, a tank with Thorns ability in the first position to punish the enemy melee attackers. Behind him, I used my two tanks Warborn Chieftain and Folen Flameye, both have high damage outputs. My last three units are elves to take advantage of my archon's Bloodline Dominion, Execute. It's a powerful ability that ends a target with only two health left.

The enemy team chose the Death team with a beefy tank in the first position. His other units don't deal as much damage as mine and this gave him a huge disadvantage. I also have the advantage in speed since one of my units have the Swiftness ability, adding a speed stat to all his allies. Having more speed and damage output, I easily won this battle.

Link to Battle