Cheap Monsters, Premium Results in Equalizer
Greetings, Splinterlands warriors—welcome back to another Battle of the Day post, where small stories from the arena turn into deeper reflections. This time, the theme is simple, yet quietly deadly: “they’re strong, it’s just their low HP that makes them not so strong.” An irony we often see in low-mana monsters—great skills, decent damage, but one small hit… and they’re gone.
That’s exactly where I saw an opportunity, especially when the Equalizer ruleset appeared. To me, Equalizer is like a neighborhood meeting—everyone gets treated the same, no matter who’s usually the strongest or weakest. HP is equalized, and suddenly those fragile little monsters gain a longer lifespan. In moments like this, my philosophy is simple: if you can bring many, why bring only a few?
With a 22 mana cap, I decided to go all in—full slots, no mercy. My lineup consisted of: Halfling Refugee, Enchanted Platypus, Thunderhoof Nomad, Thanalorian Blade, Ujurak Elder, and Blackmoor Jinx. Their mana costs are low across the board, but what I love most is this: every single one of them can attack from their position. No dead weight.
What made this formation feel “alive” was having two monsters with the Strengthen ability. This is key. In Equalizer, base HP is indeed equalized—but bonuses from Strengthen still apply. So in a way, I got a subtle “head start”—quietly, without making a fuss.
Round one began, and as usual, I observed more than I hoped. It turned out my opponent brought fewer monsters. That alone gave me some relief—not out of arrogance, but because I knew that in Equalizer, numbers have a voice. The more attackers you have, the faster your opponent crumbles.
My opponent fielded Sea Dog of Eight with 11 HP, along with Pirate of Eight and Shock Trooper. From the setup, it was clear they were trying to capitalize on high HP to support Shock Trooper. In theory, it made sense. But theory often loses to well-organized swarm tactics.
And sure enough, little by little, my team’s attacks started chipping away at their HP. Not fast, not dramatic—but consistent. Sea Dog of Eight did have healing, but it felt like bailing water out of a leaking boat—the inflow simply couldn’t keep up with the outflow. On top of that, the electrified effect quietly shaved off their HP each round.
As the rounds progressed, the situation became clearer. Then came the poison effect from the opponent’s Archon ability. Ironically, it turned into a boomerang—meant to weaken me, but because I had more monsters, it ended up hurting them more. Their HP was drained from two directions: direct attacks and additional effects.
At that point, it no longer felt like a battle of strategy, but one of endurance. And that opening line became even more relevant: they are strong, just not in HP. Because no matter how powerful an ability is, if it doesn’t get enough time to work, it’s useless.
One by one, their monsters fell, until the arena was clear and victory was mine. If you want to watch the full replay, check it out here:
What made this battle especially interesting was how cheap, often overlooked monsters became the real stars. Honestly, I used to ignore them too. But after trying strategies like this a few times, I started to understand: it’s not about how expensive the cards are, but how well you play them.
The lesson I took today is simple and grounded: never underestimate quality in quantity. In certain conditions, many small attacks are far more effective than a few big ones.
My quick tip: if you encounter Equalizer, try filling every slot with low-cost monsters that can attack from their positions. Add one or two Strengthen abilities if possible. Because in that kind of battlefield, survival doesn’t belong to the strongest—but to the most numerous.
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