Introduction

Now Splinterlands’ players would know how effective and useful a taunt monster is in the game. For those who don’t, a taunt monster is the one that attracts all opponent’s attacks on itself, and therefore, shields all friendly monsters to carry out their own attacks. Just a couple of rounds with the taunt monster being alive can at times change the complexion of the game. That’s how important it is.

But the Dark Ha’on takes the taunting ability to a whole new level. It is one of the few taunt monsters which also has the flying ability. That means it is a bit difficult to hit for non-flying monsters. As such, the Ha’on survives more than a couple of rounds, in which time the friendly monsters can hit the opponent quite well. It indeed does sound like the death knell for the opponent’s monsters, at least, most of the time.

Since it is a taunting tank, Ha’on’s stats are also good. For a mana cost of ten, you get a monster with thirteen health and one shield. That is a good start. Its speed of three is what makes it difficult to attack. The Ha’on is a full package for the tank. If it is coupled with a healing monster or summoner like the Byzantine Kitty, the Ha’on become indestructible. Now, that’s a card I would love to have, and I do have.

Let’s get to know more about the Ha’on. Before that, how about knowing Splinterlands a little better? After all, that’s the game where you can find the Dark Ha’on. 😊

What Game is Splinterlands?

Splinterlands is a digital card game that allows you to collect, trade, battle, rent, and even earn from the cards. The game gives Play to Earn a whole different meaning. It is one of the most generous games that I have seen where cards, potions, Dark Energy Crystals (DEC. Cryptocurrency) are given out every day to thousands of players for just playing and winning daily quests. And there are tournaments that you can play or guilds that you can join.

Just to give you an idea of how lucky you can get in Splinterlands - read my story of getting cards worth $500 from buying few packs worth $20 only.

Got Cards Worth $500 from $20 Packs

And this is just a small number. I have witnessed people getting uber-expensive cards in their pack and selling it for as high as $6500. This means the game has interested buyers for your cards too. In fact, there is a whole Splinterlands marketplace.

If this is not enough, then Splinterlands has just launched the governance token SPS, which is being airdropped to all Splinterlands players over the next year. So, you are not late. Get on with the game and earn SPS today.

To join, scroll down quickly. 😊

Dark Ha’on | Flying Tank

You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to know that the Ha’on, in all probability, will take the first position. Of course, there could be rules like an opportunity where you can put the Ha’on in any other position. Personally, I find it dumb to put a taunt monster in any other position than first if it can’t attack back. Wouldn’t you want your tank to attack too? So, yeah, if there is no possibility for the Ha’on to attack from any other position than one, then keep it on one. At least, it will be able to hit back.

The only issue with the Ha’on is the mana cost. It almost always begs to be taken only for high mana cost battles. Accommodating it in even medium-mana battles can be a tough ask. So, that is restricting for the almighty Ha’on. However, where it can enter the arena, it will mostly win.

How about taking a look at a battle? I am sure you would love to. So, let’s go.

The Dark Ha’on in Battle

Remember, taking a monster with ten mana cost is a difficult thing in battles other than the high mana cap ones. But I still pushed the Ha’on into a medium mana battle.

Here is the battle that I was referring to:

The rule disallowed magic monsters in battle, so it was up to the melee and ranged attackers. It wasn’t difficult for the Death Splinter, considering that there are many good ranged attackers in the pack. Let’s see how my opponent’s and my choice went.

Let’s take a look.

The Face-Off

The one thing that became obvious immediately was that both of us had chosen the Death Splinter. Only different summoners, though.

The opponent had chosen Zintar Mortalis as a summoner, reducing my monsters’ melee attack value by one. On the other hand, I had chosen Contessa L’ament, which would reduce the attack value of all ranged attackers by one. I think my choice of summoner was good looking at the opponent’s lineup.

I did mention that I had to force-fit the Ha’on for a 28-mana battle, but then I went and forced in the Gorlodon too. Between both these monsters, nineteen mana was consumed. There was only six mana left (removing the summoner’s mana cost) to get other monsters.

Anyway, why don’t we look at both the lineups? We will start with the opponent’s first.

Summoner: Zintar Mortalis | Death Splinter | Decreases enemy melee attackers’ attack value by one.

Monsters:

Position 1: Haunted Spirit | A melee attacker with an attack value of two. It has the self-heal ability.

Position 2: Onyx Sentinel | A non-attack monster with shield-ability. It takes reduced damage from melee and ranged attackers.

Position 3: Shadowy Presence | A non-attack monster.

Position 4: Soulstorm | Ranged attacker with an attack value of three. It is also a flying monster.

Position 5: Haunted Spider | Ranged attacker with an attack value of two.

Position 6: Twisted Jester | Ranged attacker with an attack value of two.

That’s a formidable lineup considering the absence of magic attackers.

Let’s look at my team.

Summoner: Contessa L’ament | Death Splinter | Reduces enemy ranged attackers’ attack value by one.

Monsters:

Position 1: Dark Ha’on | Our champion. Melee attacker with an attack value of two. It also has the taunt and flying ability.

Position 2: Gorlodon | Melee attacker with an attack value of four. It also has the reach-ability.

Position 3: Undead Priest | A non-attack monster. It reduces the health of all enemy monsters by one.

Position 4: Undead Archer| Ranged attacker with an attack value of one. It also has affliction ability.

Position 5: Halfling Alchemist| Ranged attacker with an attack value of one. The Alchemist halves the attack value of any enemy monster facing its attack.

Because the enemy was so heavy on ranged attackers, my choice of summoner was perfect for the battle. A flying taunt monster, a summoner that has reduced the opponent’s ranged attackers’ attack value, the undead priest reducing the opponent's monsters’ health are all working in my favor. It looks like I will win.

Let’s check it out.

The Battle Gets Intense

Midway into round one and I realized that my choice of monsters and summoners weren’t bad. Not only did the Undead Priest and Halfling reduce the Haunted Spirit to just another monster, but the Ha’on remained strong.

The Ha’on continued to stay on till round 5, and that proved too much for the opponent. All my other monsters had their full health on. With only the Shadowy Presence standing before the ranged attackers, it was a matter of time before the ranged monsters were exposed.

The Battle Races to Conclusion

By the middle of round six, we were clear in which direction the battle was headed. In fact, in the next three attacks, both the opponent’s standing monsters perished. The game concluded even before round six ended.

But did you notice that the Ha’on standing till round five was a death knell for the enemy team? It soaked all the attacks till the fifth round, and when it perished, the job was easy for my remaining monsters. That’s the advantage of the Dark Ha’on.

Just for the record – I won.

Do I Use the Dark Ha’on Often?

As often as I can. As I mentioned before, it is difficult to fit it in low and medium mana battles because of its high cost. This battle was a bit different as there were no magic monsters. So, I took the chance of taking the Ha’on to battle.

It is only the magic monsters that can get it easily. Dodging the magic attackers is a bit difficult. This is also how we can strategize the use of the Ha’on. Too many magic attackers is a no-no for the Dark Ha’on.

Where Else Does the Dark Ha’on Fit In?

The Ha’on pretty much fits in several rules. For example, the opportunity rule is where the Ha’on fits well. It can attack from any position as much as deflect the enemy’s attackers. Also, rules like melee monsters can attack from any position, and sneak rules, etc., work in its favor.

The health-equalizer rule is not particularly advantageous for the Ha’on, but because of it, the rule can work well for other friendly monsters. Not to mention, the opponent also benefits. Hence it has to be used smartly. We already saw the scenario where magic monsters aren’t there fits well for the Ha’on. So, even that needs to be kept in mind.

How Does the Dark Ha’on Level Up?

The Dark Ha’on already has two abilities in the base version – flying and taunt. And that increases with each level.

Like I said, with each level, the Ha’on gets one more ability. So, level two gives the Ha’on the scavenger ability, level three gives the void-ability, and level four gives magic-reflect ability. That’s an envious five abilities when the Ha’on is fully leveled up. That’s a dangerous monster to face. 😊

The Ha’on attack value also goes up to four while it gets one more additional armor. All that makes the Ha’on a very, very difficult monster to get.

The Dark Ha’on | Catch Me If You Can

Quite literally, it is difficult to get the Ha’on in a battle. Even the magic attackers’ attack is nullified as the Ha’on levels up. So, a fully leveled-up Dark Ha’on can taunt, take reduced melee, ranged, and magic attacks can reflect the magic and has the scavenger ability. How do you think you will get such a monster.

I would just say it is wishful thinking to go against such monsters. You will definitely need a strong summoner to counter the Ha’on. In the absence of a strong summoner, the Dark Ha’on is almost indestructible!! 😊

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Image Courtesy: Splinterlands