Introduction:
Hello, Splinterlands friends and family! 👋 Today, as part of the Splinterlands Social Media Challenge, I want to talk about one very controversial and talked-about topic in the Splinterlands World: Tofu and how to defeat him without owning a copy yourself.
Let's be clear about one thing: Tofu is strong. Arguably the strongest summoner around, and that's why he's so meta right now. There are no easy counters, and the strategies I'm going to share don't work all the time. If you want to defeat Tofu consistently, probably the best way to achieve that is by owning a Tofu yourself. I know this is probably not what you want to hear, but it needed to be said. Nevertheless, I'm still convinced you can play the game without that card or any other meta card and still have fun and earn.
Tofu:
1. The power of Thorns: 
When hit with a Melee attack, does damage back to the attacker
2. Corrosive Ward: 
When hit with a Melee attack, a unit with this ability does 2 damage to the attacker's armor AND reduces the max armor of the attacker by 2.
As a tactics ability, Tofu can give the Corrosive Ward ability to 3 units on its team.
Thorns is strong on its own, but when combined with Corrosive Ward, it becomes even stronger. The only real way to deal with Thorns and use melee units is if you can protect those units with armor. And this is why Tofu is so strong. You can't use armored melee units to break through Tofu's defenses because every time your melee unit hits a unit with Corrosive Ward and Thorns, your unit first loses armor and then takes damage.
This interaction is probably the reason why Tofu is so meta right now.
Let's not forget that Tofu is generally also used with some kind of Amplify 
in the team, which amplifies both of these abilities. This makes enemy melee units lose 3 armor per attack, and if there's no armor left, they also lose 3 life points.
What all of this means is that melee units are a no-go against Tofu. This severely limits your card pool.
The no-melee rule:
Tofu's ability to shut down melee units brings up another interesting point:
Why was such a powerful summoner released? There's a reason why Tofu was designed to be so good against melee units. Tofu was created to counter Venka. Tofu is literally Venka's counter. Venka brings to the table everything that Tofu counters. Venka attacks from anywhere with a melee attack. Even if you try to protect Venka with armor, Tofu's Corrosive Ward will handle that.
3. Other abilities:
- +2 Life
- Snare
- Triage
- Scavenger
- Divine Shield
Tofu not only grants one of the best abilities in the game (Thorns) combined with another great ability (Corrosive Ward) to combine into an insane combo, but also offers additional abilities. Triage and Scavenger are the second tactics ability (they can't be used simultaneously with Corrosive Ward). If you think about it, any of these are not overpowered abilities, but they are always useful. For example, Snare makes Tofu a solid option in Earthquake rulesets. Scavenger + Triage on a single unit can buff that unit significantly. (It's important to note that the @Splinterlands Team decided that Triage + Double Strike was too overpowered and nerfed it—now units with Double Strike will only Triage once.) And lastly, having an extra +2 life is always helpful.
The problem with Tofu is that even if the enemy doesn't use melee attacks, Tofu is still a very strong choice because he's versatile, and much of that versatility comes in the tactical phase. A player can shift the outcome of a fight by choosing the right tactical ability.
Now that we've established why Tofu is so strong, let's talk about how to counter him.
Best strategies to counter Tofu:
Reflection Shield: 
This Monster is immune to all indirect or reflected damage. That means it won't take damage from Blast, Thorns, Return Fire, or Magic Reflect.
This is one of the best abilities in the game. Units with this ability won't be affected by Thorns or Corrosive Ward, which is why using melee units like Runi, Grimbardun Fighter, Olivia, and others can always be a good answer against Tofu. The issue is that there aren't enough strong melee units with Reflection Shield available to consistently fight Tofu.
Of all options, Olivia is probably the best. Olivia can grow by stealing abilities from the enemy team, becoming a really powerful unit. However, most players don't have a maxed Olivia yet. You can, of course, pick one up in the market, but that gets expensive fast.
No melee strategy:
An obvious strategy when dealing with Tofu is to avoid melee units if Life or Earth Splinters are available. I know this isn't groundbreaking advice, but it's how most players deal with Tofu. If Tofu counters melee units so well, it stands to reason that melee units won't work as a solution. Honestly, this isn't the best experience. Discarding a third of your card pool because of one card seems unbalanced—and it probably is.
Cryptic:
Cryptic is probably one of the few summoners that can go toe-to-toe with Tofu. I still believe Cryptic is one of the best summoners in the Rebellion set for many reasons, but I also think his kit is particularly good against Tofu. This is because Cryptic doesn't rely on melee monsters to build a successful team.
Nowadays, Meta Cryptic teams consist of units like these:
 |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |
As you can see, most of the units are ranged or magic-based. The strategy when playing Cryptic is to focus on dealing damage that bypasses the enemy's shield or void abilities, thanks to Cryptic's Expose ability. This is particularly effective against Tofu, as many Tofu teams rely on Grimbardum Smith as their tank.
However, one thing Cryptic struggles with, is using Venka. To handle Venka, you'll need serious healing support in the backline to keep your Venka alive.
Overall, I believe Cryptic can counter most Tofu teams effectively. The main difference between Tofu and Cryptic, in my opinion, is that Tofu is much more adaptable and versatile to different circumstances and rulesets. But in specific situations where mana isn't a main concern for example, Cryptic might just be the solution you're looking for.
Conclusion:
In summary, while Tofu stands as one of the strongest summoners in the current meta, countering it is not impossible. Understanding its strengths and weaknesses is the first step in developing strategies to defeat it. Remember that powerful abilities like Reflection Shield are your friend, also avoid melee units altogether if you can, and always keep in mind that opting for summoners like Cryptic who mostly rely on ranged and magic attacks is always a good idea, there are ways to face Tofu head-on.
Remember, Splinterlands is a game of strategy, and while some cards might seem overpowered, creativity and adaptability in your approach can often turn the tide. You don't need to own Tofu to beat it—just the right combination of tactics, team composition, and a bit of luck!
Good luck in your battles, and I hope these strategies help you achieve victory. See you in the Splinterlands batlefield! ⚔️🛡️
Thanks for sharing! - @alokkumar121
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