Kulu Swimhunters are members of a race of squid-like creatures that hunt in packs. They use their multiple tentacles to wield all manner of projectiles, to include spears, coral, and even fish. They are very aggressive and are known to traverse oceans, lakes, and rivers, killing for sport and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. They do not value gold or glory and will ally themselves with whoever promises the greatest opportunity to hunt and kill. - Splinterlands Lore
Kulu Swimhunter - Reliable Ranged
Hey Splinterfans, Gamers and Collectors!
Today I'll be reviewing a well rounded starter card from Splinterlands!
Kulu Swimhunter, at first glance, is a simple card. With all the abilities and interesting builds out there, it can be easy to miss!
However, Kulu is actually quite powerful, and shouldn't be forgotten!
Stat Breakdown:
As seen above, Kulu has no abilities and only well rounded stats.
Level 1-5, Starts with a solid 2 ranged damage for only 4 mana. With 2 speed and 4 HP, Kulu makes for a reasonable backline choice in almost any build. Levels 2-5 Kulu gains more Speed and HP.
Level 6-9, Here Kulu hits a comfortable 3 Ranged damage, allowing it to stay competitive as far as damage goes, while further gaining HP and Speed throughout the levels. Retaining the same usefulness as previous ranks.
At max level, Kulu hits 4 Ranged and loses 1HP. Finishing at 4 Ranged, 5 Speed and 6 HP. Compared to other max cards, I feel Kulu falls off a bit end game. However, he would still be a welcome second or third choice even under those circumstances.
So where does this card shine? Close Ranged and back to basics Rulesets, and as a solid backline.
Kulu Swimhunter has no abilities. If we compare it to other ranged cards around the same mana, it seems a bit underwhelming, especially at higher levels. Angelic Mandarin is a Rare card, and 3 Mana. While the core stats aren't as good, it gains Triage at level 4 to heal backline cards, as well as Silence at max level to reduce enemy Magic damage. For 1 more Mana, you could choose something like Giant Squid, which ends with only 3 Ranged damage but has the Blind and Weaken ability. Sniping Narwhal is another common, which has snipe and later stun and piercing. Then there's the Epic ranged card for 2 mana, and the Legendary for 1 mana. Plus eve more.
So a lot of competition, can the squid keep up? I think so
First off, there aren't any other 4 mana ranged water splinter cards, and ranged cards in water splinter are somewhat scarce in general. Kulu has reasonable speed, high damage and a respectable HP level for the mana cost. Not to mention, it's a starter card and a common, so easy to level up and usable at level 1 right off the bat. It works well even as a frontline or secondary tank in close ranged, and well as a tanky but high damage card to have in the rear. Well balanced, with some of the highest ranged damage for the water splinter late game.
TLDR; Kulu is simply good stats for the mana that it costs, and is a great general use card to have on hand.
Where I like to use this card:
I like to use this card in close ranged fights, where I know his high HP and good damage won't go to waste if the frontline is wiped out. So as a secondary tank. Most often, however, I put this card last in my lineup of a water build. He can take a few hits from any potential sneak monsters, and supply a good amount of damage to support the team. Another place I like to use it is in Back to Basics fights. Especially ones where magic builds aren't very viable. Kulu has much more favorable core stats than its competition, and works amazingly when abilities are taken out of the equation.
We'll see Kulu in action soon enough...
To the fights!
Click here to watch the replay
Rank: Gold 2
Here I opted for the usual Keyla +1 speed and armor build. This summoner, in general, is a solid choice for almost any build. This match has opportunity ruleset, which works fine for kulu, so I utilized it.
Up front I have wave brood to take some hits with its taunt ability and high durability. Fiend and chicken behind, as tiny meat shields as well as a little bit of melee damage.
Followed behind those 3, I have Kulu Swimhunter. With 6HP, 5 Speed and 1 Armor, I know it'll be able to take a few hits from opportunity shots, or if the first 3 units fall.
Lastly, I have Igor for a bit of additional damage, same with naga windmaster (which has the added benefit of reducing their ranged damage) in the back.
This match worked out quite well, with wave brood proving durable as ever, and a solid 6 ranged damage/turn from my backline.
In the end, I win! A good fight!
Click here to watch the replay
Rank: Gold 2
Here I utilize Selenia sky, one of my favorite summoners.
Naturally, this works well with Kulu due to the +1 ranged buff, and having dragon cards available is a nice plus as well.
I got for Wave brood up front, again, with Zyvax Vuul behind for (hopefully) a couple strong hits and as a secondary tank. With a whopping 21 HP up front, I know that my 3 backlines will have some time to fight. I go for Kulu and Igor, for 6 more ranged damage per turn, and because if they happen to end up in the front they can take some hits. Lastly, I have halfing alchemist and pirate archer. Pirate archer providing some sweet blast damage, and halfling reducing their frontline's damage. While they did have +1 armor and also reduced my speed, I was able to break through with the sheer damage of Selenia sky's +1 range on this team, and this resulted in a victory!
Another victory thanks to the wonderful Dragon splinter!
Undervalued or Overvalued?
At the time of writing, this card sits at around $0.08.
Interestingly, this card with many other Chaos Legion cards rose in price quite a bit the last few days, which is always nice to see. In recent weeks though, it was around $0.04-5. Still a fairly low price, however there isn't much a reason to purchase 1 BSX at this time so many Bronze-Silver players settle for the starter. Understandably so, as it works well and is free, and can be easily overlooked for more ability-filled cards. Even in gold, I use a lvl 3-5 card typically. I usually only have summoners rented to utilize commons up to level 5 so I still am at the 2 ranged damage most times. That being said, Kulu is reliable, and surprisingly durable. Not a great first choice, but a solid one nonetheless. While I can see Kulu being buried and forgotten by future card releases, I also think that it still holds some unique value for the water Splinter. There aren't any 4 mana water ranged cards, so this does fill that place. I do think Kulu is a good card, and I think the value will go up, but I also think that it will stay as a "cheap, reliable pick" for the foreseeable future. Definitely worth levelling up if you can though!
Final thoughts - It's slightly undervalued, maybe even right where it should be for now.
Thank you for reading, have a wonderful week!
Credits/Referrals:
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Thanks to @peakmonsters for useful price tools
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Nice card review man hehe I'm considering buying Kulu now 😆
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