Splinterlands is an amazing blockchain-based trading card game that is easy to learn, but difficult to master. I've been playing Splinterlands consistently for the past several months, and I am still learning things to become a better player. In today's post, I'd like to share two key realizations that helped me to become a better Splinterlands player.
Units Without an Attack Matter
The first moment that helped me to become a better Splinterlands player was realizing the value of units that don't have an attack type. At first glance, it's easy to view these units as irrelevant damage sponges that can't really do much. However, as I have played the game, I have realized that these can be incredibly powerful for countering an opponent's strategy. To illustrate this, I'd like to share an example of a match that I recently played.
This was a match with the Thorns ruleset, so I guessed that my opponent would play a lot of Magic units. To counter my opponent's strategy, I put Daigendark Surveyor in the first position. This unit only costs 2 Mana, but it has the Magic Reflect ability which returns 50% of the magic damages (rounded up) that it is dealt. So, the surveyor wasn't just a damage sponge that protected my other units. It actively contributed to winning the battle by damaging both my Opponent's Thandalorian Scion and Warborn Shaman.
Some of my current favorite cards with no attack are obviously the Surveyor, but, I also like Ulundin Overseer for soaking up damage in 99 Mana matches.
Spellmonger, from the Foundation set, is another nice unit that can play an important role if you expect your opponent to play a Melee heavy team.
Leveling Cards Matters
When I first started playing the game, I didn't really focus on leveling up my cards. At the time, I thought it was much better to get a single copy of a high rarity card as opposed to leveling up a bunch of commons. But, over time, I changed my mind. This is especially true with the new reward set. To share an example of this, let's take a look at Grim Bonewhip.
This is a common card that is currently valued at just a few cents. However, what you'll notice is that as this card levels up, it gains several key abilities. At level 1, it has the Reach ability, which means it can attack from the second position. At level 3, it gains the Rust ability, which reduces the armor of opposing units. And at level 5, it gains Swiftness, which increases the speed of friendly units. That's a pretty nice force multiplier for a card that is only 5 Mana.
However, there's also another reason that I like leveling up cards - it helps create a feeling of progress in the game. Some of the legendary and epic cards in Splinterlands are extremely powerful, but they can also be very expensive, which means that it takes a long time of saving up to be able to afford them. By contrast, leveling up a common feels like I'm making continual progress in the game, even if it's not as dramatic as buying a high dollar legendary card.
Putting Things in Perspective
Although I am proud of the progress I have played in Splinterlands, I also do think it's important to keep things in perspective and point out that I'm usually pretty lucky just to break into mid-silver in any given season. Although I have learned a lot by playing the game, there is still a lot more to learn. And that's one of the reasons that I like interacting so much with the Splinterlands community. It's amazing to see the videos and articles that other people write sharing their strategies.
Join Me In Splinterlands
As I do with all of my articles, I would like to wrap up this post by inviting you to join me in Splinterlands using my referral link. It's an action-packed, collectible card game where you can win additional NFTs and cryptocurrency for winning matches. On top of that, it's got a vibrant community and it's something that I really enjoy.
Disclaimer
As a US resident, I am required to disclose that I might receive a benefit, such as reward or incentive, if you join using my affiliate link. All image credits belong to Splinterlands. Nothing is financial advice.
