Hey there Splinterfam, whilst today is a very special day for me, being my Father’s Death Anniversary, it makes me reflect on how I was during that challenging time, and how Splinterlands played a valuable role in overcoming sadness and grief. I have always looked for distractions, when challenged with doubt, fear, resentment and anger, and gaming a long with other activities have always helped me. When you feel all alone, what’s great about the gaming community is that people are always there for you. Whilst you may not know each other in person, common interests dictate compatibility, giving a sense of worth, giving a sense of obligation, it becomes a daily routine.
My father died during the pandemic, and as a businessman, it was a very difficult time especially here in the Philippines, where businesses were restricted, foot traffic was non existent, and people were loosing jobs and businesses left right and center, not to mention loosing a mentor, my role model, my inspiration. I was blessed to of been taught to “save for a rainy day” and was able to look after my employees and myself during these times however we all felt the strain. I am thankful for patrons especially within the Expat Community that gave me a sense of worth and continued to support my businesses.
I began my Splinterlands Journey in August 2021, and have never looked back. I have a nominal amount of money invested and I continue to invest as I believe in this product and community. I believe that it stands for something more than an opportunity to make money, it provides those that need it, a family.
now play in Champion League, its hard to believe that I actually started playing in Bronze with singular BCX cards, I am thankful to 
This is the last season before the change up in ranking and I am aiming to secure Leaderboards in both Modern and Wild Formats. Currently I hold a strong position in Modern and continue to play in Wild (I missed the older cards anyways, I just wish it was bot free also, but I am happy regardless).
I am excited for the changes, it is removing league barriers and I believe the win rating and loss rating that will be coming in will encourage those to keep moving forward. That’s what we all want, more competition and more players, I think the SPL Community Leaders have got this right. I am also looking forward to the new Tournament Structure, looks interesting.
These are currently the cards I rent, I have a maxed out Chaos Legion, Rewards and the core cards from Rift Watchers, I will eventually buy all of them, however my attention is somewhat averted towards maxing out Rebellion right now. What I have noticed from the current rental market is that cards are getting more and more scarce, forcing people to have to purchase the cards which I think is a great thing for the Economy, it’s play to earn at the end of the day, the least we can do is own our assets. I do feel that Splinterlands is becoming more for the “Player” and less for the “Investor” and if you are both, then what’s happening should be leaving a smile on your face.
So the first Airdrop for Rebellion was released, I managed to get 15 Regular Foils and 1 Gold Foil Copy, based on my computation, I definitely received more than I should have so it was a result. I have been utilizing Rage on every opportunity and am loving the abilities that it offers especially weapons training. Since then the new Conflict has started and I am well on the way. I hope to be able to receive at least 11 Copies guaranteed so that I can use it straight away. Currently I am set to receive 9 Copies with my current investment however I am invested in cards and packs daily.
My most recent purchases were Avarisdeus and Drybone Bowdog. At the moment there is a lot of importance with Scattershot monsters and a lot of metas that these cards are good for especially one that my friend 
Splintercards is a valuable tool to help track both Soulbound cards and the Rebellion Set, and gives me an idea of how much is required to max it out. It is extremely useful for newer players to gain an understanding on what is required to play at Champ. My hats off to those that Play in this league, if you own cards, you have a pretty penny invested. Currently I require 1410usd to complete the set.
I am contemplating taking off my Key Untamed Cards from land and replacing them with Rewards cards. It is because I simply miss playing with them and with the new Tournament Structure, I feel there is now another use case. Whilst land is somewhat stagnant, I would prefer to put them to work on the battlefield. I am looking forward to using my Scale Doctor and Lone Boatman again.
In Summary, Splinterlands is more than just a game, it is my second home now, the people that I interact with are my family and I will always do what I can to maintain a healthy relationship. I am one of the founders of Team Philippines and have dedicated a part of me to help those in need, you can do so much more in the Splinterverse and it is our ethos to help our friends in need.
For those that are looking for a great community and an interactive game, Splinterlands is definitely for you, people will help you here, I have not seen that in any Web2 games. It is expensive but, in my opinion, entertainment costs should be factored in, and what this game has done for me during difficult times, has definitely proven that the “Juice was worth the Squeeze”. Thank you for taking the time to read the ramblings of a madman. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate as to comment below and I will be sure to answer promptly. This is Mango Mayhem Signing out, Ciao for now, and I look forward to seeing you on the Battlefield.
Together we thrive Kapamilya
Useful links and credits for picks:
https://peakmonsters.com/
https://www.splintercards.com/
https://next.splinterlands.com/