Hello Splinterlands Family!
How are you all? I hope you are all doing well and having a great gaming season. This is my second entry in the Splinterlands Community's weekly "Social Media Challenge". Usually, I like to discuss different battle strategies on my blog. But today I'm coming up with something a little different. As you know, winning the battlefield requires more than just a good strategy; you also need a strong deck or card collection.
As a new and somewhat experienced player, I felt that upgrading cards was not an option to climb the league table. So today I'm not sharing any battles, but rather how I upgraded some of my important Fire Element and Water Element cards to max level or higher. And finally, there is a special surprise—opening a Gladius Case purchased from my guild store! Believe me, the excitement that comes with opening a pack cannot be compared to anything else.
So, let's start my card upgrade and collection journey today without further ado.
Why is it important to upgrade cards?
Before we get to the main discussion, I would like to briefly explain why I decided to upgrade cards today. Those of us who play regularly know that the competition in the 'Modern' or 'Wild' format has increased a lot. Level 1 or 2 cards are no longer enough to survive in the Silver or Gold League. When a card's level increases, not only does its attack or health increase, but new 'abilities' or powers are unlocked. And this additional power can often win a losing match. Although my fire deck is quite strong, I was not getting the full benefit due to the low level of some cards. So today I focused on that.
1. Barthalamas | Fire Unit | Upgrade: Level 4
The first card on my upgrade list today is Barthalamas. It is a 'Djinn' card. I successfully upgraded it to level 4 by marching or combining my cards.
The mana cost of this card is 6. There are many matches in Splinterlands where the mana cap is neither too high nor too low (like 20-25 mana). This card is a great choice for those matches. After reaching level 4, its stats or power seemed quite satisfactory to me.
Why is this important?
Fire element cards are usually very aggressive or offensive. But the Barthalamas card will help me in a defensive or supportive role. Its speed and health combination is such that I can easily place it in the middle of my team. This card can last for quite a while, especially when the opponent uses magic attacks. I plan to upgrade it further in the future so that I can fully utilise its hidden abilities. For now, at level 4, it will provide quite a bit of support to my deck.
2. frankarsgard | Fire Unit | Upgrade: Level 5
Next, the card I worked on is as scary to look at as it is powerful in action. The card is called Frankarsgard. It looks a lot like a wolf or werewolf. I took it to level 5 using the many copies I had.
This card requires 7 mana to use. This means it is primarily designed for high-mana battles. You are bound to be impressed when you see its stats at level 5. With 9 health and armour or shields, it can act as a great 'tank' or 'off-tank'.
My strategy:
I usually like to use this card in the second position of my line. Because there are often opponents with 'Reach' or 'Sneak' abilities in Splinterlands. Frankarsgard's high health keeps him alive for a long time. Also, due to itsarmourr, the opponent's melee attacks cannot harm it at first. Having such a strong card in the fire team means that you are one step ahead of the opponent. After today's upgrade, I am sure that it will help me win many tough matches.
3. Agniavan Salamander | Fire Unit | Upgrade: Level 2
The third card of the fire element that I upgraded is Agniavan Salamander. It is a 'Mundane Beast' card. I upgraded it to level 2.
Honestly, using thiscard forf 8 mana can be challenging at times. But its specialty is its huge health pool. Its survivability increases as the level increases.
Why did I upgrade?
Sometimes there are rulesets where no abilities work (Back to Basics), or only high-health cards are needed. In those cases, Agniavan Salamander can be a game-changer. Also, in the 'Target Practice' ruleset, it can act as a shield to absorb magic or ranged attacks. Level 2 may not be much, but it's a start. I plan to max it out in the future, when it will truly become a monster card. For now, it's a backup option in my collection.
4. mystic scaleweaver | Water unit | Upgrade: Level 2
After finishing the Fire element, I looked at my Water deck. There, I upgraded a card called Mystic Scaleweaver to Level 2.
Water or water element is one of my favourites because its speed and magic attack are amazing. The Mystic Scaleweaver card requires 9 mana, which is quite expensive. But when you look at its power, you will understand why it is expensive. It is a magic attack card.
Strategic aspect:
The biggest advantage of this card is its possibility of having a 'Repair' ability to repair serious damage. Although not all abilities are unlocked at Level 2, its 3 magic attacks can penetrate the opponent's armour and directly reduce health. I use this card a lot in high mana battles, especially where there is a 99 mana cap. Using it with Kelya Frendul Summoner on a water team increases its speed and armour, which makes it even more dangerous. Today's upgrade made my water deck a little sharper.
Guild Store Shopping: Buying a Gladius Case
Card upgrades are over, now let's get to the most exciting part of the day—shopping! As you know, guilds are extremely important in Splinterlands. I regularly participate in Guild Brawls and get 'Merits' as rewards from them.
I had quite a few Merits accumulated. So I went straight to the guild store. There, I spent 2000 Merits and bought a Gladius Case. For those who are new to the game, I will tell you—Gladius cards are different from regular cards. They cannot be traded (Soulbound), but they have a special ability called 'Bloodlust'. Whenever an opponent is killed with this card, all the stats of this card (Health, Armour, Attack, Speed) increase. These cards are the key to winning in Brawl Battles.
Pack Opening: What did I get?
I was eagerly waiting after purchasing the pack. As soon as I clicked, the cards flipped over,r and I was quite happy with what I got. Let's take a look at what cards I got:
- Krash Wanderford (Common)
- Katrelba Gobson (Common)
- Alva the Crusher (Common)
- Bertrol Gobson (Common)
- Palidon Rakk (Rare)
Card Analysis:
The biggest gain in this pack is Palidon Rakk. It is a Rare card and an Earth element. This 7 mana card has a lot of health and armour, and with the Bloodlust ability, it can turn the match around on the front line alone.
Also, Katrelba Gobson is a card of my personal choice. It has the 'Double Strike' and 'Sneak' abilities. That is, it hits the enemy twice per round. Once it kills someone and triggers Bloodlust, it becomes impossible to stop it.
The rest of the common cards are not bad either. I will save these so that I can combine them later and level them up. All in all, I can say that I benefited from what I got by spending 2000 Merits.
Today turned into a totally efficient day for my Splinterlands journey. On the one hand, I have reinforced my Fire and Water decks by means of upgrading cards like Barthalamas, Frankarsgard, Agniavan Salamander, and Mystic Scaleweaver. On the other hand, I actually have opened the Gladius % and accrued a few first-rate playing cards in an effort to help me in the next Guild Brawl.
Splinterlands is a sport that calls for patience and making plans. You can't emerge as the best in an afternoon; however, if you construct your deck a bit every day, success will come. These improvements of mine today may also seem small, but in the long run, they may make a massive difference.
Who among you who are reading this post of mine, do you use these cards? Or is there any card from today's pack on your favourite list? Don't forget to comment. Your feedback inspires me to write and play better.
And if you haven't started the Splinterlands game yet, I would say that you are missing out on one of the best experiences in web-3 gaming. My referral link is given below. Ifyou want, you can join today.
Everyone, stay well and healthy. See you again in the next challenge with something new!