One Card Away: The Longest Chase in My Splinterlands Collection

After years of grinding, opening packs, and patiently building my Collection, I’ve found myself in a familiar—but increasingly frustrating—place in Splinterlands: one Gladiator card away from completing a maxed set.

And of course, it couldn’t be a simple one.

Not only am I missing a single card, but I still need multiple BCXs of it to fully max it out. To make matters worse—and to explain why this chase has dragged on for so long—it’s a Legendary Gladiator card, the rarest and most elusive type in the entire Gladius set.

The Gladiator Grind Never Ends

For anyone deep into Guild Brawls, Gladiator cards are incredibly important. Many of them remain meta-relevant thanks to abilities like Bloodlust, which can completely swing matches. Completing and maxing this set has been a long-term goal of mine—not just for collection pride, but for competitive strength.

Over the years, I’ve poured countless Merits into Gladius packs. I’ve chased efficiency, luck, and volume. And more recently, I’ve added Blood Stones into the mix to improve my odds and accelerate progress.

At least in theory.

72 Packs. 360 Cards. Zero Progress.

My latest attempt was one of my biggest yet:

72 Gladius packs, all infused with Blood Stones.

That’s 360 cards flipped in a single session.

And the result?

Not a single BCX of the one Legendary card I need.

It’s hard to describe how deflating that feels. You know the odds are bad going in. You tell yourself that variance is part of the game. But when you’re this close—and still walk away empty-handed—it hits differently.

Time Is the Real Enemy

What makes this chase even more stressful is the clock.

I can’t shake the feeling that the Gladiator set will eventually get a facelift. New editions. Updated mechanics. A fresh meta. And when that happens, there’s a very real chance that the current Gladiator cards go out of print.

If that happens before I finish this set, the chase may end permanently—not by choice, but by circumstance.

That’s a tough pill to swallow after years of effort.

The Core Frustration: No Targeting Mechanism

What makes this especially difficult is the lack of any system to:

• Target specific cards
• Focus on a particular rarity
• Increase odds meaningfully over time

Every pack is still a roll of the dice. No pity system. No crafting path. No exchange mechanism. Just raw RNG.

That randomness is part of what makes Splinterlands exciting—but in moments like this, it also becomes its most painful limitation.

Still Chasing… For Now

Despite the frustration, I’m not ready to give up. The goal is too close. One card. A few BCXs. That’s all that stands between me and a fully maxed Gladiator set.

I’ll keep stacking Merits.

I’ll keep opening packs.

And I’ll keep hoping that luck finally turns in my favor before time runs out.

Because if there’s one thing Splinterlands has taught me over the years, it’s this:

Sometimes the hardest achievements aren’t about strategy or capital—they’re about endurance.

And this chase has tested mine more than any other.