Preparing the “Victims” of My Splinterlands Burn: A Sacrifice for the Future of Land

With the launch of Land Cards in Splinterlands right around the corner, I’ve found myself embarking on one of the most difficult and emotional preparations I’ve ever made in this game:

selecting the cards I will burn to generate Cinder.‌

Cinder—being Soulbound and only obtainable by burning cards with DEC burn value—has become the central bottleneck for anyone intending to fully mint their allocated Land Cards. While the concept is elegant, the reality is hitting hard:

the burn requirements are massive, and the cards needed to meet them aren’t just duplicates or spare commons—they’re real assets with real value.

When Math Meets Emotion

Initially, I approached this the way any Splinterlands veteran might:

purely as an economic equation.

Burn value versus market value.

Opportunity cost versus long-term ROI.

Cinder required versus cards available.

But as I began sorting through my Collection, something surprising happened:

it became emotional.

This wasn’t just math anymore—this felt like a draft, a choosing of who stays and who goes as I make my strategic shift deeper into the Land economy.

The Almost Sacrifice of Alpha & Beta

At one point, my burn list included Alpha and Beta cards, which would have yielded over 500,000 Cinder on their own. The math looked clean, and the numbers worked.

But emotionally?

I couldn’t do it.

These are historical cards. They are part of my journey in Splinterlands. They carry nostalgia, scarcity, and sentimental weight—not just burn value.

And honestly, I’m relieved that I don’t need to burn them to reach my initial goal of 1 million Cinder for my allocated Land Cards.

For now, they are safe.

But the burn pressure is real—and knowing they could solve future shortages hangs in the background like a shadow.

The Draft Board for the New Era

After several passes through my Collection, I’ve put together a list of “victims”—cards that will be sacrificed so that my Land can enter the next phase. Many are worth far more on the market than their burn value, sometimes multiple times more, which makes the decision even harder.

But Land is my endgame.

It’s where I’m planting my flag.

And sacrifices are part of that commitment.

The Next Big Question: Burn More or Buy More?

Once I burn enough to mint my allocation, I’ll face another decision:

Do I…

• Burn even more cards to mint additional Land Cards?
  OR
• Sell extra cards on the market and use those proceeds to buy the Land Cards I want?

The math isn’t simple.

Burning preserves the convenience but destroys long-term assets.

Buying preserves my Collection but requires significant liquidity.

Every option comes with a cost—financial, strategic, and emotional.

This Is Splinterlands: Many Games Within the Game

Moments like this remind me why Splinterlands continues to fascinate me after all these years.

It’s not just a card game.

It’s not just an economy.

It’s not just an RPG or a strategy loop.

It’s all of them at once.

Every decision branches into three more.

Every sacrifice has weight.

Every choice feels meaningful.

And as I prepare my burn list—my draft board for the future of my Land—I’m reminded of just how deep and dynamic this game has become.

I’m nervous.

I’m excited.

And I’m hoping the sacrifice will be worth it.

Burn season is coming… and I’m almost ready.