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Splinterlands is an ecosystem that has been evolving over the years, which is why it remains one of the best strategy games built on the Hive blockchain, However, to get started with the game—which has grown significantly since its launch in 2018—you need more than just cards. There are a series of steps you must follow to get off to a good start in the "Praetoria" ecosystem. This guide, designed by 
1. What is Splinterlands?
In traditional card games, where the systems and economy are controlled solely and exclusively by the developer, Splinterlands is completely different in this regard, as every asset and item in the game has real, tangible value. This means that virtually everything has value—whether it’s cards, packs, or tokens related to the economy, primarily SPS and DEC.
This means that every asset you earn in Splinterlands is real; plus, there are many things you can do with them. Not only is there an internal marketplace for buying and selling all kinds of items, but you can also rent out your cards, delegate them, and do many other things that help the economy and the game itself thrive. On the other hand, as a fast-paced turn-based combat game and an established DAO, the game is decentralized and is practically in the hands of the community—specifically, those who hold SPS.
2. Registration and Account Creation: Hive Identity
To get started, you need to have your identity registered on the Hive blockchain; there are several ways to do this, but since we’re talking about Splinterlands, the process I’ll share with you is specific to that platform, keeping in mind that new users join as players rather than through the Hive platform itself; however, transitioning to the entire Hive ecosystem is what you need to do to take full advantage of everything it has to offer.
So, here are the step-by-step instructions::
Create your Hive account: The first thing you need to do is go to splinterlands.com; follow the standard registration process, just like on any other platform, and this will generate your username, which will also serve as your wallet address.
The Spellbook: To earn in-game rewards, you need a "SpellBook," which costs $10 and can be paid for in virtually any cryptocurrency.
Security: This is quite important, and the reality is that security is essential in this ecosystem, so you need to safeguard the private keys the system provides when you register, purchase the spellbook, and complete all the steps. Additionally, once you have the keys, it’s recommended that you change them, but simply safeguarding them properly is sufficient.
3. The Pillars (Game Format and Splinters)
The battle system in Splinterlands has evolved over the years; initially, there were no formats in the game, but as time went on, they were introduced. At first there were two, and now there are four—I’ll explain them briefly:
Modern: This is a format where manual play takes center stage; bots are not allowed, and you can only play with two expansions: "Rebellion" and "Conclave Arcana."
Wild: This was the only original format that existed before everything evolved; to play in it, you must pay a "Wild Pass" worth 2,000 DEC per season. Unlike the previous format, this one supports every single edition in the game; it also allows BOTS, and the rewards are smaller, mainly because there are more players and the rewards are spread out much more.
Survival: This is the new format, one of the most recent ones, and it focuses on the survival of your deck; there’s no energy system here to limit your play, since the only thing that can stop you is running out of cards—when a card is destroyed in battle, it enters a cooldown period. Additionally, before you start, the system operates on "Brackets" that determine the level of cards you can use; rewards are divided based on the "Bracket" you choose. All card editions are supported.
Frontier: It’s the newest format of them all and was created to give new players a completely free gateway into the ecosystem and its rewards—even if you don’t purchase the “Book of Spells.” So, for all new players looking to get started, this is our recommendation. It also features a single edition called “Foundations.” Matches are played exclusively with this deck of cards, which makes it exciting and unique.
The Splinters or Elements:
This is something I couldn’t leave out, since the entire system revolves around them; the cards are divided into “splinters” or elements. I won’t go into too much detail about them here, because I think they deserve their own post—as I mentioned earlier, they’re the central pillar of how the system works. But so you can see what they are, here they are:
- Fire
- Water
- Earth
- Life
- Death
- Dragon
- Neutral
4. To be continued.
The truth is, I have to cover a lot of the basics; I barely realized it, but I think the content in this post is an excellent starting point. Next time, we’ll start with the collection, the market, rentals, the economy, and progression in the game.
I hope you enjoyed this post; I'm new here, and I hope this information will be helpful to new players. I'm