While I generally enjoy leveling up every single card in my deck, I experience a distinct level of excitement whenever I upgrade these Gladiator cards. This is true even though, strictly speaking, I cannot currently utilize them in Modern mode—and in Guild Battles, only one such card can be used per match. Nevertheless, I still feel a heightened sense of enthusiasm. One reason for this is that the "Merits" rewards earned from participating in Brawl Battles—which are used to purchase packs containing these Gladiator cards—allow for a somewhat faster acquisition rate compared to obtaining other types of cards. Consequently, cards from the Gladiator set can be leveled up much more rapidly than other cards in my collection. Although they may not be seeing extensive use in Modern mode right now, they can be utilized freely and without any restrictions in Wild mode battles. Thus, whenever I feel ready to venture into Wild mode in the future, I will be able to freely deploy these cards, which I have already upgraded to their maximum level. Moving in that very direction, I discovered another card in my deck today that was ready to be upgraded to Level 2; so, without any delay, I fulfilled its potential.
I had accumulated 5 copies of this card—enough to upgrade it to Level 2. This is why the number displayed beneath this card on the Items page appeared in a light yellow color (this serves as a convenient way to identify which cards in your deck are ready to be leveled up). All cards in the Gladiator set are "Soulbound," meaning they cannot be unbound or traded in any way; however, right from Level 1, these cards come equipped with a unique ability called "Bloodlust." This ability boosts all of the card's stats by +1 after every killing blow—an undeniably excellent feature. Furthermore, regarding this specific card's stats, for a mana cost of just 6, it offers an impressive 12 Health, along with 2 Speed and 2 Melee Attack power. Since the card is already well-endowed in terms of Health, I was hoping that upgrading it to Level 2 would grant it either +1 Speed or +1 Attack power.
And, surprisingly enough, that is exactly what happened: upon upgrading to Level 2, this card's Attack Power increased by +1. Now, if you look at this card, for a mere Mana cost of 6, it feels nothing short of a beast; this is because its Health is nearly double that of cards typically found at this cost level. While I wouldn't call its Speed exceptional, it is certainly decent; however, with its Attack Power boosted by +1, it has now—without a shadow of a doubt—become a formidable force. This is Kotriphus Bayne, a Rare card from the Death Element, which has now been upgraded to Level 2 in my deck. In the title, I referred to it as a "powerful tank"; however, it ultimately depends on your understanding and strategy whether you choose to view it merely as a tank, or instead position it in the second slot—safeguarded behind a tank with the Flank ability—and, by pairing it with a card possessing the Swiftness ability to boost its sole weak stat (Speed), use it to exert immense pressure on the enemy.
Splinterlands isn't an easy place, but that's what makes it even more fun. A perfect strategy takes into account many factors, including stats, abilities, rulesets, mana caps, and more. That's why it's even more important to consider all these factors when developing a strategy. Add good cards to your deck, but also work on improving your strategies, and strive to win as many battles as possible!🔥
If you also want to enjoy this amazing game and you have not yet signed up, I invite you to Splinterlands, and I will also try my best to guide you in this game. 😎
Note:
English is not my first language. So sometimes I use 'Google Translate'. Please don't think that anything I have written in this blog has been copied from somewhere or is AI-generated.Paragraph Dividers and all the photos are from #Splinterlands.All the other content images and words are mine unless otherwise stated.
Have a Happy and Blessed day!
