Great post,so sorry 😔 about #arcadecolony temporary closure.Hope they bounce back on time.
For splinterlands,so many things and access would be opened up to you the moment you buy the SPELLBOOK.
And for the game proper I grounded myself so well in frontier ranked and upgrade my cards.Some to maximum,others tonlevel 3 &4. This took just two seasons.Now,I am fully battling in modern ranked with my upgraded foundation cards,rented cards and some purchased cards.But everyone has what works for them though. This just my experience I love sharing with others.
Lastly,there is the investment aspect, which i have not really delve into and would surely give it a trial,like staking SPS, renting and selling cards. Do have a great day Hive account@asgharali