Let’s rewind back in time a bit
I started the season with a rating of 900 MMR, which allowed me to reach Silver III the very first day. This alone was a big change as I used to waste several days to get to the same point.
The Pros
This time, by spending the entire season in Silver and Gold leagues, I was able to collect more than 50 non-nerfed daily loot chests in the course of the season to boost my Collection Power.
Out of those daily chests, I got 31 cards representing 570 CP. In addition to that, by finishing the season in Gold II, I was rewarded with 26 EOS loot chests containing 355 more CP of cards.
With those rewards alone, I was able to increase my Collection Power for a sub-total of 925 CP. I also got during the season 50 additional CP of cards thanks to the generosity of 
The huge leap, however, came from my blogging revenue. By consistently reinvesting my earnings into cards, I was able to gather 4775 CP this way, which finally equalled to a grand total of 5750 CP added this season alone.
Consequently, in terms of CP collected, this last season was for sure a success. I am quickly approaching my goal of owning 15k of CP as I am hovering just over 14k at the time of writing.
My End Of Season Rewards:
The Cons
To unlock the rewards in Silver and Gold, the price I had to pay was rental costs. I was spending over 200 DEC per day in the last three days in order to secure my spot in Gold II for the end of the season.
The rental system is a blessing for players with limited capital to put into the game, so I am not complaining a bit about it. In fact, it gives us, small players, an opportunity to grind our way up.
I just want to let new players know (for the sake of completeness) that the DECs earned through battles are mostly spent on the rentals. Unless you are blogging on the side, you might not think it worthwhile.
Another downside of stretching my deck was the End Of Season Reset. Starting right at 1400 MMR yesterday, I struggled to complete my Sneak Quest. I even got kicked down to Silver III with an awful win rate of 34.7%.
In conclusion
By playing in Silver and Gold leagues, I get a richer experience as a player, which in consequence gives me more content to write about. And as you’ve noticed, blogging is the real motor that fuels my progression within the game.
Furthermore, even though I got logically bullied yesterday, I still start this new season directly in Silver III, which will hopefully allow me to repeat the success I had during the past season.
Thomas
Ongoing (unanswered) question
Does anyone know how this bot was able to sell cards with only a 1% fee?
Thank you for your help!
For new players interested in joining this amazing game, you can support me by using the following referral link (at no extra cost to you!):
https://splinterlands.com?ref=tt88
Thank you.