Splinterlands Starter Basics
5 Rules To Get Going
Rule #1 - Have fun.
Its a game, so realize you will make the most money if you actually enjoy competition and figuring out how to beat your opponent.
Rule #2 - Summoners Give Your Team Special Powers.
Look on the card and pick the summoner that gives you the best EXTRA abilities to fight your match.
Rule #3 - Master The Basic Fight Rules
Melee - can ONLY attack from the 1st slot (unless it has special ability like sneak or opportunity)
Range - can ONLY attack from 2nd through 6th slots. In other words, it can NOT attack from the 1st slot. (unless it has special ability like close range)
Magic - can attack from ANYWHERE. Plus here's a bonus, it will go under the shields of the opponents and hit DIRECTLY to the health. Early players will find magic a very very powerful attack strategy.
Hint: when in doubt think: "Melee, Magic, Range" ... that will get the most monsters on the battlefield attacking for you.
Rule #4 Use All Your Mana To Fill Your Slots
Mana determines how much you can "spend" for a particular match. You can have low mana matches and high mana matches. The trick is to try to get the most powerful cards in as many slots as possible. So in many cases two 3-mana cards are better than one 6-mana card. If you fill up all your slots, then you will have more monsters attacking your enemy.
Rule #5 Learn The Game And The Earnings Will Follow... So Watch Your Battles
Most people jump in and think "I'm going to make a lot of money." While you can make a lot of money, you will ONLY DO SO if you learn the game first. The way to learn is by WATCHING your battles and seeing how everything works together. You should be able to predict how each card will react based on the 3 things that matter: 1) speed (faster monsters go first) 2) attack location (mentioned Rule #3 above) and 3) abilities (the best way to learn is to watch the cards in action)
That's it. 5 Rules. I've seen people make millions of dollars over the years and they all had to start by following these 5 basic rules. While the game gets even more complex as you rank higher, these 5 rules as your base will enable you to grasp each new step as you move forward.