HELLO again to all Splinterlands readers who’ve made it this far! 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻
If you thought the new Avatar system was already pushing boundaries, then buckle up because now it’s time to talk about the truly mind-bending part of this update 😜. As a continuation of this week’s Splinterlands Community Engagement Challenge on Avatars & Exemplars, this post is all about the feature that made me stop, reread the announcement, and say “wait… what?!” EXEMPLARS. In this article, I’ll be sharing why the idea of becoming an actual playable card feels so revolutionary, and why this might be one of the boldest moves Splinterlands has ever made.
No matter! I present to you — AVATARS & EXEMPLARS.
So without further ado, let's dive into this week's themed topic for the Splinterlands Community Engagement Challenge! 🎉
If Avatars let you craft an identity, then Exemplars let you embody it. In the second part of this deeper dive into the most ground breaking Splinterlands update in years, we’re examining the system that’s really shaking up the core of the game: the ability to create your own playable card — one rooted in your Avatar and shaped by your strategic intent.
In traditional trading card games (physical or digital) you’re always at the mercy of the cards the developers issue. You build decks, sure, but you do not design the cards themselves. Splinterlands has just flipped that paradigm on its head with Exemplars and the implications are massive. This isn’t just another feature update; it’s a philosophical shift in what it means to participate in a card game.
At the heart of Exemplars is a simple idea with huge impact: your card is yours. Not in the sense of ownership like an NFT you bought, in the sense that you designed it, you levelled it, and you chose how it plays.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
• Leveling Up Your Exemplar
Every Exemplar starts at Level 1 and gains experience by spending Glint, not random drops or pack openings. Each level unlocks points you can allocate to stats (Health, Speed, Attack, Armor) as well as mana cost tweaks and up to five ability slots.
Unlike traditional cards where stats are predetermined, every choice is yours. Want your card fast and lethal? Heavy and tanky? With subtle utility abilities? It’s up to you. That’s huge. It’s not just “crafting”, it’s designing a strategic tool with your fingerprints all over it.
• Creative Strategy Over RNG Reliance
One of my favorite impressions from the community so far is how Exemplars shift the game away from randomness and toward intention. Rather than grinding to open packs and praying for a perfect card drop, you invest Glint into an Exemplar build that matches your vision. Whether you build a poison-focused slow assassin or a high-mana shock trooper, every decision reflects you, not the luck of the card draw.
That feels liberating, especially for veteran players who have seen tons of expansions, sets, and balance patches. Instead of chasing rare cards, you’re now chasing expression and mastery.
• Strategic Depth Without Breaking Ranked
One concern you might have heard is about balance AKA can custom cards wreck ranked play? The team has addressed this by limiting Exemplars from standard ranked formats, instead enabling them in tournaments, community challenges, and upcoming guild events.
That’s smart. It keeps ranked as a carefully balanced competitive space, while giving players a playground where creativity and experimentation are rewarded. Think of it like sandbox mode meets competitive creativity.
What’s really exciting about Exemplars isn’t just the card creation. It’s how this shifts why and how we play:
• A New Long-Term Playground
For many players, progress has been tied to cards, ranks, and leaderboard metrics. Exemplars add another long-distance track. One that’s not tied to luck or meta swings, but to your ongoing decisions and Glint economy planning.
Whether you measure success by climbing an Exemplar leaderboard or perfecting niche builds, there’s a new kind of progress loop here. One that rewards creativity and persistence over time.
• Visual Prestige That Matches Effort
As you level an Exemplar, its rarity, frame, and foil tiers evolve, visually broadcasting dedication. That’s more than shiny optics; it’s an expression of your commitment and artistry. Watching your Exemplar go from humble beginnings to a legendary frame is almost like seeing your avatar narrative iterate alongside your card.
That kind of feedback loop (visual, mechanical, and emotional) is rare in card games.
• Builds Community Conversation
Already, conversations are popping up about unique builds, strategy swaps, and what “signature Exemplar” means for players long term. It’s like deck theorycrafting on steroids. Rather than debating which pack to buy, players ask:
• Should my Exemplar lean magic abilities or pure stats?
• How do I balance mana cost versus raw power?
• What niche roles can Exemplars fill in social tournaments?
This kind of discussion adds depth to community engagement beyond meta tier lists. It’s about personal design philosophy.
Two craftable, tradable items make this system flexible without locking you into permanent mistakes and that’s a huge design win:
This lets you overhaul your Avatar’s race or key physical traits without losing your progress. Want to reimagine your persona? This potion lets you do it, while preserving badges and achievements.
This is the Exemplar counterpart. You get to reset your Exemplar’s stats and abilities completely. Messed up a build? Not happy with the direction? No problem. Just use a Flux and experiment again. That’s player-friendly design, not punishment.
This kind of fluidity means players can treat Exemplars as living experiments, not permanent choices. For the creative strategy nerd inside me, that is incredibly freeing.
This system is a real pivot toward player agency and identity expression:
• A New Competitive Frontier
Tournaments and guild events built around Exemplars could redefine competitive culture in Splinterlands. Imagine league ladders where people compete with signature builds. That’s meta evolution from the inside out.
• A Strategic Sandbox
Even without ranked pressure, players are already theorizing builds, hybrid strategies, and long-term Glint allocation plans, features that deepen engagement beyond the daily grind.
• A Narrative Thread Through Gameplay
When your Avatar and Exemplar evolve together, they tell a story. That’s narrative layered on top of strategy. A blend seldom seen in card games.
Splinterlands has always been about collection, competition, and strategy. With Exemplars, it’s now about creation. You’re not just a player, you’re an architect of your own battlefield expression.
This shift toward player-designed cards is bold, experimental, and undeniably exciting. It elevates the game from a library of collectible assets to a sandbox of creative strategy. And isn’t that what we’ve always wanted? Not just to play the game but to shape it.
Whether you’re meticulous with your stat allocation or just enjoy the freedom to try weird builds, Exemplars give you a space to experiment, iterate, and define your mark on the Splinterlands world.
I definitely can appreciate this week's Splinterlands Community Engagement theme of AVATARS & EXEMPLARS and how it adds to the lore and reading material of HIVE's biggest Dapp, Splinterlands. This only gives the entire blockchain, and the game itself, more exposure to the wider community out there. Growth here means growth for everyone!
I hope this article has given you some insight into its potential. 😉
To any new players who wish to explore the world of Splinterlands, do feel free to sign up with my REFERRAL LINK 😊.
I am also a member of the SPLINTERLANDS PIZZA guild and the PIZZA community.
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