When I first played Splinterlands, I was interested by its combination of play to earn, strategic gameplay and collecting cards. It promised intense battles and strategies similar to chess. But as a newcomer to the game, I quickly learned that you just don't pick cards and hit "Battle". Similar to chess, you have to learn openings, plan your game and devote some time and attention to win.
The Biggest Hurdle I Faced When Learning Splinterlands
Without a doubt, my biggest hurdle was understanding the depth behind the team building phase. At first, choosing units seemed simple: pick the ones with the highest stats and biggest damage, right? It was a mistake. I lost many games before I realized that Splinterlands is more like chess. To win, I had to use strategy more than brute force and power.
The challenge was learning how mana caps, rulesets, and synergies between abilities like Sneak, Opportunity, and Heal played into building a winning team. I didn’t fully understand that every battle was like a chess puzzle, and the right solution could change from one game to the next.
The Feature or Mechanic That Took the Longest to Understand
Rulesets were the slowest thing for me to fully understand. New players often ignore how rulesets drastically change the game. From "Melee Mayhem" to "Keep Your Distance" each rule not only changes which cards are viable to use, it reverses entire strategies. In Melee Mayhem, melee cards are the boss but in Keep Your Distance, they cannot be used suddenly.
It took me some time to stop copying teams I see from other players and to actually think about how the ruleset and mana caps work with my chosen summoner (now called archons) and units. Once I learned that, my win rate improved and playing became far more enjoyable.
Advice I Would Give to My Past Self or a New Player Starting Today
If I could send a message to my past self, it would be this:
“Stop obsessing over strong cards like Kitty or Yodin, instead focus on learning and understanding building a team first.”
Splinterlands can overwhelm new players with choices, but you don’t need a big collection to succeed. Similar to chess, you don't need to memorize every opening. Just choose openings that will fit your play style and have fun with the game. In Splinterlands, choose cards that will also fit your play style. If you are a defensive player, choose those cards with healing and repair skills. If you are offensive, choose cards with high attacks and skills like blast.
Try to rent cards. Renting cards is a great way to experiment and try teams if they work before buying the cards. Also watch your losses. Watching battle replays is a fast way to learn than blindly grinding ranked matches. This way, you will improve your game and increase your wins.
Specific Players, Guides or Moments That Helped Me Grow the Most
Youtube channels of bulldog1205 and infidel1258 regularly posted educational content and gameplay breakdowns that helped me further learn strategies. Sites like Splintercards were also helpful for analyzing card stats and skill sets.
Another thing that hastened my growth was joining a guild and playing in guild brawls. The advice from my guild mates gave me ideas I couldn’t get from playing by myself.
Final Thoughts
Splinterlands is a game that rewards your time, attention and community engagement. My learning journey was full of mistakes, but I learned from those mistakes. Recently, Splinterlands introduced the new Conclave Arcana set. This means I will have to learn and experiment with new strategies and team compositions. I still like the thrill of figuring out the perfect lineup for a tough battle, just like learning openings in chess.
My Referral
If this post interests you and you are not playing Splinterlands yet, please consider using my referral to join this wonderful game.
