![SPL Starting with Winterfest.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/newageinv/23t76kWDjdGJCoQSBC7y7uqtqfjRshY6dspM22jF9YEc2NVRrniH5QPUDz8gRDoAspQt2.png)

The Winterfest event gave me a good excuse to finally dip my toes into the new Avatar and Exemplar systems in Splinterlands. I picked up the items available in the store using Glint, not because I felt any urgency—but because it felt like the right time to start engaging with what is clearly a meaningful new layer of the game.

Participating Without Chasing Perfection I’ll be honest: I’m not particularly motivated to create a perfectly unique Avatar. The concept itself is great—identity, immersion, personalization—but it’s not where my primary focus lies right now. If anything, I still have a soft spot for my first Runi, which remains my preferred visual representation in the game. That said, I’m more than happy to participate, experiment a bit, and support the system. Avatars feel like one of those features that will grow in importance over time, and being early—even casually—has its advantages. Exemplar Potential, But No Rush The Exemplar concept is especially interesting. Turning an Avatar into a usable card—customizable, upgradeable, and playable in specific formats—is genuinely unique in the TCG space. I don’t feel any pressure to rush into optimizing or upgrading it just yet. For now, this is something I’m observing rather than min-maxing. Why? Because my immediate priority remains elsewhere. Focus First: Conclave Arcana Rewards Right now, my main Glint focus is still on maxing my Conclave Arcana reward cards. I’m close, but not quite there yet. It will likely take another couple of Seasons to finish the job, and I’m okay with that. That timeline actually works in my favor. It gives me space to: - Watch how others approach Avatar and Exemplar upgrades - Learn where Glint is best spent - Avoid rushing into inefficient decisions By the time I’m ready to shift Glint toward Avatars and Exemplars more aggressively, the meta around them should be much clearer. Veterans, Badges, and Identity One thing I do appreciate right away is the badge system. It’s a subtle but meaningful way to acknowledge time, commitment, and history. As a long-time player, I’m proudly displaying my inception date, and I hope this is just the first step. Many of us have been grinding, experimenting, and supporting the ecosystem since 2018, and it would be great to see more veteran-focused recognition over time—unique cosmetics, titles, or Avatar elements that reflect that journey. A Fun Phase to Explore Overall, this feels like the beginning of a fun experimental phase. I don’t need to master everything immediately. I’m happy to engage lightly, learn, and let the systems mature while I continue focusing on the parts of the game that matter most to me today. With Avatars, Exemplars, skins, land progression, and ongoing card releases, there’s a lot happening—and importantly, it feels like forward momentum. It’s genuinely a good time to be a Splinterlands player, and I’m looking forward to seeing where these new systems take us over the next few months as the development team continues to deliver.

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