Just so that we're on the same page of music...

Regarding the entry to play, you're saying that Splinterlands is INSANELY high. How do you define "entry barrier to play"? Last I checked, the entry has been reduced to zero to play the game. The bottom two leagues should be fine for those who have only level 1 cards, no? Yes, zero money invested will make the games more challenging...but not impossible. I expect you'd still win SOME of the time. Toss in a few bucks to buy some single Common cards off the market, and suddenly the win rate starts looking tolerable.

Is it the $10 Summoner Spellbook (account upgrade) that we're talking about? Maybe you think 10 bucks is too much for what they receive?

Regarding attaining a competitive deck, you'd have to define "competitive". Does competitive = MAXed? If so, I could understand why. In some of the other comments here, it's been pointed out that we should have different leaderboards for each league. If we do this, I think it will alleviate the idea that to be "competitive" requires MAX cards. Each league will feel competitive in its own right if players can see how they stack up against others in the same "investment tier".