My Journey Into The Splinterlands!

Hello and happy new year to the Splinterlands community! I’ve only recently begun my journey on this whirlwind ride that is Splinterlands. I’ve been playing only about 8 weeks and I have some observations I’d like to share on my modest entry into this space. I entered Splinterlands from a gamer perspective. It took many hours of studying, reading, and expanding my understanding to move into an investor frame of mind from my previous train of thought. Let’s talk about some VERY common themes I’ve encountered.

The “Just Started” Crowd:

I’ve seen a plethora of comments on various venues (Twitch and YouTube primarily), and many of them have the same or similar premise. A smattering of the observed comments (de-identified of course) are below.

How do you get such good cards?

a. I see this over, and over, and over again. There seems to be a knowledge gap on not just how you acquire cards but how to use them in conjunction with one another. My first instinct was to go purchase packs. My entry was prior to Chaos Legion pre-sale and once I figured out Hive Engine it was very discouraging to see the Untamed packs at that time were over $100 USD. This was quite cost prohibitive for me, and I dispensed with idea of purchasing packs at that time.

b. My next stop was the in-game market to see what kind of prices were found on cards. The very basic rewards cards offered next to no usefulness from what I could discern at the time (I was very new). I made a few sporadic purchases based on my limited exposure to the game.
How do I go from Novice to Bronze/Silver/Gold/etc.?

a. It is our sincerest hope that the folks who enter this community and environment are educated in the matters of crypto currency, investment strategies, and other relevant knowledge but it appears as though many are not. My prior experience with crypto currency and DeFi revolved around what was spoon fed to me from large blockchain providers such as Crypto.com. I had made some crypto investments and such but never delved into off-chain providers such as Binance, Hive, or Avalanche. People who are asking these questions on how to build their deck (myself included) often end up as consumers of major streamers and content creators such as Infidel1258, Clove, and Bulldog. They have been INVALUABLE in my progress within Splinterlands and for that I would like to provide a HUGE thank you to them.

b. One of the premises I struggled with was creating a deck that was competitive at the level I wanted to play. I set small goals for myself and worked towards them. I began by getting to Bronze. I played in Bronze for approx. 1 week before I came to the realization that the time investment did not reward me at a rate which felt acceptable. I was at a crossroads. Do I increase my investment to build a deck which can compete at higher brackets and thus increase my rewards? Do I play Ultra Casual and play only a couple of games per day for the fun of it? Ultimately, I decided to invest. I did my research and with the collective knowledge from resources, the community, and my friends I went for it! I have acquired over 115k CP in the last 8 weeks through various means and am able to compete in silver 1 comfortably. Sure, I still lack some of the big-ticket summoners but I rent them if I want to feel overpowered for a few minutes 😊.
Why are prices falling so dramatically?

I often ask myself this question. It seems with each passing day the market does things which typically result in me losing money. One particular person who helped adjust my mindset was Infidel1258. He is constantly reinforcing the idea of an investment vs. immediate returns. Admittedly I have worried about it many times. The amount of money I have invested, and the associated dollar amount are constantly fluctuating (much to the chagrin of my wife).

The Established Crowd:

I have been absolutely amazed by the sheer volume of support coming from the established players within this community. They publish resources, assist new players, delegate for power, and a long list of other things which are a boon to the newer community members. Without the level of support offered by this established player base I don’t think the community would continue to thrive. I have played online games in various communities for many years. They are often plagued by toxicity and predations upon the swell of incoming players. I have experienced exactly ZERO toxicity within this community. It is the highlight of my evening to hang out in streams, chat with both new and established players, and LEARN the game.

I simply cannot express my gratitude for the established community members who help newcomers. Even as a newer player myself I often delegate or just flat give away cards to fellow Splinterlands players. I love this community and can’t wait to learn and grow with it in the coming months and years!

I wanted to take just a moment here and provide some positive feedback for individuals within the community who have been invaluable in my journey:

👉 Dwayne Cunningham (Infidel1258) - The content and insights provided by him have been essential in my decision making processes. While no content creator can provide financial advice I truly appreciate his insights into both gameplay and long-term investment strategies based on his thoughts.

His YouTube channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOoOxEybRJm_iK7EtL11YNw

👉 Clove – This woman is amazing. She is so generous. I watch her content and love the amount of support and guidance she provides not only to new players but existing players as well!

Her YouTube channel can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD653qhMz9Rqp82eV4D5vDw

👉 Davel22 – While he may not be as well known as some of the prior mentions this man is amazing. He has been the most educational person I have watched on stream. He is both attentive and detail oriented which I appreciate when it comes to actual game strategy. He takes the time to answer his audiences’ questions and provides positive and constructive feedback when asking for viewer deck analysis or match strategies.

His stream can be found here:

Finally, I would like to give a huge shoutout to members of the community who have been amazing and pivotal in my journey. The sheer amount of inclusiveness and camaraderie I experience in the Splinterlands community on Twitch at night has far outstripped my expectations.