Hello, Splinterlands warriors—how are you doing as we approach the end of the year? Come to think of it, the most fitting question might no longer be “how far have you pushed your rating?”, but rather how far have we grown over the past year in Splinterlands. And fittingly, the theme of this Community Engagement Challenge is Paths to Power—each player’s journey to becoming stronger within the Splinterlands ecosystem.
So allow me to tell a story. Take it easy—let’s imagine we’re having an afternoon coffee while scrolling through battle history.
I first discovered Splinterlands at the end of 2021, right in the middle of the COVID era. The world felt paused, but my mind was buzzing with curiosity. When I first entered the game, honestly, I knew nothing. Not because the gameplay was difficult, but because every card looked good. Seriously.
Cool design? Keep it. Unique effects? Keep it. Gold Foil? Don’t even ask—instant love. I didn’t even think about selling cards, because in my head there was only one magic sentence: “It’ll go up in price later.”
And that’s where the sweet foolishness happened 😂
My first and most expensive Gold Foil card was Qid Yuff, a gold Archon that used to be worth dozens of dollars. Now? Well… we all know how that turned out. Why didn’t I sell it when the price was high? Because I believed it would get even higher. My first lesson in Splinterlands: belief without knowledge is expensive.
As new cards were released, I began to realize a bitter truth: old cards can lose their shine. From there I learned that the best cards aren’t the most expensive ones, but the ones that are used most often.
I used to love upgrading every card. It felt like stamp collecting—wanting to own everything, wanting to level everything up. But in reality, many cards just became residents of a digital warehouse.
The big change came when I started focusing on one crucial thing: Archon cards.
I stopped upgrading randomly and began using end-of-season Glint to open reward chests, then gradually leveled my Archons to level 5 and 6. The impact? Insane—especially when I was still actively playing in the Wild League. Access to high-level monsters felt like an instant class upgrade.
Of course, I still tried to collect gold cards, because back then gold cards were the highest tier. Even though now there are black cards that surpass gold, there’s still a certain advantage to owning cards that few people have or that come with limited print runs.
Once my Archons were set, that’s when I felt, “Okay, now it’s time to play seriously.” I began building teams based on strategy, not emotion.
For example, when using the Death element, I deliberately looked for monsters that complemented each other. And at this stage, I discovered another surprising truth:
Common and Rare cards are often underestimated, yet with the right combinations, they can take down teams full of Legendaries.
This was the addictive moment—when cheap cards, rentals, or frequently overlooked monsters became the key to victory.
If you ask me what my biggest challenge was, the answer isn’t rating or enemies—it’s understanding the blockchain and the game mechanics.
At first, I didn’t even know how to transfer tokens, what gas fees were, or how the rental system worked. My head felt overloaded, but my hands kept clicking “battle.”
Then there were the rulesets. Every time you climb leagues, there are new abilities, new effects—and sometimes you only understand them after… losing. But that’s exactly where the addiction lies. Splinterlands never stops teaching you, sometimes in painful ways.
One thing that’s kept me here until today is the Splinterlands community, especially on Discord. That’s where I didn’t just learn strategy, but also found friends, joined a guild, and even started writing on Hive.
Without the community, I might have quit a long time ago. But because there’s a place to ask questions, share stories, and laugh together, the game feels like more than just a game.
Looking at new features and the direction Splinterlands is taking, I feel the game increasingly demands long-term strategic awareness. It’s not just about owning cards, but knowing when to upgrade, when to hold back, and when enough is enough.
My version of the Path to Power is simple:
learn slowly, focus on usable cards, understand the mechanics, and don’t walk alone.
Four years in Splinterlands have taught me one important thing:
strength isn’t about speed—it’s about consistency.
My current strategy?
Focus your resources, strengthen your Archons, understand the rulesets, and leverage the community. Don’t chase everything at once. Choose your own path, and enjoy the process.
Because in Splinterlands, true power isn’t just about winning—but about enduring, learning, and continuing to grow.
Talk about Splinterlands,
If you haven't tried out this fantastic game called Splinterlands yet, I invite you to Join.
It's free, but you'll need to invest in a beginning deck or buy gaming cards to gain real assets like cards and tokens.
If you already joined the splinterlands, and are looking for a place to grow. We need YOU. We are a chill, social guild looking for a few more active members! If you think you might be a fit, join us in our Discord
