Today, July 21, a new limited-run card set enters the arena.
We are excited to introduce The Arena Vanguard, a community-driven release inspired by the streamers, creators, and legendary community members who continue to bring energy, ideas, and personality to Splinterlands.
The Arena Vanguard features eight unique cards:
Rather than arriving through a traditional pack release, these cards will be distributed throughout the Splinterlands ecosystem through streamer giveaways, community initiatives, Luxโs Favor Wheel Spin, and the Spark Shop.
The cards may be limited, but players will have several ways to chase them. ๐ฅ
The Arena Vanguard places the people behind the cards at the center of the release.
Each character draws inspiration from members of the Splinterlands community, transforming their names, personalities, and contributions into permanent pieces of Praetorian history.
Participating streamers and content creators will help introduce the set through broadcasts, card giveaways, community events, and original content. Players will be able to follow their channels, learn more about the characters they inspired, and take part in opportunities to collect the cards.
Additional creators and community activations may be announced as the rollout continues.
Interested in participating as a streamer? Join the Arena Vanguard Discord and ask for iBlast.
The Arena Vanguard brings together warriors, wanderers, guardians, and dragons whose stories span the wildest reaches of Praetoria.
Their paths may be different, but each has earned a place in the arena. โ๏ธ
Splinter: Fire
Rarity: Rare
Race: Djinn
Mana: 13
Inspired by iBlast
Long before the Trinity War, Jolius Blast studied the hidden frequencies flowing through flame, stone, magic, and soul. His search led him to the fractured Resonant Blade, an ancient weapon forged when the Splinters still sought harmony.
When dimensional rifts pulled the blade between realms, Jolius followed. The energies fused Djinn and sword together, awakening a weapon capable of cutting through armor, magic, and reality itself.
Now known as the Infernal Resonance, Jolius channels harmonic fire through devastating melee strikes as he seeks to repair the fractures left behind by the war.
He does not seek conquest.
He seeks equilibrium.
โFire does not destroy the world. Imbalance does.โ
Abilities:
Splinter: Water
Rarity: Rare
Race: Tideborn
Mana: 9
Inspired by Mickvir
Mickvir was a starving orphan when corsairs discovered him beside a shattered merchant vessel. Forced into a brutal life at sea, he found his only companions among the rats living within the shipโs cargo hold.
As Mickvir grew into a deadly marksman and trident-wielding corsair, the rats continued to follow him with unnatural loyalty.
Then he vanished beneath the black waters near Mortis.
Months later, Mickvir returned transformed, his lower body twisted into that of a sea serpent and abyssal magic burning within his eyes. No one knows what found him beneath those cursed waters or what price he paid to survive.
When the Ratbound Corsair arrives, the rats gather first.
Then the tides begin to rise.
Abilities:
Splinter: Earth
Rarity: Rare
Race: Fey
Mana: 11
Inspired by EhmayWuntee
Khan Feywest is a remarkable Fey creature of striking contrast. His upper body is that of a brilliant and witty chimpanzee that transitions into the powerful hindquarters of a magical unicorn.
Khan does not fight with his fists, he is a master of pure sorcery. Perched on his powerful hind legs and wielding an ancient crystal staff, he summons volatile blasts of shimmering Fey energy that devastate his foes from afar. These arcane projectiles crackle with an iridescent hue and leave a trail of stardust in their wake.
It is well known that he shares a sacred lineage with the legendary Kron the Undrying. This eternal kinfolk bond grants Khan similar resilience on the battlefield to help withstand countless enemies who dare test him. When overwhelmed by enemy forces, his pearlescent coat glows with a protective aura, absorbing devasting blows. For any adversary foolish enough to challenge him, they soon realize they are not just fighting a sorcerer, they are trying to tear down a living bastion of the Fey bloodline.
Abilities:
Splinter: Life
Rarity: Rare
Race: Orc
Mana: 10
Inspired by King-Arminius
King Erminaz Twincleaver was cast out by his own clan after surviving a disastrous campaign that destroyed most of his warband.
His enemies expected exile to kill him.
Instead, it forged him.
Erminaz survived the wild frontiers and gathered broken warriors and outcasts beneath his banner. From shattered weapons collected across forgotten battlefields, he forged twin greatblades that moved with terrifying speed.
When he returned to Orc territory, he did not come seeking revenge.
He came seeking rulership.
One by one, the chieftains who cast him out fell beneath the relentless rhythm of his blades.
Erminaz did not inherit his legend.
He built it.
โThe only mercy I offer lies between the first strike and the second.โ
Abilities:
Splinter: Death
Rarity: Rare
Race: Human
Mana: 10
Inspired by OFG - Our Faded Glory
Remy โChaosโ Gorm was raised in Xaing Pho, where his father taught him to survive the corrupted forests of Praetoriaโs Central Fire region.
Then the Chaos Empire destroyed everything he knew.
After watching his village burn and his father fall, Gorm wandered Praetoria consumed by hatred. Near the Kingdom of Grimbardun, rune-carvers forged that fury into Thurisaz, a massive execution axe powered by rage itself.
When Gorm enters battle, violet runes ignite across his armor and the berserker within him is unleashed.
The Dire Bear skulls mounted on his shoulders are trophies from his exile. Few warriors survive an encounter with one.
Gorm wears two.
Even Chaos now fears what it created.
Abilities:
Splinter: Neutral
Rarity: Rare
Race: Human
Mana: 11
Inspired by Buns Bags and Caps
Buns the Unseen travels roads hidden from ordinary eyes.
He appears wherever the boundaries between realms begin to thin, carrying maps to places no scholar can find and wearing relic-forged armor covered in ancient emerald runes.
Though he serves no great army, veterans tell of lost battles that turned moments after his arrival. Sorcerers speak of magic fading in his presence, while enemies describe unseen forces turning their attacks aside.
A guardian spirit follows behind him, felt more often than seen.
Some believe Buns searches for forgotten power. Others believe he protects secrets never meant to be uncovered.
He does not wander without purpose.
He follows a path only he can see.
Abilities:
Splinter: Dragon
Rarity: Rare
Race: Drakoshan
Mana: 11
Inspired by legendary community member ANK, Vaelok was hatched beside Aurendrak beneath the molten skies of Draykh-Nahl.
While his brother devoted himself to preserving history, Vaelok embraced the certainty that all things must decay.
Through forbidden tarnish-runes and corrosive acid magic, he created Tarnish-Bleed, a sorcery capable of stripping relics of their enchantments, memories, and legends.
Vaelok seeks neither treasure nor rulership. He seeks the unraveling of legacy itself, proving that no kingdom, artifact, or dragon can escape time.
To Aurendrak, history is civilizationโs greatest treasure.
To Vaelok, it is a fragile illusion destined to disappear.
Abilities:
Splinter: Dragon
Rarity: Legendary
Type: Archon
Race: Drakoshan
Mana: 8
Inspired by legendary community member GoldMatters
Aurendrak Goldwarden is the defining centerpiece of The Arena Vanguard.
Born with radiant golden scales, Aurendrak spent his youth exploring the royal vaults of Draykh-Nahl, fascinated not by their wealth, but by the histories preserved within them.
Over centuries, he mastered Gold Infusion, binding dragonfire, enchanted gold, and ancient runes into living battle cards. In combat, these golden cards surround him like a celestial storm, shielding him and bringing the power of forgotten legends back to life.
Aurendrak reigns not as a conqueror, but as the eternal Goldwarden:
Guardian of rarity.
Keeper of stories.
Protector of the Splinterlandsโ golden legacy.
Tactics: Grants the ability to apply Flank to one unit in the first position or Void to any unit.
The Arena Vanguard cards will be distributed through several community-facing and in-game channels rather than through one traditional release.
Depending on the card, players may be able to obtain them through:
Below is the current planned distribution structure.
The current distribution model is designed to support up to 50 participating streamers.
Each participating streamer package is planned to include:
Across 50 streamers, that would distribute:
The Legendary Dragon Archon, Aurendrak, will follow its own limited distribution path and is not included in the standard 70-card streamer package.
Should fewer than 50 streamers participate, the remaining cards may be redistributed among participating creators or used through additional community initiatives.
This model is specific to The Arena Vanguard and may change for future community releases.
The community members connected to the individual cards will have flexibility over how their personal allocations are distributed under the agreed terms.
They may choose to distribute cards directly, collaborate with streamers, support community events, or delegate distribution assistance to the Arena Vanguard team.
A centralized allocation will also support approved streamer giveaways and other community-facing promotions.
For each of the six Rare Units outside the Dragon Wheel allocation, the current planned structure includes:
Each community member will be able to use their allocation through content, giveaways, tournaments, streams, events, and other community initiatives.
The Dragon portion of The Arena Vanguard includes:
2,500 Regular Foil copies of Vaelok
500 Regular Foil copies of Aurendrak
Card Jackpot Odds: 3%
These cards will be placed into a Wheel reward slot and remain available until their allocated supplies are exhausted.
An additional 2,500 Regular Foil copies of Vaelok are planned for community distribution.
From this allocation:
The current plan is to make available:
These cards will remain available until sold out or removed from the shop.
Spark Shop implementation is still in development and remains subject to final approval.
All Gold Foil, Black Foil, Gold Foil Arcane, and Black Foil Arcane cards will be pre-minted according to the final mint populations for each rarity and foil type.
The community member connected to each card will receive a special Black Foil copy:
All remaining premium foils will be sent to the sl-giveaways account and distributed through:
The Arena Vanguard is more than a collection of new cards.
It gives community members a permanent place within the world of Splinterlands.
It gives streamers and creators meaningful ways to reward their audiences.
It gives players several paths to chase limited-run cards.
Most importantly, it brings the community directly into the release itself. ๐
The Arena Vanguard is coming to Splinterlands.
More information will be shared as the rollout continues, including final availability, giveaway schedules, community activations, and launch timing.
Follow the featured creators, tune into their content, and prepare to meet The Arena Vanguard.
The Chase is Real โ๏ธ๐ฅ
Disclaimer
The Arena Vanguard cards are Foundation Edition cards and will appear as part of the โExtraโ collection. The cards are being released as outlined, but specific distribution methods, quantities, and implementation details may change as needed.
