Just yesterday, I purchased a total of 20 'Rare Draws' in one go; I received multiple copies of several cards—including three copies of one specific card—so I suspected that some cards in my deck would be ready for a level-up. Upon checking my deck today, I found two Rare cards ready to advance to Level 2. The best part is that both of them—especially the Earth-element magic attack card 'Anchor-Hex Adept'—are among my personal favorites. You can see proof of this in my deck history; the 'Last Played' log shows I used this card in a battle just an hour and a half ago. There is a unique joy in seeing cards that fit your strategy become ready for an upgrade, as higher levels unlock better powers, allowing them to perform even more effectively in line with your tactics. That is why I never hesitate to level up any card in my deck.
So, the first card I leveled up was the 'Anchor-Hex Adept.' Generally, I’ve noticed that leveling up Common and Rare cards—especially in the early stages—doesn't usually add significant new powers; you might see a slight speed boost, a minor change in health, or an extra point of armor. It is quite rare to see an increase in attack power or the addition of a brand-new ability at these early levels. However, the Earth element's magic card, 'Anchor-Hex Adept,' stands out because, alongside its base stats, it gains a powerful new ability called 'Divine Shield.' This ability allows the card to ignore a single attack from an enemy—though only once, as the shield dissipates after that hit. Even so, it is a fantastic ability; I say this because I’ve been using it for a long time with another magic card, 'Harbinger of Chaos.' I know from experience that being able to shrug off crucial enemy attacks significantly improves your card's performance, so I am really excited about the addition of 'Divine Shield' to the 'Anchor-Hex Adept.'
Well, the second card is another Magic card from the Grey element: Mindless Thrall. I use this card almost daily; in fact, my recent match history shows I used it just a couple of hours ago, so it is undoubtedly a good card. However, I had hoped for better health or an ability like 'Divine Shield,' because at Level 1, its low health makes it an easy target for the enemy and increases the likelihood of it getting knocked out quickly. I mentioned earlier how, with common and rare cards, upgrades at initial levels sometimes add stats that aren't really necessary. That holds true for Mindless Thrall; its speed was already 4 at Level 1—which is considered quite good—while its health was a weak point. It would have been better to see a health-related upgrade, but instead, its already impressive speed got a +1 boost, taking it to 5 at Level 2. While that isn't a bad thing, it still wouldn't be my first choice—especially if my lineup lacks cards with 'Taunt' or 'Decoy' abilities—because otherwise, it becomes a prime target for enemy cards with the 'Opportunity' ability, preventing it from performing effectively for long, despite being a solid card overall.
Note:
English is not my first language. So sometimes I use 'Google Translate'. Please don't think that anything I have written in this blog has been copied from somewhere or is AI-generated.
Paragraph Dividers and all the photos are from #Splinterlands.
All the other content images and words are mine unless otherwise stated.
Have a Happy and Blessed day!
