I have to concede, I haven’t bought any Splinterlands cards for some time. I felt my deck was good enough to make it to Diamond II if I pushed each season, so why bother?
After the end of the season, I get kicked into Gold II for a while, and then I would not play for a couple of days waiting for the dust to settle.
Moving up the Gold ranks then becomes easy enough, with half of your opponents those 'enminers' BOT things which frankly are not very bright.
After accumulating a large stash of DEC and committing to 11 guaranteed plots of land (thanks @davemccoy), I felt a few cards needed maximising to the levels I won't go beyond.
Some of the buys are reward cards and cheap for their power level. Let’s face it, we don’t get so many cards handed out now due to DEC and potions rewards which are useless unless you are buying packs.
Silvershield Sheriff
In high mana matches, Silvershield Sheriff is a must-play. A hard-hitting, sniper with the possibility of THREE abilities makes him very attractive.
I have been slowly leveling him relying on rewards cards, and even at level 3 was actively using him in matches.
The Protect ability at level 6 was attracting me and getting him there did not cost much.
At just under 5c a card or the equivalent of 52 DEC each, I could win TWO matches and be able to afford one with my winnings.
Electric Eels
From a now out-of-print expansion, I rarely use this card so it was not such a high priority for me to buy just THREE more Eels to get mine to level 5 and be awarded the awesome Blast ability.
The fact Eels has reach combined with this new ability won me over and though the Eels are relatively expensive for a rare card, there are few Water cards with 'Reach'.
Electric Eels is great for those melee-only rule-sets where Water is the splinter you need to use and at 14c each or 155 DEC he may not be your priority.
Grim Reaper
The powerful but low health Grim Reaper is another card I find myself using in higher mana Death matches. Stick him in the mid-ranks, hope your opponent is not using 'Opportunity’ and he can cleave some decent damage.
Like Silvershield Sheriff, I have found myself using Grim Reaper at half power, he's that good. I have now leveled him to 5 for the 'Opress' ability.
Level 6 does not seem worthwhile for the extra hitpoint. Opress of course is the bane of Lord Arianthus, a card used often and also often by me.
Grim Reaper is a cheap card at 4.5c or 47 DEC. I feel he’s worthwhile just for the extra ability.
Sand Worm
This slow plodding monster hits like a truck and I was using him in high mana matches even at level one.
Level 6 was my objective and the 'Snare' ability. While it's less exciting than some other abilities, I like the fact that this giant creature is going to hit those evasive opponents without issues anymore.
One big hit can be the difference between a victory or a defeat. Sand Worms used to be expensive for a common, and being neutral adds value to them.
I was surprised to see they are now selling cheaper than any of the other cards I have mentioned at a mere 3.4c or 36 DEC each.
I feel this is a must-have card, as it fits in any deck with an over 40 mana requirement.
A summary of this article would be the focus on abilities. I like abilities more than just minor stat increases. Global buffs such as 'Protect' even more so.
Look for cards that contain these abilities, they are valuable even if others think otherwise.
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