Splinterlands

Overview

Splinterlands is the next generation of collectible card games. It allows players to collect, trade, and battle with provably scarce digital collectibles with real world value. Every battle is a unique challenge that consists of dynamically created combat rules, a timed team building session, and the battle itself. Splinterlands combines the collectability and resale value of physical card games with the convenience and speed of a digital game.

The game holds historical value for the blockchain gaming industry considering its long history and its existence since 2018. Splinterlands since then underwent several major changes, and received tons of content expansions to reach the level where it is at today. The game took the formula made so popular by the likes of Hearthstone, Magic: The Gathering, and other classical card games, simulated the matches, and shortened the length of each encounter to make for quick 2-3 minute bursts of competitive card gameplay.

Gameplay and Features

Splinterlands is a trading card game that combines tactical deck-building with auto-battler gameplay. Players draft a team of cards, including a Summoner and Units, to compete within a set mana cap. Battles can be played in Modern or Wild formats: Modern focuses on newer card sets, making it easier for beginners, while Wild includes all cards, adding more depth for experienced players​

Players progress through six leagues, Novice, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Champion, each with different rules, restrictions, and rewards. Alongside ranked battles, there are daily quests, tournaments, and special events where players can earn more rewards and upgrade their decks​

Cards

Summoners

Splinterlands features two types of cards; Summoners and Units. Summoners play a more pivotal role in the gameplay as players can only choose one summoner per battle. Depending on which summoner you pick, a team of up to 6 units of the player's choice will be summoned. These units all have a direct relation to the summoner's core attributes that dictate the overall playstyle of your deck.

The game follows a unique levelling up mechanism for summoners as well, where they don't necessarily gain a boost in stats when they level up but instead they are able to summon stronger units during the match. This naturally incentivizes players to commit to one summoner and try to play with them as much as possible as you are rewarded for your time by strengthening your summoner every time you use it in-game.

Units

Every card that is not a Summoner is classified as a Unit, regardless of whether they are a character or a type of creature. Units either belong to a specific Element (Fire, Water, Earth, Life, Death, or Dragon) or they are Neutral cards. Neutral Units can be summoned by a Summoner from any Element, while other Units can only be summoned by Summoners of that specific Element. Each unit has a set of stats attributed to the following:

• Health
• Speed
• Attack
• Armor
• Abilities
• Splinter
• Mana cost

How to Get Started

To start playing Splinterlands, sign up for a free account on the website, which gives you a set of starter cards from recent sets like Chaos Legion and Rebellion. These cards help you learn the basics but don’t earn rewards. To unlock the full experience, upgrade with the Summoner’s Spellbook for $10, enabling rewards, trading, tournaments, and asset management through a Hive wallet. After setup, head to the "Battle" screen, choose between Modern or Wild formats, and draft your team based on mana caps, elements, and abilities