Splinterlands is an exciting play-to-earn NFT (Non-Fungible Token) based card game. Its competitive nature and strategic gameplay make it one of the best play-to-earn games around.
Furthermore, you can earn more based on winning and understanding Splinterlands cards.

image credit: Splinterlands.com
Therefore, strategy and having the best Splinterlands cards is essential to success. Players can earn in real Cryptocurrency known as Dark Energy Crystals from winning quick battles against other players.
So here is everything you need to know to improve your game and win more matches.
Splinterlands cards overview
Splinterlands (formerly known as Steem Monsters) is one of the oldest and most established games of its kind. Making it one of the best crypto games for beginners.
As discussed in our Splinterlands Review, there are 2 types of cards: summoners and monsters.
Summoners determine which deck you use. They provide various bonuses to your monsters and dictate the element you utilize.
Summoners can be 1 of 6 elements: fire, water, earth, life, death, and dragon. Summoners can only use monsters from their element, except dragons.
Dragon summoners can declare an element at the beginning of the battle. They are then able to summon monsters of that element and dragon monsters. Furthermore, there are neutral monsters that any summoner can use.
Monsters have a mana cost for being summoned which drains from your mana pool. Battles have a pre-determined mana cap based on the player’s rank.
Most monsters also have abilities that vary based on the card. These abilities can be potent and often determine the outcome of battles.
Experience shows how many cards of this type have been combined. The higher the background, the more influential the card is.
Monsters in Splinterlands are either melee or ranged and have three key stats. Attack determines how much damage a monster does when attacking.
Health shows how much damage each monster can take before dying. And speed decides the order in which monsters attack each other. Furthermore, it dictates the dodge chance from incoming attacks based on the monsters involved.

image credit: Splinterlands.com
How to buy cards in Splinterlands
The best feature of so many crypto games is the potential for players to make money from the games.
Splinterlands is no different: players have the opportunity to make money not only from playing it, but from Splinterlands cards themselves, which can be bought, sold and traded on the marketplace.
The best way for players to buy cards is directly from the marketplace. Players can find their perfect card easily with filters and other market functions.
Both summoners and monsters can be purchased from the market and have various values set by the card’s seller. A card’s value is determined mainly by Splinterlands card power and its rarity.
Another method of obtaining cards is through packs. Players can buy packs to get monsters and summoners.
These packs will provide random cards, which can be a great way of obtaining rare cards. However, it is riskier as you do not know what you will get.
Players are also able to rent cards on the marketplace as well. This can be done with both summoners and monsters.
Renting is an excellent option for players to round off their collection temporarily as they look to climb the ranks.
Card tips & advice
There are many different strategies and tactics in Splinterlands gameplay. It does often feel that the player with the higher Splinterlands card power wins.
However, there are tactics and strategies that can really help you climb the ranks, particularly in the lower leagues.
One of the cheapest and most effective ways is using the life element. The life decks offer an outstanding balance of tank, support, and damage cards that can synergize well if utilized correctly.
The water element is the most popular deck. Built-in bronze and life can counter it very effective if used well.
Furthermore, the life deck contains some compelling level 1 summoners which are very underrated. Looking for underrated cards is often a great strategy as they are often cheaper than their more standard counterparts.
Another option to climb the ranks is obtaining a dragon summoner as soon as you can. The unique feature of dragon summoners is that another element can be used with them.
Therefore, players can play dragons, neutral, and monsters of any other component. This provides the option of so many powerful combinations of abilities and monster buffs.
However, these summoners tend to be more expensive than their alternatives.
If you keep these tips in mind and play your cards right, you can climb up the ranks in no time.
Read Also: How to Play Splinterlands