Concept Art for New GLADIUS Cards and the Ability Called “Vanguard Will”

Best regards Splinterlovers 💚

For the past week or two, I’ve been talking about what guilds are in Splinterlands, how they work, how to join one, their inner workings, how to plan battles against other “Guilds,” and some other details about how their economy functions. Then I explained how GLADIUS cards work, and in that last post, I discussed why GLADIUS cards are clearly in a slump—because even though the “Bloodlust” ability remains powerful, there are now many ways to counter it much more easily, so the more abilities and cards are released, the weaker it becomes.

Now, I wanted to create concept art for new cards in the GLADIUS SET featuring a new “super-powerful” ability that would breathe new life into—or reignite massive interest in—the “Guilds” and their battles, especially for all the players who still enjoy this, but who’d like something new and innovative that lets them share and win as much as possible with these new cards—it would be great, which is why I took the liberty of creating them, in the hope of perhaps encouraging the Splinterlands team to develop a proposal on this and let us see something new in the “Guilds.”

So, what I want to show in this post is how the new ability would work, as well as a couple of the five cards I’ve prepared for this update—at least, as I said, a conceptual design rather than an illustration—so stick around until the end to find out:

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This would be the new exclusive SKILL for the “Guilds” called “VANGUARD WILL”

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Well, this is where things start to get interesting, since I’m going to explain how the new “Ability” I’ve created—with the goal of improving guilds—works. So, I’ll try to get straight to the point as much as possible so you can see the effects and everything this new ability could bring to the game. Let’s start with the simplest part: its definition and, of course, its “Mechanics”:

Definition and Official Mechanics of “Vanguard Will”

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Well, let’s start with the concept of what this ability would be, but the best way to explain it is to compare it in a certain way to “Bloodlust,” since while that ability rewards the defeat of the opponent’s cards, “Vanguard Will” works a little differently—it empowers the collective and, additionally, the team’s sacrifices. This means that this ability activates when we suffer losses in the heat of battle; thus, the conventional “Gladiator” will not only grow stronger by defeating the opponent but also by enduring our own losses.

• Activation Condition: Every time an allied unit is eliminated on the battlefield, the unit with “Vanguard Will” absorbs its warrior’s will. It sounds nice, but in reality, it absorbs 50% (rounded up) of the unit’s total attack power. and if that attack isn’t native to the “Gladius” card, the additional attack is added to it—so even a “Gladiator” could have all three types of attacks on a single card.

• Additional Effect: When a “GLADIUS” card accumulates 2 or more activations of “Vanguard Will” in a single battle, it unlocks the ability to perform an immediate counterattack against the opponent’s card that destroyed our last defeated ally. This means that, even within the same “Round,” it could attack twice without any problem; which would make a GLADIUS card a “Super Strong” opponent.

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NOTE: While “Bloodlust” can currently be easily neutralized in many ways—whether with defensive walls, the “Dispel” ability, or other methods—with “Vanguard Will,” it’s relatively easier to empower our “Gladiators,” since all we need to do is position monsters on the field that can serve as BAIT and use them to boost our “Gladiator.”

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The Conceptual Design of a New Gladiator

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I’ve designed these cards as if they were created right now under the official “Guilds” rules, which means they are “Soulbound” cards that can only be obtained at the “Guild Store” by purchasing “Gladius Cases.” On the other hand, since they would be a new generation of “Gladiators,” these cards would integrate with the new “Bloodlines” introduced by “Arcane Conclave,” and they would also create synergies with “Summoners and/or Archons” through “Bloodline Dominion.”

Card No. 1: Ignis Cinderfist (Fire Splinter)

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• Rarity: Rare.
• Type: Gladiator Monster
• Mana Cost: 6 Mana
• Bloodline: Pyroclast/Ogre
• Attack Type: Melee
• Base Stats (Level 1): 3 Melee Attack, 2 Speed, 2 Armor, 6 Health.

Okay, so now we have a clear picture of its “Stats,” but what about its “Abilities” and at what level does it gain them:

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Abilities

• Starting Ability: Vanguard Will.

• Abilities Unlocked by Level:

  • Level 3: Flank (Allows the unit in the second position to also attack with melee damage as if it were in the front).

  • Level 6: Painforge (Increases its own attack power by +1 every time it takes damage and survives).

  • Level 8: Enrage (+50% attack and speed when it loses all its health).

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• Field Role and Synergy: Ignis Cinderfist is designed to act as an anchor in the second position or as a frontline tank to absorb the opponent’s attacks. When paired with low-cost units on the front line, each allied card that is played triggers Vanguard Will, increasing its power and attack type by 50% (rounded up). When the opponent’s health is depleted, the combination of Painforge and Enrage transforms him into a devastating force capable of shattering the enemy tank with a single blow.