How do you choose the right monsters for a Splinterlands battle?

Best regards Splinterlovers 💚

Battles in Splinterlands are based on the decision-making power of its players. What I mean is that players must think strategically before using any unit or monster to increase their chances of winning a battle; this isn’t about playing randomly, on reflex, or anything like that, but rather, most of the decisions on the battlefield are made before the actual combat takes place. This leads us to a reality that newer players need to understand from the start: the true secret to maximizing your chances of winning a battle—or many of them—and going on winning streaks lies solely and exclusively in knowing how to choose and position your cards on the battlefield. There’s nothing more to it than that.

All of this requires a thorough understanding of several aspects of the game; many of you probably already have a sense of what they are, and those of you reading this should know them very well because I’ve repeated them many times in various posts I’ve written over the years, but for those who haven’t read all that scattered information—or who were simply living under a rock—in this post I’ll explain a structured, step-by-step guide so you can learn once and for all the art of monster selection in “Splinterlands,” which is essentially what determines who wins or loses a battle.

If you want to know what you need to consider when selecting and/or positioning your monsters correctly on the battlefield depending on the conditions, stick around until the end of this post—if you’re new or just getting started, it’ll be very helpful.

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Reading and Interpreting Battle Parameters

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In order to select our cards correctly, the first thing we must do is interpret the conditions set by each battle. This is essential if we want to win, because if we don’t do it, we can’t make the next move. That’s why, to succeed, you need to consider three key factors before selecting a single card, and they are as follows:

Fundamental Aspects

• Mana Limit: The first thing you should check is the mana limit, because this number determines which cards you can play on the battlefield. The idea is to use exactly the specified amount—or less—to make room, since the mana cost limit for battles ranges from 12 to 99 points.

• Allowed Elements: Here, it’s very clear what we need to consider—it’s simply a matter of noting which elements we’re allowed to play based on the battle’s conditions. For example, in a battle where we’re allowed to summon cards with up to 27 mana points, but can only play with 3 elements (Fire, Water, and Life)—this is just an example—the elements are chosen at random.

• Modifiers/Rules: The third most important aspect—and one that requires our closest attention—is that to select the right cards, we must not only know the amount of available mana and the Splinters but also understand the rules. These rules are the final ingredient needed to select the correct cards, because it’s through these modifiers that we can be more specific about the cards we need.

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NOTE: Now, what I’m explaining is basic—I’m referring to what I said earlier—but I can be much more specific than before, and that’s precisely my intention. The idea is for you to know how to play based on the mana cost range, how to properly manage the available elements or Splinters, and also how many rules to expect depending on the league you’re in. This is key to selecting your cards correctly and knowing how to act in any situation.

Detailed Explanation (Mana Limit, Elements, and Modifiers by League)

This is where I’ll explain in detail each of the elements I’ve already mentioned so that you can apply this theoretical knowledge. However, this is meaningless unless we put it into practice. Therefore, my recommendation is to read these posts, keep them handy to help you if you forget anything, and then put what you’ve learned into practice. But first, I’ll explain in detail how it works:

Mana Limits

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• Low-Mana Battles (12–20): Here, mana efficiency is key to our lineup’s survival, so the idea is to prioritize low-mana-cost cards with defensive abilities over offensive ones, because the goal is to last as long as possible on the battlefield.

• Mid-Mana Battles (21–40): Here, the strategy should vary, but we must always field a “Tank” that can absorb most of the attacks. For this to work, support the Tank with abilities like “Tank Heal” or “Repair.”

• High-Mana Battles (41–99): Here, we have much more freedom to unleash strategies that might seem impossible but can actually be very powerful if executed correctly. This doesn’t mean it’s all about experimentation, but you can deploy those expensive units that you wouldn’t be able to use in normal-cost battles.

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Available Modifiers

As y7a mentioned, there can be 1 to 3 modifiers or rules in a battle, but it depends on the league you’re in. For example:

• Novice/Wood League: There are no modifiers here—only the Standard mode.

• Bronze League: Here, there’s a 75% chance you’ll get a modifier.

• Silver League: Here, there are various probabilities, but two modifiers are already applied, making the battles more challenging.

• Gold/Diamond/Champion Leagues, Tournaments, and Brawls: This is where the elite play, since you can have up to 3 modifiers at the same time. Here, you need a deeper understanding of the game as a whole, including modifiers, abilities, stats, and, of course, battle combinations and strategies.

Conclusion

This is more than enough to get you started experimenting with choosing the right cards. Of course, I know there’s information missing, but I want you to get the basics down first, because there’s still a lot more to cover on this topic. So, I’ll leave it at that for now, but there will be a Part 2—and maybe even a Part 3. I haven’t decided yet, because I might be able to cover everything in the next post without making it too long.

In any case, if you’re new to this, it’s best to start here with this post so you can get the hang of card selection.