If I had only $100 to invest in Splinterlands and play the game, here's what I would do

Best regards Splinterlovers 💚

Many players come to Splinterlands with very limited resources. By this, I mean they have little or no capital to invest and make progress in the game; however, they hope to win hundreds or thousands without having put anything in, and it doesn’t work that way. That said, there are players who are willing to invest and give it a try—after all, that’s the only way to figure out if it works or not. That’s why I decided to write a post using $100 as an example of how to invest in Splinterlands.

Splinterlands is a game that’s been around for 8 years in Web3; it has stood the test of time, and many projects that launched around the same time no longer exist, but this one has endured. Therefore, investing in Splinterlands for the long term isn’t a crazy idea—in fact, you’re diversifying your portfolio, which is a good thing. Plus, the idea is to give yourself the chance to try out the game with an amount that won’t be a problem for you, so you don’t need to come in with thousands of dollars—you can even start with less than $100. But I’ll explain it using this amount so you can see that it’s possible to get started.

So if you want to know everything I would do if I were starting over in Splinterlands with $100, stick around until the end of this post so you can read it:

---

Focus on the “Modern Format”

Now, I imagine your first impression or question is, “Why the ‘Modern Format’?” Well, the answer is very simple: it’s all about getting the most value possible out of the $100 you have, and to do that, we absolutely must focus on “Modern,” since the cards here are the ones that remain in the meta before moving on to “Wild,” which causes their prices to drop—which, of course, isn’t good for us.

In addition to this, in a way it’s easier to play, since in “Wild” you have all the SETS and can build strategies using all of them, whereas in “Modern” that’s not the case—strategies are based only on the two most recent sets, in this case “Rebellion” and “Arcana Conclave,” as well as the sets that stem from them, such as the current rewards set with the “Arcana Conclave” border, the “Escalation” mini-set, and the “Foundations” cards—which are generally intended for new players but can still only be played in “Modern.”

All of this makes our investment go much further, since we're focusing on fewer sets, but another question arises: Which set will we use as a basis for spending and buying cards?

SETS Analysis: What Should You Spend Your Money On?

Ideally—and this is what I would do—you should look for the best value for your money before choosing a specific set. This approach leaves us with only the two options I mentioned earlier, but it’s very important to explore them in much greater depth:

• Rebellion: This expansion features incredibly powerful cards, and the mechanics it introduced to the game continue to play a major role in the combos and strategies used daily in the game—for example, the “Double Element” cards and “Summoner/Archon Tactics” are two fundamental elements that are very helpful in the current meta. However, it’s next in line to move to “Wild Format,” which means its cards could lose value.

• Conclave Arcana: This is the most recent set released by the team; it introduced the “Bloodlines” mechanics and many incredibly powerful abilities that have created combinations that are difficult to break. All of this means that these cards are currently in proven, real demand—not to mention that it will be a long time before they are retired to “Wild Format”—so this would be one of my top choices when buying cards with the budget I have available.

• Foundations: These are very inexpensive cards, although they were—and still are—basically designed to help new players get started in the game. However, many of these cards can also be very helpful in battle, so I wouldn't completely rule them out when making a decision.

Guide to Managing the $100

The key to making the most of this $100 lies in very rigorous management and/or administration, because clearly, even though we can accomplish a lot, one misstep could leave us falling short. But here’s what you should do—and what I would do—to get off on the right foot and not fail along the way:

Step by Step

• Buy the Book of Spells: This is mandatory—it's something you can't skip—and it's necessary to unlock the rewards, so you'll need $10 to do it.

• You Need SPS in Staking: This is also necessary if you want to earn rewards in “Ranked Battles,” since having SPS in staking will increase your multiplier. You can allocate between $30 and $40 here without hesitation, because the more SPS you have, the greater your rewards will be.

• Buying and Renting Cards: This is the final step, and here you can either buy cards or rent them; however, since we’ve already spent nearly 50% of our available funds, the best approach is to split it between the two—basically, you’ll buy some and rent others. So, focus on buying essential “Common” and “Rare” cards for your deck—the ones that perform best—and rent the strongest cards, which range from “Epic” to “Legendary,” where you’ll also find some “Archons.”

---

NOTE: This gives you a plan for what to do if you had $100—and if I had that much, that’s exactly what I’d do—since it’s hard to build a good deck with just $50 or $40, however, with this breakdown, it is possible to play. On the other hand, along the way, you’ll earn SPS rewards and some “Golden Foil” cards from the rewards edition, which you’ll need to maintain liquidity and rent cards while you continue to buy the cards you need.

Conclusion

With all this, it’s now very clear how to proceed if you have $100. Of course, every budget is different, so if you have less than that, you can still come up with a plan and start from there. However, the choices here are more limited and risky, since you’ll need to rent more cards and buy fewer—not to mention that you won’t be able to invest as much in SPS; instead, you’ll allocate only a small amount to buying and the rest to renting.

If you'd like to learn more or would like a personalized analysis, leave a comment on this post and I'll be happy to help.