Power in Splinterlands does not always have one meaning. It is not just about high win streaks or expensive cards on the board. For me, real power is control, knowing why a win happened and why a loss did not matter.

As a veteran player who reached Top 30 in Champion League, I learned that confidence does not come from guessing. There is not one magical lineup that would take you to the top. It comes from reading the rules, knowing the rules, trusting your plan, and staying calm even when battles looked strange. This post is about how respecting the rules and modifiers changed the way I play and think and how it took me to the top.

Too Much Confidence is Bad

At some point in my journey, I realized I was no longer losing because of weak cards. I was losing because I trusted my enemy too much. I kept trying to predict what they would do instead of trusting what the rules were already telling me.

Modifiers are not suggestions, they are the real game. When a rule like Super Sneak appears, it does not mean every player will bring melee units. Many strong players expect that thought and build against it. But at the same time, that can also be a trap. You use a lot of Thorns and Shield units only to fight a full magic attack team is disastrous. At one point, over-reading my enemy's moves became my ultimate weakness because I tried to outthink instead of staying consistent and balanced.

I conquered that weakness when I stopped assuming and started preparing. I learned that even if my enemy surprises me, my lineup should still function. When your team works even against unexpected forces, you can see yourself winning more.

This mindset shift is what separates new and mid players from consistent high-level players. Of course, stats and levels are still important but having a consistent team without that can deal with a lot of situations is better. Be confident with what you play but don't be overconfident that you're like trying to defeat a ghost.

Using Rules as Weapons and Traps

Like I mentioned, rules can be used as an advantage or a counter.

Once you fully respected modifiers, you can begin using them with a different intent. If a rule favors melee units, I can lean into that strategy with confidence and use it to completely obliterate the enemy's lineup. A melee-heavy lineup during Super Sneak rule can overwhelm unsuspecting enemies and get an easy win.

At the same time, rules can be used as traps. Super Sneak does not force enemies to use melee but only encourages players to. Placing a Shield or Thorns unit at the back punishes greedy melee teams hard. Shield cuts melee damage in half and Thorns slowly destroys melee attackers.

Before the battle even starts, I usually already planned for the most common paths my enemy might take. Even if they avoid melee, my lineup can usually still deal to them to a degree. Your lineup should always have a backup strategy that can deal with other unexpected actions that your enemy might take.

Final Message to New Players

Looking back, my path to power was not about getting more cards. It was about learning restraint and trust. It was about respecting modifiers and the decision to use it for my own or against the enemy.

To players walking a similar road, stop trying to beat the enemy’s mind. Do not try too much to defeat what doesn't exist. Read the rules, build with purpose and accept that surprises will happen. Of course, Splinterlands is still a game of chance. You have to accept that you cannot win every game but you can always increase the chance of winning.

Hi, y'all. Slimey here, your jolly and gullible little blue slime. I got reincarnated to this world to better my art and join community challenges to get more practice and improve my skill.

Know more about me by checking out my introduction post

Support me by joining Splinterlands using my referral code.

---

Images are taken from Splinterlands, Drawn in Krita, Animated in Photoshop and Edited in Canva.