A Remarkable Splinterlands Research: Card Draws v Reward Chests

Splinterlands shines as a groundbreaking force in the blockchain gaming world, and I love it because it’s blending strategy and the powerful perks of decentralization. It’s not just another play2earn game… it’s a world where players can truly own their assets on the blockchain. Get your cards from the shop, reward chests or unwrap packs... the choice is yours!

The real magic happens within the Hive blockchain, making it accessible to players at any level. The Splinterlands community is a goldmine of seasoned players and crypto experts, offering insights and strategies that can take your game to the next level.

There’s no shortage of opportunities, and article will look into which method brings better assets... is it card draws from the shop or reward chests? I’ve been grinding in this universe for four solid years, and feel like a dude that seen the full spectrum of growth and challenges.

Splinterlands has a special place in my heart because it kept my play-to-earn passion alive, even when other blockchain games left me feeling burnt out. Don’t even get me started on Alien Worlds, Wombat Dungeon Master, RPlanet, and others!

The game’s addictive gameplay, rewarding mechanics, and thriving community reignited my love for blockchain gaming, showing that play-to-earn can actually be fun and sustainable.

My first question is ... what you doing with your Glint? Asking this because I am always torn about this dillema... buy card draws for guaranteed units or gamble on reward chests?

I collated the results from the last three season, when I've earned above 20,000 Glint as season rewards and the same from winning matches. Let's explore the options:

Three seasons ago I had a total of 20,200 Glint spend, and I went for 101 of the cheapest chests! Was it a a good deal? Not really... as the value of the rewards was 25% less than the price paid to get the chests!

• 5 rare x 750 = 3750
• 21 common x 150 = 3150
• 4 energy x 600 = 2400
• 18 achemy x 100 = 1800
• 17 legendary x 80 = 1360
• 2525 Merits = 2500

I spent 22,000 Glint and the rewards summed up to only 14985, that's 5215 less than the investment. That amount could have been spent for 7 epic cards! We learn!

Then I hit the jackpot, using the season's rewards more efficient! I had 45,000 Glint to spend after claiming the end of season bounty and holding all the earnings throughout the season!

I started with two batches of rare draws, spending 15,000 Glint, and was lucky to get a Gold foil each time. The value of Commander Slade and the Skyspire Leopard is 30k so this time I doubled the investment in a blink!

Spent 15,000 Glint on two Epic draws, unwrapping the Thanalorian Blade and the Night Reaper, good drops towards upgrading this overpowered units. Imagine if a Gold Foil is discovered! I was on 3800 Merits, and spent 200 Glint to have enough for two Gladius Cases. The drop was standard, with one rare card in each pack.

I used the remaining 15,200 Glint to buy 76 common chests, giving it another try to the "quantity v quality" trial! I've unwrapped cards and other stuff that added up to 13,470 Glint, with a lesser variation than last season. However, I was still down 1530 Glint, which confirms that the common chests are not a good investment.

• 4 rare x 750 = 3000
• 20 common x 150 = 3000
• 5 energy x 600 = 3000
• 13 alchemy potions x 100 = 1300 Glint
• 9 legendary potions x 80 = 720 Glint
• 2454 Merits = 2450 Glint

And now let's talk about last season ... the best season so far when it comes to Glint earned from flexing my muscles! Why? Because Splinterlands took the second place in the "Best Card Game" category for the Play2Earn Game Awards for 2024, and the GLINT rewards were boosted by 1.5x for the rest of the season.

My highest League Tier acheived was GOLD II, and the end of season reached 34,934 Glint! I told you this was the best season so far... and I wasn't pumping the story at all! The numbers are talking!

The rewards I claimed at the end of the season were seamlessly added to everything I had earned throughout the same season, creating an exhilarating moment of realization. Seeing my total Glint balance surge, I felt like a rich kid in Splinterlands, ready to dive into the marketplace with 63,000 Glint at my disposal.

With such a massive stockpile, I had endless possibilities—acquiring powerful new cards, stacking up on reward chests, and strengthening my deck for future battles.

Now, the real question was... how should I spend it? Should I go all-in on legendary cards to dominate the battlefield? Or perhaps invest in packs and chests, hoping for rare and valuable pulls? A balanced approach or a degen gamble?

One thing was certain... this season's rewards had set me up for an epic journey ahead in Splinterlands, and I was more than ready to make the most of it! The remarkable was yet to come! I went for a balanced strategy and mixed rewards!

I claimed one legendary drop, two epic ones and three rare cards along the way! Seargent Grauzral joined my ranks, along the Kha'zi Conjurer and the Night Reaper. The Dark Arborist and Janni Rebel were good drops as well, used to upgrade my current holdings.

The rest of the Glint was spent on the most cheapest chests, and the gods of random were summoned once again! It was all worth it, as the Archne Weaver epic card alone would have been 7500 Glint!

I've unwrapped a bag of potions, merits, common cards and one energy... but the value of the drop was pumped up by two more rare cards. This time my strategy paid off... and I recover a bit of the losses from previous seasons!

I bought 54 minor chests and spent 10,800 Glint to open chests and receive x worth of cards and items. This time I was lucky, and bagged a 4090 Glint profit.

• 1 Epic card: 7500
• 2 Rare x 750 = 1500
• 15 common x 150 = 2250
• 1 energy x 600 = 600
• 11 achemy x 100 = 1100
• 9 legendary x 80 = 740
• 1180 Merits = 1200

How efficient is getting minor chests instead of cards? Not great, as I am still losing after three tries! When I bought cards I was lucky to get two gold foil rare cards, and those alone are worth it 15,000 Glint.

Getting minor chests is overally bad, and the numbers are showing that the trend is getting less than what you spent on them.

Test Season 1: Spent 22,000 - Rewards 14985 - Minus 5215

Test Season 2: Spent 15,200 - Rewards 13470 - Minus 1530

Test Season 3: Spent 10,800 - Rewards 14890 - Plus 4090

This is sad, even with the rare Arachne Weaver, I was still down on investment over the three weeks with 2655 Glint. There is too much random across the board, and it was confirmed that getting cards is a better option.

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