Taking this weekend to share a post for the **Splinterlands Social Challenge**. A few hours ago a brand new voucher card was announced for sale, called **DAR GOTTEM GEARNUT**. You can get the full details here: [DAR 'GOTTEM' GEARNUT Voucher Card Incoming](https://peakd.com/splinterlands/@splinterlands/dar-gottem-gearnut-the-dragon-gnome-rises)
Gottem comes with a pretty interesting kit for a legendary, **Trample, Flank, Inspire and Void**. Each ability has a very direct impact on the battlefield, so it’s not just pretty lore. Let me break it down and throw some practical ideas.
**Trample**: After using a melee attack that defeats a unit, it performs another melee attack against the unit in the next position.
Great for cleanup. If you take down a fragile frontliner, you can immediately hit the next target, or even a carry hiding in the middle. In swarm-heavy formats (lots of weak units), Trample is insane. Low-cost units fall easily, and Gottem turns into a board cleaner.
**Flank**: If this unit is in the first position at the start of battle, the unit in the second position gains *Reach*.
This one’s pretty smart. Putting Gottem up front is basically a signal that the enemy’s backline is in trouble. Giving Reach to your second slot means a strong single-target unit can hit enemies it normally wouldn’t. Perfect for comps where your second slot is a nuke/assassin. Positioning really matters with Flank.
**Inspire** +1 melee power to all allied units.
A simple and effective global buff for melee decks. Not a total “game-breaker,” but combined with Trample and other boosts, it turns your team into a melee pressure machine. Inspire helps melee units with synergy close fights more consistently.
**Void**: Takes 50% less damage (rounded up) from magic attacks, or 0 damage from magic attacks with 1 power.
This makes Gottem a very interesting frontliner against heavy-magic teams. Squads loaded with casters that rely on low-damage spells will crash against Void. In the right setup, Gottem can soak magic while your second slot dishes out Reach damage (thanks again, Flank).
### And the foils? Worth chasing?
The announcement made it clear how things work: voucher sales, Alchemy/Midnight potions to improve odds, and arcane/gold/black events with explicit numbers (Gold Foil \~2% base, Black Foil extremely rare). The truth is, **foils are mostly collectibles**. For competitive gameplay, the regular version already gives you the full set of abilities. Foils give you status, market potential, and that “flex” feeling. If you play for fun and strategy, you don’t need to grind for a Gold or Black. If you’re a collector/investor, sure, I get the rush. Just keep in mind the cost (Aura, Vouchers, DEC, time) always think ROI.
Overall, I liked Gottem’s design. The card has a unique identity, brings useful gameplay, and opens up some interesting combos. You can definitely feel it has potential to shake the meta, especially in melee-focused comps or when countering heavy magic teams. On that front, I think the balance team did a good job.
The downside, for me, is that the whole event leans way too much into the collector’s side. Too many stages, costs, auctions… it leaves me with the impression that the main focus isn’t really on the average player, who just wants to play without pulling out their wallet every single update. It would be way more inclusive if there were ways to join in through gameplay like missions, small in-game drop chances, or even alternative rewards that don’t depend only on money.
If I could throw a direct suggestion to the team, it would be to create some kind of “participation track,” you know? A reward track that gives exclusive stuff for people who play and stay engaged, even if they don’t spend big.
That way the market stays strong for collectors, but nobody gets left out of the party.
At the end of the day, yeah, I’m hyped Dar Gottem has swag and solid gameplay. I just hope the entire community can feel that same hype without needing to sell a kidney. If you like collecting and have the time/cash, go chase the foil and flex.