On one of the recent episodes of @thepeoplesguild, @bjangles spoke about the need for more rulsets in Splinterlands to mix up the meta. I couldn't agree more. Give us more rule sets @splinterlands, please!
Image generated with Chat-GPT. Prompt: Create an image of a battle mage in the Splinterlands TCG. Make it a battle scene where the battle mage looks bored.
Stagnation = Boredom
We’ve been living with the same pool of rules for a while now:
(Image from Splintercards, thanks @tehox)
- No Magic
- Reverse Speed
- Healed Out
- Melee Mayhem
- …you know the list.
Most of the rule sets we have now are good (ignoring back to basics 🤢). But we've grown used to them and it gets repetitive playing the same ones over and over.
Splinterlands is better when it has more variety. The real strategy comes from a combination of the cards, mana limits, plus the rule sets.
The last reference I could find of a new rule set added was on the February 20, 2024 update notes when the "Blood and Sunder" rule set was added.
New Ideas
There are a number of ways the rule sets could be modified to add variety.
Champion Leagues
- Consider increasing the total rulesets used in Champion leauge.
- Champion III: keep the standard 3 rulesets
- Champion II: add a fourth ruleset
- Champion I: add a fifth ruleset
Overflow
- Unused mana is converted to +1 damage per 3 unused mana.
- Incentivizes low-cost lineups.
- Encourages tricky trade-offs between efficiency and power.
Blood Tax
- All monsters lose 1 health per round, no exceptions.
- Accelerates battles and penalizes slow-play.
The Benefits of Adding More Rulesets
Here are some benefits of adding more rulesets. The list was generated with Chat GPT.
🔄 Increases Variety:
Reduces repetition and makes each battle feel more unique and engaging.
🧠 Promotes Strategic Depth:
Forces players to adapt their lineups and think creatively instead of relying on memorized combos.
🃏 Revives Underused Cards:
New constraints can elevate overlooked monsters and abilities into viable options.
⚖️ Naturally Shakes Up the Meta:
Reduces dominance of top-tier strategies without requiring nerfs or power creep.
🧪 Encourages Experimentation:
Players are more likely to try new builds, splinters, and synergies.
🧍 Levels the Playing Field:
Rare or extreme rule sets can create surprise upsets and underdog victories.
🎯 Increases Replayability:
Keeps the game fresh over time by creating thousands of possible match conditions.
🔥 Boosts Community Engagement:
Rule set discussions, battle sharing, and theorycrafting all increase with unpredictability.
🛠️ Enables Thematic Events:
Rule sets can be rotated for seasonal modes, tournaments, or lore-based challenges.
🚀 Drives Long-Term Retention:
More dynamic gameplay keeps veteran players returning while impressing new ones with the game’s depth.
Closing Comments and Feedback
Obviously the team has limited resources and has to focus on the key areas like new player experience and developing land. I have no idea how much development time it takes to add new rulesets to the game, but I hope the team will strongly consider doing so.
What new ruleset do you want to see in Splinterlands? Drop it in the comments below or message me on Discord.