The Splinterlands Survival Mode event—designed to test the brackets that will be introduced to the Modern format—has come to an end. I managed to complete the required 250 matches in Bracket II and have already submitted my feedback. Since this is an interesting topic and the feedback is done, I decided to share a bit about the experience, the feedback I provided, and what went down during this Survival Mode season.
Initially, since I don't have a large collection of cards for Modern mode, I was torn between Bracket I and Bracket II; however, because Bracket II offers double the Glint reward pool, I ultimately chose Bracket II. The reward cards I own that are eligible for Modern could be used at this tier, and most were at the maximum allowed levels: Level 3 for Commons, Level 2 for Rares and Epics, and Level 1 for Legendaries. The start was smooth—the initial bots were quite easy—but things got tricky around the 1500 rating mark; I spent basically the entire season hovering around that rating, moving up and down.
At times, bots at this level employed "Bloodline" strategies that were nearly impossible to beat with the cards I had available. They even used Legendary cards that I’m not sure regular players have easy access to. I had hoped to finish the event earlier, but I ended up completing the 250 matches on the very last day.
In the end—whether due to the deck upgrades I’ll mention below, a drop in difficulty, or a bit of both—the final matches were easier, and I managed to finish with a rating of 1640, placing me in the top 10 so far. (I hope to earn the leaderboard Glint.)
As for general feedback, I found the bot difficulty to be intermediate; it’s tough for those without many cards, but once you pull off key combos—like using mages with Marlai—it gets easier. Regarding Survival mode, I feel something is missing when you rank up: a message appears, but you don't actually gain anything; there’s no sense of a tangible achievement. Finally, regarding wait times: the maximum was generally around 2 minutes—a big improvement over the last event. However, since this event had more brackets, the player base was spread out, meaning the majority of matches (70% to 90%) were against bots.
I'll be much appreaciated if you Votes, Reblogs or give any Tips. Thanks and have good reading! 🍀
Splinterlands Survival Deck Upgrades
Since the new bracket test event in Splinterlands Survival Mode turned out to be a bit tougher than I expected, I had to make some card changes and upgrades to win more matches and boost my win rate during the event.
Interestingly, many of these improvements were based on insights gained from the cards the bots themselves were using. The first change involved the "Escalation" cards—a new mini-set recently released that bots utilized heavily in the last Survival event. These cards truly take matches to the next level; their high stats make them shine, especially in high-mana battles.
This was precisely where my Survival deck was lagging behind. Because I rely mostly on reward cards and just a few from newer collections, my units generally dealt around 2 damage, with only a few exceptions dealing 3. In contrast, the Conclave Arcana: Escalation set includes several cards capable of dealing 4, 5, or even 6 damage.
Additionally, I was missing a tank with high defensive stats. I had been using Uludin in high-mana battles, but since I don't have the "Weapons Training" ability, he wasn't dealing any damage at all. Among the additions in the Escalation set, the best one was the Doomshield Warden; it boasts 4 damage, 9 HP, and an incredible 7 armor—all at Level 1. It allows for an extra melee DPS unit in the second position because it grants Reach. An interesting combo involved pairing it (costing 14 mana) with the Halfling Refugee—which costs only 1 mana but deals 3 damage and has 6 HP. Effectively, this meant placing a combined unit in the first position for a total cost of 15 mana, creating a perfect setup to withstand the opponent's damage.
Midway through the Survival event, I noticed the difficulty had spiked and I couldn't push past a 1500 rating. I asked the community for tips, and thanks to a member who provided some key cards, my Water deck became strong enough to win several matches.
Anasth Soothsayer healed the entire team, preventing many cards from going on cooldown; acting as a Tank Healer at Level 2, she was perfect for Bracket II. The Mystic Scaleweaver dealt 3 damage (boosted by Marlai's +1) and applied Slow, all while having a solid amount of HP. Finally, there was the Abyssal Elemental, which dealt damage, got healed, and returned to deal even more damage. In the end, to secure a good ranking, I even bought another Abyssal Elemental; it’s a fantastic card that has single-handedly won numerous matches for me this Survival season.
