The Survival Mode bracket test event is back once again, featuring the usual massive 250k prize pool. Just like the prize pool, the rules remain unchanged. For those who don't know, you need to play 250 matches with a 50% win rate in one of the brackets (Manual Brackets I through V) and fill out the form.
This season, I'm participating in Bracket II because the rating resets, making it easier to get those initial matches going. Also, in my opinion, the leaderboard reward for Bracket II was much better—the Glint pool is double the size. Last season, I ended up receiving less Glint from the leaderboard and the pool in Bracket I; while the matches were easier there, I expected to hit a rating ceiling sooner, but the difficulty level actually surprised me...
Since the event is ongoing and cooldown reduction is nearly 100%, I can now upgrade two cards I had been holding off on. Previously, being in Bracket I meant a long wait for cards to become available again, so I had left many at 1 BCX. Now, with the even shorter cooldown, I can upgrade them without needing multiple copies, and I can use them in other modes like Modern and Wild with their improved stats and abilities.
The first card is the Blue Wyrm Travesty; it went from Level 1 (with 10 HP) to Level 3, gaining +1 HP and the "Slow" ability. This ability makes it significantly stronger, inflicting -1 speed on all opponents and allowing it to survive longer in combat. This card only gains its next ability at level 10, so level 3 actually offers the best value for money.
The next one is also a tank, considered one of the best cards in the game due to its abilities and stats. Moving from level 1 to level 3, the Doomshield Warden gains +1 HP and the Relentless ability; this allows it to return with 100% health once per match and deal 1 damage to all units on the field. It has become significantly stronger, and while it gets even better at level 6, level 3 remains the sweet spot for value.
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Splinterlands Upgrades & Challenges: The Struggle to Survive
However, it is worth noting that even after these deck improvements and upgrades, the gap between Bracket II and Bracket I has been significant. While in Bracket I I could compete on equal footing with other bots—reaching a high rating of 2000+—Bracket II has been the complete opposite. After about 80 matches, I reached a rating of 1400 but have since stalled in the 1300–1400 range.
Since these bots possess cards at the maximum limits allowed for the bracket—Level 3 Commons, Level 2 Rares and Epics, and Level 1 Legendaries—players like me who haven't fully leveled up their cards end up struggling. To make matters worse, these bots are using cards that aren't easily obtained even by human players.
A simple example is "Tariel," a bot with an 1100 rating that I was matched against—despite my own rating being 1340 at the time—which possessed some very uncommon cards. While it is true that the Archons used by these liquidity bots in this rating range are the common versions rather than the legendary ones, the unit cards themselves are, in my opinion, a level above the norm.
An intermediate player might own one or two of these cards, but certainly not all of them. After all, the cards used in the "Modern" format—which is what's currently allowed in manual brackets for testing purposes—come from the most recent sets, which tend to be more expensive. This bot's lineup includes Thanalorian Scion, a Level 2 Captain Fellblade, and Daarg Deadblast, not to mention a Level 2 Abyssal Elemental. These cards are hard enough to find at Level 1; finding them at the bracket's maximum level makes things significantly more complicated.
One solution would be to essentially mirror the opponent's collection while swapping in a card or two, but if the opponent doesn't own the cards at max level, why would the liquidity bot use them—creating such a disparity in card levels? Players will usually eventually find a sweet spot where their win rate hovers around 50%, but I still think the difficulty level might be a bit too high right now.
