That's So Meta: Defining the Meta

Before we get started, apologies to anyone who clicked this link expecting to see a discussion related to the company formerly known as Facebook. The thing we are going to talk about today is the metagame - what it is, why it's important, and how becoming familiar with it will help you to win some more, or at least maybe understand why you aren't winning!

Have you ever been playing Splinterlands, or any competitive game, and noticed that you see the same cards or strategies over and over? You're noticing the metagame, or the game outside of the actual game. Understanding the metagame (or "meta" for short) is an important part of playing any game well, and can dramatically increase your chances of success while playing your favorite game of choice.

This post is divided into 2 sections - the first defines the metagame in order to be able to discuss it properly, and the second explains why it is important and how we can use it to our advantage. Already familiar with the concept of a meta? Feel free to skip ahead to the second section.

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What is the meta?

In any game, there are going to be a collection of strategies that work better than others. What exactly those strategies are depends on a variety of factors, and there will often (but not always) be a triangular relationship. Water magic beats fire melee beats earth anti-magic beats water magic. Rock beats scissors beats paper beats rock. You get the idea.

In Splinterlands, strategies are highly dependent on the battle conditions for each game and the league level the game is being played in, but are defined by the summoners and monsters being chosen for battles, as well as the order in which they are placed. If you find that you are seeing the same summoners and/or cards being chosen over and over when you play, then those lineups are your current meta.

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Why is the meta Important, and how do we profit from it?

Once you understand the meta, or at least know what to look for, then you can prepare for your competition by learning to play optimally within the metagame. If you're particularly lucky or skilled, you may even be able to break the meta by finding alternative ways to beat the strategies everyone else is using.

Studying up on what people are using is key - after you know which cards your opponents are most likely to play then you can have a better guess at what you can do in order to win by countering it. Remember that in Splinterlands, the different rulesets for each battle and the league you are in will have distinct metas - it may help to take notes as you play to help keep everything organized. Try to keep track of what is being used and which strategies work well against others.

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This was intended as an introductory post on what a metagame is in order to be able to better discuss game strategies in future articles. Interested in seeing some more of my writing in the future? Be sure to give me a follow! In the meantime, if you'd like to see some of my recent posts:

• How Much Can you Earn? DEC Gains in each Splinterlands League - a breakdown of DEC earnings in each league.
• Summary and Lessons from my Second Season in Splinterlands - a summary of my most recent season, and some of the things I learned.
• End of Season Renting in Splinterlands - a guide to end of season rentals.

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Thinking about giving Splinterlands a try but haven't signed up yet? Feel free to use my referral link, and be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions!