ARE GOLD CARDS REALLY WORTH IT??

Chances are, if you're here, you already know Splinterlands is a great game. You already know how fun and rewarding it can be, but you're looking to improve your game performance and/or your return on your investment. You probably already have some cards, or maybe you have already built a successful deck, but you want to go one step further. So what's the next step?

GOLD-FOIL CARDS

Why are they better? Let's count down the 5 best reasons!

5. They're not level 1

Gold-foil cards are automatically pre-leveled depending on rarity, so even a single copy will have the level advantage in games against starter-deck opponents; of course, this depends on your summoner's level so don't forget to use a summoner that can take advantage of this fact!

They level up faster, which means fewer clicks and fewer purchases. This also means fewer resource credits used, which is helpful when you're trying to complete a card in a hurry or get to that next league's minimum card power just before the end of the season. Speaking of card power...

4. Better CP ratio

Gold-foil cards are worth more card power than regular copies of the same card, even at the same level. Nearly all Splinterlands players are limited in their league by card power, not combat rating. Gold-foil cards are the best way to improve your season rewards and get more daily quest chests, without having to buy tens of thousands of commons.

As each successive set gets released, the card power for each rarity drops significantly. This makes gold-foil cards even more powerful: a gold-foil COMMON from Untamed is the same card power as a regular-foil LEGENDARY from Chaos Legion!

3. Smaller distribution

Gold cards are, of course, much rarer than their regular-foil counterparts; this means they are a better investment and will tend to appreciate more rapidly, holding value better over the long term. This is particularly true for cards that are popular, as they will be burned to level up others. For example, gold foil legendaries from the Chaos Legion set are in such limited supply that only 800 max-level copies can exist! This limited supply is even more noticeable in the older sets which have printings less than 10% of the size of Chaos Legion

2. Gold-only tournaments and guild brawls

If you're serious about maximizing your potential returns (both financial and funancial) from Splinterlands, then you've probably already found that being in a guild is pretty much a necessity. Brawls are a huge factor in that equation. You're also likely involved in tournaments so you can continue to play and earn when your ECR dips below the levels at which you like to play. You've probably also noticed that there are some brawls and tournaments that only allow the use of gold-foil cards. You may be hesitant to enter because you don't have a wide selection of gold-foil cards, but here's a secret- most other players don't, either!

I always fill a gold-foil-only slot for my guild, and I have maintained a respectable win average even when I didn't have much to choose from because so many players can't field a full team that if you can, even if it's not the strongest monsters, you'll still perform very well. I have little experience with tournaments at the moment, as my own time for the game is limited due to IRL concerns such as working 60 hours a week. I don't imagine it will be incredibly different, but you will probably need a little bit more selection to be able to strategize effectively. Unlike brawls, gold-only tournaments are less likely to be joined by those who cannot field a decent team.

1. DEC rewards!

Gold cards pay for themselves over time, it's as simple as that. For any given card with any given win percentage, the gold version of that card will gain 10% additional DEC per battle. So, therefore, any gold-foil card will eventually buy itself and lead to additional profit while you still own the card! This is the most overlooked aspect of the game, in my opinion, and is the reason that gold foil cards are undervalued as a group versus their regular-foil versions. Is there a price difference? Of course, there is! But I sincerely feel that gap is smaller than it should be and smaller than it will be in the future as this game continues to grow.

It's possible to earn 70% more DEC per battle just by playing gold cards; you can even DOUBLE that to 140% if you play 6x gold-foil Alpha cards with a gold-foil Alpha summoner. Add 50% for a 10+ game win streak, 10% for a maxed-out guild, and you can even be earning 200% BONUS DEC to TRIPLE your earnings! This scenario is of course very difficult (and expensive) to achieve, but most players haven't even grasped the possibility. And now that Beta cards carry a 5% bonus to DEC it's easier than ever to build up your passive bonuses.

Overall, gold foil cards will not only improve your long-term profit margin they will also likely have an impact on your win percentage and enjoyment of the game as they unlock specific in-game options. Compared to the regular-foil versions of the same cards, you will find they are strictly superior in many ways.

For more information or any other discussion, join my discord https://discord.gg/BWR3Na7D