With the Untamed edition Splinterlands can be considered to have completed Beta stage and reached version 1.0. Yet the game only consists of monsters and summoners. Many of the players have previous TCG experience where spells, traps and equipment for the monsters also play important roles. @aggroed let it shine through that stuff like this may follow in the future in a previous Peakmonsters podcast (“Imagine attaching an item to Animated Corps giving it a shield. Would it still be such a bad card?”). This however seems to be a lot of work and currently the developers are focusing on getting the mobile app running.

Not knowing the development mechanics behind the game I would like to make a suggestion that would move the game in this direction but could probably be implemented in an easier manner. What about introducing field spells? We would just need one additional card slot per team and then add corresponding buffs or debuffs to the monsters. This should be possible by reusing coding already implemented? But first things first. What the heck is handtalk talking about?

What are field spell cards?

I do not know which other TCGs have this, but if you have played Yu-Gi-Oh! you may already have an idea of where this is going. In Yu-Gi-Oh! players could play field spell cards changing the playground and applying effects to all monsters (on both sides) of the field. Only one of these cards could be placed and playing a new one (either by yourself or by your opponent) would remove the existing card. As there is no such playing order in Splinterlands I would simply suggest combining the effects of both players field spells. Assuming both decided to play one. As field spells should consume Mana it may be a wise choice to not add one to your team.

And why is this a good idea, exactly?

Think about the five main Splinters and what differentiates them. At the beginning of Beta there was a relatively clear structure and benefit to each Splinter. Fire would be heavy in Melee offense but lacked healing. Earth was difficult to kill due to their HP buffs and healing abilities. Life came with unbreakable shields. Death relied on debuffs and Water on Magic.

A year later we have Beetle Queen who heals fire, a Life summoner granting HP instead of shield and a Dragon summoner with a Melee debuff superior to the Beta’s Death summoner. The characteristics of the Splinters are vanishing. Have already vanished in parts.

We need now other toolsets to justify the existence of different Splinters. And other reasons of owning them. Other reasons than the fact that less Splinters are now active in ranked battles, which I assume is mere a counter measure towards people owning only one or two Splinters cause of the above described equalization of all of them.

Any examples of how this would work?

Imagine there were three 2 mana field spell card called that I could add to my team on the battle selection screen. Their effects:

Active Vulcano
Applies +1 Melee to all Fire monsters on both sides of the field. 
Applies -1 Melee to all Water monsters. 
Cancels the effects of all Earth field spell cards.

Deep Sea
Applies +1 Magic to all Water monsters on both sides of the field. 
Applies -1 Magic to all Earth monsters. 
Cancels the effects of all Fire field spell cards.

Rainforest
Applies +1 Ranged to all Earth monsters on both sides of the field. 
Applies -1 Ranged to all Fire monsters. 
Cancels the effect of all Water field spell cards.

This implies so much and adds new dimensions of depths to the game.

• By using this card, I would naturally refrain from using Neutrals in my fire deck because they would not gain the buff.
• I would now really have to take into consideration which Splinter my opponent is using.
• Likewise they may gain or suffer from my buff having made the correct or wrong choice of cards.
• The splinters would have a meaningful correlation for the first time in the game’s history. Every RPG player is used to these effectiveness triangles. Let’s use this established pattern to make new players feel at home.

These could also be levelled up of course. Each of the three abilitites in this elemental field spell example (Buff, Debuff, Cancel) may be gained by raising the field spell’s level.

Endless possibilities

The example above was about elemental based field spells. But there is so much more potential in this. Wouldn’t you like to play this field spell card in an earthquake setting.

Zero Gravity
All monsters on both sides of the field gain the flying ability.

And then take your opponent down with an army of monsters with the new Snare ability?

Or what about adding a monster to your deck with the ability “Protective Aura” negating all field spell effects?

Hopefully the creative minds behind the game read this article and find the idea just as enticing as I do. Adding a new orb series containing field spells might be a lucrative thing to do.

Ps.: Get in the game and build a solid deck before new game mechanics like this will make it more difficult! Get a starter pack through my referral link and comment here. I will help you to get started with some free cards for your deck.

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