Splinterlands Foundation Set Review - Is It Any Good?

Splinterlands just released the Foundation set, basic soulbound cards that can be earned by playing for free in the Campaign mode, the game's first PvE, free-to-play mode. These cards will then be allowed to play in ranked battles, which will allow free-to-play players to begin participating in that format, and get something from the game without having to pay, either through ownership or rental. The complete set of cards is visible in this picture.

First of all, we can see that it is quite a large set. Each element has access to eight units and one summoner. Neutral also has eight units, but dragon is not represented in this set. The cards don't seem to have a level, and are not combinable, which suggests that they only have the stats shown on this picture, but when you click on some and go to the stats page, some of the stats shown is actually lower than what we see here, and I don't know why. One example is the water legendary card, Mystic Scaleweaver, shown here to have three magic damage but when you click on him, he only has two. The summoners in this set are also very basic and overpriced in terms of mana, as they only give one basic stat for six mana.

What will be the impact of this set on the meta, and the game in general? For those playing with max level cards, these cards will probably not matter much, as they are clearly inferior to ordinary max level Splinterlands cards. It is unclear if the summoners would allow you to play max level cards, or if they are limited to playing level 1 cards. If it is the latter, they would be totally useless for the majority of players. Otherwise, they can come in handy if you have nothing else. For players just starting out, or free-to-play players and those on a tight budget, these cards look like they can at least compete at the bronze level, and more importantly, they give you enough options to spend all your mana in matches and submit full teams. This will be important for those who struggled to fill out restrictive rulesets, and always felt like they didn't have enough cards to compete. At least now there are free options for everyone. In this respect this is a big step forward for the game.

Some of these cards are worthy of mention, even though none are very good. I will mention the ones which might find some use in your collection, even at higher levels.

Marlai Singariel is the only summoner in the lot that I consider... playable? Maybe that is a strong term. In the right context, +1 magic damage will give your team enough firepower to win some matches. Magic spam is a classic strategyc that can take opponents by surprise if they don't expect it. This card is an Alric at twice the mana cost, or Obsidian at 1.5x the mana cost. Can't really complain!

Saltwater Mage is a magic sneak monster, and those are well-appreciated within the meta. She is no Captain Fellblade but for the same mana cost, she will do two magic damage. For comparison, Captain Fellblade at level 1 has two magic and one melee damage, and the same HP. This card will serve you through Bronze and Silver, and that's about it.

Mystic Scaleweaver is the highest magic damage monster in the set with three damage, unless you click on him in which case it is only two magic damage. At three damage. he is a decent card in lower leagues. At two damage, not really. He also brings a slow, and decent enough HP. Not a good kit for nine mana, but in Bronze this card can be a workhorse, and help you win some battles. It is a legendary, not sure how you would get it.

Kicking Roc is an eight mana, three damage ranged monster. Did they call him that way because it would be like kicking rocks to try to win with that monster? Maybe. He deserves a mention because his 3 damage is the highest for ranged monsters in this set, but he brings mediocre HP, low speed and no other ability. Even at bronze there are better options for the mana cost.

Giam Root is a card I kind of like. Lots of HP, a Strengthen, and well as two ranged damage for nine mana. The artwork reminds me of Ancient Redwood, and it is probably meant to be played in the same context, but obviously Ancient Redwood is a much, much better card. If you have no better options in a high mana match, you can use this, or maybe use him as a front line tank in ranged only rulesets.

Little Sister is my favourite card in this set. It is a flying life leech monster with two magic damage. This card is reminiscent of Demise Archon Faust, another card I like, although obviously not as good. She starts off very weak at three HP but if she survives she can get stronger throughout the fight. If you play her with Lorkus, the +1 damage makes her a bit more viable, allowing her to gain two hp per attack. Interesting card, but still very underpowered at higher tiers.

A'lan Musketeer is a neutral ranged monster with two damage and double strike. His four damage is technically the highest in the entire set, but he brings no supporting ability, and at only five health, he will die very fast if he runs into return fire. Expensive to bring at eight mana, but it can pay off if he survives and deals his damage. His stats seem competitive for Bronze and Silver at least.

In Conclusion, I will probably look to acquire these cards through the Campaign mode, but I am not in a rush to do so. This is more interesting for new players who will want to get their hands on everything they can for free. As a free player, if you can get each of these cards, plus one copy of every reward card currently available, that should be enough to play in Bronze and be able to submit teams for the majority of rulesets. It is a free-to-play experience, but on the flipside, you will never be truly competitive until you acquire more powerful cards.

Thank you all for reading!