The Art of Pain: Turning Damage into Power in Splinterlands

Hello, fellow Splinterlands warriors! How’s your season going so far? The crypto market’s been quite a ride — BTC is still fluctuating around $100k, and HIVE is showing signs of life above $1 again. Personally, my Splinterlands spirit always rises when the charts are green, haha.

In this post, I want to share one of the most exciting battles I’ve had recently — in the new ruleset called No Pain, No Gain. Under this rule, every monster gains the Painforge ability, which reads:
“When damaged by poison, burning, or hit by an ally, gain +1 power.”

In short — the more it hurts, the stronger you get!

As soon as I saw this ruleset, I knew I had to embrace the pain (quite literally 😆). My strategy was simple but risky: I would let my monsters burn so they could keep gaining attack power.
And the main star of this battle? Kha’zi Conjurer — a monster that normally suffers from burning effects, but this time, I turned that weakness into a weapon.

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🔥 My Team

Archon: Nomos
Monsters: Ulundin Overseer, Drybone Megalodon, Emberguard, Chaos Evoker, Chaos Battle Mage, Kha’zi Conjurer

❄️ Enemy Team

Archon: Barthalamas
Monsters: Frankarsgard, Spellmonger, Emberguard, Chaos Battle Mage, Sturdy Axe Warden, A’lan Musketeer

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Round 1: Luring the Pain

I deliberately placed Ulundin Overseer in the front as my meat shield. With his thick HP, he absorbed the first wave of attacks while my other monsters prepared behind him.

The opponent’s tank, Frankarsgard, didn’t last long. A combined strike from Chaos Evoker and Emberguard took him down in the first round. Meanwhile, Kha’zi Conjurer started burning — and boom! — gained +1 power.

Interestingly, the Painforge effect turned out to be a wild advantage. When the enemy’s Spellmonger tried to counterattack with thorn damage, he was immediately taken out by my team’s magic surge.

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Round 2: Fire Becomes an Ally

Now it was Ulundin Overseer’s turn to fall, reaching his limit on the battlefield. But before going down, Kha’zi Conjurer was already blazing with 5 attack power! He quickly targeted the opponent’s Emberguard, striking with ever-growing strength each round.

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Round 3: When Heat Turns to Power

The burning continued. Kha’zi Conjurer now had 6 power — an insane amount for a support monster who usually can’t hold the front line. The opponent was down to ranged units like A’lan Musketeer and Sturdy Axe Warden, both unable to attack from the front position.
They could only wait their turn — to be the next victims.

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Round 4: A Fiery Victory

Although Kha’zi Conjurer eventually fell after his HP ran out from constant burning, he had already done his job brilliantly. The burning effect then passed on to Chaos Battle Mage, granting him +1 power.
My Emberguard landed the finishing blow on A’lan Musketeer, sealing the match.

Victory was mine.

For the full battle replay, you can watch it here:

👉 LINK BATTLE 👈

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💭 Reflections & Lessons

What’s fascinating about this battle is how a negative effect can become a weapon when used strategically. The No Pain, No Gain ruleset truly challenges how we think as players: are you willing to take damage to become stronger?

For me, this fight was a reminder that the best strategy isn’t always about survival — it’s about managing risk and embracing adversity. Kha’zi Conjurer, a monster I once saw as fragile, became a powerhouse under pressure.

For newer players, this is an important lesson. You don’t always need new or rare cards — sometimes, all you need is to understand how a ruleset works and how to turn its “negative” effects into your advantage.

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✍️ Closing Thoughts & Tips

This battle reminded me that in Splinterlands, just like in life, sometimes you have to get “burned” before you grow stronger.

So the next time you encounter the No Pain, No Gain ruleset, don’t be afraid of the flames. Bring out monsters like Kha’zi Conjurer — or anyone who can withstand the heat — and enjoy the moment when pain transforms into power.

🔥 Because, in the end, there is no victory without a little pain.

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It's free, but you'll need to invest in a beginning deck or buy gaming cards to gain real assets like cards and tokens.

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