Wild Mode Mayhem: How Sand Worm Turned the Tide

Hey Archon!
How’s it going? Hope you’re doing great—especially with BTC in a bullish mood lately. Hive and SPS are on the rise too, which really pumps up the motivation to grind harder in Splinterlands!

This time, I want to share one of my battle of the day moments that I just played. I'm once again taking part in the Splinterlands social media challenge, still battling in Wild mode. And for this match, I decided to revive a long-retired card that turns out is still deadly as ever—Sand Worm from the Untamed set.

Sand Worm is a neutral monster that I’ve had since my earliest Splinterlands days. At level 2, it already packs a brutal melee punch, and its strength lies in its Sneak ability—it goes straight for the enemy's backline and hits hard. Being neutral, it fits into all kinds of lineups. Super versatile.

And in this battle, he wasn't alone. He was paired with Larissa Kerato as the summoner—one of the new Rebellion cards I absolutely love. She boosts melee attack and health, which makes her a perfect leader for a blood-and-muscle melee squad.

Here’s how I built my formation:

• LEGIONNAIRE ALVAR in front as a thick, armored tank with Void.
• TATIANA BLAYDE, the blood queen with her Bloodlust.
• DRYBONE RAIDER, a neutral double-strike attacker.
• And of course, the finisher: SAND WORM.

The match had the Shades of Gray, Four’s A Crowd, and Aim True rulesets. That means every monster could only use melee attacks, and every melee attack always hits—no misses.

A perfect playground for melee beasts like Sand Worm and Tatiana Blayde. But it wasn’t an easy win—the enemy lineup was eerily similar. They had their own Tatiana Blayde, and smartly added Venari Marksrat to power her up using the Martyr effect.

But this is where Sand Worm showed his worth. One by one, the enemy’s backline got wiped out. Thanks to his high damage and the Aim True rule, he never missed a hit. Once their rear guard collapsed, it was only a matter of time before victory was mine.

If you're curious, you can watch the full battle here:
For the full battle replay, you can watch it here:

👉 LINK BATTLE 👈

The most surprising part? Just how useful Sand Worm still is today. Many players have forgotten about Untamed cards, but when combined with newer cards like Larissa, they can become absolute game-changers. The big takeaway: don’t sleep on old cards! Sometimes all they need is the right moment and the right team to shine.

Honestly, I also learned a lot from my opponent—using the Martyr combo to boost Tatiana was super clever. But that just proves how many paths there are to victory in Splinterlands. It all comes down to strategy and how well you adapt to the ruleset.

For newer players, this is a key lesson: know your rulesets, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Mix old and new cards, try weird combos. Splinterlands isn’t just about having expensive cards—it’s about getting the most out of what you’ve got.

If you’ve got a Sand Worm collecting dust in your collection—don’t leave it in the shadows. Give it a second chance. Especially in rulesets like Shades of Gray, it can be a deadly finisher. And don’t forget, pair it with a good summoner—Larissa Kerato might be the perfect match.

That’s it for today’s battle story. Hope it gives you some inspiration and ideas if you’re cooking up new lineups in Wild mode!

Talk about Splinterlands,
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