Hello! I have decided to start a completely new series about Splinterlands! In this one, I will be going over the key cards for each splinter that are great to own - or rent - in Silver league. I will include mostly cards that are playable in modern; but if there is a great card that's only for wild, I won't hesitate to include it.

The first of the posts will be about the Water splinter - it is my absolute favourite, so it felt right to start with it. I also have the largest knowledge on this subject, so I figured it's probably best to start on a high note! Rules are simple - I'll mention the price, the level you need the card at, as well as whether I suggest to rent or buy this card. Note that I believe if you have the funds, you should own all of them - but in some cases the rental price is just so cheap, it's okay to skip buying for now.

Baakjira - $12,60/BCX

One of the most powerful recent airdrops, as well as Chaos Legion legendaries overall, Baakjira is a must-have for the Water splinter. It is an incredible mid-mana tank that works against magic teams due to its Void ability, but - thanks to Slow and Strengthen - can be used against any opponents. while it is no Kraken, it is just a fraction of its cost, with much more flexibility due to its lower mana cost.

Baakjira works well in tandem with high speed units like Diemonshark and Axemaster, making sure you're always the first to make a move. In addition, the Slow can allow your units to dodge more often - 10% extra dodge chance on each non-magic attack from your opponents is nothing to scoff at. To add to that, Strengthen can often save your units from a Sneak, Snipe or Opportunity ability, letting them live an extra round and potentially winning you the game. You do want that Strengthen ability, so you will need to get 3BCX - but if you're really on a budget, the 1BCX version is still servicable!

Axemaster - $7,99/BCX

My favourite card in the entire game, Axemaster is an absolute beast in Silver. Its Double Strike ability, together with the high speed and 2 ranged attack at level 1 is deadly to any opponent. The card brings high damage, has decent surivability if used with a more defensive summoner like Kelya or Lir.. What could we want more?

More attack, perhaps?! Well, Axemaster gets another point of attack at level 3. I obviously do understand that spending 80 bucks on a single card isn't dobale for most players, but.. it is good enough of a card at level 1! Axemaster works best with a beefy frontline that can tank some hits, while he works through the opponent's frontline - it's like a front-to-back teamfight in a MOBA game. I have had games where I played Axemaster as the sole source of reliable damage, with a bunch of small units in front to block incoming hits - and still won! Amazing card, I could not recommend it more.

Torrent Fiend - $6,72/BCX

I recommend getting all the Fiends at level one. The great part about Fiends for Silver league is that you really do not need to level them at all - their breakpoints are only level 1 and MAX, with the improvements in between being fairly insignificant. Torrent Fiend is a great card that works in any low-mana battle.

There are a few exceptions in which you'd rather not play the Fiend, such as Poison rulesets if you expect Scavenge to come from the opponent (especially if you do not play your own), but other than that, there is little reason to not play it. Torrent Fiend can tank up a hit or two, depending on your summoner choice. In Super Sneak and Melee Mayhem, as well as Equal Opportunity, this 0-mana monster could even grow as far as to 3-4 attack if played with cards like River Hellondale or Demented Shark.

Kelp Initiate - $2,78/BCX

The moment I forgot to renew my rental on Kelp Initiate coincided with the time I started losing more than usual on Water. I like to believe it was partly the lack of this amazing card that caused my winrate to get lower. I decided not to ever make that mistake again and buy Kelp Initiate instead.

This is essentially a tiny Baakjira - while weaker to magic, it still soaks up at least 5 damage for just 2 mana. Against melee and ranged, it can dodge quite a bit with its high speed; and once again, this thing is just 2 mana! Whether its Little League, lower mana game or you just need an anti-Sneak or anti-Snipe monster.. This guy is right here waiting to be picked. In my opinion, there is better monster to buy.

Djinn Oshannus - $6,49/BCX

What once was a terror with Alric in starter set, Djinn Oshannus has taken a step back - both in ranked games, as well as on the market. That said, it is still an incredibly powerful card that can win a game by himself.

With the high speed, Oshannus can ensure that you kill of the opposing threats before they kill you - while his speed lets him dodge everything thrown at him. Even magic, as he gets Phase at level 2! The high health also means he doubles down as a tank - this card does everything! You can play him in a magic team with Nerissa and Wavesmith, use him as a great frontline against magic teams due to Void, as well as pair him up with other high speed cards to remind your opponents that speed does indeed kill.

Closing Words

Water is my favourite splinter and it has a ton of cards to choose from. I try to keep my lists fairly short and concise, which is why there are only 5 of them mentioned. Cards like Sea Monster, Venari Wavesmith, and many more are also great buys - these mentioned above are just a great starting point and cards that will win you games as soon as you slot them in. I cannot imagine my teams without Kelp Initiate and Axemaster especially. I will come back on Sunday with another article on the next splinter - we'll see which one when I start writing it!

All the images are screenshots from Splinterlands, while the image in the thumbnail is the Splinterlands banner from the SPL facebook page.