When I started playing Splinterlands, I made the same mistake most beginners do — I focused only on strong-looking cards instead of understanding how characters actually work together. Over time, through trial, losses, and a lot of testing, I realized that building characters is the real game, not just owning them. Summoners Changed Everything for Me The biggest lesson I learned was the importance of Summoners. At first, I underestimated them, but once I started paying attention to how summoners affect mana, speed, health, and abilities, my win rate improved fast. Choosing the right summoner for the ruleset often matters more than choosing flashy monsters. Monsters Are About Roles, Not Power Instead of chasing high-damage cards, I began assigning roles: Frontline tanks to absorb damage Mid-line attackers for steady pressure Backline units for sneak or support Some characters look weak alone, but when placed correctly, they completely change the outcome of a battle. That’s something I only understood after experimenting across leagues. Leveling and Abilities Matter More Than Quantity Another thing I noticed is that a few well-leveled characters outperform many low-level ones. Abilities like shield, heal, sneak, and stun can flip matches even when the opponent has stronger cards on paper. Building characters slowly and intentionally gave me more consistency than randomly upgrading everything. Building Around Rulesets Splinterlands battles aren’t random — rulesets force creativity. Over time, I started building my characters around common rules like low mana, no magic, or equalizer. This approach helped me stop guessing and start planning. Researching how abilities interact in each ruleset made the game feel deeper and more rewarding. My View on Character Building From my experience, Splinterlands characters are less about rarity and more about synergy. Smart combinations, proper placement, and understanding abilities will always beat brute force. The more time I spent learning characters, the more the game rewarded me — not just in wins, but in long-term value. Final Thoughts Building characters in Splinterlands taught me patience and strategy. It’s not about rushing upgrades or copying meta decks. It’s about understanding your cards, testing combinations, and improving little by little. That’s what makes the game enjoyable for me — and that’s where real progress starts.