Frontier Files: Dispatch #4 Seeking the Missing Pieces
To: The Family
From: Jolius Blast
Location: The Frontier-Werting center
Subject: Meta search
Hey fam, hope all is well!
Wow, it's been almost an entire month here at the frontier! Everything is moving so fast—I barely know what to stop and focus on first.
While missing you guys is an everyday challenge, the business I have to attend to over here keeps me fully occupied. Honestly, if it wasn't for all this busywork, I'd probably be heading back home already. But I can see a clear path now, and there is a specific task that needs to be addressed—and I'm the one who has to do it.
Well, let me get to work. I have some scouting to do today. I'd like to recruit some extra help out here, though I'm still figuring out exactly who we need on the squad. Stand by on that one.
Calling the Vanguard: What Does Frontier Mode Need Next?
I see everybody's having an absolute blast in Frontier Mode so far. I'm still getting adjusted to it myself! There are definitely some quirks here, and a few things that could use a touch of balancing. But with that being said, we know the best place to turn for answers is to the people in the trenches.
Where is the best place to find out what's missing from the Frontier Mode meta? Right here with you.
We are reaching out to the entire community to help us scout and recruit for the next leg of this journey. We want to know what you think is needed to round out the set and give new and veteran players alike the ultimate Splinterlands experience.
Community Call to Action & Contest Prompt
We want your feedback, ideas, and creative card concepts! Consider the following questions when drafting your response:
Missing Metas & Synergies: What core archetypes, team strategies, or synergy loops are currently missing in Frontier Mode?
Support & Utility: What support characters, tanks, or utility options would you add to help balance out the current roster?
Mechanics & Abilities: What key abilities currently in Ranked Mode need to be brought into Frontier Mode to give newer players a full taste of what Splinterlands has to offer?
Character Concepts: If you could recruit one new unit into the Frontier set right now, who are they, what are their stats/abilities, and how do they shift the battle dynamics?
How to Participate
Drop Your Ideas Below: Comment on this post with your detailed breakdown of the current Frontier meta, missing mechanics, or custom card designs.
Submit Your Custom Cards: If you have specific card stats, abilities, lore, or art concepts, share them with The Arena Vanguard committee.
Prizes: Arena Vanguard card of your choice for selected entries!! (No Archons)
Spread the Word: Share this post with your guildmates, streams, and fellow battle commanders!
Let’s build the future of the Frontier together. Stand by for more updates soon!
Best,
Blast
Much love splitter fam
Repair,triage,shatter
IGN Ank12c
Buns cards 🙏
deflect, corrupted healing, resurgence
IGN heavenlykoala
Jolius Blast, King, vengeful cards
my thoughts on frontier is that this mode competes for basic skills, with a base deck of few cards, great for newbies to the game to not face overwhemling learning curve of all sorts of levelling, cards abilities, modes etc..
however, frontier is now gotten way above itself, removing from its original spirit of 'simplicity" with many new cards coming in too fast. now you can't play well if you don't get new cards fast and level them up to useful level. To do that is very expensive or you must really dig "giveaway" channels to get free cards fast. This is very disappointing to even veteren players, feeling like you can never keep up...like I just got aimee levelled up not too long ago and soon many others do and now probably not very useful because now people have buns card, which if u use aimee against them, aimee keeps hitting shield u lose.
in sum, too many new cards, too many new abilities, too many new rulesets coming in too fast and now frontier is very very tough. cannot imagine how a newbie can enjoy learning and playing. too difficult for them to learn and win and their confidence gets destroyed. I made frontier top 10 multiple times and really find it difficult to keep up, and now scrambling for this new set of cards to stay on top (so please give as many as u can :) )
I would like to see frontier slows down and progress back to its original spirit of "everyone competes on a simple base deck". Modern already so expensive, don't get what to do with glint u earn from survival, wild pass not in consideration... that leaves only winning cards from frontier to trade for useful ones for modern...
I hope my comments are somewhat useful; I've stated in the beginning what abilities to introduce to Frontier if you really want to add abilities, but I'd really like to see the frontier mode kept simple
I understand how you feel, others felt that more balance in the mode was needed. Note only 1 card was added to each element. There are a few ways to pick up these cards. Streamers are giving them out every day across multiple time slots, but that’s just one avenue. You can grab them on PeakD, YouTube, X, Facebook, the Spark Shop, reward chests, and even through spins. Card sent, thank you for your input. Ill share with my team in the next meeting.
thank you for 2 great cards in a day. :)
still difficult to get enough copies to level cards to useful level, like getting jolius to have at least enrage.
spark shop - difficult to get enough sparks to even buy 1 card.
chests/spins - entirely luck, very tiny chance
social media very sporadic here and there...got players across the world on diff. time zones, just not a very stable channel, esp for those not so familiar with social media.
I do find frontier more fun now with spins and new cards but the last new set just too many cards to get at once and you need to get enough copies for it to be useful. Jolius can still be killed easily without enrage for example. if u buy from card market, 3k dec per is very expensive.
anyways my 2 cents, if you find my comments helpful, I am 3 cards away from getting Jolius to have enrage.
I think Frontier, as a format, is in good health. The daily wheel, the new Vanguard cards, and the chest quests keep its appeal intact (opening packs is always fun).
As for the meta, I find it hard to see it becoming unbalanced. In theory, if you play consistently, you'll eventually catch up to your opponents' level while building a solid foundation to make the leap to other formats like Modern.
Getting back to your question about what I miss, it would be fun to imagine a card that combines all my favorite abilities. While I understand that the biggest challenge for any designer is maintaining balance, dreaming is free. Without getting into stats, I don't know if abilities like GIANT KILLER or LAST STAND would break the game, but I'd love to see something like that in Vanguard Arena. And if its art were also a tribute to the movie Highlander, I'd have the perfect excuse to yell before every battle... "There can be only one!"