I realized after typing this comment that it's too long LOL but just thought of sharing my experience with the game and my belief that BH is needed (maybe not in Tournaments). I probably didn't make sense so read at the risk of wasting your time
When I quit the game in 2021, it was because of bots (actually I just kept failing to reach champ, got stuck in diamond forever, but of course I blamed bots 😁 which may be partially true).
So my frustration with losing, hatred of bots, the market situation, etc. made me quit.
Then a few months ago, I found out some of the people I got into Splinterlands in 2021 didn't quit. And they are now using bots and this thing called Battle Helper.
I was a decent player (at least in my mind) back then and could easily reach diamond. There was no modern or wild then. When I thought of trying out the game again this year, I was a bit overwhelmed with all the new cards, rules, etc.
This is where Battle Helper greatly helped me. You see when I quit in 2021, my mindset was that I didn't need help from a computer program (bots) to win battles. Only noobs need to use that. 🤣
But it was difficult for me to re-learn the game. The Battle Helper, despite my doubts at first, actually helped me learn the game.
When you use the Battle Helper, and you actually try to think WHY it recommends such teams, it could help you improve your game. Obviously if you just do whatever BH tells you and does not think about it, then you probably won't improve much or at all.
Now I have started a new account that I play manually (no bot or BH). I think I still often use lineups that are based on what BH taught me before. Or I try to prepare against lineups that BH recommended before.
Would I have learned those lineups on my own if I had not used BH? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it would take a long time before I realize that those lineups are good.
BH fast-tracked my learning process of the game. I paid for my BH use by buying a token and using some DEC per use, but I think this kind of service is something the game itself should offer, especially or at least to newbies.
Now that bots are banned in Modern, newbies no longer face super optimized bots. But now they face players with Quora and Martyr cards. And legendary summoners.
And there's nothing in the game that would help newbies fight those lineups. Maybe they can learn on their own, based on their experience or by asking around. Or maybe they get disheartened quickly and quit.
As with the banning, I won't be mad tbh if BH gets banned in Brawls or Tournaments. I still think tournaments are where actually skilled players should be rewarded. Maybe I'd be a bit disappointed though because I know others would still be able to continue using some sort of BH anyway. But it is what it is.
That said, I still think the game needs some sort of BH. There's nothing in the game that actually helps newbies. When I started a new account, I played the SPL bots in Novice who try their best to throw games. They're not gonna teach or train newbies. I don't think that's part of their purpose anyway. Maybe fork over XBOT's BH to SPL? That's if Sylar would agree (he should get compensated of course).