Everyone loves gold, but not when they have diamond within reach.

...and perhaps more?

I waited for the early crowds to clear before entering the fray, in the hope for an easier run through, or so I thought. However, I battled FOR DAYS in the throng in what seemed like an endless loop of small wins and big losses, over and over - moving from Gold I to close to Diamond III, before being knocked down, again - and again.

But just when I was losing hope and was ready to stay down in the dust bruised and bloodied, with a last ditch effort (and more rented cards than ever) I charged the enemy and finally, broke through into Diamond.

But, once there, I could taste the truth - I was kidding myself.

it wasn't enough.

Just 1

Last season I made it for the first time into Diamond I, after the season before making it to Diamond II and the one before that, to Diamond III

But...

One measly Championship point. Is that too much to ask??

And with a little random...

But with new cards, low prices and rents and fresh blood, it is a hard battle out there and I think everyone is feeling it, with experienced players struggling and some relative newbies giving them a run, or at least, bring random to the table.

https://splinterlands.com?p=battle&id=sl_0efc197a85d0d96616001d20082a9dac&ref=tarazkp

Score!

What's your point?

I don't know if I actually need to win a point whilst in a Champion league to get credited or if I will get 18 awarded to me based on the score - but here I am with 3,718 points and in Champion III for the very first time! I am again, pretty happy about this and I do feel a sense of accomplishment making it through to this point, even though I have had to "buy my way in".

These 18 points are the most expensive points in the history of the world, however, this is also an investment, right? I still find it interesting how many people are playing Splinterlands and want to earn and benefit from it, but aren't necessarily willing to put a "little bit extra" into their asset range. Sure, not everyone is going to go as deep as I have, nor should they, but it is going to be slow going and perhaps not as "worth it" for many who don't put a little money where their battle is.

Some are disillusioned by the dropping prices - some are seeing it as a buy opportunity. And while I cannot say which path will come out ahead in gain or loss, what I do know is that if prices do go up in the future, there are going to be a lot of people wishing they had picked up a few of these cards and assets - if "assets" are what they will become, that is.

Top 100 in the world!

Of Splinterlands

I am at Rank 81 and this is going to drop rapidly in the coming days, but hey - I made it into the Top100 once in my lifetime at something at least. Amd, it isn't like the competition is uncontested.

I do think though, that with the changing definition of what holds value being up for review and revision, coupled with our growing need for alternate income and investment vehicles, what is considered an asset is going to change. A property is an asset that can appreciate in value and bring income through production or rent, and this is what Splinterlands cards are, especially once they get the ability to be put to work on the LAND and produce new goods and services for the marketplace.

I predict that five years from now, it is going to be commonplace for people to hold a range of land assets that are both physical and digital, but like property, the digital have to be able to be used in some way. A Splinterlands card doesn't provide shelter or warmth directly, but it can be employed to generate income in multiple ways. These assets are becoming employees in the business of blockchained finance.

Gift chickens

There is an age old saying,

Never look a gift chicken in the mouth, because they are as rare as hen's teeth.

Or something along those lines.

This season I got a lot of advice from @azircon who helped me strategize the mid-season phase a little more, to get me out of the Death by loop phase. As a prize for my "achievement" reaching Champion III this season, he gifted me not only the breast, but a whole chicken for my very own! I have been renting a maxed one, but didn't realize I can have two at the same time to use for "no melee" rulesets.

Gamechanger.

Thank you again, it is very, very much appreciated!

And it isn't the value of the card that makes it valuable to me, it is the thought behind the gift.

I actually wrote about this card the other day as an example of something that people originally discounted, only to discover it is one of the most valuable cards to hold in the game. This is why there are 27,530 cards in circulation, but only 106 on the market, with the price of a single card currently at $35 and the cheapest maxed card at $1,072. Not so "burnable" now, is it?

This phase now is crucial for Splinterlands' future, not because price is going to make or break for it, but because this is a stage in its lifecycle that is where much of the onboarding potential is going to come from, to prove itself as a digital force to be reckoned with at scale, in a world where eyes are turning toward side incomes and especially gaming. The next year is going to be telling for the entire industry, but I feel that while everyone is focusing on the price, those in the know will be looking for the proof.

Will these 18 (potential points) be the most expensive in history, or will they be early indicators of the most valuable investment decision that I have made?

Seasons come and go - but a year or two is a very long time in crypto.

Taraz [ Gen1: Hive ]