https://img.leopedia.io/DQmWnu6kTojLgBAmvFWvq6V8KuXuNQt3Q89uyGBfvdCZ5Xj/splinterlands%20battle%20challenge.png 

Survival Mode in splinterlands is no joke. Every match you play comes with real consequences - lose, and your defeated cards enter cooldown, locking them out for the rest of the season (or until their cooldown expires).

Last week, I [wrote](https://inleo.io/@mercurial9/survival-mode-brutal-reality-check-splinterlands-420-ab7) about my first few fights at Survival Mode, where I only won one match and ended up with a miserable rating of 20. This week, I changed things up by experimenting with different cards and strategies. The result? I climbed to a rating of 220 and won eleven matches. It is not much, but it's honest work. So, after lots of trial and painful errors, here are some tips I have for Survival Mode that I am using.

Tips I found Useful To Clinch A Few More Victories
--------------------------------------------------

![85f4c09448e5d97899ab03dfaa7f311e5cf238f49e9c122ee894c568f32cba35.png](https://cdn.publish0x.com/prod/fs/cachedimages/2239821544-85f4c09448e5d97899ab03dfaa7f311e5cf238f49e9c122ee894c568f32cba35.webp)

[Source](https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_29af51bcfa22e230985f6158ed3308d5?ref=patientgamer9)

The first tip is do not just stick to your go-to lineups. *Survival Mode* forces you to think outside the box, and being adaptable is key. I started mixing things testing different monster and summoner combos and this improved my win rate. And to be honest, I had no choice -- I started running out of the usual monsters I play with.

![897ce47e26f223a842958a03791443b38b33afd9933a035c71d57f91c5ab6aa5.png](https://cdn.publish0x.com/prod/fs/cachedimages/2012048001-897ce47e26f223a842958a03791443b38b33afd9933a035c71d57f91c5ab6aa5.webp)

[Source](https://splinterlands.com/battle/sl_9ea0b502e70769d6085a8ff808f0089d?ref=patientgamer9)

The second tip is to sacrifice against overpowered opponents. If you get matched against a high-ranking opponent with fully maxed-out cards and legendary summoners, sometimes it is better to strategically throw the match. Therefore, instead of fighting a dead rubber battle, I submit a level 1 summoner and a single level 1 monster. With this approach, I control which cards I lose.

You need to approach Survivor Mode strategically. In Modern and Wild League, you always submit your strongest lineups, but in Survival Mode, you need to think long-term. Think about it like this: A glass cannon team might win you one big match, but if you burn through your best cards too quickly, you will run out of options later. By strategically sacrificing matches, I can target more opponents that are winnable with well-balanced, mid-tier teams.

The third tip is if you are also playing Modern or Wild, make sure you do not accidentally burn your best cards in *Survival Mode*. Use the custom set feature to create a custom set and unflag it from Survival Mode. This way, you will not risk losing key cards that you need elsewhere.

The final tip, and while it is early days, I am already seeing patterns emerging in Survival Mode. Certain summoners especially legendary ones like Yodin Zaku are dominating. Players who have access to them will have a massive advantage. And for those that do not, well start to learn the meta and rent those cards that are dominating the Survivor Mode leaderboards. While I cannot speak to Survivor Mode rewards as I have barely won 1 SPS, others are capitalizing and finding Survivor Mode rewards very juicy.

Concluding Thoughts
-------------------

My first attempt at *Survival Mode* was a disaster. But after switching up my strategy and thinking long-term instead of just match-to-match, I finally started seeing progress. If you are jumping into *Survival Mode*, taper your expectations as this mode is hardcore. Survival Mode requires you to make smart decisions and manage your deck efficiently.

How is your Survival Mode experience going?

![image.png](https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/splinterlands/23tGyeqTCzAJzfvzXhF7GrNNnZ6Vd74kNCq6LZFXY8hvHG5NtJ8uPxaDMRGJ4YpwHNMU3.png)

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Thank you for reading and hope you have a good rest of the day!

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Posted Using [INLEO](https://inleo.io/@mercurial9/how-to-win-more-battles-in-survival-mode-splinterlands-422-eg2)