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This Splinterlands season has been cray cray!

>Does anyone say that still?

https://images.hive.blog/0x0/https://images.hive.blog/DQmZKsKyLqfRhsPGpwTiVos7KtQcibxutkEkXuyXKsg9PPL/image.png

This is the first season with the new reward structure and early on and after my cards stopped renting at the last EOS, I played *a lot* of games and got some focus rewards - like this collection from today. I had to *play a lot* again as I pushed into Champion 3 a few days ago already, but really wanted to get into Champion 2, which meant re-renting cards.

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/23vrtbp4tfGUAGnebS4WCVpdcsx8GgsQyzdToFx49HJk4Hu1HtSeMNzmET9VepuBG2R1n.png)

### 27 cards:

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/EoATujxvZQ9dD8cTwz9dCozU2CYmPHJKvwYDxsiEcNtmNKkZYk34NZgF4z6h6jy3c1j.png)

That is almost 9 dollars for about 12 hours of rental!!
*I have cancelled them now.*

### Because I squeezed into Champion 2

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/23tvAjQgLDFyscLsVZZVkJzyk2xyw8S9fJZHsvRiUGGm6pcMRyn5NkKi4L21j53Ek2DFJ.png)

### But it cost me.

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/23vhVuyqfhN4itTYyrznawq97VzHhv5ghy7yv94W1W6J6iij5zc19iy4My4ZzGULsXEMN.png)

More than the cost of rentals, it was the cost in time. However, *most* of these games were played when I was ill at home, so it isn't quite as bad as it looks and, I was generally doing other stuff whilst playing - Like finishing *Ozark* and the new season of *Love Death + Robots* - the last clip is spectacular by the way. 

> *Better than watching the markets.*

I quite like the new reward system and it seems that it has changed the way people play and *how much they play* for the time being. The cost of renting is much higher now and key cards are very expensive, like the legendary summoners that are 2000 DEC mid-season - which is *unheard of!* I had to take a Llama and Valnamor at that price - it made me wince. But, at some point, I am not going to be able to compete in champions because the cost to rent key cards will be too expensive and buying them is out of the question at the prices they are going for. This means that unless there are more summoners coming that will level the playing field a little, only the old timers and the diehards will be able to be in the Champion leagues. 

>That would be a shame.

The other part of the rewards system that came in other than Focus (that affects me) is that rather than getting a set number of loot chests at the end of the season based on which league, they have to be earned by playing, with the "quality" of the contents dependent on the last season's finishing league. 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/Eo8LcCkc733AweJ8UjtBEQgcEVuTqKaNhGvix3y8HEHijqRqTgbBW7yGsnDt9obHNjD.png)

At the end of season, I will get 55 chests and I finished in Champion 2 last season also, so hopefully I get something better than what I have been getting in the Focus boxes. I have been quite underwhelmed, after playing for so many hours, but it really isn't the reason I play, so it isn't much of an issue. 

>However, I have never been rewarded with a Gold Foil Legendary.

With things getting crazy at work, at least next season I will go back to limiting how much I am playing and while the prices are up, I will likely rent most of the season and try to get back to Champion 2 in the latter half, if there are any cards to rent that is. If not, I will have to drop back to diamond or something and then, will I still want to play? I like competing at the pointy end, so I am not sure I will continue if relegated due to a lack of appropriate cards - but, we'll see. 

>Things to think about at least.

As is whether I am going to pick up another node or not. Currently, the price of SPS is in the buy zone, but with everything on the markets dropping based on the latest inflation figures out of the US (probably), I am a little hesitant to buy just yet. If it drops like it did earlier to under 6 cents, I will grab a chunk and hope the price increases before I get the node, so that I end up keeping a bit more SPS. It is risky to wait, though I need to collect more vouchers anyway.

I think that after the week it has been, it is time to get into bed early - well, 2am is early for a Friday night, isn't it?

Night all :)

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]


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