Hidden Gems: Splinterlands Community Challenge

Greetings everyone, taking advantage of this week’s community challenge Splinterlands Community Engagement Challenge: Hidden Gems, I decided to present my favorite “does nothing” card called SPELLMONGER.

Seriously, let’s be realistic here. Spellmonger is practically the intern of the cards. He enters the arena with 1 health, 1 armor, 1 speed, and zero attack. Yes, zero. Not magic, not melee, not ranged he’s like that friend who shows up at the party empty-handed but somehow still finds a way to be useful. And that’s where the magic of this card comes in, and its triumph in many battles:

The Thorns ability.

Now you might be thinking something like, “Come on, Thorns alone won’t carry any game.” I agree. That’s why the secret of Spellmonger is not what he delivers by himself, but how you can leverage that apparent weakness and turn it into an advantage. That’s the spirit of the Hidden Gems theme: showing that even the unlikely can be valuable if placed in the right spot at the right time.

Taking hits to deal damage back

At max level (4, since he’s a Foundation card), Spellmonger only reaches 2 speed, 2 armor, and 3 health. Nothing to scare anyone. But Thorns is precisely the key here. Every time he takes a melee hit, he reflects damage back. It’s almost a “if I fall, I’m taking you with me.”

The idea is clear: the longer he stays on the field, the more chances Thorns has to trigger and, even without throwing a punch, wear the opponent down. But alone, he won’t last two rounds against any halfway decent deck. So the trick is placing him in a composition that boosts his survivability, especially armor.

And that’s where my other “hidden hero” comes in: the Nimbledook Explorer.

The Nimbledook Explorer is a Life element common card released in the Rebellion set. He also comes with no attack at all, but he’s not dead weight. His big difference is the Protect ability, which adds +2 armor to your entire team.

Now connect the dots with me.

Spellmonger alone is too fragile, but with Protect he immediately gains +2 extra armor. And that’s not just for him, it’s for your whole team. But since our focus is turning Spellmonger into a “walking trap,” this buff makes all the difference. With this synergy, you basically create a card that serves as a spiky wall. It won’t kill anyone through attacks, but it can completely frustrate the opponent, especially those who rely heavily on melee rush strategies.

I won’t sugarcoat it: Spellmonger won’t win matches on his own. But there are specific situations where he can shine, and that’s exactly the charm of using a Hidden Gem.

For example, in Little League rules, where only low-cost monsters are allowed, Spellmonger fits right in since he costs just 2 mana.

In these tighter battles, every extra point of armor can shift the fight’s outcome.

He becomes a cheap barrier that still returns melee damage with Thorns. Another scenario is when you realize your opponent often relies on direct physical attack lineups. Placing Spellmonger in the front row (with Nimbledook Explorer giving that armor boost) can stall the enemy long enough for you to set up your main strategy in the back.

Now, if the match leans toward magic or ranged dominance, forget it.

Spellmonger basically becomes target practice and falls without ever fighting back. So yes, he’s a situational piece but one that can be deadly at the right time.

Watch this battle

One thing I really like about cards like Spellmonger is the psychological factor.

When the opponent sees you dropping such a weak card, the first reaction is usually disdain. It looks like a wasted slot. But when they realize every melee hit is coming back with Thorns damage, that’s when the panic starts. It’s that classic moment of “wait, how is this useless thing messing up my plan?” That mid-game shift in rhythm can give you the time you need to turn the match around.