Adapting to Modern: Learning Integrating Foundation Cards Into Your Battles Part 9

Prelude
Greeting to all, we are into the first week of 2026, wishing everyone a Happy New Year and welcome back to another new post on Adapting to Modern. With the launch of the foundation card set, it is evident that these cards will somehow become part of the available cards that we can play during normal ranked battle and truly I use them in my ranked battles. If you follow what I share on my weekly Splinterlands posts on match sharing, these foundation cards will somehow creep into those lineup which means they can also perform in ranked battles.

For me, these cards are important because they give newcomers a decent push to strengthen and expand their collection until they have sufficient DEC/SPS or other methods of capital injection to purchase main set packs or buy off the market for the cards that can truly elevate their lineup in ranked battles. In this series, I will be deep diving into various foundation cards that we can obtain from playing frontier matches and opening foundation packs.

Foundation Set Cards

For the deep dive and analysis, I will be discussing about the growth of the cards and if they are able to synergize with modern cards to aid you in your ranked battles. This time round, assessment and recommendation will be within the card's own paragraph than having a segment on their own, so take note in the structural change in the post. Let's begin today's sharing.

Dread Tafarian

Let's begin looking at the foundation card, Dread Tafarian. I have to admit, this card has been my earth splinter tank 99% of the time whenever I play frontier matches. I think no other earth foundation card can do a better job than this card at the front. With a thick health, some armour and healing, what else can you ask from a tank card. It is self sufficient and potentially able to ride through poison or incendiary. A very decent card and should be trained up.

Growth potential for this card is rather decent and all are towards tank related stats. The only foundation card with heal. I think the 2nd attack damage really helps to give it advantage at the tank position. So personally, it is a race to level 3. Really very decent card that everyone should consider.

In terms of rating for this card, based on a score of 5, it will get about 3.6. Reason this card is getting a slightly higher rating is because it is so frequently used that it is almost indispensable in frontier and if you are really short of a decent tank in rank battle, this is the easiest tank to use

Mad Gearhead

Now we look at another card from Earth splinter, Mad Gearhead. This is another interesting card that I like to hide it behind Dread Tarafian because this card has reach and this card can just clear out opponent front with a big shield in front of it. Very effective card with decent stats and best of all is that at level 2, it already has 2 attack.

In terms of growth for this card, I think at level 2 already very good with increasing health coming through with each level gained. For an off tank, I personally think this card is really decent.

In terms of rating for this card, it will take a rating of 3.5 out of 5. Reason being that, it is easy to use, have decent stats and able to strike for 2. Not the best out there but definitely a very decent card for consideration. Unless you have a whole array of main cards, I think this is a good card that you can field in your lineup in ranked battle. But if you have cards like Pallus, then definitely field those and not this.

Wrap Up
Though some of the foundation cards need a little more mana, but when they come into the matches, they help to fill mana gaps in our collection that we are lacking or when there is just this odd mana or two that you cannot field anything. Make full use of them, synergize them with your other cards from the main sets or reward cards, make them viable and win matches so as to earn more glint as we continue building up our collection. Hopefully this series of post will help new players learn more about these foundation cards and improve their gameplay in ranked battles as they grow and affirm the footing on Splinterlands.

Let's continue to grow and find path in modern ranked battles as we journey on playing Splinterlands.

See you next time!

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