One of the questions commonly asked by new players is: "Is it worth it to join a guild?" This is usually asked because of the regular DEC contribution required by most guilds to help level up the Guild buildings. In this post, we will be taking a look at the benefits of joining a guild, and see if it outweighs the cost incurred from it.
Benefits of joining a guild
1. Shop discounts
One of the benefits of being a guild member is having discounts to items in the Splinterlands Shop. You get to enjoy a 1% shop discount once your Guild's Quest Lodge is Level 3. This increases accordingly as the level of your Guild's Quest Lodge increases.
Note: This discount only applies to items for sale for DEC in the shop (not in the market).
As of now, the items that are discounted in the shop are: Legendary Potion, Alchemy Potion, Quest Potion, and Card Skins.
Our Guild's Quest Lodge is currently at Level 3. This means that we are enjoying a 1% discount from qualified items in the Shop.
So far, I have only utilized this discount when I bought a Splinterstorm Rare Skin set. Instead of paying 57,000 DEC for the entire Set, I only paid 56,430 DEC which equates to a 570 DEC or $8.02 discount, based on the current DEC price. That discount alone lets you buy a couple of cards from the market!
2. DEC reward bonus from ranked battles
As shown in the Quest Lodge image in #1, you get DEC Bonus for each ranked battle win depending on the level of your Guild's Quest Lodge. This starts at 1% DEC Bonus on a Level 1 Quest Lodge, and increases accordingly. With a Level 10 Quest Lodge, all the members get a +20% DEC Bonus for each ranked battle win.
Note: Leveling up Guild buildings are expensive, which is why regular DEC contributions are usually required. When computing for potential guild benefits, I highly suggest to use the minimum discount or bonus as your base-case scenario. It is better to underestimate than to be disappointed!
For the ranked battle shown above, I got a 3% bonus because of my guild. This equates to ~0.83 DEC, not a large amount, but it still adds up over time.
3. Closer community of players
In my opinion, this is the most important aspect of being in a guild. You get to closely communicate with other players and learn from each other. While the Splinterlands community in itself is amazing, it is still different when you get to interact closely with a smaller group of people.
The important part here is that you have to be able to evaluate properly (or get lucky) the guild that you will be joining. You have to make sure that the they are the right fit for you, and you joining their guild means a win-win situation for you and the guild. You would not want to be in an extremely competitive guild when you prefer a laid back approach and vice versa.
Personally, I've had so much luck in my guild as I always learn new things from my guildmates. There are also the occasional games and freebies from our leaders, so my DEC spent is actually less if you factor that in.
4. Guild brawls
"Brawls are Guild vs. Guild arena combat, similar to anytime tournaments but with several guilds all facing off against each other. And more emphasis on teamwork with your guildmates rather than rewarding individual performance." -Cryptomancer
As mentioned by Cryptomancer, Guild brawls are similar to anytime tournaments where you get to submit your battles anytime during the allotted period. This makes it much easier to participate in Brawls as you won't have to worry about the time difference.
In a Guild Brawl, you get to choose which Fray you'd want to participate in, and each Fray has different set of rules. Participating in Guild brawls is a great opportunity to practice your strategies. I love participating in Guild brawls because it helps me prepare for tournaments, without any entry fee at stake. The only cost involved is the pressure of not doing well for your guild!
Note: Only one member from each guild can join a specific fray.
5. Gladius Case
Here is another exciting aspect of being a Guild member. You get to buy and open your own Gladius Case! Although these cards can only be used in Guild Brawls, it is still useful outside brawls as it gives a good boost in your Collection Power. You also have the option to burn it for DEC if you want.
The only caveat here is that your Guild should have a Level 2 Store, and you need to have 2,000 Merits to buy 1 Gladius Case. You can earn Merits by participating in Guild Brawls. No need to spend additional DEC to buy a Gladius Case!
Is joining a Guild worth it or not?
Whether or not it is worth it is entirely up to you. If you think you won't be able to maximize the benefits that were mentioned above, it might not be worth it to spend that extra DEC. However, if you see yourself getting a boost from the benefits that I've mentioned, it is definitely worth it. You just have to properly scout a decent guild.
Based on my personal experience, I could definitely say that it is worth it. As of writing, my total Guild contribution is 1,500 DEC. Subtracting the 570 DEC discount from the Card skin purchase will leave me with a 930 DEC fee. I am quite sure that with the Gladius packs that I will get in ~4 days, DEC battle reward bonus, and some of the cards that I got for free, I am already at a surplus from my regular DEC contribution. Not to mention the interaction and learnings that I get from my guildmates. I am quite lucky to find a great guild right off the bat. I hope you get one too.
There you have it! I hope this post helped you decide on whether or not joining a guild is for you. Always remember that there is no fixed right or wrong answer here. The most important part is what works for you.
CREDITS
- Splinterlands for all the game-related screenshots
- Community photo was sourced from IMDb
- All the awesome dividers are made by @flauwy