Yesterday, I posted a tweet regarding my progress since Land 1.75 was released. I would like to further elaborate on this topic.
Preface
Since the Land 1.75 update, I have been tracking the exchange rates of the new resources added to the ecosystem. I also noticed, along with a lot of other Praetorians, that farming the new resources is more profitable than spending them to claim SPS and/or Research.
This was why I made the pivot to convert my Shard Mines and Research Huts to regular worksites instead and farm the new resources to swap them to DEC via the Trade Hub.
Link to my previous article regarding my plans to convert worksites can be found
HERE.
Swapping Resources for DEC
Swapping resources for DEC and then buying SPS with it was the first thing I thought of when I realized it wasn't worth it to farm the SPS via Shard Mines. I would receive more SPS this way.
I also thought maybe I could add liquidity to the pools and collect fees from it.
It wasn't until Splinterlands Land Guy held an X Spaces session last week and mentioned that with the DEC I had gathered (at that time it was about 26k DEC in 2 days), I can buy a land plot every 2 days or so, similar to what he has been doing.
It was a lightbulb moment for me. Why not use the FREE resources I harvest from land and sell them to purchase more assets?
I scoured the market to see what kind of cards, totems, titles, and land plots were available. I wasn't ready to buy any of them yet but I knew if I find anything I like, I would not hesitate to grab that opportunity.
Even though the prices of the land plots were relatively low, they still weren't that appealing to me. I have a regional preference regarding the plots I own and I have been really picky with the ones I purchase.
That was about to change.
About an hour into the session, I checked the market again and found 4 recently listed land plots just $1 above the floor price. These plots came with Building in a Box, Unstable Totems, AND Grain Farms already built on them.
Even though these plots were outside of my main regions, I still went on to purchase them and add them to my holdings.
For 69.5k DEC or 60k Credits, I thought this was a steal!
Even though I'm not putting any workers on these plots yet, I believe that the true value in the land ecosystem is in the land plot itself. I know people value Grain plots more these days, too!
I did some math and concluded that by swapping Wood, Stone, and Iron for DEC daily, and considering the fluctuation of the exchange rates of these resources, I might be able to pay this off within a week's time.
Scarce Assets for Basically FREE
As shown in the X link above, yesterday marked the day when I finally paid off the 4 plots I purchased over a week ago.
The DEC I obtained from selling resources (Wood, Stone, and Iron) fluctuated daily but the amount or resources I harvested remained the same. I only sold Grain on the last day just to hit my target.
- 3/22 = 26,522 DEC (held the resources since the update)
- 3/23 = 7,282 DEC
- 3/24 = did not claim
- 3/25 = 12,568 DEC
- 3/26 = 6,565 DEC
- 3/27 = 5,431 DEC
- 3/28 = 5,272 DEC
- 3/29 = 5,147 DEC + 1335 DEC (swapped Grain)
- TOTAL = 70,122 DEC
The plots have been paid off!
Aside from paying off the plots, I also deposited the accumulated Grain for the week plus some extra DEC I had into the Grain-DEC Pool.
How's that for obtaining scarce assets by swapping resources I got for free? And still being able to contribute to the liquidity pool!
Exchange Rates
I understand that the market will still fluctuate and it will take time before the exchange rates stabilize.
I have been following Captain Dingus' daily land post and also tracked these exchange rates on my own.
This means the amount of DEC I have been getting from swapping will be inconsistent through the coming days. This might also mean I will get fewer and fewer DEC daily.
There will also come a time when harvesting SPS will be worth it again and will be more profitable than swapping the required resources for DEC.
For now, I am happy to make this trade: resources for land plots and maybe other assets depending on cost.
Remember, there are only 150,000 land plots available in all of Praetoria. How much resources are available for harvesting again?
Current Holdings
I now have 257 plots owned across the regions of Praetoria. This includes the 4 I recently purchased plus another plot in Region 114 I had traded for not too long ago.
I read Azircon's article
HERE and decided to check my total PP and how it compares to all the PP across all the regions in Praetoria.
My calculations are below:
Not bad, Jedo. Not bad.
Regarding the plot trade mentioned above, I came across an Epic Natural Lake on the market and remembered I had spoken with someone a while ago who was looking for plots in that region.
I checked his land holdings and found out that he owns a similar plot (rarity, type, and building available) in one of my preferred regions. It was the only land plot he owns in that region, too!
Interesting.
I proposed him a trade. I thought it was a win-win situation for the both of us: I buy the Epic plot I saw on the market, build the Grain Farm, and trade it for the identical plot I wanted. He will receive an Epic plot in the same region as the Magical Plot he had already owned, and in return, I get an Epic plot in one of the other regions I was developing.
He quickly decided there was no downside in doing so he started to unlock his plot. We finalized the trade a few days later.
For his troubles, I sent him 3 days' worth of grain that his workers would have produced had they not been taken off the land plot he was trading away.
Both parties won this trade. Business is good.
Now I need more workers to populate this plot with. I wonder where I can get some DEC to buy or rent some workers? Hmmmm...
Summary
There we go! That's how I was able to buy 4 land plots using the free resources I have acquired from land. I bought the plots upfront and slowly made the DEC back!
I also shared how I increase my stake in the Grain-DEC market with weekly contributions. I currently own 0.455% of the pool and I plan on adding more in the coming weeks/months!
Doesn't it feel like making something out of nothing?
What do you think? Let me know your thoughts!
Final Thoughts
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article. I hope I was able to provide valuable information and impart some ideas that can help you decide your next steps. I have grown my Splinterlands assets over the years and I plan to keep on building!
When it makes sense to do so again, I might revert the worksites on my Occupied Plots back to Shard Mines but until then, I will keep harvesting these natural resources and hopefully further expand my holdings!
I am still far from recovering my initial investment into land but in due time, I believe it will all be worth it.
Whether you prefer the exhilaration of playing battles, the calmness and idleness of building your digital real estate, or just the fun of collecting these fancy images of collectible cards, I am hopeful that you enjoy your time here in Praetoria!
If you have questions, comments, or feedback, please let me know! Let's all learn and grow together and set each other up for success! VoNak! Together We Thrive, Kapamilya!
Interested in Splinterlands? Feel free to use my Referral Code and I can help you get started. You can also find me on X or message me on Discord.
