The launch of the new Huddle 2014 update is likely a few weeks away, and I cannot be more excited. I think the new Bunt style format plays even better into football than it does into Baseball, and with increased focus on beautiful content, its going to be a banner year.

After going through two 2014 launches with Bunt and Kick (just for kicks! HA!), I have picked up a few things that I wanted to make sure everyone had in their back pocket. Here is my guide for starting off 2014 with Huddle.

Saved Coins

If you are like me, you have been checking in daily now for a few months to stock up on coins. Im at about 75,000, and you can bet I will be itching to spend them immediately upon launch. From the plan we saw with Bunt and Kick, the initial sig and inserts wont be released until a day or so after launch, so its best to have a planned out approach for your coins. The sig packs cost 10k coins in both previous apps, and have 7 cards. Keep that in mind when spending all your saved up loot. Its going to be good to wait, but I am not going to be able to do so, just like all of you.

Spending

My spending plan is as follows. Im going to waste through the 75,000 coins as the app starts off to get some cards to trade for other base that will be needed for scoring. After that, Ill wait for the sig to be released, and spend the gift cards I have saved for this occasions on the itunes store and see if I can get lucky. At the very least, Ill get some extra base cards worth playing during opening weeks.

Trading

EVERYONE is going to want 2014 cards to the point where the fan feed will be OVERRUN with people asking. For the first few weeks, the value of 2013 cards will be next to nothing as people try to stock up to score points in the games that weekend. With the old cards not scoring, no one will likely be looking to take them on in trade for newer cards. Later on in the season, that will change completely, especially as people see how older cards can positively impact collection scores. This is why its going to be important to buy in to the new cards as quickly as possible. If you are planning on only spending a bit of money this year, early on is a great place to do it. You will get MAX value for your cards even if you dont pull inserts. When everyone is a newbie, no one is.

Chases

The kickoff game is going to be crucial, as it is one of the only times this year where everyone is going to be watching. Chase the Seahawks and the Packers to ensure you dont get left behind. Marshawn Lynch and Eddie Lacy are safe bets alongside Aaron Rodgers, but I would NOT waste time picking up Russell Wilson. Some players are built for Huddle, and if last season was any indicator, he wont fit in well with the new scoring system. Think Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and company before chasing him down.

Sigs

If I had to guess, Lynch will be the first sig released. If the previous games are any indicator, he will be a very tough pull, potentially with odds as high as 1:100+ packs with a card count around 250 to 400. That means that if you pull one, HOLD IT. DO NOT TRADE IT. Im serious. At this point in the game, there is nothing that will be as valuable as Lynch, and if you are like me and not a Seahawks fan, there will be another card released this year that will likely be something you are dying to have. The opening sigs are AUTOMATICALLY more valuable than other sigs of their card count because you had to be online during the first week to get one. Lots of people join through the season, and will be aching to take it off your hands. You will thank me, I guarantee it.

Playing

Expect lag during the Kickoff game, as the servers will get their biggest test other than the Super Bowl. Plug in your players EARLY just in case things go haywire like they did during the SB last year. Read over the play rules as soon as they are released, and take note of which players are going to be the most playable in the early weeks. Because only a SELECT few people will have tons of cards from spending like crazy, there will be a lot of opportunity to rank high if you can pay attention to the live games for the first week.

HAVE FUN!

Football is back, baby! Live for this 6 months of the year, and keep up with the game, even if you are just setting and forgetting your lineup once during the year. Huddle is a blast, and I am beyond excited for it to get going!