With Opening Day around the corner, there is likely going to be a lot of action on Bunt in the next few weeks. April 5th is the first edition of Sunday Night Baseball, and I would fully expect Bunt 2015 to be live a day or two before that. The question becomes, what do you do when it launches? Here are some of my priorities.

1. Figure out the new gameplay system

Multiple members of the Bunt team have already stated that the new build will be a change to the gameplay system. That means that the way you existed in Bunt last year is going to change. It could change slightly or it could change drastically. Be prepared to start from the ground up, and REALLY scour the new system and try to determine your strategy. This will give you a leg up in trading against those people who just dive in head first.

2. Figure out the new scoring system

With a new gameplay system will come a new scoring system, one that surely aims to correct the lopsided nature of 2014. If that is the case, make sure you FULLY understand the way the game works before you go start trading. Everyone will automatically assume that pitchers will be the way to go, but I would guess things will be more balanced this year. Read the scoring adjustments, run a few calculations, and determine a strategy based on the new gameplay and the new scoring.

3. Rip a few packs

If you are a free to play user, it might not be in your best interest to start ripping right away, even though the urge will be strong. If you are a collector instead of a gamer, dont rip anything until the first sig comes out. You will need your coins. If you are a gamer, familiarize yourself with the new pack structure, figure out what packs give you the best odds, and determine how you are going to use your coins. If you were smart, you should have saved up a few hundred thousand over the summer, and should have a stockpile. If you dont, this is the ONE time I would say to break the seal and buy in.

If you are a pay user, try not to get caught up in the storm at launch. Rip a few new packs to get some trading fodder, and then wait for the inserts to be released. You dont want to blow your wad and then be left holding the bag when Topps hits the turbo button on releases. The first sig will be out in the first day or two, and its not a bad idea to wait. I would also guess the opening day cards, and at least one more insert also making the rounds.

4. Trade a lot

In the first days of 2015, there will be a number of users who still want the old cards, even though they dont score. Post a message something like “TRADING 2014 FOR 2015” or some variation of that as many times as you can. Hopefully the users who want to complete sets from 2014 will offer you some cards.

Be careful about giving up your top pulls this early on – especially golds and the like. The golds will trade like inserts for the first few weeks, so you might want to hang onto the ones you pull, IF they are even available. We could see a trickle like we saw in Star Wars Card Trader, where a team or two a day hit the sheet.

5. Wait Patiently

Its going to be almost impossible, but the more patient you can be, the better. I cannot stress this enough. Although I know I will not practice what I am preaching here, its so important to have your patient hat on tight, as the new releases will likely be fast and furious in the first few days. Bunt will have to keep everyone on board who joins from the coverage they get, so they will not be thin on fun stuff.

Make a plan to buy only what pertains to your collecting and gaming needs, and dont just buy for the sake of buying.

Good luck everyone, this is one of the most fun parts of the year, as everyone is excited and everyone is ready for a new year. Playing things strategically will help you exponentially – TRUST ME.