Digital Card Central

UPDATE: Here is the article that explains the contest(s)! Looks like there will be two different contests that are available for 10k and 25k a piece. The main prize is a Carlos Correa 1/1 for the top scorer, and then a Trevor Story and Francisco Lindor cards for other place finishers. The other contests features Corey Seager for scoring 250 points.

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Per some tweets from the team, it looks like the first Best of Bunt type contest is coming this weekend, most likely for play on Sunday. Being that this MIGHT NOT be called Best of Bunt, forgive me if things change a bit. Being that this is the first contest of this type, its going to be cutthroat, so here is what I would predict to be the case.

Background

Since 2014, there have been cards released every week that celebrated the best performances of the week. In the first go around, BoB was derived from the top finishers on the weekly leaderboard. Last year, it was a contest on Sunday where the top performers in the contest got the cards. This year, from what it looks like will be very similar.

These cards have varying appeal, as some people absolutely love them and either keep them as trophies or collect the ones they want. Player and team collectors usually go nuts, but once they get their cards, the remaining copies can tank in value.

Bottom line, whatever form the contest takes, play. Even if it costs the entire daily bonus plus some, save your coins over the next few days just in case. You will thank me.

GO Boosts

This is where those people who have saved their GO Boost tickets are going to be happy they did. I would guess that the contest will be Sunday, or at least have Sunday’s slate of games as a part of the lineup. If you have collected the tickets, this is the time to use them. If you havent collected the tickets, its time to rip some packs.

If the contest turns out to be unlimited switches, exchange your tickets for the pitcher GO boosts. If the contest is fantasy style, its your choice. Take a look at the matchups and make an educated decision based on how you expect the different choices to play in the game. Take a look at K/9inn, WHIP, and ERA to date, and on the hitter side, try to avoid choices that have tons of strikeouts, even if their average is high. The better the OPS the better the choice.

Playing Along

You are going to need some major firepower to keep up with the top guys in the contest. Think lots of purples and teals of the good players, and blues and oranges where the other cards come up short. At this point, I wouldnt go shredding cards to get the upper levels, as 2 purples will do you better than 1 black if you are hurting for boosts.

Keep an eye on the MLB.com scoreboard and use MLB.TV or Extra Innings if you have it. Try to watch the games with runners on base especially, as that means the hitters are going to have some opportunities to score some major points. If you arent seeing a hitter worth playing, make sure you have pitchers in for all 9 spots, and watch those games carefully. XBH hurts pitchers a lot this year.

Prizes

From what it looks like based on Mike’s tweets, there will be 4 cards of varying rarity, just like the previous 2 years. I would guess that the structure of payout will be 1-10, 11-50, 51-100 and unlimited for all the other players who score 100 points. You should be able to see the players ahead of time, so pay attention. There may be some coin prizes too, but you never know.

Overall, this is going to be the first MAJOR contest of the year, so start preparing now while you have the opportunity. You will definitely have a head start, as the community is notorious for getting a late start on things.

With Rey and BB-8 now released in gold format, we saw a SIGNIFICANT change to the shred requirements needed to redeem the offer. Instead of the 100 white cards that were required previously, each now require a rainbow of parallels to meet the specific needs. Naturally there were people who were upset, so I wanted to take some time to look at this from both sides of the coin.

Background

Mini monument cards like the gold were around for series 1 and series 2, both in Pink format and others that required a lot of cards. When the pinks started, the requirements for shredding golds were low, and by the time it was over, the gold cards required was in the high double digits. As collections grew to meet the perceived targets, the targets increased to stay one step ahead. The lesson that should have been taken away is that just because something is one way for one offer, doesnt mean it will be that way forever. Its not a positive lesson to take away, as standardization and setting expectations is something that had a positive effect on the full monuments. We will get to that in a second.

Why increased standards are good

Regardless of what people said with their mouth in comments and on twitter, the chase was real. The minute people saw that they needed a lot to get Rey, a feeding frenzy began. People were scrambling for cards, and though they might not have been happy about doing so, it was a market that oozed action. For a trading based game that has slumped a bit on the trading side, a good ole fashioned round up is always good.

Similarly, because of the rush, people who had meager hoards of Rey suddenly became sellers, which for the people who knew what they were doing, made finishing their needs easier. Anyone with Rey anything was trying to unload, which meant that it became much cheaper with so many sellers willing to part with their goods.

The reason the standards were increased probably had to do with the number of people who had enough to shred 100 Rey cards. As the most popular hoard in the game, the gold card at 100 whites would have had a minimum count of like 8000. Obviously the work to get a mini monument is diminished when so many people get the card, and that’s part of the reason people do it. If you get the gold, you want it to have some value, and the previous set up was not favorable to that.

The Rey gold finished at 79, which meant that many more people had the requirements than even what I expected. This is the type of thing I want to see moving forward. I dont want 8000 people to have what I have. I put in the work and I want a card that few people have.

Im actually not so sure the Rey requirements were that out of whack as to the state of the game. I havent worked much on my Maul hoard as of the NFL playoffs, and I had more than enough to get it done. There were a ton of big hoards out there for a character that is much more popular than mine.

This also resets expectations, adding value to base parallels that might not have been valuable to this point. If the Gold mini monument has this much of a requirement, what will the regular monument have? With new standards for what people think will be included across all golds and future monuments, those people who have 80 characters at 100 white cards just got a reason to start hoarding more. This will be a very good thing for the trade economy that had slowed, especially as people reached their 100 they thought they would need.

Why increased standards are bad

As with any change that requires more cards, there will be lots of complaining from the people who know the new standards will exclude them from reaching the finish line. Many of these people are likely free players, and that can be a really large wave of negativity that will sweep over the comments on the release.

Being that Star Wars Card Trader’s rankings have trended down since the hype of the movie fizzled out, alienating more users might not be the best move. It might have been better to gradually start creeping up the standards to make sure the community had time to catch up, and now that is out the window.

I also think that communication in the articles about increased standards in the future would originally have helped people figure out that its not going to be 100 white forever. Instead of saying, “we can get a bunch of extra money TODAY by doing this massive jump,” it should have been, “If we tell people things are going up and all colors are needed, we can get more money over a longer period of time.” The app has seemingly lost sight of long term goals for spending in favor of sharp shorter increases in spending due to decisions of this nature. As they say, slow and steady wins the race, and SWCT has become the hare, not the tortoise it should be. We know who comes out on top in that competition.

As mentioned prior in the post, Rey is the most popular character in the game. If you search “hoard” in the fan feed, the Rey collectors vastly outnumber any other type of other collector. Ratcheting up the requirements for THAT character without warning is going to make more people angry than if it were a lesser collected card. Starting a few weeks ago with a different example might have been much easier and less unpopular.

I think the team needs to remember that this game functions on standards and expectations. There are times where this aspect of the community should be ignored, but it needs to be clearly communicated. I understand that urgency is important in increasing the daily spending from the users, but I feel like it doesnt need to be “GOTCHA!” for that urgency to reach a fever pitch. The whole “GOTCHA!” mentality only furthers the community’s negative perception of their experience within the app, and though they dont always see the forest or the trees, its still bad.

Employing a catch once in a while isnt a bad thing. Sometimes the app needs a course correction. When it becomes the rule, that’s when its a problem.

Future Chases

With BB-8 today, we saw lesser requirements in place, but still a lot of different cards above white that are needed to shred for the offer. I think its safe to say requirements will continue to change, but also that its time to adjust your hoarding behavior as well. If you want to qualify for the hoard based offers ahead, its going to take more than just white. Even if the cards end up changing, being prepared is much more important than getting caught with your pants down.

Try to diversify your main hoard, and maybe use those characters you have built up over the last few months to fund your characters you actually care about. If you are hoarding 9 different characters, maybe shrink that down and use your excess to get the blues, reds, greens, and oranges. It can be done, and that journey should be fun.

If you have gotten bored with bringing more and more of your mini hoards up to 100, you now have a new goal. Definitely worth putting in your effort if the cards end as low as Rey did and BB-8 will.

In closing, I have one piece of advice for any of the Topps apps. When there is a question of future requirements, ALWAYS overprepare. You think you will need 100 cards to get an award, but arent sure?  Collect 200. If you think you will need one color base to get to the finish line? Collect 2. If you choose to be a free player and operate under uncertain standards, realize that there will come a time where you will be left out. Its not worth getting upset over, as you are the water drinker at a table of people ordering bottle service. You shouldnt be surprised when the VIPs get invited to the champagne room and you are left behind. Im not saying that should incite you to pay, but its a consideration for your perspective on who is important to the business owners.

Happy hoarding everyone!

If you havent been on Huddle lately, you are missing out BIG TIME. In fact, the designs and new sets are so attractive and fun, the offseason is no longer a time when users check out and wait for 2016 to start. Adding all sorts of new content in marathon form is awesome, and I hope that we continue to get more surprises as things progress. We know that the Draft will be a big event, and if these cards are any indicator, its going to be a must see.

Offseason Signature Series

I love the updates to the look, and the addition of the rare variants give us a big chase. At 250 for the base, 50 for the team color and 10 for the gold for Gronk, Im wishing this was the way sigs were all year last year. Those 10 count golds are going to be a ridiculous chase, and that is always good in an app that is all about card count.

Verdict: Touchdown

Offseason Street

Being that we got a few versions of street last year, im kind of disappointed that this is the first version we get. The cards look better than they ever have in any of the versions we have seen in the four apps, and its going to be cool to see how the checklist plays out.

Verdict: Field Goal

Topps Wild

These cards are based off a set from the recent release in physical of Topps Fire, and it is no joke that they look better than the original. This is a cool idea for those teams with a fun mascot, and I think it is one of my favorites of the new batch.

Verdict: Touchdown

Rookie Sensations

The design on these cards is unlike anything we have seen in Huddle so far, and I absolutely love the two tone approach taken with these. The rookie theme works well, and the two player release is fun to chase. I think for a marathon, we have missed this all year, even though we got some of it with Rising Stars.

Verdict: Field Goal

Grit

This is the follow up to a set that was released during the 2014 Super Bowl, and I think its quite the interesting approach. Of all the new sets, this one is probably my least favorite, but that doesnt mean its bad. I think that the concept is a bit of a stretch, but the cards still look good.

Verdict: First Down

Die Cut

I think these are my favorite of the new bunch, just because they look so cool with the set up. Its a simple design, but it works so well, and the dynamic photos for Luck and Peterson are awesome. Its not hard to collect these, so that makes them even more attractive as a marathon.

Verdict: Long Touchdown

Huddle 50

Although not TECHNICALLY a marathon, I included it because it is freaking cool. I love this concept as it takes things to a new level of team collecting, and does so by reliving the best of 2015. I would like to see what is on this list, but there were sure a lot of things to talk about. Curious to see of OBJ and Josh Norman’s battle makes the list, right?

Verdict: Touchdown

Noticeably absent from the list so far are Relic and Limited, and im not sure if they are going to go that direction. I do know that the app would definitely like a big and rare chase set like Limited to come back, especially with how valuable the first wave continues to be. I would also like to see a SUPER premium set like we had with Gold Legends or Rain sigs, but im not sure that is in the cards. It would similarly be as welcome as Limited.

Dont check out for the offseason, as we are seeing. With sets like High Tek and other stuff, its clear that Huddle isnt ready to call it a year. I cant wait to see what is coming next.

You know, its great that we live in an age where we get a new Star Wars story every year. With the launch of the teaser for Rogue One, audiences are finally getting to see what the first non trilogy story looks like. I gotta say, its looking pretty intriguing so far. That should spell some very good things leading into the summer for Star Wars Card Trader, as new content will definitely be coming to celebrate the movie.

With fervor dying down from the Force Awakens, things have been awfully slow in the app, at least from what I am seeing in terms of people’s residual excitement over certain content. Being that the next trilogy movie is still a considerable amount of time away, is Rogue One the answer to the issues that have caused so much community atrophy over the last month or two?

I think it all depends. Rogue One exists in a timeframe that is SEPARATE from the new movies, and because the story is encapsulated in its nature, there is no guarantee that the main characters involved will ever return for another film. In a short term capacity, Rogue One will be a wild ride in the app, and I literally cant wait for new content.

At the same time, there is no way that these characters will have the staying power of Rey, Finn, and company, if not only because we still have two more movies for them. That isnt saying Rogue One’s Jyn and company wont have enormous popularity for the time the movie is in theatres and beyond. As a female lead, you know what happens in the app. You know what will go down.

I once thought that the offseason was a marathon free time for SWCT that happened leading up to the release of Episode VII. Now that Marathons dont have the draw they used to, its clear that new movie content that should start “new seasons” for the app is where its at. These new seasons will be a yearly thing if Disney’s plan comes to be, and that means SWCT has longevity beyond just the normal content delivered.

Right now, we are in the midst of the Force Awakens offseason, and when Rogue One starts up, the app will change. Then, when Rogue One’s flame cools, there will be another offseason. This will continue through the Boba Fett and Han Solo movies that will be interspersed with the trilogy films that will be the big draws.

If the offshoot movies are as good as they could be, I dont think there will be any real problem. But, as people have already started to wonder, when does “Batman and Robin” happen? When does Iron Man 2 Happen? Those were not good movies, and in the case of Batman and Robin, literally stalled careers in their tracks for a decade. Movie franchises are only as good as their production teams, and though Disney spent multiple billions on this acquisition, it has to continue to stay among the best stories to make the app crowd continually get excited every year. I want nothing else but this. I want the movies to continue to be as good as Episode VII.

Im sure there will be another point like Force Friday where SWCT will eventually go nuts with new stuff. At that point, lace up your shoes for the run. Its going to be a great time, just like it was last time.

If you missed the trailer, here it is!

With the one year anniversary of SWCT passed and gone, I started thinking about which of the sets that have been released deserve a reboot? We see Bunt and Huddle frequently revisit older sets and release updates, and I was thinking about which of my favorites from SWCT would be ripe for a new release.

POSTERS

The fact that we have yet to get a full blown set build around the posters for Force Awakens is really frustrating, actually. When you look at the quality, especially the character posters that were released at the beginning of last year, its something the app is hungry for. Man, that would be awesome.

BADGES

Although this might be limited by the available source material, I would guess the SWCT art team could build some of their own badges to do another set that mirrors the original. This was one of my favorites because of the quality of the artwork, and I cant wait to see if they do more with FA characters.

ICONS

This set was completely underrated to me. I think the idea was cool, the variants were simple to understand, and the artwork fit perfectly. Would be great to get some of these with FA treatments, especially some of the more popular characters.

LUMINARIES

These kind of had the look of subway posters and album covers of the 1970s punk scene, with letter typeface that resembles a ransom note. Although I dont think the set title fit the original set, it was something that I think would be popular if revisited with new subject matter from the current roster.

INTERGALACTIC

These cards were so cool because of the wireframe presentation that was used in the artwork. I think there are a number of new ships that could be used, and many more subjects that would be perfect for this set.

Im sure everyone has their favorites, and I think that the history of the app is something that still remains powerful in a nostalgic sense. When we get to revisit the sets we used to build our passion for the app, it helps to get us excited about ripping those packs.

With the release of Limited yesterday, we now have a complete run of the main marathons for 2016 Bunt. Considering that there is still reason to believe that more surprises are on the way, including the reveal of the VIP relic, sig, and FC, we arent all the way done. Here are some thoughts on the ones we have seen.

Signature Series and Variant

Design:
Player Choice: 
Season Set Potential:
Value (Base):
Value (Variant): 

As I mentioned during the reveal, I love the signature series design this year. The white dominated look with the grid line motif is really cool. Adding in that the variant will have a different picture is a major plus this year, and I think this will continue to be the premiere set to collect with a somewhat limited budget. Although Posey isnt as popular as Mike Trout, or even the cover athlete in Correa, he is still a former MVP and multiple time world champion for a widely collected team. I would have gone with Correa or Bryant personally, but thats just me.

Limited Series

Design:
Player Choice: 
Season Set Potential:
Value: 

I love this design, love the theme, and like previous years, love the value of these cards. The dominant numbers with the ghosted stadium in the background looks great, and I think that we are definitely going to be in for a treat with this set if player selection is strong. Being that this is a set and not just one offs, you cant start the season with someone in the single digits. That being said, going with a big name like Felix at 34, Miguel Cabrera at 24 or someone like that will set a tone. Personally I dont think Betts is a big enough name to get a card in this series, let alone the first one. Lots of players in that range if you want to keep the count higher.

Relic and Relic Variant Series

Design:
Player Choice: 
Season Set Potential:
Value (Base):
Value (Variant): 

I thought the design of this set last year was kind of a dud. This year its definitely not a dud, and I like that the relic is a cool shape. The only issue is that there is no color to the white “swatch” and it kind of detracts from the card overall. I would like a two color “patch” for the base, and a team logo piece type patch for the variant. That would be awesome. Great choice on Stanton though, he is going to be a star this year.

Editor’s Choice Series

Design:
Player Choice: 
Season Set Potential:
Value: 

Although tickets are involved with this set, the 3x boost on the cards is a pretty valuable proposition if you are lucky enough to pull one. The retro white look is similar to last year, but I like it a bit better with the added filter on the photos. Choosing Correa with that jersey is so awesome, and the increased boost should make this one of the better non-limited marathons to collect.

As we get further into the marathons, ill have more coverage, especially as week two gets underway this Wednesday.

With the 3 games yesterday and a full slate of games today, the grind for 2016 Bunt begins anew. I have been celebrating this day as one of my only religious holidays for a number of years now, but with Bunt its more than that. Since 2014 I have diligently made Bunt my participation in fantasy baseball each year, and this year will be the third that I really get going.

With two kids and a demanding job, its going to be tough to stay on top of every game this season, but I will definitely make up for it on the collecting side of things. With 2016 Bunt, its clear that things are changing and the app is evolving with the times, and I cant wait to see how everything shakes out.

There are already a number of new contests and structures, and that means a lot of potential for some fun as the things really get ramped up for the the year. From my discussions with ToppsMike over the last few weeks, they are definitely swinging for the fences this year – especially after a disappointing launch to contests in the regular season for 2015.

Now that we are seeing how things are structured, what the prizes look like, and how the card exchange is going to factor in, I am insanely excited for baseball to get underway. I have already found a way to get my Mauer collection off to a fast start, but my Twins as a whole are strong in number when it comes to my collection. If they can find a way to replicate a surprising 2015 campaign, ill be in good shape. If not, it will still be a fun ride.

The great thing about Bunt is that both collecting and gameplay have such a huge part of the community focus, and that should be on the forefront of the releases this week as we prepare for the Summer. The designs so far have definitely taken a big step forward, and the way the game has made the card exchange a new focus has been addicting.

I hope all of you are as ready for the season as I am, and I will do my best to stay up to date as much as possible. With Football out of the picture until the beginning of September, Bunt is my jam on repeat.

May your home runs be long, your strike outs be many, and your wins be savored. Here is to a new journey! Happy Opening Day everyone!

Everyone rejoice! Baseball is back!

Tomorrow the regular season starts, and with it, another season of Topps Bunt. Yesterday, among the feeding frenzy around the release of the first signature, the contests were also made live for Sunday.

There were 3 contests that were launched, one that uses fantasy style scoring and two that are more traditional Bunt contests. Now that we have an idea how some of the contests are going to be set up, ill walk you through what the best approach is.

Daily Fantasy Style

Cost: 5000
Plays: 1
Eligibility: All
Top Prize: Purple Boosts
Playability: MUST PLAY

Whenever you see a DFS style contest, its in your best interest to play. They are easy to setup, easy to participate in, and they dont require much effort. For tomorrow, the slate is pretty small, so its a lot of different choices for six teams worth of players.

If you have the pitchers or hitters for the contest in blue, orange or higher, play those based on the likelihood that they will produce positive points. Hitters that are going to strike out a lot will hurt. Players that get on base a lot will get you positive points, and all you need is 100 to get your coins back.

For pitchers, its all about recognizing that they are not going to go the full game they usually would go on opening day. Six innings is a common first outing of the year, just getting them into the swing of things. Hitters will be going much more closer to full speed, so they arent a bad play.

In terms of playing along, you only have one mulligan and you should definitely use it. If you play a pitcher and he is getting rocked, take him out. If you see someone looks great at the plate, switch them in. Other than the one card you can switch, your lineup is locked.

NOTE: confirm all your cards in your lineup will be playing before hitting save. If you hit save and they arent playing, you dont get to take them out.

Free For All Contest (Bunt Style)

Cost: Free
Plays: Unlimited
Top Prize: 25k
Playability: MUST PLAY

This is literally the best deal of the day. Free contest and a huge prize just for scoring 100 points. This is literally the “intro to Bunt” contest, and you should play even if you are a Bunt veteran. Placing higher in contests gets you XP, and getting XP will get you access to better contests, more prizes and rewards for the levels.

This contests will feature all the cards for the teams playing and if you want to score, you will need to switch as the games go along. All three should be nationally televised, and that means you will get a great opportunity to see how far the live TV feed will be ahead of the Bunt API feed. If the TV is only a few seconds ahead of the scoring, its going to be a much different year for playing points. Much less time to switch in guys and much shorter time to avoid negative points.

If it is like it was in previous years, it should be at least a play or two ahead, which is great for switching in guys who make big scoring plays or do something that will get negative points.

NOTE: If you have guys in your lineup and the points havent hit the app API yet, you need to wait. Keep hitting refresh until the points accumulate. If a player is not in your starting lineup when the points hit, you will not get the points.

WS Rematch (Special Contest)

Cost: 2500
Plays: Unlimited
Top Prize: Value Pack
Playability: HIGH

This will be the first “special type” contest of the year, and will be limited to just Royals and Mets. This will also be your first experience playing two contests at once, as the free for all will be going at the same time.

You will need to make all switches on both contests almost at the same time, so make sure that you go through and switch both lineups with each scoring play. All you have to do is score over 100 points to get the prize, but you will not get your coins back.

Being that a base value pack is 15k, paying 2500 for one isnt a bad idea at all. Similarly, the XP for the contest will be worth playing for as well. The only reason I say this isnt a must play is because you need to have Royals and Mets or you cant do anything in this setup.

When the full slate kicks in on Monday, look for a bunch more types of contests to play. As we see with these, its as much about reading through the rules ahead of time as anything, so that is of the utmost importnace. Shoot me a message on Twitter if you have more questions I didnt cover.

Ah yes. The simpler times of 6 months ago. Bask in the glory of days. No untradeable sets, daily cool and fun releases, and very few bundle cards. It was the golden age of SWCT, and Classic Art was a big part of that effort.

Yesterday we got our first taste of the in app portion of Force Awakens Classic Art, a set that I am very, very excited about. Not only does it bring back the young nostalgic feeling of that time in SWCT, but it is a really cool idea to adapt the old cards for a new purpose. Although I feel weird about talking like the first set happened 50 years ago, it kind of feels that way.

I already talked about the extemely valuable Classic Art redemption cards that are available in Topps Star Wars: Force Awakens Series 2, and I am happy that the team decided to make them more widely available in other formats. Although it kind of hurts the novelty and special circumstances around the redemptions, ill let it go because I love the cards. I want the cards for myself!

They are starting with the Green variants that drop a few times a day. Its a simple set up, 5k per pack, with pretty affordable odds. This is the community win that many people have been waiting for. They arent 99.99 bundles, they arent behind a pay wall, and they are just there for everyone to enjoy. I miss this. A lot of people miss stuff like this.

The set itself is composed of all the ones from the physical redemption set, with Rey as the award. Thankfully it wont be insane to collect all the base parallels, which is a big plus. If you miss a drop or dont pull the card, dont worry, this set is available for trading unlike the recent rash of sets that have upset so many people.

I want to take a moment and talk about the way this set makes a lot of people feel. Quite a few people loved classic art days in the app back in the middle of last year. They made it a point to chase down all the fun examples that had a quirky appeal to all the individuals who remember what the cards were like back in the day. It was a popular set because it was meant to be fun. It was an event.

We need more of stuff like this, even if it doesnt take the form of a set we previously identify with. We need to make releases more about a love of Star Wars and its rich history in our culture. Classic Art might not be a beacon of that, but the mechanics behind it speak to a lot of people.

Kudos to the team on this set. Cant wait for more stuff like it.

One of the new features in 2016 Bunt is XP and Levels, and its one that I have found insanely interesting. It adds a new element and quest to the user experience and it is something that I have paid close attention to since starting last Wednesday. The system itself hasnt been without a few glitches, but overall, its something I think will be a positive addition to the game this year.

XP and Levels Introduction

To start, many returning users should have started at or around level 3, depending on how much you were involved last year. If you started at level 1, that’s fine, I think it might actually be beneficial. Ill get to that in a second.

Each level is comprised of XP, or experience points, that are accumulated for completing certain actions in the game. Things like opening packs, checking in daily, using card exchange, or playing in contests. For each level, the amount of XP needed to get to the next checkpoint grows. For the lower levels, its a small amount, where the upper levels are much more.

As you grow in level, you will gain access to more parts of the game (packs, etc), and you will sometimes be rewarded for your progress. If you reach a level that comes with an award, a bulletin will be sent. Always check your bulletins when leveling up.

Leveling Up

Over the last two days, we have finally gotten some inserts that will be valuable for 2016 marathon sets. This means there were finally some packs outside of the base that should be opened in large quantities. Pack opening comes with XP, although it isnt a huge amount. When you open a lot of packs in a row, the points can add up.

Similarly, when you pull an insert in a pack, you are supposed to get an XP bonus based on the quality of the insert. Rarer inserts gets better bonuses, which will be put to the test as Limited and Sigs hit the sheet likely this week.

Right now, the best and easiest way to level up fast is through the card exchange, as shredding for teals, purples and blacks can get you a lot of points with each step. I have seen already one Gold on the sheet, and the XP bonus had to have been huge. If you have any base you can shred to get to blue or orange, and you are in the lower levels, its definitely in your best interest to get going on the exchanges.

Level Awards

Right now, there are two types of awards for leveling up, but Topps Mike has mentioned that there will be a third type when contests go live.

With each level you will either get no award, a boosted base card pack, or an equipment pack. This is where starting at a lower level might be beneficial. More awards to achieve. I have gotten a pack of orange for lower levels, a pack of teal for higher levels, and the best I got was a pack of 3 purples for Level 10 or 11. You will also get packs of equipment that can contain higher levels than the boosted base. One pack I just got for 13 had a black helmet in it.

Eventually, it looks like there will be awards that grant access to contests, or maybe free entries into contests. I actually am trying to make sense of the tweets from team on this, as it isnt 100% clear yet. Being that the season doesnt start for a few days, that’s not surprising. Once contests are live, im sure we will be able to figure out what is going on with the awards for them.

Contest Seeding

One of the other advantages of the level system this year is that lower level users shouldnt be pitted against people who are super high level. This will help to make contests easier for casual players to win, and not force people into going against players who have enormous collections every time,

Although I would guess that all Bunt contests will be available in some format, levels should play into the contest structure pretty heavily this year. Again, once we get the first contests published, we should see more.

They announced on twitter that the first contests should be coming tomorrow or this weekend, so we wont have to wait long.

With everything so new across the app, I think the system will evolve and change as the season goes on. Nothing in Bunt ever remains 100% static for the entire year, as adjustments are always made. Keep in mind that your feedback might be a great indicator of where changes are needed – let them know what you think should happen on the different social media forums. Mike and Hanford are usually very responsive on Twitter. especially.