Digital Card Central

In a few short weeks, the Panini exclusive will take hold in physical football cards, and Topps will be prevented from making any sets for the first time in many decades. This past year was Topps’ 60th anniversary in Football, and it will also be the last. I am bitter about this in many different ways, especially because the company who is taking over doesnt make the best NFL cards.

Although Topps is out of physical football cards, it does not appear to impact their digital presence outside of a few minor details. We wont be able to get a full picture of the impact until next season starts, but I doubt it will hurt all that much. If anything, it makes Topps Huddle the last piece of Topps Football that will remain in the sport. Not only is that very interesting, but its a lot of pressure to put on a digital brand that has only been fully licensed for 1 year.

Background

For those of you who arent familiar with exclusives, they havent been around forever. Starting in 2009, Topps and Panini signed the first exclusives to be sole provider of licensed cards in the respective sports. Panini got the NBA, Topps got MLB. There are many reasons why this was done, but like we are seeing with the NFL, the company that produced the best cards in the sport, wasnt necessarily the one who got the exclusive.

There are ways to produce unlicensed football cards, something which is an option for companies like Topps and Leaf, who currently makes them today. The issue is that collectors dont value the cards as high as they do licensed ones, and Topps has Huddle, which is a bigger deal than any unlicensed set could be.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Last year, Huddle really showed what was possible with a fully licensed digital NFL card app. They were at or near the top of the rankings for top grossing sports apps each month, and I dont see that changing if they continue operate the way they did before. Despite what the venomous user comments in the articles might say, Huddle had a great year.

The difference between last year and this year is that Topps physical was a road map for many of the different releases used during the year. The base set was modeled after the physical flagship set, there were a lot of physical cards that were brought into the app, and a lot of content was derived from a place that wont be there next year. The question is – will this be a good thing or a bad thing?

To me, it has its pros and its cons. First, the Topps Digital graphic artists that staff each app are talented as hell. They can build some really sleek designs, and in many cases, they can do things the physical guys just cant do. Based on this situation, we can assume that giving them free reign to do as they please with the design of the app is a REALLY good thing. They can focus on building custom content for a completely different type of sports card. They wont need to worry about brand continuity like Bunt does, and they can really go to a place that fits digital better in that way. Kick and SW already have some of this freedom, and they use it very well in most cases.

Being that they are the only thing left for Topps in the NFL, it should be a beacon for some of the collectors who are upset that Panini is taking over. If played the right way, Topps Huddle could be a test of what digital is capable of in that fashion. I think they could do it very well. The target market may need to be shifted a bit, but that isnt hard to do.

The Train That Could Be That Light 

Being that there is no source material left to pull from, there might be a lot of pressure for the team to get really creative. Although digitization of a physical card isnt always the easiest thing to do, it gives a place to start the context of a program. Even though I know the digital design team is up to the task, having a second perspective to use as inspiration isnt a bad thing. The physical graphic artists are of a different mindset, and fresh takes are always in short supply. Im not saying the digital team is going to run out of ideas, but you need multiple notes to play a song. Hopefully they will continue to be able to capture the whole spectrum of what is possible, and not settle into a monotone approach.

That being the case, it doesnt mean that stuff like Platinum or Valor go away. They can still build new versions of the sets for 2016, they will just have to start from scratch. As I was saying above, that might not be a bad thing. The digital design team has award winning artists on staff as well, so the perspective lost in physical’s departure can be made up other ways.

Secondly, physical football was a significant portion of the Topps company’s portfolio. Losing that revenue is a big deal, especially in a hobby where the health of the supporting industry isnt what it used to be. To be clear, I dont see anyone closing up shop over the next few years, but its possible that losing football could be a hit to the overall position of the company itself. Again, this shouldnt impact Topps Digital in the short term, but long term is unforeseen. Its worth talking about, even if the apps are self sustaining at this point.

Lastly, Topps’ physical side being in existence helps create opportunities for the digital side, which is still a fledgling in the card industry. I say it is a fledgling because most people in sports still think of trading cards as a physical only product. I understand that digital has come a LONG way over the last few years, but I dont see athletes paying the same attention to digital that they might have paid to physical.

Explaining a sports card to a player’s agent is pretty easy. There is historical context there. On the other hand, explaining a digital sports card to that same agent is not as easy. Im curious to see if the Topps team can continue to build relationships with Panini taking over everything football is on the physical side. There are many more questions that are going to come up, and Topps will need to be prepared. Its DEFINITELY not impossible to grow at all, but it seems to me that its going to be a bit more difficult. Chris, Marc and the team are veterans at this type of thing, so they will find a way. They always do.

In closing, 2016 is going to be a very interesting year for Topps Digital, for many reasons outside of Huddle. Being that Huddle is the most important app to my existence in the digital world, my curiosities lie with many of the things I talked about here. I have confidence that things are going to be amazing, but the questions still linger until they dont.

The 2016 version of Bunt should be on its way in the next few weeks, and this is always a time where many of us get nervous for the beginning of the season. What is going to change? What will be tweaked? How will the cards look? Its all a rush of questions that dont get answered until the first pack is opened. That being said, I want to take some time talking through the best practices for how to behave once the launch goes down. Hopefully this might help you get ahead when everyone else is busy trying to keep their goods in check.

1. Read about new elements of the update

Every year Bunt adds something to the game to keep people coming back and stay on their toes. Find out what those new features are and start reading up. If you figure out what the best part of the new features is, you can cater your pack ripping and trading to maximize that. Contests could be redesigned, the Smuggler’s Den from SW could be in play, they could change the way packs are structured, everything is on the table. Rip packs SECOND, read first.

2. Look for changes to the scoring system

If everything stays relatively the same in the way you play and participate in contests, that’s one thing. If there are major updates or lineup structure changes start looking for the changes in scoring. In 2014 and 2015, the pitcher cards were more important in many ways because of the scoring. That might be different this year. The trick is to see where the best players fit in and start looking to acquire as many of them as possible. Even if you arent looking to play for points,  tracking down the right cards can help you get some good trade bait.

As mentioned above, pitchers have been the best cards to stock up on early on for the last two years. If you cant figure it out, go with that plan again. If it doesnt turn out to be the case because of scoring changes, it should be easy to switch directions.

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 nice cache 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 through your stash 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. Plan your trades and get going fast

In the first days of 2016, there will be a number of users who still want the old cards, even though they dont score. Post a message something like “TRADING 2015 FOR 2016” or some variation of that as many times as you can. Hopefully the users who want to complete sets from 2015 will offer you some cards.

Be careful about giving up your top 2016 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, although dont keep them locked away. You could get some amazing offers, and that is what you want to encourage.

If a good deal for base comes along, keep in mind that the base cards are unlimited and wont be selling out. You will have a better chance to recoup losses of base than you will inserts. Similarly, if you are a points player and you pull inserts, keep an eye on the card counts. Higher count cards will not be valuable after the first few weeks. If you have to give them up to make some trades work, do it. It will be easy to get them back when the app moves past the initial frenzy.

It is VERY much in your best interest to rip the hell out of the sig packs when they are released. If you have a lot of cards from 2015, it is also in your best interest to make lopsided offers to get the first sig. Even if you dont rip any other sig packs, this is the one you need. Trout from last year was insanely valuable, and even if the new sig is 500 count, as opposed to 150 like 2015, still pick it up as quickly as you can. You can use it for leverage when a tough card you need is released.

Once you have it – DO NOT TRADE IT until you know what the value is. That might not happen for a week or two. Let the signature series program play out a bit so you can get a read on what is coming. If all the sigs are going to be high like Huddle, you know its not the best situation. If they are low like SW, then you have gold. There will not be any 2015 cards other than Limited that will be worth the sig, so dont trade it for base or even low stuff from last year.

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 collector 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 to chase.

My guess is that Sigs, Limited, Relics, Editors/Topps Choice and Opening day should come within the first week, so be on the lookout. Choose your marathon and start ripping. Base will be in short supply to start, but dont let that fool you. WAIT FOR THE GOOD STUFF.

I am so excited to get going on 2016, I cant even put my thoughts into the right context here on the site. Im sure im not the only one, and I have a feeling 2016 is going to be a freaking blast. Stay tuned for more coverage as more information about the new update is gathered. Its going to be a wild ride, so keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times.

Now that the big reveal has passed, and the set is sold out, I wanted to take some time and break down the set and my thoughts on the choices that were made for SWCT Revisited. This is the first time I have seen any of the apps celebrate an anniversary in game, and I really liked the idea. With Bunt’s 5th anniversary coming up next year, I would love to see them go all out in a similar fashion.

Shred Revisited

Characters Chosen: Rey/Finn, Millennium Falcon

Like most of the people in the app, I absolutely loved Shred. I thought the design was cool, the cards were cool, and the setup was pretty nice as well. This version of Shred didnt disappoint, with the Millennium Falcon and the bombing raid on Jakku. Being that the Falcon was the original set’s reward card, I liked the homage in that respect.

Verdict: Empire Strikes Back

Prism Revisited

Characters Chosen: Captain Phasma, Kylo Ren

Another original set built specifically for SWCT, and like the others it was a doozy. The cards sold out super fast the first time around, and many remain very, very valuable on the lower parallels. This set was really cool, even though I still dont get the continued fascination with Phasma. She looks cool, but lets be honest here, she really wasnt as big a deal in the movie as the marketing made it seem. The cards still look really cool and I was reminded why the set was so awesome in the first place.

Verdict: A New Hope

Shadowbox Revisited

Characters Chosen: Quiggold and Captain Ithano

I didnt like this set the first time around, mainly because the set up was so expansive. It had like 18 variants, all with different packout mechanisms, and I would have much rather seen a Connections Revisited instead of this. Even though the character choices were interesting, the set was not one I would have used at all. The design is boring and the set remains a forgotten part of the first year, mainly included as trade add ons when making deals.

Verdict: The Phantom Menace

Bounty Revisited

Characters Chosen: Finn, Poe Dameron

Im really surprised that this was the only original marathon represented, although its possible that one could be chosen for the award card (one can hope!). The characters they used for the set were perfect, and the cards remained true to the original point of the set. I thought this was one of the better choices of the entire program.

Verdict: A New Hope

Elegant Weapons Revisited

Characters Chosen: Kylo Ren

I still find it cool that even after all this time, Elegant Weapons still maintains a bit of an aura surrounding it. The program continues to be one of the more premium sets, and I think that including Kylo’s Lightsaber is a way to get a nice pop from the crowd. Although the nature of his blade doesnt really fit as “Elegant,” its the right choice, especially considering it might be the only saber not included to this point. I originally questioned why not add Rey’s, but then I remembered it was Annakin’s, which was already done.

Verdict: Empire Strikes Back

Women of Star Wars Revisited

Character’s Chosen: Leia, Rey

Was this a shock to anyone? I was not surprised to see this program included in the release, and even less surprised to see the characters. I would have liked to add in Maz, but maybe that isnt “correct” as an alien race. The Rey cards were the most popular of the entire set, and this program was easily one of the more sought after releases during the first year.

Verdict: A New Hope

Mint Press Revisited

Characters Chosen: Snowtrooper, Grummgar

Another infamous release during the first year, and one I still dont really get. Are these supposed to be coins? I dont know. Although the set looked quite interesting the first time around, Im not sure I like the character choices. BB-8 did not get a single card in the set, and that should have been a given. Snowtrooper isnt even the most interesting of the troopers from the movie, and that should be different as well. Overall, just a “meh” version of this set.

Verdict: Attack of the Clones

Dark Side Revisited

Characters Chosen: Kylo Ren

Let me start by saying I wish they had also done a light side with Luke as an old man. Obviously, that might have been too spoilerish, but we need to get past spoilers eventually. Might not have been their choice on the team, but it should have happened. Similarly, as a big fan of this set, I would have liked a different Kylo picture, maybe one that wasnt so zoomed in. Would have been great to get that scene of his blade against Rey’s neck.  That would have been dynamic.

Verdict: Return of the Jedi

Missed Opportunities:

Connections: Rey and Finn or even FA Han and FA Chewy. Something could have been done there in an awesome way.

Widevision: Kylo and Han on the bridge. This would have been incredible, but again, might have been too spoilerish.

Vintage: Rey in the Millennium Falcon. Full circle, even though another Rey card.

Schematics: BB-8 as a joke or the Starkiller Base as a really cool update to the death star.

Original Art: Chewbacca would have been cool, although I know it would have been time sensitive with Matt having to actually complete the sketch.

1977 Sticker award cards: BB-8 would have been perfect to recreate the awesome awards

1977 Card 45: Redo it with Rey and Kylo, just because that would be too perfect.

Overall this entire thing was awesome, well executed and fun to collect. As mentioned prior, I hope this wont be the only time we get to celebrate a milestone with something like this set.

NOTE: Ranking order – ESB, ANH, ROTJ, ROTS, AOTC, PM

Let me start by saying this post is not about the competition via contest. We all understand that contests are a great way to use your collection in a way that satiates people’s competitive spirit. What I want to talk about is more in regards of showcasing user collections in a way that breeds competition on the collecting side.

For an app like Star Wars, im shocked this isnt a bigger focus. What is even more crazy to me is that the app started off with rewards in place for the biggest and best collections. Now that the app has morphed considerably, I feel like giving us a way to see where we rank among the best for any number of areas could only help. Biggest hoards, best quality of collection, most cards, etc. SWCT is a collecting app, and right now the only incentive for anything is just owning stuff. Hoards are unofficial, collections are measured by a score no one really understands, Its time to add to that.

Similarly, when you see some of the specific cards that people gravitate towards in any of the apps, the people who achieve the top milestones should be front and center. Its not just about recognizing the best traders, or the top cards, its showcasing that collecting is important. Being how competitive people are in the apps, recognition is something that could incite feeding frenzies.

The easiest way to showcase this is on a card by card basis. On twitter yesterday, we discussed how cool it would be to get a hoard update on a third flip of any card. Create a 3rd back of the card that showcases which users have the most of the card in question. Give us more info around the environment in which we exist and user behavior will change.

The next easiest way to engage this element is to offer rewards or quests for people as they go. Awards for being among the top collectors or fastest completion of a set should be standard practice. It might even be a good idea to publish user names in the article, or give special reward cards.

Most importantly, find a way to offer a way for individual users to be recognized. Each week, a collector spotlight should be part of each of the apps. User submitted nominations or something like that should be a part of the fun. Have the top Vikings collection in the game? Get your nomination in. Have 10,000 white Tie Fighter Pilots? Wow, get your nomination in. Have a master collection of Mike Trout that includes every single release? You deserve your time in the sun, get your nomination in. Topps needs to  make sure users get a chance to tell their story, and it will inspire people to change the way they look at any quest they choose to undertake.

Competition is truly the name of the game, even if the app’s main point is not contests. Lets find ways to make this happen, and it will be a new fresh way to get people back in the swing of things.

With the season fast approaching, the launch of 2016 Bunt is around the corner. Now that we are in our third year of massive updates before opening day, I think we are starting to understand the impact that the new Bunt build can have on the rest of the apps.

I have a few open items that continue to be at the top of my mind, and I want to spend some time talking about where I hope they will go eventually. I think that for the first time, we have a big question of what the 2016 build will actually look like, as the team has kept things more close to their vest than years past.

Item 1 – Contests

Last year, points had some major issues. Even the team would say that is the part of the app they probably wish could have gone better. In my opinion, its more than just points – its the contest structure itself. As fun as the playoffs were, a 162 game season is a freaking grind. So much so that I think more effort is necessary in Bunt than in any of the other games. It has to be fresh, and the prizes have to reflect the effort needed to stay on board for all the games that are played.

Similarly, I would love to see more options that give some incentive to stay involved in contests without a huge time investment. Not every player can spend the time each day, but setting a lineup fantasy style would be easily taken care of. Balance is really important in that respect.

Item 2 – Scoring

I know that you cant just go and say that everything is going to change. You cant start from scratch. The unlimited switch structure for 2015 was helpful in equalizing value of pitchers vs hitters, but you still see a heavy value shift towards the ways of the past. I would love to be able to get more value out of position players who are valuable to the team in ways that arent just hits and HR vs the outs they record, and I think there are ways to do that.

The main reason Bunt is so interesting is because of the way users collect the cards to get the points, and I see so many cards that just exist to exist, even though the players are valuable to their teams.

Item 3 – Collection Display

As mentioned in a previous article, I hate that the new year basically removes all trace of the previous year from people’s minds. All that time to collect and hoard and its gone the second the update goes live. Sure, there are a lot of users that still reminisce, but as a whole, I think it needs to be better.

Users that have had a legacy in the game should have a chance to showcase their wares, and I think that adjusted filtering methods and categorization would do wonders for the trade value and spending year over year.

Item 4 – Legends

Baseball is as much about history as any of the major sports. Records, stats, and player personas live for centuries in this game, and I think that it would be awesome to get more legend based content in the game.

Huddle really took it to a new level this year by making Legends so premium in their availability, but has since opened it up more. The reaction people have to legends is huge, and with Bunt putting out much more retired content during the offseason, we see how important it has become. The great thing is, premium vs non-premium almost doesnt matter. People want more.

Item 5 – Marathon Setup

This was a hot topic in SWCT and Huddle, and I hope that Bunt has learned from their sister apps. Marathons can be a force in a game when set up to be a great chase, and lose some of that luster if the cards are too easy to get, or dont have a special factor to them.

Bunt’s marathons have been simple over the years, Editor’s Choice, Sigs, and stuff like that, and I hope that we continue to see them be a fun part of the everyday interaction that users have with the app. Marathons should remain a draw for the general user population, but that cant happen when there is no value in chasing them.

Stuff like award cards needs to be done in a special manner, and packout formats need to be spot on. With a great setup comes great chase.

Item 6 – Boxes

I just want these to continue. They are awesome in just about every way. My only issue is what happens when the premium content sells out. Hopefully there will be contingency plans for additional premium content to be added or the closing of that particular program. Dont let the stuff sit in a graveyard, have plans in place to keep the box fresh during the whole timer.

Item 7 – VIP

Huddle and Star Wars have both cancelled or never started the VIP program, probably because it is such a hefty weight on the staff to manage. All I have to say is that VIP should be a focus. Regardless of the insane commitment to make it happen, I hope there is some capacity to make it work. It adds incentive in ways that arent available other ways, and is a badge of honor for many users.

There is definitely much more content to come on Bunt 2016 – stay tuned in the coming days for more info!

I think its pretty impressive to see that SWCT has made it one year and made as much impact as it has. Not only is it the top grossing app in Topps’ digital portfolio, but it has garnered national attention and hundreds of thousands of users.

Topps digital recently announced that there would be some sort of celebration on their twitter account, something they are calling “SWCT Day,” and though I dont have any details on what it might represent, im sure it will be fun.

To be honest, SWCT has done more in the one year span than many of the sports apps do, releasing thousands of cards, two different series of base designs, and done so while the biggest moment in years for the SW universe is taking place.

They also went through a big change of the person in charge of the apps, added an associate producer, and still held their place among the top grossing apps of its sort in the app store. The craziest thing about all of this is that the app itself lacks the gameplay element we all thought could possibly sink this ship.

When Topps launched the app, I remember thinking “Wait, there is no gameplay? How is that going to work?” It was something that I literally couldnt see past in my mind. Of course, the SW community is a force in itself, and the collectible nature of the digital cards was more than enough to sustain any daily operations. As I have mentioned before, I would be shocked if Topps even believed they had a juggernaut on their hands.

The reason I say that has to do with historical perspective gained from the physical side of the business. Topps has been producing Star Wars themed trading cards for YEARS. Not only have they remained the runt of the physical portfolio, but investment has been light from what it looks like. On the digital side, SWCT rules the roost, and I would guess that Topps was expecting it to fall in line behind its perennial performers.

Even with the unexpected success, SWCT’s impact can be felt across all the teams. Based on what we have seen, it has likely paved the way for the growth we are seeing in the size of the department over the last year, as well as the potential for other apps to join the mix. Although its triumph may have been a perfect storm, it doesnt mean lightning cant be captured in the same bottle again. Topps knows another great digital idea is out there somewhere, and they now know an entertainment app can be the vehicle. I dont think that would be on the table without the last year taken into consideration.

Bottom line, if you play the Topps Digital games, 3/12 is a day you should be celebrating.

There have been some tough sets in Huddle over the years. There have been some tough sets THIS YEAR. However, Im pretty confident in saying that nothing has ever come within an eyelash of the cost and dedication of the gold legends set.

Now that we see the set has concluded, Im going through my memory to think about whether or not this set might be the most exclusive set in the history of the app? Im thinking the answer is yes.

Background

Tough sets have always been a staple of the digital format, going back to 2013 Bunt. Even in 2013 Huddle, the sig set and season highlights set were insanely tough. Others like Brotherhood and last year’s Huddle award winners all had counts below 10. The difference is the pack format. These sets were all in the base packs for 5k coins a piece or in insert packs that cost maybe 10k at the most.

Starting with Jerry Rice 23 weeks ago, Legends were in packs that cost more than anything has ever costed in ANY of the apps. Although the Deion sig packs topped out at 1M coins a piece, the Legend packs were far ahead of that. The other apps actually followed suit, with Bunt boxes costing 750k a piece, and SWCT Nightbrothers Black reservation packs in the tens of millions a pop.

Exclusivity

Unlike the legend boxes, the other things mentioned above were one shots, and not a long grueling set. Remember, for the first few weeks, the 900k packs didnt even deliver a guaranteed win. There were cheap cards mixed in, forcing some of the people to buy multiple packs just to get trade bait if they didnt end up with what they were looking for.

Even over the last few months, the Ginter cards turned out to be cool, but no where near the value needed to swap for a Legend, which means that multiple packs might have been needed. Considering the packs still cost 900k, that’s $100 worth of coins each time the pack is opened.

To think there are at least three people I can think of with close to a complete set, if not all the way there, Im definitely impressed. This is going to be one of those things that only the top spenders were targeted, and luckily for them, the award should be under five.

Award Speculation

Since the beginning, the award card has been under wraps, and I am VERY intrigued by what it could be. Hopefully, its something insane, either a relic sig, or a sig of one of the main guys they have launched since the app became fully licensed.

We know that the gold set hasnt included guys like Emmitt, Barry, or Favre – which were added later on as the season progressed. We can speculate that the 24th card was probably someone they knew would be available back at the beginning. With Rice, Staubach, LT, and others already used, im curious who it could be.

Regardless of the player, I hope the Huddle team makes this award something worth the insane amount of effort the Legend chasers put into their set. Im guessing they not only invested time, but probably thousands of dollars, which means they deserve an awesome payoff. If this flops, I could see more than just the qualified users getting upset, as its been clear that this has been a very visible chase. Many of the users have been following along, including myself, and I would hate to see the biggest chase in Huddle history fall flat.

Legends Series 2?

Now that we know there are at least another 25 guys that can be used, Im also wondering if they are going to keep going with a legends chase every monday. With HUGE names added over the last few months, I would love to see a new chase begin. Although Im not sure there will be the same 3 people chasing the set, there will be a lot of team collectors who would love a Barry Sanders Gold Legend for their collection.

Dual Sigs and Triple Sigs

If there is one thing I miss about the chase, its the multi-sig cards that havent come back since around week 7 or 8. The rare ones remain the most valuable cards in the game, even more so than the gold legends, and that says something. Rain sigs are cool, but these are so much better to me.

Although we did get a Manning/Newton dual sig for the Super Bowl, I would love to see Legend Box exclusive duals and triples return, as long as they are ONLY available in the boxes like the recent Rain cards.

Maintaining exclusivity is one of the most important aspects of selling 900k packs, and putting cards in packs outside of the legend boxes cheapens the appeal. Huddle secondary market value has been low for most of the cards released during 2016, but the value remains insanely high for cards that have a limited availability of this manner.

My suggestion is this:

• Bring back the gold legend series in the same pack format
• One legend variant per pack
• Chance of 1 of 3 cards
• Gold Legend (exclusively available in legend box)
• Dual or Triple Sig Variant (exclusively available in legend box)
• Dual or Triple Sig Base (Available in regular store in high cost packs)

This way, 2 out of 3 times, the user will walk away with a value closer to the 100 bucks they spend on the pack, and there is still an element of chance when pulling the third dud card.

In closing, congratulations to the small group of people who completed the chase, you guys definitely deserve an ovation for your commitment. I hope you get something awesome for the effort.

Based on my understanding, the amount of people who play more than one of the apps is pretty high. Although I doubt that people will focus on all four apps the way they focus on their main app, I would be shocked if people dont dabble in the occasional pack ripping spree outside their comfort zone.

Because of the lack of support for trading across the app platforms, the pack ripping spree might be where it ends for these individuals. The question is, with the way most users have access to the inserts in each of the games, can this practice be more profitable than most people realize?

Before we go any further, the answer is yes. Cross trading is a great way to pick up some extra trade bait or even some centerpieces. If you dont cross trade, you are missing out, and that is putting it lightly. Because of the massive difference in value, many of the users can walk away with some very nice stuff while giving up very little that they care about.

NOTE: Cross trading is risky. Someone eventually has to be trusted with completing the trade, and that can lead to scams. Be very careful of who you trade with, and make sure you dont walk into a bad situation. Keep an eye on three things: 1) Completed trade ratings, 2) collection score, 3) do they have a lot to lose if they get banned for scamming? Basically, dont accept your side first with some account that has no standing – especially if you DO have better standing. If you both have a lot to lose by being banned for scams, its usually good to go.

Here is a guide for new cross traders to avoid most issues. Its a bit of a read, but will help to educate people on avoiding scams.

Lets use an example to showcase the benefit of this risk.

My main focus is Huddle, even though I play SWCT and Bunt religiously as well. Being that I dont play Kick all that much, I can open packs strategically and get some top trade bait for the apps I do play. Obviously, my collection score in Kick is like 50, so its not like I am going to give up some prized piece that I care about. I have pulled a few of the On Form cards, which in Kick are some of the most available inserts that still carry a ton of value. I have used cross trading to pick up sigs and other things in Huddle, all while giving up something I dont really need for something I very much need.

Now, that doesnt mean some luck isnt involved, and you cant expect just to pick up and walk off with the best of the best. Every once in a while, if you spend your coins right, you will find that a good cross trade very simple to execute.

What are the best cards in each of the apps to target for cross trades while in season?

On Form (Kick) – Although some rare boosts and other cards are available, the odds are not usually enough in your favor to dive in. With daily bonuses, you can pull the on form each week (especially BPL) and trade it for a nice insert in the app you focus on.

Sigs (Bunt) – Regardless of the 1:300 pack odds on some of the cards, Bunt is all about the signature.  Not only can you trade them for some of the top cards in the app, but other apps will be hard pressed to find a card worth about the same week to week. This means that if you are lucky enough to pull the sig, you will have your relative pick of the litter in your main app.

Sigs / Variant Sigs (Huddle) – For 2015, Huddle’s main sig counts were way too high to maintain a real value, but the variants were definitely worth their weight. Unlike Bunt, where the variants were behind a pay wall or just impossible to pull, the variants in Huddle were different. Pulling one will definitely get you some nice value in your main app.

Active Insert Set Variants (SWCT) – Even though the app used to be about the marathons, the addition of bundle buys has really capped the value. This means that pulling the variants of inserts that are currently active will net you much more than any Vintage or Widevision. Some of the variants are behind a pay wall, so read the articles carefully. However, if you can find a pack that has low variants available to everyone – pounce.

Again, Cross trading is just another tool in your bag to help grow your collection significantly. What makes it so attractive is that the cards being traded dont always have the same connection to the user. That doesnt mean cross trading between apps you equally care about isnt beneficial as well, it just means that you have more to give up in your mind. I find that a lack of connection helps to focus on true value versus how much you care about that specific card.

Because the apps are all about growing your collection for any of the purposes people play, any extra tool is a good one. Try to start small if you have fear, and work your way up. There are many friends to be made through this, and who knows! You might find a partner that a relationship can be mutually beneficial.

As mentioned many times over the last few months, SWCT has become as much about hoarding as it has about every other part of the app. As we have seen with recent programs like the gold variants, its clear that they are finally starting to take notice of the need to support (and monetize) that element of the game.

At the same time, hoarding hasnt exactly been easy, as many people started to ration off their base knowing that they could greatly benefit from having at least 100 of the top characters.

Now that some weeks have passed, more base are in circulation, and people have had time to stock up on their collections for the different golds, is this the time where true hoarding can take off and get some legs? I believe so.

When Series 3 first launched, it was slow going just to get to 100, but with some mild effort that can be done in an hour as of today. If you have the right cards to trade, or even a slew of whites you have stocked up on, the 9 for 9 trades are starting to come much more frequently.

I think the strategy of hoarding is as much of the fun as the actual accumulation, and that’s where many people seem to get frustrated. They expect to put in little effort and get very big return, and that will never happen.

As long as you are willing to put in the work, you can get to where you need to be with far less time than was needed during the first month or two of Series 3. Although we still havent gotten to the point where Series 1 and 2 were sitting before they sold out, we are getting closer by the week.

There are still some very important questions that remain:

• Will there be monuments?
• If there are monuments, how many base will be needed?
• If there are monuments, does that mean there wont be other hoard targets along the way?
• Will there be other ways to support hoarding in the app?
• If there arent monuments, what is going to be the end goal?
• Will there be pinks or something similar?
• How many cards will be necessary to shred for a pink?
• When will we learn more about the plans?

I would love to find out more, because being in the dark isnt fun. Not only is it not fun, but I would guess that they could generate more revenue from X-Wing type packs if people had information about what they need to shoot for.

As a whole, I would love to see more systemic support for hoarding, if not only more stuff with Smuggler’s den. We had so much stuff for the first go around, and though Topps might be slow playing their hand, its getting to be awfully curious. Hopefully we will learn more shortly.

In all the games, there are a lot of packout formats that work on a premium level. Premium being setups that are designed for those that want to spend the cash to get some of the best cards in the game. The Bunt monthly box is something that has turned into an event, and with the recent release of High Tek, I think its safe to say that it is my favorite premium format available. I have posted about how much I like this format in the past, but its time to revisit.

Format Love

I think the main reason I like it so much is that it is built around something that is so familiar to physical collectors. Aside from the cool cards that are available in the box, the sets are getting larger and larger each month. This means there are huge amounts of cards to chase, and in most cases most are very desirable pieces.

Add in the boxloaders, plus all the packs, and the entertainment value of ripping a ton of packs is there too. With such a limited nature for all the big hits, the cards become some of the more valuable in the game, down to the 1/1s that have been offered in previous boxes. Although some of the cards are better than others, many of them are worth trying at least one box just to see if you can hit a whale.

Impact on Other Apps

Huddle’s Legend Box, released every Monday, is a similar type of approach, but with significantly less availability and much less content. Although the main hits in the Huddle version are ALSO some of the best cards in the game, I wish there was more capacity to get a larger set in the game. We saw a lot of new content with Valor and Inception, both of which would have been awesome in a similar format to Bunt’s. At the same time, its clear that the Bunt team puts a lot of effort into building the boxes at a 400+ card clip per release, and Im curious to see how it transfers in through the season.

Right now, the offseason is a slower time, and with no contests in play, and fewer daily releases, the work that has to be done for a big release is probably within capacity. As the season starts, all of that changes, and somehow the team will need to manage how the boxes are going to fit in with the massive amount of work on the other stuff that is coming.

With physical sets available in every one of the four apps, I have posted before on how much I would like to see the method hit some of the other games. Huddle has done quite a few amazing physical sets, as has Star Wars, and the box format could have made them that much better.

Which sets would work best for future boxes?

With the season getting going in the next month, here are some of the sets I feel would work best in Box format.These sets have a way to bring a lot of fun to the game, and also some major value.

Topps Dynasty – There is no higher end format in physical cards, and Dynasty is a product I would love to see in Bunt. Although base cards dont exist in the set, that doesnt mean they cant be built. The box loaders should be the insane auto patch cards that make Dynasty the best of the best.

Topps Heritage – Every year, the physical side creates a set that is based on a design from the iconic history of the brand. The “real one” set would work perfectly for boxloaders, and would encompass legends and current players.

Topps Supreme – Another high end set from physical would be awesome, and it would be really cool to see if they could figure out a way to get the booklet cards into the game some how. There are so many cards that could be used in the set, most of which would be pretty cool for some of the best auto relics around.

Topps Tier One – This set is a great combo of rookie type players and high end veteran content. I would love to see the silver signatures and gold signatures in the game. Would be awesome to see the retro rookie autos as the boxloaders, or even more auto relics.

Overall, this type of thing has huge legs, and I can see this being one of the main attractions for the 2016 season if done right. Being that there are thousands of Topps sets that can be pulled from, there is a never ending supply of boxes to build.