Digital Card Central

Wow, what a week this week in Huddle, huh?

First the throwdown cards are changed a bit to make them more playable, we get Mint boosts that focus on collectability instead of playability, and now a sig that will likely go down as one of the rarest in the game. Lets get to it.

Andrew Luck Signature Series BLUE /12

Playability: 
Collectability: Unattainable

This is the Megatron Teal Boost all over again, and I could not be more excited. 12 cards of easily one of the hottest players in the entire game, and its a sig that everyone wants. Oh, and the boost is 5x with the 50k coins as a reward. Wow. This card is going to be on everyone’s list, and right now, the Teal Megatron likely wont even touch this card. I would guess that there will eventually be a card that could compete, but not right now. If you can pull it, get yourself a lottery ticket.

Andrew Luck Signature Series

Playability: 
Collectability: Extreme

At 175 copies, this just became the toughest signature to pull in the game, and like the Blue, will be a chase like nobody’s business. All the people that have been chasing the sigs all year will need him for their set, and everyone is going to go nuts trying to find one. I expect this to be one of the most valuable cards this series produces.

Mint Boost Series – Marshall, Gronk, and Manning

Playability: 
Collectability: Extreme+

Im not a huge fan of this. This is a program designed to create collectible boosts, and im not sure I see the appeal. If they had the low card counts with higher boosts attached, then they would be insanely sought after, but the public would hate that they exist. I just dont think this was a necessary addition to the checklist. I would have maybe looked to create an insert set similar to Bunt’s original Fired Up series or the Lightning Series, which both had low card counts for the collectors to chase.

Election Cards – Rodgers and Brady

Playability: 
Collectability: Extreme

This was an interesting program, no doubt about it. Which ever card sells out first gets the gold, and so far, I saw some people that were looking to pick them up. The cards look awesome, but the high count in a game like Huddle has become will make them less valuable over time. 1000 cards is a lot.

Chrome Set

Man, these are sharp looking cards. For physical cards, Chrome is king. There is no better set that Topps makes. For Huddle, they did what they could to make HS cards work, and they turned out awesome. Looks like they are going to be tough pulls, but worth chasing in my opinion.

Verdict: BUY!

All Purpose Set

Not a huge fan of these cards, or the theme. I dont think the design is all that ugly, but it just doesnt get me going the way Chrome or Finest did. Of course, there are only so many ideas, and I have to understand that there will be sets like this that come along.

Verdict: SELL!

Allen and Ginter Set

We all love Ginter in physical cards, and in Bunt they were also crazy popular. In football, they are trying something different, just making them extremely rare pulls that dont have card counts. So far, its creating some interest, but Im not seeing it like I have with the boosts. Cool cards though. The rarity of this set will make it work well.

Verdict: BUY!

I have written about this subject many times before, but after the recent awards went out, its clear that Huddle is still a bit green on what VIP means. Im going to do my best to break down what we know, and comment a bit on the more gray areas of the program.

Program Background

This game has always had a pay to play element involved. That should be apparent, going back a long way to showcase how far one can go when you spend real money. After the first month of 2014 Bunt, a VIP program was announced to give support to the people who help provide the cash flow needed to run/maintain/improve the app. This program made its first appearance in Huddle last month, and I would expect it to ramp up exponentially as the season moves on.

Bottom line, if you spend a lot of real money, this program is for you. If you are a free to play fan, no problem, you wont miss a WHOLE lot.

Program Perks

Each level of VIP has its perks, all of which include a weekly coin bonus and a special reward card. Other items include better email support, and more access to special packs that are only available to people who have crossed each level. Again, none of these things are going to win you a weekly chase, but they dont hurt either.

The perk that really means the most is the weekly coin bonus, which can range from 60k+ for gold, all the way up to a million per week. You may think this is a windfall of riches, but remember how much money many are spending to get to this point. For the black and diamond members, it might be a drop in the bucket.

I fully support this program as it is always a good idea in business to help out your best customers. Apps are crazy expensive to build and run, especially with licensing involved, so you need this money to make it work. Free players can complain until they are hoarse, but in the grand scheme of things, Huddle cant exist without the people who spend the money they do. Losing these players with a lack of appreciate is bad for everyone.

This month, we also see that each level will get a reward card. Last month, the Gold VIPs got a Peyton Manning Valor insert, the Black VIPs got the Manning and a Julio Jones BB, and the Diamond got Manning, Julio and their own choice of a diamond VIP card. I would guess that with the BBs ending, there will be a special blue or higher card for the Black VIPs this month, but you never know. Im not going by what the article says this time around.

Achieving the Levels

No one knows exactly how much it takes to reach each level each month, and it might not be a set number either. Its not worth asking, because its one of those sales tactics. Topps hiding the goals means that more people will spend, but it can be a double edged sword.

What I have come to understand is that the monthly coin bonus should equal a minimum of 20-25% of what you spend in game. So, if the bonus is 250,000 over the month for the gold membership, you are going to need to purchase the eqvuivalent of close to a million coins or more. A million coins costs about 100 bucks, so as long as you spend that much, I would be shocked if you didnt end up as gold.

Some of you might be thinking – MY GOD THAT IS A TON OF MONEY! It is a lot, but for many people, this game is a fun hobby and the money isnt much, or its a business venture that can be recouped by selling cards on the secondary market.

Overall, the VIP program is a good thing. It is a very good thing. I encourage you to ask questions if you have them, but the information may not always be available to answer it.

Its crazy how things can change so much over such a short time in the NFL, and now that we are about to embark on week 9, its time to walk through some of the best of the best from the first half of the season.

Huddle MVP – Demarco Murray

Yes, this should not come as any surprise, but Murray is a beast this year. I said in 2012 to my friends that the running back position would never again win the MVP, and I might be wrong. The NFL is a passing league, and rule changes are taking it to a new level. For whatever reason, the Cowboys are content with running Murray until his legs fall off, and that isnt a bad idea when you see their offensive line. His point totals each week are insane, and its all because of his massive yardage. Now if only he could pair it will some comparable TDs, and we would be golden.

Huddle Defensive MVP – JJ Watt

This man has 3 TDs on the year to match his 7 sacks. Yes, one of the TDs was a pass from Fitzpatrick, but holy crap regardless. Watt is slowly becoming one of the most dynamic players in the league, which is saying a lot considering that he is on a Houston team which has only managed 4 wins so far. Huddle doesnt lend itself as well to defense, mainly because Red Zone channel runs on offensive scoring. If you are a Texans fan who watches every game, you have played Watt all day.

Huddle Card You Must Play Every Drive He Has – Peyton Manning

Again, no surprise, as somehow Manning continues to turn back the clock on a weekly basis and throw 300 more yards with 3 more TDs. You just cannot deny that he is likely going to end up as one of the greatest QBs to ever play the game. The title would have already been put on his shoulders had he won two more rings, but that doesnt mean this isnt his year. His point totals have been amazing, and being in the afternoon games makes him the guy you must have.

Huddle Single Game Performance of the First Half – Ben Roethlisberger

I am not a Big Ben fan. I dont like him on the field or off the field, but that doesnt take away from his 500 yard, 5 TD performance last week. To put up those kind of numbers happens once in a career, and he has figured out how to do it twice. Bravo.

Biggest Surprise of the First Half – TY Hilton

I think TY Hilton has always had potential, but I dont think anyone expected him to lead the league in receiving. The Colts have played out of their mind, mostly thanks to Luck – but he wouldnt be there without having a guy like Hilton to throw to.

Biggest Disappointment of the First Half – Jay Cutler

This is the topic du jour on every NFL talking head show, and no one can figure out what is going on with the Bears. What people dont get is that their defense isnt all that great, and it puts too much pressure on the offense to perform. That being said, when you have Marshall, Jeffrey, Forte and Cutler, you shouldnt have an issue. Well, they are not doing well, and its clear that Cutler is the goat.

Chris Johnson Memorial Huddle Ghost Award – Johnny Manziel

If you are trying to find Johnny Manziel on the field so far, good luck. He has been a ghost on the field, despite huge hype – not anything that is really his fault. Hoyer is playing well, and its clear that Johnny’s time on the bench may extend into the start of next year. Hoyer isnt going to come back, but that doesnt mean much for his cards this year. Really unfortunate, because a lot of people are wondering if he can play or not. If the Browns drop off, he may get a shot, but its looking more and more unlikely by the day.

Im interested to see if I am way off on some of these awards, who are your Best of Huddle so far?