[Guide] For Returning Soccer Spirits Players™

[Guide] For Returning Soccer Spirits Players™
(Updated 6th March 2019)


Period that this guide covers: 5th July 2017 update till 6th March 2019 update

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Latest Unique Balancing (12th Dec 2018): 

soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/808/december-update-patch-soccer-spirits

Latest Legend (Garriot) Balancing Part 1 + Mid-Sized Patch (26th Feb 2019):

soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/826/february-sized-patch-soccer-spirits

Latest Legend (Choi, Bell, Duke, Ein, Raphaela, Cypher) Balancing Part 2 (6th March 2019): 

soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/828/march-legend-balancing-soccer-spirits

*A list of game changes, from 5th July 2017 update till 6th March 2019 update, is included at the very bottom of this guide.

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Classification of Returning Players

First of all, different groups of returning players, have different priorities and thus, there will be different recommended paths for you.

Below are 3 groups of returning players that you could possibly belong to, prior to taking a break:

• Endgame player (Galaxy League, CoT 50, High CoD)
• 
  
• Intermediate player (Champions League, CoT 35+, ~CoD 40+)
  
  
• Newbie player (Diamond League & below, CoT 35 & below, CoD 40 and below)

Out of above 3 groups, there is a further 3 groups of classification:

• Whale (Pay a lot to play)
  
  
• Casual spender 
  
  
• Free-to-play (F2P)

Based on the different groups, there will be different recommendations on what you should do next, as you decide to return to this game.

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What to do next?

Regardless of which group you belong to, below are the things you should focus on, immediately upon return.

• +160 ALL of your key PvE and PvP players!
  
  This relates to one of the major change for the game, during the May 2018 Major Patch.
  
  It was not announced in the patch but I've included it in the list of changes at the very bottom.
  
  
  • Basically, gold guerilla matches now give 100% swirlies as drops.
    
    When it happened, I wasn't sure if it was permanent so I spammed those matches and +160 most of my players.
    Initially, I even thought it could have been a bug.
    
  
  Now most of my players (~130+) are +160; before which, I only had ~30 +160 players as someone who had played for 4 years+.
  The method that you should do it is, with x2 gold booster (CAP=5 monthly). Don't rush it since you know it's permanent now.
  Just make sure to buy with crystals and use the 5 monthly x2 gold boosters (6h) to farm gold guerilla/weekend gold matches & +160 your key players.
  
• Find a good club that completes ALL club missions. Example: Club Apocalypse (Global) 
  A club that completes ALL club missions will allow you to get ALL suit-related items on the personal club scout. 
  
  Participation in club matches won't be needed but if you are concerned that you do not get enough points, you can participate in one or two club matches.
  Club match works in the way now that even losing netts you 40 personal club scout points.
  Participating in club match only takes a click of a button (30 seconds at most). 
  
  
• Make sure to do PvP to activate Planet League for the next week.
  Try to get to at least Champions League FAST so that your planet league will be at the highest tier.
  
  Only the highest tier (1st Division) gives advanced potential seeds that you equip on your players.
  All the lower ranked potential seeds are sold to upgrade emblem.
  
  
• Collect all the legendary/superb bosses that come your way, that you might have missed, while on your break.
  
  
• Expand your manager deck slot (10 max), lodging/spirit stone storage (600 max), separate storage (300/300 max) to maximum. 
  
  *Recommended for whales, casual spenders, endgame players.
  
  

Free-to-play (F2P) & Newbie/Intermediate Returning Players prior to taking a break

• Your mentality should be to work hard and to continue to build your card depth and try to catch up with the game.
  
  
• Your #1 priority is to work your way up to CoT 50 asap, PvE first. This will allow you to farm DS for legends (very important).
  
  The current iteration of Colosseum of Trials (CoT) can be done without LUQs, legends.
  
  Link to latest CoT guide: old.reddit.com/r/soccerspirits/comments/a5dwfy/all_5x_trials_from_latest_cot_without_owning/
  
  (I'll link it to the latest one soon; which is written by me with videos)
  
  CoT is your main DS source to farm legends. 
  
  You can get one legend around every 2 months if you are able to clear CoT 50 + DS from other sources.
  
  
• Do dimension bosses (recommended to at least clear level >31 DB) to sell the spirit stones obtained for spirit cores.
  
  Make sure to get all the 20 spirit cores every month.
  
  Make sure to check out the LUQ design guide to make the right LUQ. (Do not make any mistake on this!)
  
  Link: soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/763/guide-apocalypse-legendary-unique-tier

• Galaxy Live / Planet League 
  
  Go with the flow for now; obtain minimum participation.
  
  Doing one match of galaxy live per season will nett you 3 soccer ball skins (Personally, I only do one galaxy live match per season).
  
  Same for planet league, just participate and get as much rewards as you can. 
  
  
• CoD/CoI
  
  If you are new/intermediate player and is willing to play hard, do your highest CoD/CoI floors every week.
  
  
• PvP
  
  Make sure to do your highest PvP every season and when you are stuck, use the battle balls to farm arena for GP and gold.
  
  
• ST usage
  
  Gold - do gold guerilla matches
  
  GP & Gold - do boss minions matches; less gold but provides a gp source
  
  GP - do story mode 1-1
  
  Recommendation is to go for gold if you need uniques, else boss minion matches for a balanced source of gp & gold.
  Do the 6 ST minion match.
  
  
• GP usage
  
  Make sure to try to get 50% total ST reduction managers; will be very helpful.

For this group of players, you definitely will feel that Soccer Spirits will take up a lot of your time since there are a lot to do.
For endgame F2P players, they've done the same to reach where they are now. 
Hence, work hard and you will get there one day, with some luck!


Casual Spender & Intermediate/Endgame Players prior to taking a break

If you belong to this group of returning players, you should be willing to spend for the right package, for what you need, when it comes.

For example, a classic legendary package that cost 1/9 of what a classic legend usually costs etc.

• Your mentality should be to play smart and work towards what you need.
  
  
• Work towards the LUQs that you still lack or need.
  
  Check out the LUQ design guide, just to refamiliarize yourself before rushing any decisions.
  
  Link: soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/763/guide-apocalypse-legendary-unique-tier
  
  
• CoT 50 is still recommended, for DS to farm legends.
  
  
• Galaxy Live - do the minimum of 1 match per season for 3 soccer ball skins
  
  
• CoD / CoI - try to clear if you want; but eventually, you can chill on them if you like
  
  Personally, I haven't done CoD/CoI beyond what I can auto for the past 6 months and am doing fine; in fact, doing awesome since I don't tire myself out.
  
  
• PvP, try to get back to Galaxy League

• Planet League, try to get to 1st Division minimum for the (advanced) potential seeds.
  
  
• Auto your ST towards gold matches or minions matches, depending on what you want.
  

Whale & Endgame player (Galaxy League, CoT 50, High CoD) prior to taking a break

If you belong to this group of players, it's time to whale again. You should spend for:

• Potential seeds, Unique prism, Unique pick packages etc.
  
  
• Dimension stone (DS) packages OR try to draw Raphaela & Cypher (they will help you bulldoze everyone in PvP, except other whales)
  
  
• Make sure to participate in club missions and some club matches (if needed), for suits and powerup stones.
  
  Make sure to do your planet league for potential seeds (requires normal PvP Champions League minimum for highest tier planet league 1st Division)
  
  Make sure to do at least 1 galaxy live match per season for 3 soccer ball skins
  
  

• If you are interested in going to Korea for SS global world cup, prepare yourself to get to galaxy live #1 when the time comes.
  

• Try to get to Universe League for the profile badge if you like.
  

• CoD/CoI/CoT, you can ignore if you like.
  
  You can try them for a challenge once in a while.
  
  If you like the CoT rewards and don't find it too consuming, you can consider doing it for the yowu (APU material) at CoT 50.

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Current State of the Game


State of the Game (PvE)

It's generally good news for PvE. 

• CoD is all about OHKO now. Go OHKO or go home.
  
  
• CoT has been designed to be cleared without the use of LUQ or even legends, for the time that I started playing again, up to now.
  
  Link to latest CoT guide: old.reddit.com/r/soccerspirits/comments/a5dwfy/all_5x_trials_from_latest_cot_without_owning/
  
  
• CoI top 1% is generally doable at around ~60 clears. The strategy is mainly Serestia deaths > followed by OHKO.
  
  
• Superb/Legendary Bosses are now designed in this manner.
  
  New ones are designed such that they are so hard that even a veteran player would likely need to enervate to around 30%~40% enervation before he is able to clear it. (Prepare your crystals/save your inbox ST)
  
  Old/previously released superb bosses matches are usually designed such that you can OHKO them on first try.
  
  
• Dimension boss is generally designed such that you can beat them alone if you want to, for veteran players.
  
  The recommendation is to borrow a Cypher from your friend aces :D

State of the Game (PvP/Global)

For the 11 months+ that I've been back, I've seen the rise and fall of strikers, GK, as new power-creep legends are released.

Getting to Galaxy League in Global server is definitely going to be a CHALLENGE.

Expect nothing less.

• When I got back, Kirna was already nerfed to oblivion and Presty was on the rise again.
  Until Ein got released and Ein started rising in popularity till the release of Raphaela.
  With the Ein nerf (6th March 2019), Ein is literally obsolete and Raphaela is the lone top gk now.
  
  
• Striker-wise, Miri and Damien were still the king and queen when I got back.
  William was best known for his ability to deal with critical resistance GKs.
  Then Cypher was released and replaced Miri as the top striker, till Cypher nerf (6th March 2019).
  Miri returned to the top as PvE top striker while the battle for top PvP striker is still yet to be determined; will take a while more to observe Cypher post-nerf and how Miri does against Ein, post Ein nerf.
  
  
• Now, PvP is very straightforward. If you have Raphaela and Cypher, you can basically bulldoze everyone to reach Galaxy League in PvP.
  Miri struggles against Ein and Vonchi could do better. 
  The standard rainbow backline is still the Duran - Jiho - Hyang ran - Garriot/Elemental DR 
  
  
• Mono-Thunder is still dominating, especially after queen release; they can now form a mid-wall that is strong and sturdy, with many new critical resistance totem for Kirna, like Hildegard etc. 
  But you will need many LUQs to make an OP mono thunder team that's consistent.
  Afterall, reaching Galaxy league is all about consistency.
  
  
• Dual ace burst is rising in popularity, mainly Ein ace, Milena ace, Cypher ace, Queen ace etc. 
  Milena ace is for AB/action speed control strategy. 
  Mono-speed aces/penetration aces are also slightly popular.
  
  
• Rainbow aces are still dominated by Jiho, Felix aces.

Climbing PvP to Galaxy League (Global):

• Vonchi, Miri, Cypher, Damien, William, Leventor make up >80% of the strikers that you will see
  
  
• Presty, Raphaela, Ein, Kirna, Jin make up >85% of the goalkeepers that you will see.
  
  Mostly Ein/Presty/Kirna, Raphaela is growing slowly.
  
  
• Rainbow Legend-fest team makes up around 50% of the teams, followed by dual ace 20% (mainly due to Ein/Cypher/Milena aces), followed by mono-ace teams 20% (speed or penetration aces) with the 10% remaining weird ace teams.

It's definitely daunting, and scary to see more and more Raphaela & Cypher teams.
I am not going to hide anything from you because that is the actual thing that you will face, if you decide to climb to Galaxy League again or for the first time.
But the good news is, you can at least have a chance against such teams with some PvP strategy.

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What's new/What has changed? (Players' Balancing)


Latest Legend (Garriot) Balancing Part 1 + Mid-Sized Patch (26th Feb 2019):

soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/826/february-sized-patch-soccer-spirits

Latest Legend (Choi, Bell, Duke, Ein, Raphaela, Cypher) Balancing Part 2 (6th March 2019):

soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/828/march-legend-balancing-soccer-spirits

First of all, I would like to mention that the players' balancing changes listed, does not include all the player balancing changes.

It mainly includes the changes that I personally feel, are heartening OR heart-wrenching.

Basically, you can see that buffs to season 1 players' cards AND nerfs to broken, OP cards, are generally heartening.

However, this is subjective, just my personal perspective.




What's new/What has changed? (12th Dec. 2018 Uniques Balancing)

Link: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRPJKN24rHhuIRgkQShPDVb5MN9uyOBSLumnTV3AnG6-oPUKG8_ZicpgIAnkN2j2hdB5ly_M4B4jfHG/pubhtml#

From my personal opinion, the unique balancing has a few directions:

• Nerf damage uniques to maintain content balance due to emblem/potential seeds power-creep
  
  
• Buff under-used uniques
  

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Thanks for reading =)