Doubts

[violetmind]

Newer players like myself definitely need some advice from veterans. Hope you can share your experience.

There are numerous threads on topics about bidding wars, transfer frustrations, token buyers, conspiracy theories, etc. So how does a non-token buyer bid for AND get the player you need (without blowing all your tokens)?


1) Do not enter bidding wars - yes, absolute discipline needed. So what? Stop at one token, two, three? The moment you stop, you would have lost tokens without getting the player. For non-token buyers, this is absolutely critical. We only get one or maybe two tokens at max a day. Forget the health packs. We can't even get the players!


2) Find out the "best" time to enter the transfer market - there doesn't seem to be a quiet or best time. There is almost always somebody else (or groups of somebody else!) watching, waiting and wanting the same player you want. So many TE players across the world playing the game. When some are asleep, many others awake (and always lurking).


3) Go for most expensive players to reduce the demand pool - theory of those who wish to "price out" the market. The more expensive the player, less managers can afford to bid right? Wrong, there will always be token buyers (and hence richer managers) and there seems to be more and more each day. There will always be managers at higher level that can afford these "expensive" players at your level. You "scout" their team and see that they are not short of players. Why do they need a third or fourth player in that same position? You just want that one player in your team! How do you compete?


4) Go for cheaper, older players to reduce the demand pool - theory of those who wish to scrape by and just play the game with limited resources. Surely all the world-class-i-can-beat-them-all managers wouldn't need an old DMC/CD right?? Doesn't seem so. Can you imagine, there are still managers constantly sniping in auctions for over 30-year olds? Bids can go into 4 or 5 knockout rounds for what is seemingly average to below average players? Maybe to resell for profit? Maybe just for fun?


5) Be patient, you will get your players eventually - erm. Yup. Ok. Like when the season is going to end? or maybe I'll get told at the end of the season, be patient, why not try in the new season. Despite trying to be patient, observing other bidders, going for realistic targets, etc..........still wasted like 20+ tokens without getting a player.

Is it just my luck (or lack of!) being in a competitive server?

Hope to hear from you all! Thanks!

[SimplySimon]

1) Yes, set a limit, but if you have only one token save it because you are almost certain to lose it and this is the easiest way to waste tokens - even if you see no other bidders in the last 10 seconds be careful, because many people like to bid in the last second. Maybe set a three or four token limit. Sometimes you will lose of course, but better to lose 4 than 10 or more! Also, don't compete against many bidders, because you are more likely to lose and price goes up faster

2) I think most servers have a 'better' time. Mine is just after maintenance - always fewer bidders because most in Europe are asleep plus often people have bid before maintenance that aren't online to bid again. This gives two opportunities. People with low tokens might not bid because they see others already in the auction, but that person will not bid again. Also, I win some auctions by letting people think I am not there to bid again - tactic is this: bid with maybe 10-30 minutes left. Often a player will bid in the last seconds when they think I am not there to bid again, then I bid in the last second of round 1 to win the auction. Check other bidders to see where they are from and try to use to your advantage e.g. If I see an Asian bidder at this time, I know it's likely they will be around to keep bidding

3) The most expensive players have less competition as long as it is expensive for their quality level. E.g at Level 1 if a player has quality under 20 and value of over £1m then you have low competition, because wealthy managers can get better quality for the same price and will not be looking for this quality. But this player is often not good value if you have low tokens/money. Only buy if you can train and play them until their value and quality goes up and you could sell for profit later

4) Generally speaking, don't buy 30 year olds - they will not go up in value or quality so you lose cash and tokens and player will not improve. Sometimes you can break this rule, but it is a good rule! Let others have them. Players with multiple positions and especially ones with SA always attract more bidders, so if you have few tokens you might have to avoid these too. But older players, like around 27-28 can be very good buys

5) Start of the season is probably the hardest time to buy good players, competition is high from people who want to improve their squad. But this is for better players - competition is always lower for players who are not so good. After a week, it becomes a bit easier

I have a non-token team at Level 1 that is doing very well. I improved the squad and made lots of money by buying free transfer players at 3* quality who are close to 4*, then I could train up to 4* and either keep them or they are easier to sell at that level. People usually don't want to get 3* players even if they are free. Exception to this is when they are high value e.g I had to spend 7 tokens to get a 3* player who was free but value showed nearly £500k. If value is £100-200k, easy

I also bought a few players at high 4* without spending many tokens, usually low value slightly older players when there were lots of good, young 4* players on auction at the same time

Of course it is more difficult if you have a bad server for transfers - if there are only a few players on the list, competition will always be high

[violetmind]

Thanks for taking the time to share.

tactic is this: bid with maybe 10-30 minutes left. Often a player will bid in the last seconds when they think I am not there to bid again, then I bid in the last second of round 1 to win the auction. Check other bidders to see where they are from and try to use to your advantage e.g. If I see an Asian bidder at this time, I know it's likely they will be around to keep bidding

Seems like this tactic is well known and most people won't fall for it. See it happening a lot and there are numerous cases where I've seen multiple bids (maybe 2 or 3 in quick succession) from the same manager just before and just after the round ends. I think just to make sure they win and not fall prey to the tactic you mentioned.

[herdo]

Thanks for taking the time to share.




Seems like this tactic is well known and most people won't fall for it. See it happening a lot and there are numerous cases where I've seen multiple bids (maybe 2 or 3 in quick succession) from the same manager just before and just after the round ends. I think just to make sure they win and not fall prey to the tactic you mentioned.

Youd be surprised, i use it constantly and it works! How many people use top11 compared to those who read this forum, alot!

Good input btw SS

[Narf]

This tactic only works on lower levels, and by lower levels I mean up to 2nd. Or if you bid for an average/weak player. I used to be able to get players for 2 to 5 tokens, now it's hard to get one for 10.

[cracicot]

yes, at level 4 it rarely works now. I got most of my players this way, but now it is 10-20 tokens for each player as the quality is drying up and now everyone is trying to get them.

Nordeus must be behind in their yacht payments

[SimplySimon]

Narf and cracicot are right, the tactic works with inexperienced players. Also worth noting that if a player puts multiple bids in just before and just after the start/end of a round you can sometimes beat them because they are burning tokens (you only need one bid per round). I beat some players who make three bids at the end of, say, round 2 and I pinch it end of round 3

Another trick is to bid early for a few rounds, then after 3/4 bid right at the end when they think you have stopped bidding

All bidding 'tactics' are known by experienced players, but at low levels they will still work. I just assumed you were a lower level player and gave examples for that. I would say it works up to Level 3 bidders. Always the best players have highest competition so you may just have to aim lower and train up

[chakalat]

I think it all depends on the server in which are you.The smaller lvl have more active players and consequently more people in the transfer market,if in same server active players who are bigger lvl are not many there is an imbalance between supply and demand.

[violetmind]

So it sounds like at higher levels, buying scouts is the way to go for non-token buyers? Does the game award you more tokens per day than at lower levels? If not, we have to wait a couple of seasons before spending it all on one scout.

[magic3]

Does the game award you more tokens per day than at lower levels? If not, we have to wait a couple of seasons before spending it all on one scout.

It does not. Max is 35 per season for everyone..