too much pay to win

[Polotoed]

I agree with Tzzz. Most top associations have teams in the ranges of 100%-140%. As a free-to-play player you can easily make a killer team at 120%+ with high white skills that performs far above its average % level. Of course, 2nd abilties through the paid special sponsor are a limitation, but stats are so much more important than special abilities. The most important thing is to find fast trainers on the market, as that will save you hundreds of greens down the road. (to check if a FT or not: 6x a "very hard" drill. The player should consistently get 2 points, never 1. If he rarely even gets 3 points, pop a bottle of champagne and celebrate!)

But yeah, the pop-up deals and boost lab are complete jokes. They're not worth the money at all. I really like the special sponsor for 5 bucks a month and dont mind paying that at all.