NBA 2K20 has just launched and fans of the series are ecstatic! With improved gameplay and more content than ever before, long-time fans of the series could not be happier. But for those who have not had the pleasure of experiencing this series and are considering picking the latest title up, you will have your work cut out for you as the game isn’t just a simple, bare-bones basket simulation. It is an intricately designed game where a great deal is available to you, most notably the NBA 2K20 MyTeam Mode.
Fans familiar with the series would already be aware of it but for all the newcomers: it is a mode that allows players to craft their basketball dream team.
Through a virtual card collection, players can amass assets for their teams or get new characters for their meticulously crafted teams. The guide below will provide you with tips when you turn on the game and start up the MyTeam Mode.
NBA 2K20 MyTeam Mode
Firstly, anyone who’s pre-ordered the game will be rewarded 5k MT (You can use this to get players for your team) and those who have bought the Legend Edition will be given a whopping 50K MT and 100K VC (Virtual Currency) and will have access to the Auction House from the get-go, all of this will expedite your efforts in building your dream team tremendously.
Starting Packs
When you begin the MyTeam Mode, you’ll be given the option of picking a Starter Pack and getting 22 cards.
All cards belong to certain tiers (Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, Amethyst, Diamond, Pink Diamond, and Galaxy Opal) and these tiers represent how strong the player is but also how rare it is to actually attain it.
Your Starter Pack will have Emerald Tier cards, all of which can be leveled up to get to Sapphire, and then the Ruby Tier. Therefore, newcomers should definitely begin grinding straight away to get their deck on an upper-tier as soon as possible.
But that should not be your prime focus when starting off. Gaining 30 cards will give you access to the Auction House (a place where you can sell or bid on players).
This is different from the previous game in which you had to complete certain tasks in order to unlock the Auction House. Grinding away and getting 30 cards (made easier by the fact you already have 22 in possession) is a much simpler process.
It should also be noted that in the previous year, players would often have access to the Auction House but would be unable to play online matches; this does not seem to be the case this year.
Now, of course, you’ll want to earn as many prizes and assets as possible, gain new and strong players and generally be given access to everything.
The best course of action that can be recommended is for you to pick a certain game mode and stick to it! These modes, within MyTeam, include Domination, Triple Threat Online, and Triple Threat Offline.
Domination
In Domination, you play in various leagues, against many different teams and earn rewards by completely dominating the match. The advantage of this mode is that it’s the best way to earn Tokens.
The value of Tokens cannot be understated; by gaining 30 Tokens, you’ll be able to upgrade your Emerald Tier cards into Sapphire Tier cards, and the advantage of these upgraded cards is that they are essentially on the same level as a base Amethyst card.
Although a bit of a grind, the Tokens earned can help you gain access to higher tiers without the need for spending MT or VC.
You don’t have to get in a bidding war to get a good player, by spending time in Domination and gaining Tokens, you can craft your own stronger players!
Another advantage of Domination is that, as you progress through the mode, the rewards get better and better. You’ll be rewarded players, some of whom are worth their weight in gold; the type of card that a collector would definitely want.
However, here’s the catch: Domination games are long! It will take a fair bit of time and grinding to actually get anywhere in Domination. But there’s a silver lining – there have been improvements since last year.
The way Domination works is that there are 3 stages, and the way to unlock the next stage is by gaining Stars. Previously, players had to gain 99 Stars in order to progress, but now that number’s been cut down to 1/3rd of that.
Players only need to get 33 Stars in order to get to the next stage.
Gaining Stars is now connected with the difficulty setting (difficulty could not be adjusted in previous games).
Playing against a team on the easy difficulty will earn you 1 star, playing on a higher difficulty will earn you 2 Stars, and playing on the highest difficulty and winning the match will earn you all 3 Stars.
Therefore, players have the option of playing 11 matches on the highest difficulty or playing 33 matches on the lowest difficulty.
Either way, a much simpler and less time-consuming method than before. Once you’ve reached Stage 2, rinse and repeat to get to Stage 3.
In previous games, players were rewarded with an Amethyst class player for getting through Stage 1, and a Diamond class player for completing Stage 2 – no longer the case.
But players are now offered the chance to get a Pink Diamond Shawn Kemp by gaining 99 Stars on Stage 3; this can be done by playing 33 games and getting 3 Stars each. A fair tradeoff, although some may find this too much of a hassle.
Understanding this, the developers have also offered players a chance to attain a Pink Diamond Jason Richardson (which can be taken to the level of Galaxy Opal); as a form of incentive, players will have to beat all 99 teams on Stage 3 to get this. Hopefully, players are ready to put in the work for this.
Triple Threat Online
In this mode, you play in teams of 3 against other teams composed in a similar fashion. These teams are being controlled by actual people, therefore there’s no difficulty adjustment – either they’re better or you are.
The prizes for this mode are dependent on many games you’ve won. Unlike the previous game, badges are no longer rewarded.
But if anyone’s looking for a reason to try this mode out, then they need not look further than the reward offered for winning 1000 matches: a Galaxy Opal Dominique Wilkins! Any player would be likely to have something this rare and this strong in their roster.
Some will look at these rewards listed and feel a bit disappointed. Such dubiousness can be understood as it’s a lot of work for what may seem like a very little reward.
However, like the year before, it is very much possible that the rewards will be upgraded in some time, meanwhile, it wouldn’t hurt to get in there and start winning matches!
Reward Packs are given to players who truly grind it out in this mode, however, the contents of this Pack are not known, so it’s a bit of a gamble, to say the least.
However, Jackpot Prizes are still a thing, therefore it’s very much worth the time and effort to get through this mode and earn as much as possible as expeditiously as possible.
One reason why it would be recommended to get into Triple Threat is that the matches are far shorter than Domination. With only 3 players on each side, the games are bound to be short and sweet.
Triple Threat Offline
Arguably the simplest of the 3. This mode is similar to the one above as it also features teams of 3, but you will not be facing off against other players, rather you’ll be part of a singleplayer campaign.
This one can be a bit more of a grind than Online but is arguably far easier than the former.
Winning a total of 50 games Offline will earn you several good players and many tokens, all of this can be done in just a few hours, if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, of course.
As you can see, there are a great many options for you to take advantage of. Pick one that best suits your playstyle or pick the one you feel will help precipitate the creation of your very own dream team!
What To Do With MT And CV
But let’s say you get your hands on a lot of MT and CV, what do you do with it? There are certain courses of actions that I would recommend:
Do not immediately spend it all! You’ll be tempted to go to the Auction House and get some rare cards or spending it all on packs, hoping and praying for something good to come out. But this tactic will not necessarily yield the best results.
The same can be said for any card that you have on you. Do not be willing to trade any card that you think isn’t worth much. The value of any one thing can diminish or increase, depending on supply and demand.
Hold onto your CV and MT, the value of certain cards may go up the longer you hold onto them, likewise, other cards may reduce in value, thus you’ll be able to get the cards you want for much cheaper.
If it seems that the value of a certain card is going up, play it strategically and trade it for when you think the value is at its highest. Consequently, sell anything that has depreciated too much in value.
It’s all about balance and restraint!
Final Thoughts and Tips
Here are just a few extra tips that I feel will benefit you on your basketball career:
You get daily rewards for every time you log in, and logging in 7 days in a row will earn you a Free Spin (and if you’re lucky you might just end up getting something truly worthwhile). Even if you’re not willing to play, merely logging in will be good enough.
When starting out, look for players that are available for little in the Auction House. Use the tokens you’ve earned to level them up.
Token Mania is something that will benefit you greatly. In MyTeam, you can complete daily tasks that will earn you certain bonuses. These tasks can’t be described as being arduous so this is a quick and easy way for players around the world to gain something extra!
Don’t try to create the best possible team on the outset. Work to your strengths and try to form a team that compliments each other as opposed to filling a team with strong individual players.
Gain as much CV as you can so you can buy individual cards as opposed to buying packs which may or may not have something worthwhile in them.
Buying packs, however, has the advantage of letting you get duplicate cards – you can sell them without feeling like you’ve sacrificed something.
You can also use these duplicates to create a secondary roster in case the contracts for any one of your cards expires.
The Spotlight Dwayne Wade Challenges are available to you from the get-go. Completing those will earn you a Diamond Dwayne Wade. A fitting reward for a series of tough challenges recommended for anyone looking for a hard but rewarding time.
This cannot be stated enough but the best possible option for Day 1 is to focus on getting Tokens as oppose to getting good players.
You’ll have plenty of opportunities to get the cards you want later further down the line, but getting Tokens now is the easiest and the least tiring way forward.
That’s it! A lot to take in, I’m sure, but believe me when I say that all of this will help you immeasurably in getting ahead of the competition and reaching the zenith. So, grab those balls and start grinding because your dream team is waiting for you!
