Steem Monsters - Power Strategy Tips #1

As I have now been playing Steem Monsters for nearly two months, and have wanted to contribute something of ACTIONABLE value to my fellow players (and future players) - but NOT fill my Steemit feed with daily images of quest rewards, after some serious pondering, I have decided that a weekly "Steem Monster Player Strategy" type post, with CONCISE and ACTIONABLE tips would be of most value to my audience. Please let me know your thoughts (good and/or bad), and I hopre that readers (now and into the future) will benefit from this series. Also, feel free to hit me up on the battlefield...

@transcript-junky

I will just throw these out in quick numbered/bullet points...

1. It's all about pacing. I have found that I both enjoy the game, and achieve more success by pacing myself. Playing matches as a reward for other computer work is a very healthy tactic - especially if your main work is done on the computer. Reward yourself with one or two battles, and a read of one or two quick posts on the #steemmonsters tag for every hour of work you do, and you will see consistent progress WITHOUT the boredom, frustration, and exhaustion of playing straight runs of the game.

2. Since there is no (or not yet) a direct chat/messaging function in the game, the #steemmonsters tag on Steemit provides ENOUGH feedback from other players to be both informative AND prevent you from feeling like you are playing in isolation :

https://steemit.com/created/steemmonsters

1. I STRONGLY suggest that players keep a healthy reserve of Steem on hand at all times, so as to be able to level-up cards as you see appropriate. Leveling-up and buying new cards, STRATEGICALLY, is one of main fun parts of the game. As my overall crypto investment strategy is to gradually sell my BTC roughly quarterly (every three months) until I am down to 1.0 BTC (the "magic number") I took advantage of the excellent price differential between BTC and Steem last month, sold .5 BTC and got a whopping 700 Steem. I have been gradually spending/investing that 700 to (primarily) level up cards in a strategic manner. This is IN COMBINATION with the quest rewards, and a "lucky draw" purchase of one booster pack per week. This has been working VERY well for me. It keeps the game interesting on additional levels, and also helps make my crypto WORK for me, instead of just sitting around watching the prices of BTC and Steem go up and down with ZERO control on my end. The next sell I will do (likely in 2.5 months) is .6 BCH, which I got as a result of the hard fork in 2017 - so it's absolutely FREE MONEY. I will then unleash the gaming power of the Steem bought with that .6 BCH. In addition, with the tournaments now rolling out there will be the ability to earn SBD/Steem so that I don't have to sell as much BTC/BCH/etc. as often, or in such large quantities. I think this is a winning formula.

2. I have found it IDEAL to build up my strongest teams, with the most flexibility/range of mana valued cards, and then during quests I use the stronger teams as the "workhorse" to prevent the less strong splinters (which I like to play to build up and get experience - but can always bail out of with the "new quest" feature) from causing a demoralizing loss of points. In this way you can increase your chance of ascending the levels, finishing quests and getting reward cards, and gaining experience in ALL of the splinters while also minimizing potential for loss of points, levels, and reward cards.

3. Focusing your daily effort/time/energy MAINLY on completing the daily quests is an effective control mechanism to help avoid overdoing your amount of playing (i.e. SM addiction). It keeps you consistently playing, learning, and building your arsenal of cards in a healthy, enjoyable manner, and pace.

4. Remember that purchasing new cards, and leveling up, is an INVESTMENT - NOT a LOSS of value (assuming the value of the cards goes up over time). Don't be afraid/hesitant to FORK OVER some Steem/SBD to expand your STASH. The likelihood is that Steem?SBD used to buy SteemMonster cards will appreciate in value MORE than the underlying Steem/SBD itself! Sometimes it's hard to keep this simple fact in mind.

I hope you find some/any of these tips useful in increasing your understanding and/or skill level in the game. All comments welcomed.