One Year In - 100% F2P - A Recap

Tarheelmax

Today I have hit the 1 year mark in MPQ. I'm proud of where I have come in a year, especially with the fact that I am 100% F2P. I may spend some in the future because of the enjoyment I have gotten out of the game, but generally, my goal in this game has been to become a top player while spending nothing. It's not easy. Sometimes, I had to make tough choices. But one thing it's not, is the one thing I have seen it labeled as most often on these forums: Impossible.

Have I reached the end game yet? Nope. Would I honestly want to reach the end game in a single year playing for free? Honestly, not really, I like the longevity of the game. Am I happy with the progress I've made? Absolutely.

So maybe this is my guide to newer players that want to play for free (or for cheap). Maybe it's for those in one of the seemingly never ending transitions that need a reminder that it is not, in fact, impossible. Either way, hopefully it will be informative.

In the beginning...

You will (or did) make lots of mistakes. Forget about them. I'm pretty sure I bought two IM35 covers with HP in the first week. I spent a few months after that thinking "if I didn't buy those stupid covers, I would have an extra roster slot right now." And now? What is 150 HP in the grand scheme of things? Not much.

Forget the

to transition. Level up your 1s as much as necessary to stay competitive, but 2*s come quickly. Focus on them. I skipped the 1*s and I don't regret it. Caveat - Save that Juggs (not the jugs - Moonstone is a waste of a roster spot)

Save every 3* you can, but don't sell a developed 2* to house a one cover 3*.

Play PVE a lot. Keep track of your scores. Top 100 Alliances are always looking for new members. If you can give evidence that you can play at a high level, most won't care if you are relying on level 60 OBW/Thor/Storm.

Transition to 3 land...

Hopefully by this point, you can be in a top 100 pve, top 250 pvp alliance. Scoring was different back in the day for me in PVP during transition, but I was able to sneak inside of top 100 most of the time with my 2*s (Stormneto at the end, OBW/Ares for climbing and Defense). I generally joined at about 18 hours left as it was usually quiet and made a run at the end. I only used one 3 hour shield. This sped up the transition a lot. I was getting 5 covers from most PVEs (3 for top ten, one for alliance, one for progression) and 1 from each pvp.

Keep up the fight! Keep plugging away and before you know it, you will have some top tier 3*s and you can move them up to 130-140 together.

Near the end of this, you need to look to join a top 100 pvp alliance. They are all looking for new players. I'm in the MPQU family. We are always looking. The key is being consistent. If it's an 800 min alliance, that doesn't mean 1100 one time and 500 the next time (unless you tell the commanders when those 500 type scores will occur and they don't occur too often).

Don't waste Iso where you shouldn't. Top tier to 166, mid tier to 140, bottom tier to 120

Do this and you will find yourself where I am, smack in the middle of 4* transition. You may even progress faster now that there are more ways to get 4*s. Quick Glance at My Roster: 5*s: 2

surfers
1 Wolvie

4*s

HB: 5/3/5 - 210
XFW: 5/5/3 - 210

Other Fully covered (between 150 and 166): Elektra, Kingpin, PX, Star-Lord, Lthor

PVE Useful: Fury 3/3/5, Carnage 5/1/3, Ant Man 5/1/5, IW 5/3/2

6-8 covers: Thing, XFDP, JG, Cyc, MF, DD

Less: Iceman, Flaptain, Rulk, X-23

3*s are all covered optimally none below 120, most at or near where I want them leveled (top tier 166 / mid tier 140 / bottom tier 120-130).

I'm waiting on JG or Carnage or one of the other top PVP 4*s before taking anyone above 210.

Hopefully this has been helpful or entertaining.

LordXberk

Didn't realize you were 100% F2P, Tarheel. Makes your roster seem even more impressive and makes me envious. Nice job! Now go enjoy a GBS!

TxMoose

much respect tarheel. I'm about 1 week from my anni, I've put some $$ into it, and I'm still somewhat behind you. I wish I had jumped into a t100 pve alliance between my beginner alliance and a t100 pvp alliance - could have easily and it would have sped things up considerably.

moogles85

Great to meet another 100% F2P top player. I'm fully F2P too and you can see my roster in my signature (I've been hoarding all my tokens - at 46 legendary, 240 heroics - don't want any 5*s yet).

It's definitely quite achievable, but F2P is definitely quite time consuming - especially from the pve aspect.

The most useful tip would be getting yourself into a suitable alliance. Getting more hero points and more ISO for each event ending goes a long way. And do DDQ every day for the ISO.

OneLastGambit

As a 99% F2P player (did spend just enough to buy a roster slot once) it's nice to see other F2P's doing well and showing you don't have to spend money to succeed in the MPQniverse.

http://mpq.gamependium.com/rosters/OneLastGambit/

Unknown

Fully F2P 140 days in

Have sold OML just because my hands were itching to open 1 legendary token. Since then I have not opened any.
So I can say i am 1/1 for my 5* count

Great thread tarheel, and it also shows that complete F2P players can still succeed in the game. Grinding PVE has to be the way to go to develop your roster

Unknown

This have been very helpful, thanks!
I'm on my 112th day myself and I was looking for this kind of information, a progression guide over time.

This past season XX was the first that I dedicated myself to the best of my capabilities. Every PVP I got between 400 - 600 points, sometimes outside top 100 and sometimes top 50 or top 25. Hit 1500 on Shield Simulator but I dropped it when I hit HT cover and 4k on the season. Yet I'm still trying to understand the concepts of brackets, seeds and all that jazz.

My question is, how can I balance between PVP and PVE? Especially the "grinding every node until 1" and also play PVP, DDQ and Grow Industry? I mean, what was your schedule routine?

Quebbster

I decided to support the devs when the command points were introduced, but at that point I had already played the game for two years, so I think I owe them that much.

Salgy

great thread tarheel... i had no idea you were ftp... makes your achievements (and roster) all the more impressive!