Advanced equipment upgrades vs. Temporary boosts

What is the most efficient use of bonus tokens? This guide will try to explain which option is the most useful. Luckily we have a choice, some people like upgrading equipment, and some people like the temporary boost.

This page contains opinions which may or may not be accurate.

Contents 1 What does a Temporary Boost get you? 1.1 Why is it good? 1.2 Why is it bad? 2 What does Upgrading Advanced Equipment get you? 2.1 Why is it good? 2.2 Why is it bad? 2.3 AE Gear Upgrade Example 3 Cost Comparison Example 4 Comparison Example in SP's Long Term 5 In-depth Look 6 Upgrade Examples

What does a Temporary Boost get you?

If you use 4 Bonus tokens you a permanent +1 Skill Point and a temporary +5 bonus to any attribute for one non-playoff game.

Why is it good?

1. It gives you a +5 boost to any attribute for one game that might make a difference.
2. You receive a permanent +1 skill point to use anywhere, at any time.
3. You get to have an immediate update to your player.
4. If you train on intense for a full season and use the bonus tokens for the temporary boost you get +4 skill points, which is almost equal to one level.

Why is it bad?

1. The +5 temporary boost isn’t enough to matter much, and it doesn't work in the playoffs where you really could use it the most. Imagine 50 vs. 55 in an attribute, no big deal. How about 90 vs. 95. I’ll pass.
2. The +1 is great until you start to level a bit, once you're hitting places in your build where everything costs +3/+4 skill points to upgrade 1 attribute point, +1 is 33% or 25% of that. Barely noticeable IMO.
3. By using tokens this way you miss out on all the upgrade/extra SA's from AEQ.

What does Upgrading Advanced Equipment get you?

Every 8 Bonus tokens you can upgrade one piece of advanced equipment. This upgrade is a +1 to an attribute of your choice and an upgrade to the gear’s SA and/or +percent skill chance. Every upgrade the percent goes up by 2%. Every second upgrade the SA goes up by +1.

• When you first buy any piece of advanced equipment it is considered level 0.
• After your first upgrade it is considered level 1 (a player under level 8 can upgrade advanced equipment once, if they have 8 bonus tokens). Your first upgrade you will receive +1 to any attribute and +2% increase (if the item has a percent skill chance).
• Your next upgrade is at level 8, at this point you will receive +1 attribute, +1 SA and a +2% (if the item started with +SA or percent skill chance).

Why is it good?

1. AE gives you the ability to boost a SA for the price of a single upgrade.
2. You can store your tokens at a refund value of 100% on any piece of gear even if you don’t have your end game piece.
3. When you upgrade your gear you get + attributes, and +SAs and +percent (if the item has those things).
4. The cost of this gear is much less at higher levels then base gear. AEQ can be used to SAVE cash and take advantage of the small bonus as well.
5. AE Gear can be used to stack tokens so you can sell back and use temporary tokens if you need to boost say 10 games one season.

Why is it bad?

1. At the beginning when you get a piece of gear it’s probably crap compared to what you have now. A +2 attribute and +1 SA vs +5 in one item at level 32.
2. It takes a few seasons to make the gear better then the regular gear.
3. You have to shop to find a new piece, and only 3 show up at a time.
4. Players can go shopping many times over and not find a piece of equipment that is relevant to their position.

AE Gear Upgrade Example

• My first piece of gear (DE) purchased at level 24 was (+1 Shed Blocks SA, Break Block Chance +2%).
• After my first upgrade it is now level 1 (+1 speed, +1 Shed Blocks SA, Break Block Chance +4%).
• After my next upgrade it will be level 8 (+2 speed, +2 Shed Blocks SA, Break Block Chance +6%).
• At this point I will be level 32 and it will be comparable to my +5 speed gear.
• When the gear reaches the level 24 area it will be (+3 speed, +2 Shed Blocks SA, Break Block Chance +8%).

This was from a base midline piece I bought at level 24 (+1 Shed Blocks SA, Break Block Chance +2%). Assuming level 32 rolls I should be able to find a piece that is much much better. At this point it would make sense for me to sell the item back for 100% refund in tokens and upgrade the new piece.

Cost Comparison Example

L35 WR your standard +5 SPD EQ costs $263,000. If you find a +3 SPD item with a bonus to something...buy the item at a cost of $40-80k (or so depending on the "something") and upgrade it twice for $3,000 and you have a +5 SPD AE with the bonus upgraded.

Level 40 EQ cost $400k each so a total cost of $663,000/item. Now, for AEQ you could find a +4 item in your 40's. Upgrade it twice at a cost of $3k and you have your +6.

AEQ can be used to SAVE cash and take advantage of the small bonus as well.

Comparison Example in SP's Long Term

For Example, Lets say I have an elusive back. Lets say I get +Quick cut on my advanced equip. With CE and AE I would only need to raise Quick Cut to 6 to get the benefit of 10. (sure, it will take me 2.5 seasons to upgrade the equip, but we'll come back to that) Thats a saving of 18 SP. In the same 2.5 seasons, you'll have temp boosted 10 times. Now you are talking 18 SP saved VS 10 SP gained. This also ignored the chance that the equip is +attribute + Special Ability. You could be talking about a 20 or 30 SP advantage in a few seasons.

I suppose there's something to be said for having a long vs. short term orientation in GLB, but I think that the +1 SP boosts are very shortsighted at this point.

In-depth Look

• 1 game day = 2 training points.
  
• 5 training points = 1 bonus token.
  
• 10 game days = 20 training points = 4 bonus tokens
  
• 20 game days = 40 training points = 8 bonus tokens
  
• 40 game days = 80 training points = 16 bonus tokens
  

So during one season of intense training you can do 2 equipment upgrades or 4 temporary bonuses.

Upgrade Examples

Here’s what you’re looking at starting with a base level 0 piece of gear bought at level 24.

Formatting:

• Base item.
  • After 1 season of upgrades (16 bonus tokens total): Level 0 to Level 8.
    • After 2 seasons of upgrades (32 bonus tokens total): Level 8 to Level 24.
      

• +1 Shed Blocks SA, Break Block Chance +2%
  • +2 Speed, +2 Shed Blocks SA, Break Block Chance +6%
    • +4 Speed, +3 Shed Blocks SA, Break Block Chance +10%
      

• +3 Jumping, +3% Force Fumble Chance
  • +5 Jumping, +7% Force Fumble Chance
    • +7 Jumping, +11% Force Fumble Chance
      

• +1 Pass Block SA, Hold Block Chance +2%
  • +2 Blocking, +2 Pass Block SA, Hold Block Chance +6%
    • +4 Blocking, +3 Pass Block SA, Hold Block Chance +10%
      

• +3 Speed, +1 Blitz SA
  • +5 Speed, +2 Blitz SA
    • +7 Speed, +3 Blitz SA