Power Pros Forum
https://www.mlbppworld.com/

Shadow Pitching Strategy (For Gamblers)
https://www.mlbppworld.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=101
Page 1 of 5

Author:  odawali [ Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:08 am ]
Post subject:  Shadow Pitching Strategy (For Gamblers)

I posted about this in the Intimidator/Gd Delivery thread but I thought since it was a general strategy for pitchers it deserves its own thread. I'm not the one who came up with this, I only read about it on the Gamespot forums and fell in love with it after trying it out.

Generally speaking, you can save a lot of points by gambling for velocity or breaking ball levels, but you end up paying the full amount for most of your stamina and control upgrades. I like to think of it as "stuff" vs fundamentals - You can upgrade pitcher's "stuff" through gambling but the only way to improve stamina and control are spending more points on them.

The approach this strategy takes is to get the "stuff" upgrades part over quickly, so that you have more turns and exp points to spend on your fundamentals. Gambling every turn for either velocity or movement is good, but using the method shown here you get to gamble for both velocity and movement on every turn during a certain stretch of your schedule. This way you acquire velocity and movement twice as fast, thus enabling you to spend more turns boosting stamina and control. Pretty astonishing when you think of it in numbers: It only takes 15 turns to go from an 80mph 1CHG scrub to a 95mph 7CHG 5CB 4SLD ace. Isn't that great? Once you set aside 15-20 turns (approx 4-5 months in game time) for boosting your "stuff", you can allot the rest of your entire college life to dating, working and boosting your other stats!

The specifics are that you keep doing Shadow Pitching (+4 strength +12 technique +4 breaking ball) every turn during a certain stretch of your schedule. The Recovery Necklace is helpful but I assume if you're a Gambler you already knew that. Anyway the important thing is this: as long as the required tech points for a +1 mph velocity upgrade stay below what you get from the Shadow Pitching training, you can spend your strength and tech points to first gamble for +1 mph, then use the remainder of your tech points with the breaking ball points to gamble for +1 movement.

The cost of upgrading velocity will increase gradually, but so will the amount of technique points you gain from Shadow Pitching, as long as you don't rest or practice something else. That's how you can sustain this run for as long as necessary.

Since Shadow Pitching won't give you any mentality points, you need to stock up on those (for gambling on the breaking ball upgrades) before you begin. Also, during this run you won't have any extra strength points to spend on stamina, so it's recommended that you already have sufficient stamina before proceeding.

Considering these two points, it seems to work best if you work the Shadow Pitching run into your second year, after focusing on strength training in your first year (which will give you stamina, and also load you up with mentality points). Needless to say it helps to have a Gambler's Ring, another reason why you should do it in your second year (assuming you get the ring via Annie's Surprise Bag).

Example Player: 105mph C188 S196 7/7/4/4 with Intimidator and high fielder stats
Image
(PS2)

Author:  The-F [ Fri Feb 15, 2008 7:02 pm ]
Post subject: 

I'm trying your strategy now and so far it's been great. It's fourth week of June after I got my championship ring and my guy has 97 mph, 139 C, 149 S, 7/7/7. He only has recovery 4 and I got a secrets of pitching book I haven't used yet.

Author:  odawali [ Fri Feb 15, 2008 7:27 pm ]
Post subject: 

Glad to hear that.

BTW another beauty of doing it in your second year is that you get to save the bulk of your Throwing/Racket training till after you will have reached Bookworm Lv4 via the mind training necklace (this should occur some time during the second year while you're doing the Shadow Pitching Run).

Then when you are about to switch to Throwing/Racket training you can study once to intensify strength training and make them even more efficient.

If you do it the other way around, and save the Shadow Pitching Run for the third year, you'll have to do some Throwing/Racket training in the second year before they are intensified.

Author:  Marvin Card [ Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:46 pm ]
Post subject: 

odawali,

Have you tried this yet with a closer or middle reliever character that doesn't really need a stamina high than a C? Would this theoretically free up other points to use for other gambling type upgrades for stuff? You could have the Fastball and maybe an extra upgrade or two on breaking balls.

Author:  The-F [ Fri Feb 15, 2008 10:53 pm ]
Post subject: 

The way my pitcher is working out, if you made a reliever he would have all the blue abilities, 3 or 4 level 7 breaking balls and 105 mph fastball, and A control.

Author:  odawali [ Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:04 pm ]
Post subject: 

Marvin Card wrote:
Would this theoretically free up other points to use for other gambling type upgrades for stuff? You could have the Fastball and maybe an extra upgrade or two on breaking balls.


Yes, if you practice for breaking ball points instead of strength during the rest of your schedule and gamble for movement on every turn, you could probably get a ridiculous amount of movement on your pitches.

Why don't you try it and post the results here?

Author:  odawali [ Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:49 am ]
Post subject: 

Extra tip:

Don't think about upgrading the 2SFB during the Shadow Pitching Run as you'll probably exhaust all your mentality point reserves doing that.

Instead dedicate 2 turns at the beginning of your Success mode right after Bison's shop comes by for the first time. Buy three gamblers tix and use the first one to immediately gamble for 2SFB Lv1. You should have some points to spend that you earned on some key events prior to that (like Becky joining your team in November). Practice Squeezing, then gamble again for Lv2 on the points you just earned. Repeat for a third time and get it up to Lv3.

This way you don't have to worry about spending too many mentality points on 2SFB upgrades. The same thing applies for any special abilities heavy on mentality points. Gamble on them early or else you risk running out of mentality points at the end when you're upgrading control.

Author:  J-Gao [ Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:04 pm ]
Post subject: 

How does this work it in terms of Control and Stamina - doesn't seem like there's much left for those two stats?

Also, how do keep the tech points required for the top speed below the amount received - do you need to get the champ ring and/or focus stone first?

Where do the mentality points come from - I always find myself short on those?

I think this is best for a reliever - and getting a surprise bag before Christmas would make it even better (room-cleaning).

What practice do you usually do before a gambling ring is acquired - before Christmas?

Author:  The-F [ Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:28 pm ]
Post subject: 

For a starting pitcher, all you do first year is stamina training. That gives you plenty of mentality points. Plus playing the games should give you 100+. You have to have a good sense guy to keep the tech points required low, but for when you are at 95+ mph it still isn't enough. That is why you do it in your second year after you get the gambler's ring. Use any spare points on technique. If you have more technique points than the requirement for control, use them.

Author:  odawali [ Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:12 pm ]
Post subject: 

Yeah, you're right. I just found out during my last player you couldn't do it indefinitely :P The tech point bonus for Shadow Pitching tops out after a while, so even with Gd Sense, both Focus Stones the Champion Ring and the Chocolate Sponge Cake, you won't be able to do it past 96mph.

Author:  odawali [ Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:18 pm ]
Post subject: 

J-Gao wrote:
How does this work it in terms of Control and Stamina - doesn't seem like there's much left for those two stats?

Also, how do keep the tech points required for the top speed below the amount received - do you need to get the champ ring and/or focus stone first?

Where do the mentality points come from - I always find myself short on those?

I think this is best for a reliever - and getting a surprise bag before Christmas would make it even better (room-cleaning).

What practice do you usually do before a gambling ring is acquired - before Christmas?


No, there's plenty left - actually since you're boosting your "stuff" twice as fast this leaves more time to focus on other stats like control stamina and even fielding. So it's actually even more suited for starters.

You got my log for J.C. Denton right? The exact schedule, every move, every upgrade/gamble, every thought I had during his creation should be detailed there.

For mentality points: 1) I make sure to gamble on the 2SFB, other abilities that cost a lot of mentality points earlier on, before they start building up 2) Buy both Concentration Earplugs 3) Good Sense

Author:  J-Gao [ Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:24 pm ]
Post subject: 

Yeah, I'm just starting to read it.

What's the Autographed ball do?

and, how long did this take you with all the S/L'ing?

Author:  odawali [ Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:14 pm ]
Post subject: 

J-Gao wrote:
What's the Autographed ball do?


You use it to gain Groundball P.

J-Gao wrote:
and, how long did this take you with all the S/L'ing?


I did it over the course of two days but I think it took that long moreso because I spent time writing everything down.

Author:  MaxDSterling [ Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:08 pm ]
Post subject: 

Motion to sticky~

Author:  DarkShade [ Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:48 am ]
Post subject: 

Yeah I'd say this is sticky material.

Page 1 of 5 All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/