HUT Squad Battles Strategy & Advice

I love Squads and the main reason I'm a return customer and plan on being one as long as this mode exists. 

Since I get skunked online most of the time this is the only way a sub-par player can really build a team. It took me a year or so to be able to max out on Superstar but now that's the only difficulty I play in any mode. I'll dial it down from time to time to complete a Daily/Weekly Objective but I target 20-25 games a week and generally nab Elite 1 if I can get to my target games played. 

I always 'scout' the lineup I'm playing but don't just focus on the OVR. Size & Strength is king in this game and what you should be looking for. Just because a card is a 79 dosen't mean they can't bang and hold you on the boards or move you from the front of the net. I also want to see where the G might be the weakest and focus my shots there when possible. 

Since I'm only going for 20-25 games a week I don't replay too often unless I get a sweet opponent and lose an amazing game. I had one yesterday that was maxed out with X-factors and 6 or so synergies and lost a great 2-1 game. I replayed it not just to try to get a W but it was a sweet matchup and wanted that battle again (I did win it 5-1). 

Early in the year I target the lower rated teams but by this time of the season I'm only playing the higher rated teams that are closest to my OVR and/or teams with a bunch of synergies open. 

I recieved a great peice of advice last year and that was to hold on to rewards packs as long as you can. They don't expire and I go as long as I can before ripping them to try to pull the higher rated items that drop later in the season. 

I posted about the Featured Team last week and will second it here. Please bring back the extra rewards for beating the Featured ToW like sweaters and masks. And make it more of a themed team and not performance based. 

A win against a higher difficulty level gives more points than (win by 5 goals and 20+ shots total) at the level under. Which is logical and good. So higher level playing for the win is the way to go.

I go for slightly lower difficulty level against the top teams (93+) to avoid a narrow lost and having to replay to get points.

I don’t really look at lineups before game but sometimes after the first period I’ll look it up and adapt for the rest of game.

It plays a lot different than against human opponents, so you could/should have two different lineups, but not to change players, more to have adapted strategies against AI opponents, they play more like real hockey teams than human opponents.

But it is annoying that rewards are based on what other players do too… anyone who beats all 37 teams at Superstar should get top rewards (I’m not one of those). It’s frustrating to finish our games OFFLINE to be outclassed by someone else playing OFFLINE. Can something be not competitive please? So new players, expect that Wednesday afternoon you will go down the ranking at least one rank if not 3 or 4.

And can it be REALLY OFFLINE, to avoid getting disconnects in the middle of a third period and get a loss and have to replay the game please?

Please don't listen to Sleeves suggestions. 

I'm listening to Coffee & CHEL and he had the most awful idea for Squads...

How this person is seen as a 'insider' is beyond me.