Raven Hawk
06-16-2004, 06:41 PM
I noticed a couple of questions about this, so I decided to put together a little bit of an offseason training guide for newer players. The reason this is a draft is that I want some feedback on some of my recommendations. As a forward trainer, I know well what I need to do in the offseason, but I want some feedback from other trainers. My goal is to post this to the FAQ so that it can be used by all our HT younglings. Thanks for your help!
Raven Hawk's Offseason Training Guide
This subject tends to come up every season and there are always questions on it. Heck, I even question what I'm doing some of the time. However, I thought that I would take a moment to teach based off of my learnings.
The Golden Rule - If you played a qualifier and can benefit from getting 1 extra week of training for all of your trainees. Take it and don't look back. This is one of the decided advantages of playing the qualifier, even if you lose.
With the golden rule stated, you now need to base your training off of how many single-game weeks you are training. If you played a qualifier, you have only 1 single-game week to worry about. If you did not play a qualifier, you have 2 single-game weeks to worry about.
1 - One(1) Single-Game Week Training Programs
This first section will illuminate what training is available. Please read the descriptions to figure out which strategy best describes your team's goals/situation. There is no 'right' answer, but you can have your own preferences. Most importantly, try not to veer to far away from these recommendations. When push comes to shove, your primary training program (Playmaking, Keeper, Defender, Winger, Forward) should be your first concern.
For Playmaking Trainers
Option 1 - Stamina. This is pretty much the best option for you. Since midfield rating is so dependent on stamina, you need to get your trainees' stamina up to excellent.
Option 2 - Playmaking. Since the second single week puts your training into the new season, you may want to train PM. Why? Because that 17 y/o that you just bought this week has a chance at making the U20 team. Get him all the training you possibly can. Or you can train this if your trainees are all already at excellent stamina.
Option 3 - Set Pieces. Only for those teams that are not training a Nats player and has all of their PM trainees at excellent stamina. Not very common.
Option 4 - Passing. Only to be used if one of the above options does not work for you. Passing doesn't train as fast as set pieces, so if you train this every offseason, you may feel like your pounding sand. If you do train this, don't forget to use the 2-5-3 (not 3-5-2) with 3 IM's and 3 Forwards to maximize the number of players you are training.
Option 5 - Winger. I would advise against it, but some people want their wingers to get a little training. I would call this a waste of training, but you may want to do it if you think that you have a winger who's winger skill is about to pop.
For Keeper Trainers
Option 1 - Keeper. Since this skill trains faster than any of the other primary skills, it is good to keep training this, even if it is just one player.
Option 2 - Set Pieces. This skill is the only secondary that might boost the value of your keeper when you sell him. It trains extremely quickly and it trains everybody on your team.
Option 3 - Passing. Only to be used if one of the above options does not work for you. Passing doesn't train as fast as set pieces, so if you train this every offseason, you may feel like your pounding sand. If you do train this, don't forget to use the 2-5-3 (not 3-5-2) with 3 IM's and 3 Forwards to maximize the number of players you are training.
Option 4 - Stamina. Only if your IM's and wingers REALLY need it. You should be buying your IM's and wingers with solid or excellent stamina, so you shouldn't have to train this.
For Defense Trainers
Option 1 - Defense. Since defense trains more slowly than the other primaries, and since you can train 5 in 1 week, this becomes a good option. Run your 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 and get your 5 best/youngest trainees an extra week of training. Note that this week is a cup week, so don't use this method if you think it will cost you your cup match.
Option 2 - Set Pieces. As stated previous, this skill trains very fast and it trains everybody on your team. If you have a couple of players that you want to have better set pieces, go with it.
Option 3 - Passing. If your team can win its cup match playing the 2-5-3 with some defenders playing out of position to get the passing training, this might be an option. This is especially true if you are a counter attacking team that uses defenders with passing. Since defenders don't get passing training, any player you want to get training must play at Forward, IM or Winger.
Option 4 - Stamina. Only if your IM's and wingers REALLY need it. You should be buying your IM's and wingers with solid or excellent stamina, so you shouldn't have to train this.
For Winger Trainers
Option 1 - Stamina. Just like IM's, wingers need their stamina trained to maximize the midfield effectiveness. Unless your entire midfield is at excellent stamina, you should probably train this.
Option 2 - Winger. Did you get that 17 y/o stud? Train him.
Option 3 - Playmaking. A needed secondary for your wingers, this training will pay off in the end.
Option 4 - Passing. If your team can win its cup match playing the 2-5-3 with some wingers playing out of position to get the passing training, this might be an option, since passing is a valuable skill for wingers.
Option 5 - Set Pieces. It trains everybody and trains them fast. However, wingers need so many secondaries to be good, I would advise training a different secondary.
For Forward Trainers
Option 1 - Set Pieces. With new rules in 6.6 that incorporates scoring into a players set piece ability, forwards with high set pieces will be valuable, especially if they have technical specialties.
Option 2 - Scoring. Did you get that 17 y/o stud? Train him.
Option 3 - Passing. Forward trainers are well poised to train passing since they can win in the 2-5-3 formation, just like the PM trainers. Passing also the best secondary skill for forward trainers to have. The bad news is it takes forever to train.
Option 4 - Shooting. A hybrid of Set Pieces and Scoring. This may not be a bad alternative for a team that wants to train both, but only has one week to do it (i.e. played a qualifier). However, if you played a qualifier, you already trained scoring last week, may as well train Set Pieces this week.
Option 5 - Stamina. Only if your IM's and wingers REALLY need it. You should be buying your IM's and wingers with solid or excellent stamina, so you shouldn't have to train this.
2 Single-Game Week Training Programs
In this section, please note that these are the recommendations. See the above section to determine whether or not you want to train something.
For Playmaking Trainers
Stamina/Stamina - If you trainees need it, train it. Be careful of form drops.
Stamina/Playmaking - Train stamina first to give your team a week to recover form before the season starts.
Playmaking/Playmaking - Get those studs a couple extra weeks.
For Keeper Trainers
Keeper/Keeper - Get the extra training in while you can.
Keeper/Set Pieces - If you want to train SP, train Keeper first while your keeper is a younger age to maximize your keeper training. Reverse this if you are planning on buying a stud or two in the first week of the new season.
Stamina/Keeper - ONLY IF YOUR IM'S & WINGERS NEED IT. Stamina gets trained first to get an extra week of form recovery prior to the new season.
For Defender Trainers
Defense/Defense - Use the 5 defender formations to get a couple of extra weeks of training for your players.
Defense/Set Pieces - If you want to train SP, train Defense first while your defender is a younger age to maximize your defense training. Reverse this if you are planning on buying a stud or two in the first week of the new season.
Passing/Defense - If you're trying to get counter attack players. Train the passing first, since it will be hard for you to field an effective 2-5-3 team.
For Winger Trainers
Stamina/Stamina - If your trainees need it, train it. Be careful of form drops.
Stamina/Winger - Train stamina first to give your team a week to recover form before the season starts.
Winger/Winger - Get those studs a couple extra weeks.
Playmaking/Winger - Throw in a PM week to try to get a player to pop at PM.
For Forward Trainers
Set Pieces/Scoring - Boost your SP quickly and get a little extra cash for your players.
Scoring/Scoring - Get those studs a couple extra weeks.
Shooting/Scoring - Sacrifice a little scoring training to spread it across the whole team, gain some SP as well.
Passing/Scoring - Run a 2-5-3 in your friendly to prevent first round mishaps in the cup.
Raven Hawk's Offseason Training Guide
This subject tends to come up every season and there are always questions on it. Heck, I even question what I'm doing some of the time. However, I thought that I would take a moment to teach based off of my learnings.
The Golden Rule - If you played a qualifier and can benefit from getting 1 extra week of training for all of your trainees. Take it and don't look back. This is one of the decided advantages of playing the qualifier, even if you lose.
With the golden rule stated, you now need to base your training off of how many single-game weeks you are training. If you played a qualifier, you have only 1 single-game week to worry about. If you did not play a qualifier, you have 2 single-game weeks to worry about.
1 - One(1) Single-Game Week Training Programs
This first section will illuminate what training is available. Please read the descriptions to figure out which strategy best describes your team's goals/situation. There is no 'right' answer, but you can have your own preferences. Most importantly, try not to veer to far away from these recommendations. When push comes to shove, your primary training program (Playmaking, Keeper, Defender, Winger, Forward) should be your first concern.
For Playmaking Trainers
Option 1 - Stamina. This is pretty much the best option for you. Since midfield rating is so dependent on stamina, you need to get your trainees' stamina up to excellent.
Option 2 - Playmaking. Since the second single week puts your training into the new season, you may want to train PM. Why? Because that 17 y/o that you just bought this week has a chance at making the U20 team. Get him all the training you possibly can. Or you can train this if your trainees are all already at excellent stamina.
Option 3 - Set Pieces. Only for those teams that are not training a Nats player and has all of their PM trainees at excellent stamina. Not very common.
Option 4 - Passing. Only to be used if one of the above options does not work for you. Passing doesn't train as fast as set pieces, so if you train this every offseason, you may feel like your pounding sand. If you do train this, don't forget to use the 2-5-3 (not 3-5-2) with 3 IM's and 3 Forwards to maximize the number of players you are training.
Option 5 - Winger. I would advise against it, but some people want their wingers to get a little training. I would call this a waste of training, but you may want to do it if you think that you have a winger who's winger skill is about to pop.
For Keeper Trainers
Option 1 - Keeper. Since this skill trains faster than any of the other primary skills, it is good to keep training this, even if it is just one player.
Option 2 - Set Pieces. This skill is the only secondary that might boost the value of your keeper when you sell him. It trains extremely quickly and it trains everybody on your team.
Option 3 - Passing. Only to be used if one of the above options does not work for you. Passing doesn't train as fast as set pieces, so if you train this every offseason, you may feel like your pounding sand. If you do train this, don't forget to use the 2-5-3 (not 3-5-2) with 3 IM's and 3 Forwards to maximize the number of players you are training.
Option 4 - Stamina. Only if your IM's and wingers REALLY need it. You should be buying your IM's and wingers with solid or excellent stamina, so you shouldn't have to train this.
For Defense Trainers
Option 1 - Defense. Since defense trains more slowly than the other primaries, and since you can train 5 in 1 week, this becomes a good option. Run your 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 and get your 5 best/youngest trainees an extra week of training. Note that this week is a cup week, so don't use this method if you think it will cost you your cup match.
Option 2 - Set Pieces. As stated previous, this skill trains very fast and it trains everybody on your team. If you have a couple of players that you want to have better set pieces, go with it.
Option 3 - Passing. If your team can win its cup match playing the 2-5-3 with some defenders playing out of position to get the passing training, this might be an option. This is especially true if you are a counter attacking team that uses defenders with passing. Since defenders don't get passing training, any player you want to get training must play at Forward, IM or Winger.
Option 4 - Stamina. Only if your IM's and wingers REALLY need it. You should be buying your IM's and wingers with solid or excellent stamina, so you shouldn't have to train this.
For Winger Trainers
Option 1 - Stamina. Just like IM's, wingers need their stamina trained to maximize the midfield effectiveness. Unless your entire midfield is at excellent stamina, you should probably train this.
Option 2 - Winger. Did you get that 17 y/o stud? Train him.
Option 3 - Playmaking. A needed secondary for your wingers, this training will pay off in the end.
Option 4 - Passing. If your team can win its cup match playing the 2-5-3 with some wingers playing out of position to get the passing training, this might be an option, since passing is a valuable skill for wingers.
Option 5 - Set Pieces. It trains everybody and trains them fast. However, wingers need so many secondaries to be good, I would advise training a different secondary.
For Forward Trainers
Option 1 - Set Pieces. With new rules in 6.6 that incorporates scoring into a players set piece ability, forwards with high set pieces will be valuable, especially if they have technical specialties.
Option 2 - Scoring. Did you get that 17 y/o stud? Train him.
Option 3 - Passing. Forward trainers are well poised to train passing since they can win in the 2-5-3 formation, just like the PM trainers. Passing also the best secondary skill for forward trainers to have. The bad news is it takes forever to train.
Option 4 - Shooting. A hybrid of Set Pieces and Scoring. This may not be a bad alternative for a team that wants to train both, but only has one week to do it (i.e. played a qualifier). However, if you played a qualifier, you already trained scoring last week, may as well train Set Pieces this week.
Option 5 - Stamina. Only if your IM's and wingers REALLY need it. You should be buying your IM's and wingers with solid or excellent stamina, so you shouldn't have to train this.
2 Single-Game Week Training Programs
In this section, please note that these are the recommendations. See the above section to determine whether or not you want to train something.
For Playmaking Trainers
Stamina/Stamina - If you trainees need it, train it. Be careful of form drops.
Stamina/Playmaking - Train stamina first to give your team a week to recover form before the season starts.
Playmaking/Playmaking - Get those studs a couple extra weeks.
For Keeper Trainers
Keeper/Keeper - Get the extra training in while you can.
Keeper/Set Pieces - If you want to train SP, train Keeper first while your keeper is a younger age to maximize your keeper training. Reverse this if you are planning on buying a stud or two in the first week of the new season.
Stamina/Keeper - ONLY IF YOUR IM'S & WINGERS NEED IT. Stamina gets trained first to get an extra week of form recovery prior to the new season.
For Defender Trainers
Defense/Defense - Use the 5 defender formations to get a couple of extra weeks of training for your players.
Defense/Set Pieces - If you want to train SP, train Defense first while your defender is a younger age to maximize your defense training. Reverse this if you are planning on buying a stud or two in the first week of the new season.
Passing/Defense - If you're trying to get counter attack players. Train the passing first, since it will be hard for you to field an effective 2-5-3 team.
For Winger Trainers
Stamina/Stamina - If your trainees need it, train it. Be careful of form drops.
Stamina/Winger - Train stamina first to give your team a week to recover form before the season starts.
Winger/Winger - Get those studs a couple extra weeks.
Playmaking/Winger - Throw in a PM week to try to get a player to pop at PM.
For Forward Trainers
Set Pieces/Scoring - Boost your SP quickly and get a little extra cash for your players.
Scoring/Scoring - Get those studs a couple extra weeks.
Shooting/Scoring - Sacrifice a little scoring training to spread it across the whole team, gain some SP as well.
Passing/Scoring - Run a 2-5-3 in your friendly to prevent first round mishaps in the cup.