Battle Royale------

[vegas80]

Curious, if anyone has a specific strategy they use other then the norm.....
Best I have finished was 9-2.......
I used to give up after a win and give it to some random.....
I sometimes use this mode as a practice mode... See what new diamonds are good...... I feel like I could go 12-0... I use a different variety of strategies, but mainly I heavily lean towards focusing on a very strong bullpen and having a strategy for my bench players, speed, bunting, power, lefty- righty matchups.... etc.......

You have to be very aggressive I feel, especially on your leadoff hitter, I sometimes favor power, but mainly i want my best contact hit there , especially if he is an all around switch hitter......

Pitching I tend to also know its an aggressive game and I have limited pitches to work with so hopefully I dont miss my targets as the pci on the all-star level is huge..... This is where i also use my shifts and try and force contact my way.....

This is my first year doing this and I fun the game fun and also useful.....

[BIGROC]

I like BR, but just don't feel like spending 1500 stubs per entry.

I use conquest, or extended play to kind of tinker like that.

I like to use a solid contact hitter for leadoff... I usually go with wither Pollock or Cain... Cain is really undervalued and overlooked in this game. He's a solid leadoff hitter and plays terrific defense.

I know what you mean about trying out different diamond players. I've got 3 diamond first basemen (including a 99 Frank Thomas)... I've got Machado, Rendon and Bregman that are by nature 3rd basemen. So I use Rendon at second often... And let Manny play short. I'm not sold on Bregman though... I'd rather play a guy like Chapman at third if I put Manny in at short. Been looking for a shortstop I really like... Played a few games with the Allen Trammell you get for finishing the Padres collection. He plays a lot better than the ratings suggests...

As for pitching... Filipe Vazquez is an incredible lefty. I gave used him more than any of my other relievers. The way I see it, the one thing you can control completely is how good your bullpen is. I LOVE my pen. Even when I swap guys out because they're down a point or two because of inside edge.

I have 2 squads I use in diamond dynasty. There's the "A" team... With a fully fitted diamond team with reserves. And a "B" team that I put together using anyone between a 70 to an 84. I usually end up using guys in the 78 to 84 range if I'm honest though... Especially now since Votto dropped to an 84 but his modded rating is an 87. Same deal with Chapman on third.

Only thing that I'd like to see in next year's game, as far as any big changes to diamond dynasty is, since you can make a second squad, you should be able to take that squad into ranked seasons and not have to start where you left off with your other squad. Let them start fresh in spring training, instead of having to drop them into pennant race or higher.

Maybe allow (since you can make different DD squads) for an A league, and a B league. With some parameters in place. So no team that's rated over an 80 (for instance) can play in B league games. And if you start off well, you can't jump leagues. Just a thought. I'd like to see ppl really have to put something together instead of grabbing diamond players and filling out a roster...

[vegas80]

Man , I love when I can grab Michael Young, he's a monster... I use him to lead-off..... small sample size and obviously inflated due to All-star pci.....

My current team 1-0...... however, I just beat Mcguigan ..... and I have it saved, I enjoy watching his youtube, however he whines too much.... Probably why he didn't respond to my cordial message after the game.... wasn't even really close until the final out and my bullpen was depleted ....... anyhow my 12-0 run team is as follows.....

Justin smoak ( I like the switch hitting power bat #1 especially the way I tailor my lineup.....

mays....... easy
cano
trammel
Peterson
bader
shaw
my pitcher
and scharwber last.... this is my strategic move, as hopefully he has a lefty facing schwarb and doesn't mind pitching to Justin smoak who is clearly a better right handed hitter......

I tailor my bench and usually go 3-5 deep using therm.... I realized as I analyzed my team that schwarb had a secondary position as C.... Wellington Castillo was my original, now I have a pretty decent hitter especially against lefties able to come in if Kyle needs a prunner...... I have a very speedy guy with a great bunting in case as well....... followed by la Stella whom I absolutely smash with currently, thats my go to PH and obv if he goes lefty I go to Castillo /.... the man absolutely hammers all star lefties..........

and my bullpen is stacked........ besides I g****ed up and dont have a lefty stopper so I might not go 12-0........

[BIGROC]

A solid left in the pen is Vazquez from Pitt, or Sean Doolittle. Both are solid as hell.

I like using Cain like I said, but I'll also use Torii Hunter or AJ Pollock to start the game off. Yelich is my number 2... I switch up my 3-4-5-6 hitters. Machado, Thomas, Acuna Jr (great value and solid as hell) and Joe Torre (93 rated one). I keep Torre in the 4 hole, swap Thomas and Machado...
Then I'll go down with Rendon (depending on his modified number) and put my SS at 8. My bench I try to keep a little of everything. Speed, Trea Turner... Power, Adrian Gonzalez (88 rated, crushed righties) I'll put one of the CF I didn't start on the bench, Pollock has solid contact for right and left handed pitchers, but no real pop. And then I'll look and see who's got it going for them that day. Brandon Phillips diamond is a solid card too. Plays a mean second base, and can mash lefties like potatoes.

My pen is stacked and loaded for bear.
Filipe Vazquez (I want the diamond Vazquez from the Pittsburgh team affinity) but he runs around an 84 I believe.
Doolittle (usually an 88 w/mods)
Edwin Diaz 89
Josh Hader 90 both set up men
I rotate Kirby Yates, Ottavino, and Osuna
Ken Giles (rookie diamond 86)
And I use Blake Treinen as my closer...

I know there's better choices for closing out games. But he's got that heavy sinker solid 4 seamer and a NASTY slider.

I've got some other really solid arms available. But that's who I mainly go with.

My rotation is a mix of 7-9 guys...
Kershaws 99
DeGrom
Syndergaard
Strasburg
Snell
Oswalt
Liriano

All diamond 87 and above... But I'll use Corbin, Grienke, Robbie Ray (all star) Pineda rookie, Aaron Nola and a few others... Unless the modifier has them rolling higher than an 82, I won't start them. I do like using Walker Buehler, he's got nasty stuff... Ice liked using Carlos Martinez since 16... So I throw him in the mix every so often.

[BIGROC]

One thing I wish they'd change up a bit is if you go through your pen and have nobody else to pitch, they could randomly stick a starter in the pen (when it's empty) instead of having to ride it out with a burned out arm.