There are a couple problems with this thinking. First, all characters covered is NOT the endgame. It just won’t ever happen, no way you can gather CP fast enough unless you are willing to spend a ton. Due to dilution it will be faster to cover characters from latest pool than classics. Classics gets you champ levels on your first set of classics.
Second, champ levels on classics doesn’t offer nearly the advantage that diversity in the tier does. Think about it - what would you rather have a 450 SS/OML/PHX/Bolt/Widow/Strange, or a 460 SS/OML/PHX? Or how about 450 SS/OML/PHX/BSS/GG/IM/Bolt/Widow/Strange v. 470 SS/OML/PHX? Anyone with 2 champed 5s can take out 470s easily enough, 480s do start to be a bit of a struggle, but still doable if the points are there, and 490-500 starts to get into skip territory unless you have hard counters. In PvE your scaling gets crazier and you are still locked in to the slower SS/OML/PHX teams.
I think the best advice for the vast majority of players is to plan for whatever gets you to the largest number of champed 5*s as soon as you can…and due to dilution that means most of us should be hoarding Latest pulls.
A quick illustration to show why people are hoarding and pulling latest tokens instead of classics, and it’s just a simple example of someone with exactly average luck.
Average Joe has saved up 3000 cp. In the time span it takes to save this much cp I think it’s reasonable to expect him to have at least 50 latest tokens saved up as well, so we’ll give him 50 latest tokens. Let’s see what happens if he opens his hoard - first using cp on classics and second using cp on latest.
CP on classics : Joe opens 150 classic tokens, and since he has perfectly average luck, he gets 22.5^ 5* and 127.5 4*. His 50 latest tokens yield 7.5^ 5* and 42.5 4*. Divvying up all the pulls equally among the 4*/5* gives Joe 2.5 covers for all 12 5* and roughly 4 covers for each 4* (170 4* total).
CP on latest : Joe opens 120 latest tokens from cp and all 50 latest tokens he has saved, giving him 25.5^ 5* and 144.5 4*. Since there are only 3 5* possible here, he gets an average of 8.5 covers per 5* and about 3.5 covers per 4*.
Breaking it down, sure opening classics gives more covers - Joe got roughly 30 5* and 170 4* from his hoard instead of 25.5 5* and 144.5 4*. But looking more closely, he only got 2.5 covers per character, which even being generous, means he’s left with 12 5* characters at 1/1/1. By opening latest tokens only, he gave up on ~4.5 5* covers and about 25 4* covers (not even 1 per character!), but he’s now left with 3 5* that each have 8.5 covers, and might actually be somewhat usable. Double this exercise and see where you’d rather be (hint - 5-cover 5* characters are not usable, 17-cover 5* characters are game-changers).
^ - of course half covers are not a possibility - we’re using average numbers - feel free to round up or round down or assume half at 2, half at 3, etc.
I think ghe counter-argument mohio, is that som may not like the game changes that 17 cover 5s produce (i.e. very high 5 scaling and mmr matched to a very limited 5* roster).
As i said above i think there are reasonable arguments in favor of both strategies (i.e. open classics onnly; Dont sweat the 5* tier at all at focus on 4s. Or hoard cp + LT to go nova on a set of 3 5s).
I just pull classics. Not because they are cheaper but because my highest 5s are all in classics (jean, cap, banner, bolt, and goblin) and I’m in no hurry to build them. I don’t even intend on leveling them until the game makes the full move into the 5 star tier.
I was wondering about this too. I definitely have trouble with double hops - even when I do them quickly it’s frequently a toss up on how much points I actually get from them. Speaking for myself (and my 34 Champ 4* Roster with no max-leveled 5*s,) I can get to 1200 but it takes time, planning, and I do have the occasional wipeout particularly against Phoenix…
You know what, maybe this would be best off in it’s own thread? I may do this.
I’ll weigh in here as a Day 650er w/ some money spent and several max covered 5s (Thanos, IM46, BW), a couple champ 5s (OML, BB), and 25+ champed 4*s.
First, I totally agree w/ Fightmaster above in that the diversity of 5s way outweighs getting a couple 5s at 470 and the extra 4*s. Second, I’m a total believer in the hoard and bust mentality (how I covered BB and Thanos) and will continue to do that as long as Classics are diluted.
What I debate is given my current roster that requires I use OML, BB, Thanos in every PVP and every PVE, would I go back and not level them up to 450 (440 on Thanos)?
On one hand, I do appreciate being able to late climb if necessary to get 1.2k and then use 1 or 2 shields. Plus, it’s just a ton less stressful and I don’t have to plan my schedule around playing PVP. On the flipside, I am at the point now that many of you warned me about and reaching a burnout point w/ using the same characters over and over and over. I mean, when I don’t use OML and/or BB, I find myself waiting a split second at the start of my turn anyways for their passives to trigger. And, I just don’t give a rip about new 4* characters - I’m actually kind of angry at the Riri release, as it seems way too soon to the last one (although, I know it isn’t) and I just wish they’d do anything different than just jamming new characters down our throats and breaking new stuff w/ every release. As great as C4rol is, she is almost completely worthless in 5* realm. I am really considering skipping the Riri PVE. It’s also a bummer that the 25+ 4s I built rarely get used (I will concede that having the 5s have allowed me to win more 4*s than I would’ve otherwise, though).
Vhailorx, good point on no dupes for latests. I can appreciate that is a significant difference at +5 covers.
Below 5, it obviously has no benefit.
Per the comment above I’m certain I understand what you call “dilution” just fine.
I consider classics diversification for long term, more effective gains (mpq Buffett?!).