Introduction

**MetaGoal Cup, **a new gameplay, is introduced in Season 2 where every day, there will be a full set of World Cup matches. The elimination system adopted adds more uncertainty to the game.

On top of that, Pump-Ups have recently been added as a new feature to enhance the strategy. Allocating Pump-Ups smartly, in addition to the team’s rating, becomes the key to outperforming your opponents.

Players will receive a total of 10 Pump-Up per day, which can be used for increasing ratings or doubling points. Pump-Up can only be used during Qualifying Stage and Knockout Round matches in the tournament. Any unused Pump-Ups will be reset and cannot be carried to the next day.

Pump-Up for Qualifying Stage

There are three strategies that players can adopt in the Qualifying Stage, with effect throughout the entire Qualifying Stage.

The first strategy is to increase the team’s rating by 50% by consuming 5 Pump-Ups. This strategy is suitable for teams with average abilities, as it is not possible to quickly improve the team’s rating in a short time. Consuming 5 points to increase 50% is not a bad way, although it may result in losing the doubled points of each match. However, staying alive is a hard fact, and there is hope for winning the championship as long as one is not eliminated.

The second strategy is to double the points earned in the Qualifying Stage by consuming 5 Pump-Ups. This strategy is high-risk and high-return. Since you cannot view your opponents in the Qualifying Stage, you may face the risk of elimination if you use this strategy. However, the rewards of each match can be doubled. Once you successfully advance to the Main Tournament, the scores are twice the normal scores of others, so you can use this strategy if you are confident enough in your team’s strength.

The third strategy is not to choose any strategy and keep 10 Pump-Ups for the Knockout Round. Players who choose this strategy must be confident in their team’s abilities. After all, keeping 10 points for the Knockout Round gives you more resources than others, increasing your chances of winning the championship. You can view the matchups and strengths of all teams after the Knockout Round, so you can remain invincible by reasonably allocating your Pump-Ups. Players in the top 10 in strength can choose this strategy, as the temptation to win the championship is so great.

Pump-Up for Knockout Round

In the Knockout Round of the Main Tournament, Pump-Ups are only effective for the next match only. These top 16 players boast incredibly high ratings, and some have even reached maximum levels; EXP and Drills no longer offer any power boosts. When two teams with similar strength face each other, there is a small chance for the underdog to win — but it is not likely. To overcome this imbalance in power, players can strategically deploy their Pump-Ups according to their opponents’ strengths; with the right number of Pump-Ups, even the strongest opponents can be defeated!

At this stage, the Top 16 can gain insight into their next opponents through match information such as their current strength, commonly used formations, whether they have used Pump-Ups in the Qualifying Stage and what strategies they adopted, and how many Pump-Ups they have on hand. This data can then be used to make a decision as to how many Pump-Ups to invest when facing off against the opponent depending on the power difference between both sides.

Unlike the Qualifying Stage where 5 Pump-Ups are required to be invested at once, during Knockout Rounds, it is possible to adjust the number of Pump-Ups invested depending on your opponent’s ratings and strategies they may take with numbers between 1 and 10. It is also important to note that any invested Pump-Ups will only be effective for the coming match. Therefore, making an accurate assessment of your opponents’ strength can help avoid wasted investments while leaving you with a weapon for later matches against stronger opponents should you progress.

Strategy and Tactics

The simple logic used for Pump Up usage is as follows (Sharing from MetaGoal gamers): Qualifying Stage:

1. Rating of 10,000 or Below: Pump-Up must be used, either for increasing rating or doubling points.

2. Rating of 10,000 to 16,000: Choose between doubling points or not using them at all.

3. Rating of more than 16,000: Not recommended to use.

Knockout Round:

Check rating differences and track the history of Pump-Up usage.

1. Invest enough Pump-Ups so that your rating after investment would be higher than your opponents’ uninvested rating.

2. f the following opponent has a much weaker rating than yourself, consider investing fewer Pump-Ups in this round.

3. If the next two opponents have much stronger ratings than yourself, consider investing more Pump-Ups in this round to secure a victory and give up on the next match.

4. It is crucial to estimate your opponent’s remaining Pump-Ups left — in results from Rounds of 16, you can see how many Pump-Ups they have used already; however it is impossible to see their consumption during Qualifying Stage matches.

5. Think from your opponent’s perspective on their strategies — if they are champion candidates, then they will conserve their use of Pump-Ups; betting one more than them may be effective here. If they are just 1st or 2nd Round players then chances are that they would gamble with many Pump-Ups — in this case, it may necessary to invest even more in order to avoid an unexpected loss.

There are more strategies and combinations to explore — we look forward to players coming up with even more creative strategies as they play.

FAQ

Q1: What are the time periods to use Pump Ups?

**A: **The time period (UTC+0) to click on Pump-Ups is: during the Qualifying Stage, 3:00 to 6:00; during the Knockout Round, before each match: Round of 16: 7:00 to 8:00, Quarterfinals: 9:00 to 10:00, Semifinals: 11:00 to 12:00, Bronze medal match: 13:00 to 14:00, Final: 15:00 to 16:00.

Q2: What is the function of Pump-Ups and the effect it has on teams?

**A: **During the Qualifying Stage, Pump-Ups can be used to increase the team’s rating (5x Pump-Ups = 50% rating increase) or to double the points earned (winning one match earns 1 point and doubles to 2 points). The effect lasts until the end of the Qualifying Stage. In the Knockout round of the Main Tournament, Pump-Ups can only be used to increase the team’s rating, each pump-up will result in a 10% rating increase, and each use is only valid for the next match. Careful attention should be paid to the timing of the matches.

Q3: Under what circumstances can I use/not use Pump-Ups?

**A: **Pump-Ups can be used before the Qualifying Stage, 5 each time (rating increase by 50% or double the points). After the start of the Qualifying Stage, it can only be used in the Knockout round of the Main Tournament. If the team makes it to the Round of 16, careful consideration of each opponent’s strength, tracking the number of Pump-Ups the opponent has, and predicting their Pump-Up strategy is necessary. Any unused Pump-Ups will be reset and not carried on to the next day. So, use them as much as you can!

Q4: Why is it that teams with lower ratings sometimes get higher points?

**A: **It is possible by using the correct strategy and having good luck in meeting weaker opponents. There are three strategies available in Qualifying Stage: 1. Double Points; 2. Double Rating; 3. Not using and keeping for Knockout Round. If you choose to double points and win one game after that in Qualifying Stage, you will receive double points (normally 1 point per win, and now it becomes 2 points per win). This user has won 7 games in Qualifying Stage and got eliminated in the 8th game. His total points would normally be 7 win points + 1 initial point = 8 points. Since he chose to use double points and encountered a team weaker than him over 7 games, his total points were 7 x 2 + 1 = 15 points.

Q5: Can Pump-Ups increase the points during Knockout Round?

**A: **During Knockout Round, Pump-Ups can only increase ratings instead of points, and they are only valid for the next match. So it needs to be monitored closely. And it worthies so for top 16 teams.

Q6: Where can I view the match history and my opponent’s information for the next match?

MetaGoal Team