The 10 tips you need to know for Diamond Dynasty in MLB The Show 21

Diamond Dynasty is MLB The Show’s signature card-collecting mode. MLB The Show players can acquire a variety of cards featuring players from the past and present. However, the mode could be looked at as a bit daunting, particularly if you’re a new player. If you are new to The Show and are having trouble getting started, we’re here to help. Let’s go over our 10 tips that you need to know for Diamond Dynasty.

Start with the basics

Even though you will probably spend a lot of time running around to pick up cards, keep in mind that the items are just a part of Diamond Dynasty. Regardless of what you plan on doing in Diamond Dynasty, remember that you will need to play games. So, make sure to brush up on the new features in MLB The Show 21, including Pinpoint Pitching, and practice. This will not only help get you ready for game time, but it will also familiarize yourself with the quirks of the gameplay engine.

Build your lineup properly

After you’ve worked on your game and begun building a squad, we should mention that it’s important to construct a lineup properly. Our advice to make sure you rotate between left-handed and right-handed hitters. By doing this, you will make it harder to play against. Why?

Traditionally, left-handed pitchers do well against left-handed hitters, and the same can be said for right-handed pitchers going up against right-handed hitters. Mixing up the lineup will ensure that the opposition can’t bring in a shutdown reliever that can neutralize your lineup.

It’s Showdown time

Now let’s take a quick look at single-player modes, starting with Showdowns. In Showdowns, you draft a team and go through challenges. Completing a challenge will reward you need player items and perks. You’ll need those for the final Showdown boss, and defeating those will grant Stubs, Diamond Dynasty’s in-game virtual currency, and even rewards such as Team Affinity point vouchers that can be used towards Programs.

Look at the Programs

We’ve mentioned Programs in our last tip, so we might as well explain what these are in MLB The Show. Programs are a bit similar to promos in EA’s Ultimate Team, as some of them do have a finite life span. Throughout each Program, a number of levels can be attained, and the way you move up in Levels depends on the number of XP you acquire.

Programs can be great for boosting a team, especially since the Inning Programs featured a number of high-rated bosses that can be acquired. Make sure you look at the Program list regularly, because you might be surprised as to what’s available.

Let’s go on a Conquest

Conquests are a vital part of Diamond Dynasty. We’ve already explained what Conquests are at length on this site, but we’ll do so again in a more concise manner. Essentially, the goal of Conquests is to use your Diamond Dynasty roster and beat opposing CPU teams. The twist, though, is that Conquests feature Strongholds and territories, so you might want to brush up on what those are before heading into the single player mode.

Conquests not only grant XP and Stubs, but also hidden rewards. These rewards are scattered throughout the board, so our advice for Conquests is simple: get them done.

Work the market

With other CCG games like MyTeam and Ultimate Team, one of our usual tips is to work the marketplace. That’s no different in Diamond Dynasty, as we highly recommend trying to do this. It might not look as easy compared to MyTeam and Ultimate Team, but it can be a helpful way to build Stubs. Look for Gold and Silver players that are going for low prices, and then try to flip those same items at slightly higher prices.

Build your collections

Team, division, and league collections all have meaning in Diamond Dynasty, and here’s why that’s the case. Acquiring all base items of active MLB teams will yield special player items, plus help build towards other collections. Additionally, these collections, upon completion, can also grant progress towards finishing Team Affinity programs.

Collections can yield new cards that have overalls as high as 99, so you should take a look at all of the ones available in The Show.

Don’t neglect the March

March to October is a mode outside of Diamond Dynasty, and it works a bit like traditional Season modes that are in other sports. In March to October, players pick a team and try to bring that squad to the World Series in the 2021 season. Most of the games will be simmed, but there will be times where you’ll need to enter the action. The performance of your team during those moments will affect the momentum, and ultimately, success of the squad.

March to October might seem like a mode unrelated to Diamond Dynasty, but it’s actually not. Players can acquire Team Affinity (TA) points, which can then be used towards Programs. If you want to do well in Diamond Dynasty, you might want to take a look at this mode.

Parallels, parallels, parallels

Parallels are a new feature in Diamond Dynasty, and this is how it works:

• Cards in MLB The Show 21 can receive Parallel upgrades, which are essentially attribute boosts.
• There are five different tiers of upgrades: I, II, III, IV, and V
• These boosts can be obtained by using the card in games and acquiring Parallel XP. This type of XP can be obtained by performing well with said card.

If you like a certain player, but don’t want to buy an upgraded version due to the price, this is your way of upgrading without the cost. Not too shabby to say the least.

Keep grinding

Our last bit of advice to you is this: just keep grinding. It’s going to take time and effort to build a Diamond Dynasty, so make sure to be diligent and play regularly, regardless of game mode and regardless of whether it’s online or offline. MLB The Show is pretty good about giving XP and Stubs just for playing, so get your games in and play ball.