Interview of OrangeFly - From Limited to Unique Divisions
Bob Flynn, who goes by the username "OrangeFly," has been actively engaged with Sorare since 2021. He had the privilege of being an early guest on John Nellis's podcast, where they discussed strategies for achieving success. It was around the time when Limited cards were introduced, prompting Bob to heavily invest in this format.
During this period, Bob acquired valuable players such as Manuel Neuer, Kevin De Bruyne, and even secured a Haaland card. He took full advantage of the significant surge in Limited card values, particularly selling his Kevin De Bruyne card for 2 ETH. This successful transaction not only bolstered his position within the Limited division but also enabled him to participate in Sorare's baseball game.
Introduction
OrangeFly has been an active participant in Sorare for an extended period, primarily focusing on the Super Rare division within the Second Division of Europe. He has a deep passion for the platform and currently divides his time and dedication between both football and baseball.
OrangeFly embarked on his journey into Sorare during the Gary Vee boom, initially without much knowledge of the platform. Having previously engaged with Top Shot, he sought an alternative following Top Shot's decline. It was at this juncture that he encountered Sorare through videos by Quinny, Nellis, and Laird.
Eager to learn more, OrangeFly reached out to Laird and Nellis via direct messages and joined Quinny's membership team to expand his understanding of the platform. As he delved deeper, his passion for Sorare grew stronger. He began his Sorare journey with a focus on Asian football and gradually worked his way up, participating in Challenger Europe and eventually Champion Europe.
It was his initial experience with Top Shot that led him to discover Sorare, a platform he now holds a deep affection for. OrangeFly has been fortunate to engage with different divisions, including Limited, Rare, and Super Rare, while expressing a desire to enter the Unique division, albeit acknowledging its current cost constraints.
In the realm of baseball, OrangeFly's passion for the sport stems from his upbringing in the United States, where baseball held a special place in his heart. He has actively participated in the Limited division of baseball, securing victories on four to five occasions. Additionally, he achieved several podium finishes in the football division, which enabled him to accumulate winnings used to acquire baseball players.
During the early stages of baseball on Sorare, OrangeFly was an active participant in auctions alongside notable players in the community. As a result, he currently possesses seven Unique cards in the baseball division. Each week, he eagerly engages in the Unique All-Star and Super Rare divisions of Sorare: MLB, achieving an impressive total of around 35 podium finishes throughout the year. While OrangeFly wishes for more victories, he acknowledges that participating in the Unique division of baseball is a more cost-effective alternative compared to football.
OrangeFly explains that initially, he purchased and sold cards on a few occasions. His love for football was the driving force behind this, and it was during this time that he developed a strong passion for the sport. Over the summer, OrangeFly made a conscious decision to give baseball a try, and it was at that point he resolved to transition into a full-time commitment to baseball.
He took several months away from football, during which he sold all of his Limited cards, Rare cards, and Super Rare cards. He made a complete transition into baseball during this period. OrangeFly believes that his success in baseball can be attributed, in part, to his full-time commitment to the sport during that particular phase.
OrangeFly shares that he conducted extensive research and dedicated himself to watching numerous baseball games. He mentions watching a baseball game every single day. One rewarding aspect of his experience is the opportunity to assist individuals from Europe in learning about baseball. OrangeFly finds great enjoyment in helping others discover the sport and fostering their understanding of it.
OrangeFly returned to soccer (football), clarifying that he is American. He made this decision because he perceives football as a more well-rounded sport. In contrast, he views baseball as relatively young and still in its infancy. Football, in his opinion, has a wealth of established elements. OrangeFly expresses his enjoyment of the competitive aspect of football and hopes to avoid having his players marked with DNPs (Do Not Play). He notes that the journey has been enjoyable, and he is particularly impressed by the football community, which he finds to be quite remarkable.
OrangeFly expresses his appreciation for SorareInfo's outreach, considering it incredible. He shares his enjoyment of interacting with the community, emphasizing his love for engaging with posts and streaming alongside Quinny and TrippinB to discuss Charlotte football. Overall, he describes this period as a great and enjoyable time.
OrangeFly explains that while he initially invested time and effort into basketball on Sorare, he found it increasingly challenging to stay within the cap constraints for that sport. While he started well, the commitment in terms of both time and money became too overwhelming. With football ongoing and the start of baseball, he made the strategic decision to focus on one of these sports to maximize his performance.
He goes on to highlight his enthusiasm for community interaction, including participating in Discord discussions, Twitter engagement, and interviews like this one. OrangeFly is driven by his desire to assist and connect with others in the community. However, his ultimate passion lies in competition and winning.
Regarding his investments, OrangeFly expresses his excitement about taking more risks by investing in Super Rare cards, primarily because the competition becomes more straightforward at that level compared to Limited cards. He acknowledges the benefits of playing in that tier and values the learning experience it provides.
OrangeFly emphasizes his commitment to getting to know the Sorare community by actively participating in multiple Discords, discussing topics related to baseball, football, and even second division European leagues. He reflects on how, just a few years ago, he never imagined himself delving into the world of second divisions, but now he proudly manages Spanish goalkeepers in that context.
He underscores that the heart of Sorare lies within its community, praising the collective knowledge and camaraderie among its members. OrangeFly emphasizes his willingness to engage with others and offer assistance or seek help when needed. In conclusion, he encourages anyone with questions about football, basketball, or baseball on Sorare to reach out to him, as he truly loves the Sorare platform and its community.
First card bought
Evolution of his strategy
OrangeFly describes how his strategy has evolved over time on Sorare. Initially, he was focused on playing with Rare cards and earning ETH in the Division All-Star Rare. However, when Limited was introduced, he adapted his approach by selling all of his Rare cards and transitioning into the higher levels of Limited. During this phase, he strategically acquired players like Kevin De Bruyne, Haaland, and Mbappé to enhance his chances of success. OrangeFly was fortunate enough to achieve podium finishes, which yielded significant amounts of ETH and allowed him to build a substantial bankroll.
As he progressed, OrangeFly expanded into All-Star Rare Pro and America Rare Pro divisions, utilizing the funds he had won and the cards he had acquired. His focus remained on what he knew best and could actively follow from within the United States, which included American football. He continued to achieve success by winning competitions and reaching podiums, generating additional ETH income from card sales.
OrangeFly points out that selling Super Rare cards is somewhat different from Limited due to lower liquidity and greater scarcity. Nevertheless, he managed to leverage his Super Rare assets to venture into baseball. Subsequently, he sold a number of Super Rare baseball cards to re-enter the football scene just in time for the start of the European season. Drawing from his experience in baseball, OrangeFly made the decision to steer clear of Limited in football and is now fully invested in Super Rare, with one Rare Pro team.
He underscores the importance of research in choosing the divisions to participate in. While acknowledging that he, like many in the U.S., primarily follows the Premier League, he has made efforts to expand his knowledge by watching D2 and streaming EFL and Jupiler Pro League games. OrangeFly aims to focus more on the Second Division this year, believing that dedicating attention to a specific area can increase his chances of success. He strategically avoids focusing on areas where he has less interest and plays at levels where he feels confident. Currently, he maintains a Cap team, a Super Rare team, and a Rare Pro team.
OrangeFly describes his approach of pulling in rewards and subsequently selling them to fund his efforts to acquire new cards, especially during auctions. This strategy forms an ongoing journey for him, where he aims to progress and improve over time. He expresses confidence in the future and his ability to continue building and optimizing his Sorare portfolio.
OrangeFly reflects on the evolving dynamics of Sorare, noting that it was easier for him in the past, especially when he had a Bayern stack. However, in the Limited format, he acknowledges the increasing competitiveness, making it challenging to secure a top 100 spot. This led him to question his objectives: "Do you want to trade? Do you want to win? Where are you comfortable?" He views the ETH he has earned from selling other cards as his money and is cautious not to lose it, emphasizing the importance of a carefully considered approach.
OrangeFly places his trust in his process, acknowledging that it can sometimes be challenging, especially in the current competitive landscape. He mentions that winning anything on Sorare has become difficult nowadays, prompting him to shift his focus toward grinding the Cap, which also presents its own set of challenges. OrangeFly elaborates on the difficulties in the Sorare: MLB market, which he notes has become sluggish over the past two years. Expensive cards are typically Super Rare and are priced at around 1 ETH or 1.5 ETH, creating a unique market dynamic. His decision to return to a more stable and enjoyable environment led him back to football, where he feels comfortable and motivated to continue his Sorare journey.
Rewards: Quality VS Quantity
OrangeFly explains that he prefers higher quality rewards over a larger quantity of rewards. His primary focus lies in the realm of baseball, where he is considered a whale due to his collection of all Super Rares and Uniques. In order to enhance his team and compete with other prominent managers like YNWA and Zlataneur, who are also significant players in the game, OrangeFly acknowledges the necessity of obtaining the best cards, specifically Tier 0 and Tier 1 Super Rares.
OrangeFly emphasizes that acquiring these top-tier cards is essential for him to elevate his gameplay and team performance. He firmly believes that winning these coveted cards will significantly enhance his team's capabilities. However, he acknowledges the challenges of selling cards in the current market, which can be quite competitive.
To address this issue, OrangeFly elaborates on his strategic approach. Whenever he decides to sell a reward, he always has a plan in place. This plan includes identifying the specific card he intends to acquire next. He emphasizes that every decision he makes is geared towards continuous improvement and staying competitive in the game.
With a solid baseball gallery and a strong winning percentage, OrangeFly is gradually shifting his focus back to football. A glance at his gallery reveals a collection primarily consisting of Super Rares with a few Rares. He mentions that he uses the proceeds from selling his baseball cards to purchase football cards, aiming to enhance his competitiveness in the football aspect of the game.
OrangeFly also notes that football has a long-standing history, which contributes to its stability in the game. He expresses optimism that stability in other sports categories, such as basketball and baseball, will be achieved in the near future.
He explains: “I like high quality rewards, they are by far the best for my gallery and even if I can’t use them, they are still the best pieces to sell to get the cards that I want. I always have a list of 4 or 5 guys that I want to buy. So when I look at my reward I try to figure out, if I sell it, do I have enough ETH or cash to go get those guys to make my gallery better. Because the way I look at my gallery is that it is not static. It does not stay the same forever, it has to evolve if I want to compete. And so, it has been really important to me for over 2 and a half years now playing Sorare to win high quality rewards.”
Future plans
OrangeFly has a clear understanding of the financial requirements needed to maintain competitiveness in various sports on Sorare. His gallery has gone through, and will continue to undergo, changes to adapt to his strategic objectives. He is committed to building strong Super Rare teams that can compete effectively and achieve threshold rewards. His plan does not involve adding another Super Rare team to his collection.
OrangeFly's next step in the game involves a strategic approach to purchasing players who are competitive but not necessarily at the absolute top tier. He has opted for the Second Division, citing reduced competition as a primary factor in his decision. He avoids more expensive options like Champion Europe and Challenger, as he seeks a comfort zone that allows him to acquire the cards needed to compete at the highest level.
OrangeFly clarifies that he doesn't intend to purchase additional cards for specific events like All-Star. His primary focus remains on enhancing his existing teams and not expanding into other specialized categories.
When OrangeFly wins rewards, he follows a consistent strategy of selling them to reinvest in his team, with the ultimate goal of continuous improvement. He mentions that by the end of the year, he aspires to upgrade some of the Rares in his team to Super Rares, demonstrating his dedication to long-term progression in the game.
Optimize Winning % & Optimal Number of Players to Play Cap240
When selecting the division he wishes to play in, OrangeFly's primary choice is Second Division Super Rare, which serves as his main team throughout the game. His approach involves making an initial upfront investment and focusing on playing matchups by identifying the key players within the game and the league.
OrangeFly's observations throughout the year in the Second Division have led him to value players with high All-Around statistics. These players tend to score well, often reaching 50 or 60 points, even without Decisive points. He emphasizes that these players tend to perform better when playing home matches, and this phenomenon becomes particularly significant in the early weeks of the season.
In terms of preparing his team for matches, OrangeFly prefers to have at least 8 or 9 players ready for selection, allowing him to choose matchups that he believes are favorable. He mentions that he places less emphasis on the goalkeeper and usually sticks with the same one, rotating the other players as needed.
His gallery predominantly features Ligue 2 and Bundesliga 2 players, and he's meticulous when selecting and managing them. He relies on platforms like SorareData and regularly checks Lineup suggestions to ensure he can beat the AI. Additionally, he leverages data and insights from friends on different Discords to stay updated on player health status, optimal plays, and potential lineup changes. This extensive research aims to minimize the risk of having players marked as Did Not Play (DNPs).
Maintaining a compact team, OrangeFly prioritizes efficiency. He believes that being efficient leads to early victories, which in turn can have a snowball effect on his success. He uses this term frequently, drawing a parallel with his experiences in baseball, where his early successes against larger managers helped him become a significant player in the game. His goal is to continue this snowballing effect in the Second Division to achieve similar success there.
In conclusion, OrangeFly suggests that 8 or 9 cards, along with a single goalkeeper, are sufficient for a competitive team. He places a strong emphasis on players with high All-Around Averages as they form the backbone of his strategy.
“What I need to do”
“Being in the US, I need to find better streaming services for all of these leagues. Because what is really important to me is to find the best players, like the penalty takers. They are players that have the higher potential for scores. So the next steps for me are watching more and more of the matches and usually at the start of the European season to really know who I want to have in my team. My team is solid, I have good AA guys but they won’t all be great and we know that everyone can have a bad match, like something did not just work out. But there are other players that are going to score a lot in Second Divisions. And so, the next thing that I will do is that I will find a stream for EFL, for LaLiga 2, to watch as many games as possible and identify the best players.
I know there is a lot of information to be found on the internet but I prefer to watch and decide. Because I can watch players that are in a certain team without scoring great right now and hope that the team evolves to allow them to score great over the years to make these players better at scoring in Sorare. So, I watch certain players really closely to see how they develop and then I make better decisions to keep or sell some of my cards. If I am able to sell at a higher price, then I would be able to get a Super Rare version of the cards I was speaking about.
An interesting player that I’m looking at is called Bradley Danger.
If you are competing at the Super Rare level, do you really want a Unique? Because you can use one. I would love to have one. But, realistically does it make more sense for me to buy a Bradley Danger Super Rare vs a Unique? That is the balance. I don’t know the answer to that question. I know that I like getting guys and watching football, that is one of the reasons why I was successful in Limited early. There is nothing worse than buying great players but you can’t watch them play. If you just buy them to win, it is just an investment tool, you just don’t care. You are not committed to them at all. I like to invest in guys to see how they actually play the games in real life. And so, those players are some of my targets and the problem when you go to Unique is that you have those options but they are expensive.
Should I get a Unique or two?
Those are the next steps. Kylian Kaïboué & Bradley Danger in Super Rare. These are two of my big targets. The big question that remains is: what should I do about Uniques? I don’t know what the answer is.
If I buy an Unique it will be on the Primary Market. The thing is that it is difficult to sell Unique on the Secondary Market.”
Sorare: MLB, if I was starting my baseball journey now
“Baseball is a weird game. I call baseball a random number generator. What that means is that even the best players in the game are going to fail 70% of the time. If Mbappé fails 70% of the time when he is on a 1v1 with the goalkeeper, he won’t be Mbappé. Baseball is a different game. Baseball is all about the sometimes moments of glory but a lot of failure to go through. What that means is that any solid player that you have can be great one week and then terrible the next week. The winners change quite a bit at the top.
If I was starting my baseball journey now, I would probably look for the most straightforward and easy way to go. So I would look for teams that are going to play in the postseason and I would look to stack those teams. In baseball, you need 7 players. You can only play 6 from 1 team. I would put together 2 stacks, one from the LA Dodgers and one from the Atlanta Braves. I would just put those out there every single week. You can ask a lot of people on the baseball side, the Atlanta Braves win all of the time because they have some of the best players in baseball. It is also going to be the most expensive stack that you have. So, that is what I would recommend, simple and straightforward. Now we can figure out the Starting Pitcher from there.
Baseball is a weird game. We are always looking at the football side for who is going to DNP. Baseball is not like that, your best players tend to play at least 80% of the games. And there are games every single day. So, it just keeps going. With baseball, you have a starting pitcher. The arms of these players are harmed a lot. So they basically pitch every 5 days. You have to get different starting pitchers. It is just a matter of following them and knowing when they are going to start.
What I always recommend on the baseball side is to reach out to some people. You have some people like myself, JustMikeIt and SorareFP. The Discord Community is great, they actually talk a lot, I’m part of that community and we talk to new players that are coming in, help with strategy, match-ups and all of that kind of stuff.
Ask for help. Don’t be afraid. I am not gonna to be pissed of you if you DM me and ask for help. I love doing this kind of thing.
Vision for the next 2 years for Sorare
OrangeFly emphasizes the importance of market stability, particularly as someone who has experience in both baseball and football within Sorare. He understands the challenges in maintaining a stable market, acknowledging that it's not an easy feat. His desire is for a healthy market for the next couple of years, which, in his view, means attracting new users and effective marketing efforts.
To achieve a thriving user base, OrangeFly believes that the company needs to focus on onboarding new players effectively. He stresses the need for a functional mobile app that replicates the functionalities available on the website. He highlights the importance of simplicity, especially for new users who find the game complex and daunting. He sees a user-friendly app as a game changer that would significantly boost user growth. While recognizing the legal and economic complexities associated with an app, OrangeFly believes that addressing these issues is essential for the long-term success of the company. He envisions an app opening the doors to millions of users, making it a crucial step forward.
In addition to a user-friendly app, OrangeFly suggests more trips and tickets for players, along with inviting content creators to significant games. He hopes that Sorare can help cover expenses like flights and hotels, particularly for events in distant locations, making participation more accessible.
OrangeFly also advocates for improvements in how physical rewards are distributed. He suggests implementing a lottery system for assigning jerseys instead of the current first-come, first-served approach. This would offer a fairer chance to users who may have slower internet connections.
In OrangeFly's perspective, the app is the most critical aspect, and he believes that enabling transactions within the app is vital, despite the complexities involved.
Hall of Fame
This team hit many podiums and picked up a number of wins for me. Love my Leeds stack with Kebbal. Club legends. Shoutout to McBride Ace for trading me the Meslier.
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