How long did it take anyone in division 1 top 5 to get where you are? I am only in 11th and its taken me 14 whole seasons to even be here... Can a group reach division 1 in a very quick time? Or after first starting out, do you really need several seasons? Just curious to see how some other people have built up their guards!

It really depends on your strategy and when you started the game. I was lucky and started Season 1 in Div 1 and have never been out of the top 5.. A lot of people I believe had a strategy of saving a lot of money and focusing on staff and made it to Div 1 top 5 in say 5 or 10 seasons (for example) some people just stick to a certain strategy, etc..

I'm sure it will take more time and be harder for those newer groups who ended up starting out in Div 3 and had to work their way up, but 99% of the members on here, that's really the only way you are going to be successful in the long run. You can go out and buy your way to a top 5 finish, but you are only going to screw yourself in the end

but really, it just takes a good mixture of good strategy and the ability to not miss your practices (and to use your practice points efficiently). Making top 5 shouldn't be TOO hard, but making it and never leaving.. now that's another story :)

My guard started in Season 14 and our first season in Division 1 was Season 19 which began our four season title streak right now. I spent a couple seasons mostly campaigning on 60 fundraising to make myself some money to buy staff. The ability to not miss your practices in a season you aren't campaigning is really crucial. Also, for some reason, I have a much better strategy submitting for guard than anything else, and I'm still figuring out how to match that in my other groups (especially drumline). Season 18 I was in Division 2 and not missing any practices and I was able to score a 98.010 which is still a Division 2 guard scoring record and also it would have been a third place score in Division 1 that season, so when I got bumped up the next season I figured a couple more staff upgrades would put me right up there competing for 1st, and I was right.

I've still never been able to hit on exactly the right strategy in this game. I get closer ever season though. It wasn't until about seven or eight seasons that I started being able to post what looked like truly competitive scores.

We were division 2 champions in Season 1. We made the top 5 in season 2, and this is our first appearance there since then.

I guess it really depends on your schedule outside the game. Based on these responses some people started there and stayed there while other groups, like mine, took a long time to get where they are now, then there are people did decent then were inactive for a while, and came back after a while and were still decent. This really reflects different people's lives outside the game.

It definitely does. Totally different than the old FMB.. but I like them both

Ah... I wasn't around for old FMB... how did it work back then?

At first it was just one submission per week, I think? Then it became one per day

What do you mean by submission? Like you'd rehearse once a day?

Oops... The above post is from my B account... forgot I was logged into that one...

Yeah there were "focus" submissions...so you would put that you wanted to rehearse medium focus on guard, low focus on percussion, high focus on ensemble, etc. I'll explain it more later, it's hard from my phone lol

I took damn near 16 seasons or something to get my groups elite. I'd focused on mostly building staff first.

What I did was fundraise on max and rehearse when the max energy was reached. I woould then use the money I had raised and buy/rank up my staff to make up for my lost energy. This is what caused my groups to become stronger and stronger.

However, now that my staff is all 20+ leveled the rank up won't effect my score enough to be used that way: as a way to rehearse.

I've had a lot more time lately, or at least time where I can quickly log in and rehearse. Quick log-ins are easier when you only have one group. I find it easier to compete with just a color guard, than with 4 groups.

yes that would be only 25% of the time that most people spend rehearsing x)

I started in season 1 also but in division III. I used season two to in essence make as much money as possible. I won division I season 3. HOWEVER, I think back then it was "easier" to catch up to the big guys. Now some of us hold such leads it makes it a much bigger challenge to start up and climb to the top. Obviously practice tons, but maybe sacrifice a season to get your staff to the top and come back! That is my path at least.

Yeah lol.... I wish I was around x.x

Well I've sacrificed a season and if I really wanted to make a strong push I'd need to sacrifice another 1 or 2 in order to push for div 1 finals.