Submitted on: 10/29/2010 by
Jayson Young
Time or money? Gamers looking to outfit their virtual selves with unlockable boosts must significantly invest in one of those treasured commodities.
But this guide closes the checkbook, and instead looks at ways to minimize your time on the ice while pursuing NHL 11's most-coveted +3 and +5 attribute boosts.
Before assembling a team, make sure to download the bonus card packs:
- Demo pack (awarded for playing the NHL 11 demo)
- Online pass pack (awarded for having an NHL 11 online pass)
Go for the Brodeur pack to land a solid goalie, then pick the Richards pack for a quality center.
Adjust your skater lines, and you should be ready to play a head-to-head game.
Less-skilled players might want to enable "position lock" in the pregame menu, which puts the CPU in permanent control of the other four skaters.
A victory unlocks: (Helmet Boost Slot #1), (Checking +3), (Durability +3)
Time: 30-40 minutes
CPU Difficulty, Be A Pro Settings, Gameplay Sliders
Pick "Rookie" difficulty with four-minute periods. Then turn off icing and offsides.
The center and wing position are the easiest positions to score from, so pick one of the two.
Your player type should either be "sniper" or "playmaker" because speed and dangling will be your best ways to score goals in season play.
Under the Be a Pro settings, select "no line changes" to ensure your created skater is always on the ice.
To increase goal scoring, move the human sliders up to the max.
In addition, decrease all the CPU sliders to zero. Finally, tune the "goalie pass frequency" slider to keep the puck in play.
NHL Entry Draft, Number One Overall Pick
Your career starts at the CHL Memorial Cup tournament. Use the round-robin format as an opportunity to knock out a few early career goals:
- Score three goals in a single game (Offensive Awareness +3), (Agility +3)
- In four consecutive games, score three points or more (Wrist Shot Power +5), (Offensive Awareness +5)
High grades will ensure your spot as the top pick, unlocking (Skate Boost Slot Number One).
Preseason and Regular Season
As the top draftee, you enter training camp on the first line. The preseason games must be played to ensure you stay in the NHL.
After making the regular season roster, your season goals should be:
- Score 70 points in a season (Defensive Awareness +5), (Agility +5)
- Average one goal per game (Skate Boost Slot #3), (Wrist Shot Accuracy +5)
- Average two points per game (Strength +3), (Puck Control +3)
- Average one offside per game (Aggressiveness +5), (Passing +5)
- Average one turnover per game (Stick Checking +3), (Fighting +3)
- Win the Art Ross Trophy (Hand Eye +3), (Wrist Shot Power +3)
- Win the Stanley Cup (Glove Boost Slot #2), (Stick Boost Slot Number Two)
Once the regular season begins, instead of "play game" choose "sim game." Watch the game log scroll by, then press "A" (or "X" on the PS3) to intervene late in third period.
The "sim-intervene" has your player entering with five minutes left in the game, which is ample time to score a few cheap goals against the CPU.
After playing 40 games, you should have all the stats covered so simulate several weeks ahead -- into March.
Eventually, the coach will drop you down to the third line as punishment for not playing any games. Sim-intervene a few games until you are promoted back to the second line.
Now simulate the season's remaining games and advance to the playoffs.
Stanley Cup Playoffs
Simulate as many playoff games as possible, intervening only when needed for "elimination games."
Play the Stanley Cup clincher, and your created skater should unlock a number of boosts following the postgame ceremony.
(Face Offs +3), (Wrist Shot Accuracy +3), (Balance +3), (Passing +3), (Endurance +3), (Discipline +3)
Time: 6-8 hours
If season one went as planned, you should now have enough boosts to take either "wrist shot power" or "offensive awareness" up to +9.
Exit back to the main menu and enter the Hockey Shop. Equip your online skater with the +1, +3 and +5 boosts of one attribute, then head to Xbox Live for an EASHL club game.
After the game, (Stick Boost Slot #3) should be unlocked.
Time: 30-40 minutes
Go back to the Be a Pro mode and load your saved career. Start your created skater's second season, going after any important boosts or unlocks you may have missed in season one.
The "veteran" card obtained after playing 65 games, and the "legend" card awarded after 150 games should be the only major unlocks remaining.
"Veteran" status will net you two nice boosts: (Balance +5), (Hand Eye +5)
After simulating and intervening your way through another 40-game, Stanley Cup-winning season, your Be a Pro career should be over.
Retirement gifts: (Slap Shot Power +5), (Face Offs +5), (Strength +5), (Puck Control +5), (Durability +5), (Glove Boost Slot #3)
Time: 5-7 hours
Even after winning consecutive Stanley Cups, some of NHL 11's most difficult unlocks await you online:
- 200 EASHL goals (Deking +5)
- 50 EASHL assists (Skate Boost Slot #2)
- 150 EASHL points (Endurance +5), (Stick Checking +5)
- 200 hits in 75 EASHL games (Helmet Boost Slot #3), (Checking +5)
- 200 EASHL shot blocks (Slap Shot Accuracy +5), (Shot Blocking +5)
- +20 EASHL plus-minus (Acceleration +3)
- +35 EASHL plus-minus (Helmet Boost Slot #2), (Speed +3)
- "Legend" card (Discipline +5), (Speed +5)
Shady methods can be used to quickly reach these milestones, but they won't be discussed in this guide.
If gamers follow this guide, they should have plenty of attribute points to use, and then they should have no trouble competing online.
Enjoy skating towards NHL 11's final accomplishments.
Go Preds!
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