The Secrets of "Mid Tier" UC Trading

     Hello, greetings, and salutations! It's Cat here again, and I've come back to teach you all about the coveted secrets and sorcery of climbing your way through Mid-Tier Unconverted (or UC) trading! You may have seen me around the Pound Chat (PC) as one of the frequent Hosts of UC Shuffles and RW/RN Frenzy Shuffles or from my last article on High-Tier trading. If you know of me, then you know that I'm a frequent trader and have witnessed many a trade and given advice on short lists during shuffle conclusions. You may know that with this, I have obtained perhaps too much experience in observing what will trade for what across all tiers. For this portion of the series, I would like to share all my secrets and observations about how to get what you want out of the commonly frustrating (and otherwise impossible to navigate or climb) Tiers 5-8.

     As many are well aware by now, the craze of Unconverted Neopets becoming available via the NC Mall in the near-encroaching future, Unconverted trading has turned into a warzone. Four-letter pets that have pronounceable names are, now, trading into the Lower-High Tier Unconverted range, and Real Word and Real Name Neopets are now trading EASILY into the Highest Tier range, an unseen development that only appears to be escalating! It's become difficult to even trade Tier 10 UCs for some RWs and RNs that were otherwise easy to get! This has left a lot of traders that are not as accustomed to being in the Mid Tier range rather lost with what to expect or how to climb up into the higher tiers, and has left a lot of unanswered questions regarding what pets are more sought after in the middle tier range.

     The reason for this is the Unspoken Secret Tier Expectations Within the Middle Tiers of Unconverted Neopets. Tiers 5-8 may not be quite as confusing as Tier 9, but it's FAR more difficult to climb through and navigate! One wrong move, one wrong acceptance on a pet in a shuffle, and you could be back down to Tier 3 in a snap! But FEAR NOT, fair Neopian!! I'm here to try and ease your fears and aid you in concocting a failsafe way to avoid this from happening and one such way that may even repair any downtrades you have already made and prevent those you may foresee in the future.

     So, say that you're currently "stuck" in those midrange tiers with the dreaded WN Tier 5 Grey Neopet, but you have no idea what you should be trying to aim for in order to climb... Where do you go from here to claw your way into those High Tiers?

     The Answer?... The dreaded, notorious, infamous... Hidden Tiers. (Yet Again!!) *Lightning strikes a building off in the distance!*

     Currently, the Tier 5 through 8 Line Up consists of the less sought-after Unconverted Grey and overly popular, squishably adorable Unconverted Plushies. The following four Subtier LineUps for Tiers 5 through 8 are my personal observations from hosting countless UC Shuffles at all times of the day and night, as well as, my personal trading experiences throughout ALL Trading Tiers for the past year.

     Keep in mind, I have downtraded, I've made mistakes and ended up with untradeable compound names, I've gotten stuck with poorly named UC Greys in Tiers 5 and 6 and even worse named Plushies in Tiers 6, 7, and even 8 that wouldn't trade for anything but Tier 5! I've been in your shoes and perhaps even worse, BUT the key to overcoming this is PERSEVERANCE!

     REMINDER: These Tiers are ALWAYS subjective! Nothing is a guarantee and always find out what someone is seeking BEFORE deciding to offer. Tier Guides are NOT law, and NOTHING is EVER set in stone!

     --SUBTIERS OF MID TIER TRADING--

     (Please assume all pets are WN!)

     Higher Tier 5: these are the easiest pets to climb with and generally will always trade up a tier or even two or three tiers!

      Faerie Aisha

      Faerie Ixi

      Faerie Shoyru

      Grey Cybunny

      Grey Kacheek

      Grey Wocky

      Grey Yurble

      Ice Bruce

      Maraquan Gelert

      Plushie Bruce

      Sponge Blumaroo

      Sponge Lupe

      Usukigirl Usul

     Lower Tier 5: these are typically the hardest to trade when you have them, and may leave you feeling stuck if you don't personally like them.

      Any Darigan

      Grey Kougra

      Grey Scorchio

      Grey Tonu

      Grey Zafara

      Maraquan Kau

      Maraquan Skeith

      Plushie Buzz

      Plushie Flotsam

     Higher Tier 6: these can typically trade into high tiers directly if the name is good enough!

      Faerie Xweetok

      Faerie Wocky

      Sponge Peophin

      Middle Tier 6: these will usually trade within Tier 6 or up to 7 or 8

      Darigan Gelert

      Darigan Ixi

      Darigan Aisha

      Faerie Yurble

      Grey Aisha

      MSPP

      Robot Ixi

      Grey Acara

      Lower Tier 6: these will usually downtrade or result in the same stuck feeling as mentioned above

      Darigan Korbat

      Grey Korbat

      Plushie Chomby

      Plushie Grundo

      Plushie Kiko

      Tyrannian Ixi

     Higher Tier 7: these will usually trade into Tier 8 or 9 without fail

      Faerie Tonu

      Faerie Tuskaninny

      Plushie Kacheek

      Plushie Shoyru

      Plushie Zafara

      Sponge Aisha

      Tyrannian Draik

      Middle Tier 7: these will usually trade within Tier 7 or up to Lower Tier 8

      Quigukigirl Quiggle

      Quigukiboy Quiggle

      Royalgirl Mynci

      Tyrannian Krawk

      Lower Tier 7: these I've found are usually the hardest to move regardless of what Tier you're looking for

      Darigan Kacheek

      Grey Usul

      Plushie Jetsam

      Plushie Mynci

      Higher Tier 8: these are the easiest to trade within Tier 8

      Plushie Acara

      Plushie Eyrie

      Plushie Kau

      Plushie Pteri

      Plushie Skeith

      Plushie Techo

      Plushie Tuskaninny

      Royalboy Mynci

      Maraquan Krawk

      Lower Tier 8: these you may have difficulty trading directly in tier or even to a lower tier

      Plushie Koi

      Plushie Mynci

      Plushie Techo

      Plushie Tonu

     But, of course, you may be asking, "So, what's the easiest way for me to get into Tier 9?"

     The answer is simple! I left out the best of the best within Tier 8 for this very reason! The easiest way to get into Tier 9 without having a RW or RN that's super common is to look for the following V/WN pets:

      Darigan Krawk

      Faerie Grarrl

      Grey Krawk

      Plushie Cybunny

      Plushie Kougra

      Plushie Poogle

      Plushie Scorchio

      Royalboy Kougra

      Royalgirl Kougra

      Now, of course, I'm not saying that this plan is without its hitches and is absolutely foolproof, because nothing ever is. You'll need a lot of patience, time, and effort put into your trading chain in order to get where you'd like to be. But with a little luck and a lot of refreshing, I have no doubts that using this guide, you'll be able to climb your way to the Tier you'd love to see yourself in! That being said, if you find yourself struggling with finding WN versions of the pets in this list, don't worry! Just try going down a tier or trading down within tier in order to get into the WN variety! Well-named, of course, can be kind of subjective, but, generally speaking, well named pets are pronounceable, roughly about 8 to 10 letters long, and formatted as Xxxxx. Cute Decently Named UCs are typically a little longer or compound words, and may have one or two underscores, such as formats XxxxXxxxx or Xxxxx_Xxxxxx. Just remember, a little bit of perseverance can go a VERY LONG WAY!

     Never ever be afraid to ask around for assistance on the Pound Chat boards! A lot of people will always be willing to assist you in making the best decisions for your personal end goals. Plenty of people will make Accept/Reject boards and ask for Neomail links in order to get some guidance from their peers. Please feel free to always do the same if you ever feel too stuck on making a decision of whether or not to trade, and keep in mind--if it seems like something you will regret, you are NEVER FORCED to trade with someone, and you are ALWAYS able to take your time, wait, and breathe it out.

     Overall, I genuinely hope this guide has been helpful and can maybe help all those who are curious about how to get un-stuck within MidTier UC Trading. If you ever have questions or need advice on a trade that you aren't sure of, I'm always open to Neomails, as well! Even if we've never spoken before, I'm ready and willing to lend an ear to any concerns you ever have.

     As always, I conclude with our SUPER IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

      - Trade for what makes you happy. The end goal is finding a pet to love, pamper, and adore!

      - Neopets aren't just pixels. They're nostalgia!

      - If names don't bother you, you'll definitely have an easier time climbing tiers with DN or BN pets.

      - The worst that someone can say to you is, "No." & even then...

      - "No," is just another chance to find an even better trade. ♥

      If you're getting overwhelmed or frustrated with all the rejection that comes with trying to obtain something you love, PLEASE take a break from advertising! Bumping can wear down your patience and sanity. It can be much easier to just hang out with some friends or make a joint-board, or perhaps even join in on shuffles or try hosting a shuffle yourself!

     Good luck to everyone! Don't forget we're here to have fun and enjoy ourselves!