Look, we’ve all been there. You load up Diamond Dynasty, see that massive map full of tiny hexes, and immediately feel like you’re staring at a high school geometry final you didn’t study for. MLB The Show 25 Conquest is back, and honestly, it’s still the most misunderstood mode in the game. Most people see it as a mindless grind against the CPU. They think it's just a way to kill time while waiting for their friends to jump into a Co-op lobby.
But if you’re treating it like a chore, you’re basically leaving free money on the table.
The Strategy Most People Skip
The biggest mistake? Playing every single game.
Stop doing that. Seriously.
Conquest is a board game first and a baseball game second. If you’re manually playing games for every territory, you’re going to burn out before you even reach the first stronghold. The goal in MLB The Show 25 Conquest is to build a massive "death stack" of fans. You want to surround the CPU until the odds are so heavily in your favor that the simulation is a guaranteed win.
I’ve seen guys try to take on the Dodgers stronghold with 5 million fans when the CPU has 4 million. That’s a recipe for a Hall of Fame difficulty headache. Instead, just keep reinforcing. If you walk into a stronghold with triple the fans of the defender, you can usually play the game on Rookie or Veteran.
It’s about efficiency, not pride.
What’s Actually New This Year?
San Diego Studio (SDS) changed the vibe for the 20th-anniversary edition. While they retired the "Sets and Seasons" mechanic—thank goodness, because nobody liked their 99 OVR cards getting locked away—they doubled down on how Conquest feeds into the new Diamond Quest mode.
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The rewards are where things get weirdly good. We’re seeing more than just the standard "The Show" packs. This year, the maps are literally shaped like the number "25" or even a "Jester" hat. And hidden in those corners? We're talking 20th Anniversary Choice Packs, Ultra Choice Packs, and even repeatable 2025 MLB Draft packs.
Real-World Example: The USA Map Split
For the first time, the massive USA map isn't just one giant slog. They’ve split it into West, East, and Central regions.
- USA West: Features 7 hidden packs, including a Pipeline Series Thomas White.
- USA Central: Hidden rewards tucked near Kansas City and Chicago.
- USA East: High concentration of "Ballin' Is A Habit" packs.
By splitting it up, you aren't just getting one set of completion rewards; you're getting three. That’s a lot of stubs and XP for basically doing what you’ve always done.
The "Hidden" Reward Science
You’ve gotta be a bit of a detective. SDS loves putting packs in the most annoying, out-of-the-way hexes. If you see a lone territory in the corner of the map that doesn't lead to a stronghold? Go get it.
Ninety percent of the time, there’s a Headliners pack or at least 500 stubs waiting there.
Locations to Check Right Now:
- Shark Map: Always the king of rewards. This year, it's got 15 "The Show" packs hidden under random tiles.
- 25 Map: Check the "bottom" of the 5. There’s a hidden Deluxe Choice pack that most people miss because they rush to finish the stronghold.
- Shamrock Map: Don't ignore the "stem" of the clover. It’s got a Lucky Clover bat skin that sells for a decent chunk of stubs early in the year.
Managing the Simulation
Let’s talk about the math for a second. The CPU is predictable. It will almost never attack you if you have more than one fan on a border. If you have a territory with 10 million fans and the CPU has 2 million next to it, they’ll sit still.
But the moment you leave a gap? They’ll snake through your territories like a wildfire.
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My advice? Create a "wall." As you move across the map, don't leave 1-fan territories exposed. Keep a thin line of 2s or 3s. It stops the AI from being annoying and allows your main "snake" of fans to keep eating up the map.
The Grind vs. The Reward
Is it worth it? Sorta depends on your team. If you’ve already got a God Squad, maybe you don't need an 87 OVR Hilton L. Smith from the Apple Map.
But for the rest of us? Conquest is the engine that runs your Diamond Dynasty team. You get the PXP (Parallel XP) for your players, you get the program progress, and you get the stubs. It’s the safest way to build a competitive team without spending real-world cash.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Map:
- Beeline for the open space: Don't fight the CPU early. Grab every empty hex first to increase your "fans per turn" count.
- Steal Fans is a trap: Unless the mission specifically requires it, never use the "Steal Fans" phase. It’s a waste of time. You’ll get more fans just by ending your turn and reinforcing.
- Watch the difficulty: If you’re forced to play on Legend, you probably didn't reinforce enough. Back out, skip a few turns, and pile more fans on that spot.
- Check the "Goals" tab: Some maps require you to take a specific stronghold (like the Red Sox) by turn 2. If you miss that, you have to restart the whole map to get the reward. Don't be that person.
The beauty of MLB The Show 25 Conquest is that it doesn't care about your internet connection or how sweaty the guy on the other end of a Ranked game is. It’s just you, a map, and a whole lot of packs waiting to be opened. Go get 'em.
Next Step: Head into the Diamond Dynasty "Play" menu, select Conquest, and start with the "Starter Map" to warm up. Once you've cleared that, jump straight into the USA West Map to start stockpiling those Pipeline Series players for your collection.