Skylanders Trap Team Must-Haves for the Best Gaming Experience

With the release of Skylanders Trap Team this month, I’m sure your kids are already talking about what they want to find under their tree this holiday season. My son is a huge Skylanders fan. I remember when the original series came out, we scoured the ends of the earth looking for certain characters. When Giants released a year later, I was relieved that we didn’t need a new Portal of Power. Then Swap Force emerged, forcing me to buy both a new portal AND a ton of characters. Now, with the release of Skylanders Trap Team, I’m kind of ready to pull out my hair!

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Yes, dear parents, Trap Team requires YET ANOTHER new portal, meaning you can’t get away with spending less than at least $75 on this game (unless you score a good deal on Black Friday).  What about the extras, though? Do you really need a dozen more Skylanders? Of course, if you ask your kids, the answer will be “YES!” When you have a specific budget per child, though, grabbing up all the Trap Team characters isn’t exactly too wallet-friendly. Take a look at the essential Skylanders Trap Team must-haves for the best gaming experience.

What’s happening in Skylanders Trap Team?

First, let’s talk about what is going on in Skylanders Trap Team. What makes this game different? Kaos, the biggest of the big bads in Sylanders mythos, has blown up the walls of the feared Cloudcracker Prison and freed the most notorious villains in Skylands. It’s up to the Skylanders- with your child’s help- to find and capture them. Using Traptanium, a magic material that can harness the power of the Elements, you have the amazing ability to trap the villains and return them to Skylands to fight for you! Check out the official trailer:

So again, how is that different? I asked my son. He said “you can capture the villains, and you can play as them too!” That was pretty much his entire summary, along with “I need to add it to my Christmas list.” Ugh. I tell you, I’m pretty sure we could have gone on vacation in Tahiti with the sheer amount of money that child has sunk into Skylanders over the last few years. Most of it was his own birthday and holiday money though. so I guess I can’t complain. I have to admit, though, this one does sound pretty cool!

Skylanders Trap Team Essentials

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Let’s start with the must-haves. By that, I mean the items that you absolutely need (like the starter set) along with the extras that really make the game a more exciting experience.

Skylanders Trap Team Starter Set

This includes the game, the brand new Traptanium Portal. two figures, two traps and some extras like posters, character cards and stickers. At $75 retail price, this is the bare minimum that you need to get started. They also have a Limited Edition set for $99. It comes with 3 Dark Skylanders and 3 traps. As far as I can tell,this is the only way to get dark characters right now, aside from paying a fortune on third-party sellers who are basically selling the ones that come with this.

Theoretically, your child could start playing the game with nothing more than this set. However, they’re going to want to use the Portal to its full advantage and swap out the characters.

Core Characters & Triple Packs

If Skylanders Swap Force follows the pattern of the previous editions, expect to see dozens of characters on the market by the holidays. The average Core Character costs $9.99. These are the cheapest characters, the ones who don’t really do anything special. What I mean by that is they don’t light up, swap body parts or do anything else fancy like that. Triple packs are the way to go with these guys, as you can get 3 for $24.99, saving you about $5 on three. If its in the budget, grab one triple pack to go along with the new game. If not, give your kids a gift card or cash and let them pick out the one they want most. Seriously, unless they give you a list, you’re going to fail miserably and get the weakest guy in the bunch. Trust me. I know.

Trap Masters

Sorry, but you can’t get away without buying at least one of these guys. They pretty much make the Trap Team, well, the trap team. Each one costs about $15. There are six as of the time I’m writing this, and they all look pretty cool. Of course, remember, I’m notorious for buying the weakest guy, and looks can be deceiving! Take a look at the power stats. Jawbreaker, for example, looks tough but is kind of weak. Wallop (pictured above), on the other hand, both looks tough and IS pretty strong.

Trap Triple Packs

The Traps mercifully come in Triple Packs, and so far there are only two packs. You can choose from the Undead, Fire and Air traps or the Tech, Magic and Earth Traps. Each set retails for $15.99. Start with one, but accept the fact that eventually, your child is going to “need” both.

Skylanders Trap Team Fun Extras

While the above items are what my son would call “essentials,” these two items are fun extras. If you don’t have them, the Skylands aren’t going to implode or anything. They just make the game a bit more exciting.

Minis Character Packs

What on earth are these? Minis? As if I don’t have enough trouble wrangling the 100+ Skylanders my son has, now I have to worry about losing these guys? They are pretty cute though! These characters are sidekicks turned heroes. There are currently four packs with two minis in each.

Nightmare Express Level Packs

The first of the level packs for Skylanders Trap Team, this basically extends the game. I always got these for Jake after he beat the game, that way it keeps it interesting. The packs typically come with a character, a level piece (that tells the game to add a level) and boosts.

So there you have it, the “essentials” for Skylanders Trap Team, plus some extras. I suggest holding off til Black Friday to get the starter set. Last year, Swap Force went down to half price that day. The characters themselves rarely go on sale though. Occasionally you find a deal, but not often.

Is Skylanders Trap Team on your child’s wish list this year?