FIFA 18 is here, and true to the series, it retains the lucrative Ultimate Team Mode, which has been instrumental in making the franchise one of the most profitable worldwide, and in ushering a new era of sports games, is here in all its glory, with some new mechanics to boot.
In spite of its popularity, Ultimate Team can seem surprisingly arcane and obtuse to new players, and almost alienating, with its wealth of mechanics that can be hard to get a handle on. That’s where we come in- with this guide, we explain some Ultimate Team basics, so you can do better.
Best Tips And Tricks For FIFA 18 Ultimate Team
Pay attention to the tutorial. I can’t believe I have to say this, but gamers that have short attention spans are likely to skip the tutorial. That would be a bad idea. The tutorial is actually very well done, and will walk you through most of the basics that you will need to know to get started.
Keep an eye on your player stats. This goes without saying- your player stats determine their effectiveness, and in general, you want higher stats for your players, so you have a more effective team.
But team chemistry is also equally important. Team chemistry determines how well your players get along and function as a team- your player stats are important, but unless the team chemistry is also high, they will never gel together as a team.
How To Earn Gold Coins Faster
Coins are the currency of Ultimate Team- as you will soon learn, you will need them for everything, from getting new players, to upgrading them, to boosting them, to more. Generally, you will earn coins for finishing games, and you can also spend real world money on them- but if you want a head start on getting some, here are some basic tips and tricks you can leverage and utilize to stockpile some.
- Finish The Journey Season 2. The story mode is actually fairly disappointing this year, but completing it will get you a stash of Ultimate Team rewards, including coins. It might be worth your while.
- Complete challenges. Challenges are like bounties, and completing them gets you some pretty effective prizes.
- Including the Team of the Week challenge. Depending on the difficulty you play this one at, you could make out really well with this.
- Sell more popular players. Now this might sound counter-intuitive- but popular players sell for a lot on the marketplace. You can flip them for a lot of cash, and invest in lesser known players with equivalent stats- this ensures you have an equally efficient roster, while leaving you with more money on hand as well.
- Sell unused players. Similarly, don’t keep players on hand with the idea that you will use them ‘some day’. If you’re not actively using them, sell them.
- Use the web app. This will get you a one time infusion of coins. Yay.
Team Building and Team Chemistry
There are some basic and obvious team building tips I am sure everyone already knows- sell away duplicate players, for instance, or consider the hit to team chemistry when it comes to selling away an entrenched player. Additionally, as highlighted above, another thing you can look at doing is selling away popular players, and replacing them with equally effective but lesser known ones- this leaves you with a team that is as effective, but one that is also cheaper.
Which brings us to team chemistry. There are three kinds: individual chemistry, for an individual player, team chemistry for how all players function together on the team, and overall chemistry, which is a fusion of the other. There are some basic ways to ensure players get along and keep your team chemistry high:
Individual chemistry is very important. If a player is not happy about how they are playing or being treated, they will not feel happy no matter how well they get along with the rest of the team. Prioritize this for each player above all else.
Try and ensure each player is in position. What I mean by this is, each player has an ideal position they perform best in- this is denoted by a green indicator under their card on the team formation screen. If the indicator is red, they are out of formation- try and put them in a position you know they will do better in.
Players from the same club, nationality, or both gel better. This goes without saying, right?
But playing together will also induce chemistry. If you have players who have nothing in common, simply having them play games together will cause them to get along and develop bonds. How sweet.
Chemistry is calculated at the start of each game. This is important to remember, as this determines the boosts your player will get at the start of each game thanks to Chemistry.
Squad Battles
Squad Battles are a new addition to Ultimate Team this year. Essentially, they are a form of asynchronous multiplayer, that involves players making squads, and other players taking them on. You get multiple ranks in Squad Battles, and depending on what rank you are, you get bonuses and prizes.
You can always check your rank in the Your Rank tab. The awards for each rank are given below:
- Rank 1 – 100,000 Coins, 2 Ultimate Packs, 2 Rare Mega Packs
- Rank 2 – 10 – 87,500 Coins, 1 Ultimate Pack, 2 Rare Players Packs
- Rank 11 – 20 – 75,000 Coins, 2 Rare Players Packs, 1 Jumbo Rare Players Packs
- Rank 21 – 50 – 65,000 Coins, 1 Jumbo Rare Players Pack, 2 Mega Packs
- Rank 51 – 100 – 65,000 Coins, 2 Mega Packs, 1 Rare Players Pack
- Bronze 1 – 1,150 Coins, 1 Silver Pack, 1 Gold Pack
- Bronze 2 – 1 Ultimate Loan Player Reward Pack
- Bronze 3 – 2 Premium Loan Player Reward Pack
- Silver 1 – 10,900 Coins, 2 Premium Gold Packs, 1 Gold Pack
- Silver 2 – 4,850 Coins, 2 Gold Packs, 1 Premium Gold Pack
- Silver 3 – 2,000 Coins, 2 Gold Packs
- Gold 1 – 12,400 Coins, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack, 2 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack, 12,400 Coins
- Gold 2 – 13,000 Coins, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack
- Gold 3 – 12,000 Coins, 2 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack
- Elite 1 – 39,800 Coins, 2 Mega Packs
- Elite 2 – 25,200 Coins, 2 Mega Packs
- Elite 3 – 20,800 Coins, 1 Rare Gold Pack, 1 Premium Gold Players Pack, 1 Jumbo Premium Gold Pack