We were at the final of the Virtual Bundesliga of FIFA 18 and observed the best players in Germany. Here we reveal 10 tricks that you can learn from the professionals.
The elite of German FIFA eSports gathered in Dortmund over the Easter weekend to compete for the German championship in FIFA 18. The winner of the so-called Virtual Bundesliga was the 19-year-old Tim “TheStrxngeR” Katnawatos.
We were on site and studied all 24 participants of the final round, picking up quite a few things. In this article, we summarize the ten most important tips and tricks that can help you achieve even more success in Ultimate Team mode.
1. Choose the right formation
The choice of formation is more important than one might think, as not every formation is equally promising for success. Moreover, a three-man defense or a lone striker may not fit every playing style.
Most FIFA professionals usually play with the narrow diamond, 4-2-3-1, or 4-4-2. We also saw the 4-2-2-2 frequently during the final of the virtual Bundesliga.
What tactics can be associated with these formations, and why they are so strong, we have explained in more detail: These 3 formations are used by the professionals in FIFA 18 Ultimate Team.
2. Focus solely on the game
One point that is often underestimated is concentration. In close matches, every little mistake can lead to a goal against and thus a defeat. To avoid being easily distracted by the game, two things help:
- Disable the sound from FIFA. The commentators’ narratives and the fans’ chants often just distract unnecessarily.
- Instead, listen to your own music, so you won’t be distracted by other noises. Many e-sport professionals adhere to this rule: except for Mirza, who likes to be pushed by his fans, every one of the four semi-finalists had headphones on.
3. Close ball control
The most important recipe for success in FIFA gaming at a high level is to avoid unnecessary ball losses so that you do not fall into a counterattack. Therefore, professionals very often work with close dribbling.
You need to hold the L1 button on the PS4 controller and the LB button on the Xbox pad, which allows your player to keep the ball very close to his feet and makes it difficult to take the ball away. Some pros have kept the ball this way for several in-game minutes and calmly played around the opponent’s penalty area while waiting for the optimal passing option.
4. Use few skill moves
Many FIFA players believe that a good playing style also includes the use of many skill moves. However, this is a misconception; the professionals of the virtual Bundesliga hardly used any special moves during the final.
Instead of chaining 20 different moves together, you should rather master a few effective tricks. These include in FIFA 18 the “Heel to Heel Flick” (Heel to Heel, quickly pressing the right stick up and back down), the ball roll (holding the right stick in the direction of movement), the drag back (hold RT/R1 and push the right stick away from the opponent), and the shot fake (first press the shoot button, then the pass button).
5. Use different set-piece variants
The new German FIFA vice-champion Mirza Jahic demonstrated at the tournament: set pieces can be extremely dangerous in FIFA 18 and can yield relatively easy goals. However, it is important not to always use the same variations for corners and free kicks.
- Corner kicks: For corners, Mirza Jahic often brought a player to the corner flag, walked a few meters back into the half-field with him, and then sent in a low cross to the goal area. You achieve this by double-tapping the cross button. Two other dangerous variations are the corner to the near post or a short corner.
- Free kicks: You have even more options for free kicks. Instead of shooting directly at the goal (which very few FIFA professionals do), you can also lay the ball off or pass around the wall. You can find all free kick variants, such as the run-around and the subsequent pass down the line, in our free kick guide.
6. Press properly
In FIFA 18, the good players are often distinguished from the really good players mainly by their defense. TheStrxngeR also earned the title as German champion primarily because he defends extremely well and puts early pressure on.
To find out how the winner of the Virtual Bundesliga did it exactly, and what you need to consider while pressing, you can read here: Pro wins Bundesliga in FIFA 18 with strong pressing – Here’s how.
7. Individual tactics and instructions
When gaming against friends, you might get laughed at for taking a few seconds to set individual tactics. However, player instructions and team management settings can be extremely helpful.
However, there is no “one” instruction or tactic that will guarantee you a win. You have to test and experiment which settings fit your playing style best. But it’s worth the effort, as it gives you more control over your entire team, even over the players you are not currently controlling.
For example, professionals often instruct their outside backs and defensive midfielders to stay back on attacks or set their forwards to make more runs behind the defense.
8. Adapt to the opponent
You cannot achieve your goals against every opponent with the same methods. If you are behind, it is almost always necessary to change something in your game.
For example, you might choose to play more defensively against aggressive opponents and wait for counterattacks, or hold the ball longer in midfield and calmly wait for the right moment for the decisive pass.
A frequently chosen tactic by professionals was a change in formation or tactics. With his 4-2-3-1 formation, TheStrxngeR struggled against Mirza’s 4-4-2 for a long time during the final of the virtual Bundesliga. However, once he switched to a 4-2-2-2, the situation improved significantly.
If things don’t go as planned, you should analyze your opponent and react accordingly. If he often plays down the wings, choose a wider formation or increase the shift value in your tactic. If you urgently need a goal, switch to a three-man defense and increase the attacking speed or the pressure in defense in your tactic.
9. Nutrition and balance with gaming
If you are serious about your FUT career, you should follow an important tip from vice-champion Mirza Jahic. He himself, alongside his career as an e-sports athlete, is also a martial arts trainer and says that for him, the right nutrition and exercise as a balance to gaming is very important.
Many other e-sports athletes also engage in strength training alongside their careers. This serves to unwind and clear the mind. If you only play, you will eventually stagnate and lose more often. After all, a lot happens while playing FIFA that can be frustrating.
10. Practice makes perfect
Of course, following our tips does not automatically lead to victory in Ultimate Team mode and in Weekend League. Only if you train diligently will you truly improve.
However, you can still optimize the practice: instead of just playing and always wanting to win, train intentionally! Do you want to learn a specific special move? Use it as often as possible, even if you lose the ball and the game as a result.
At first, new things like tricks, formations or missing game sound may feel strange. Over time, however, you will get used to it and become more routine.
The “Team of the Knockout Stage” and “Team of the Season” are approaching – along with a market crash. Therefore, you should start selling your FUT players now!
