FIFA 17 - sponsored by Visa, MasterCard, McDonalds etc.

[Gray Fox]

794607699593953280

Every fucker will have it, but it looks a nice kit.

What isn't clear is if you need to have played in FUT Champions yet. Kids are stopping me playing through the week so I've no chance to qualify.

[The Merse]

794607699593953280

Every fucker will have it, but it looks a nice kit.

What isn't clear is if you need to have played in FUT Champions yet. Kids are stopping me playing through the week so I've no chance to qualify.

You need to have got an October FUT Champions rating, so yes. Annoyingly, I only got the chance to do the one so it looks like I've failed to rank on the monthly scale, only on the weekly. I also only had about 5 hours to try and qualify last night due to the late start to daily knockouts and working away all week. I failed in the final at 4am and was rather pissed off.

[John]

That's the first 'special' kit that doesn't look like it was designed by a child.

[Gray Fox]

The qualifiers being through the week only is a bug bear for me. I'd love it if they ran at the weekends too, even if I got in really late and could only play a few games, it'd still help me out. I might have to go hard on divisions this week, see if I can get up near Div 1.

[Yevrah]

After skipping 16 I'm becoming more and more tempted with this.

I hate myself.

[Samadini]

Gignac wasn't just a flash in the pan the other night, confirmed don.

I still haven't scored a penalty yet, think I've missed about 7 now. First one on target at least.

[Gray Fox]

If you're struggling. Flick the left stick forward to set the direction and then let go. Set the power early, then you can just concentrate on getting it on target with the left stick again.

The skill game for penalties was really useful for me. I've only made it to one shoot-out so far. It ended 2-0 to me. I saved 2 of his, with 2 more coming off the post. Mine were all just off center, but one had enough power to go through the keeper.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

If you're struggling. Flick the left stick forward to set the direction and then let go. Set the power early, then you can just concentrate on getting it on target with the left stick again.

The skill game for penalties was really useful for me. I've only made it to one shoot-out so far. It ended 2-0 to me. I saved 2 of his, with 2 more coming off the post. Mine were all just off center, but one had enough power to go through the keeper.

That's the perfect penalty in the game, you'll score like 99% of the time.

They'd need to actually move themselves to that exact area and not dive.

[Samadini]

After skipping 16 I'm becoming more and more tempted with this.

I hate myself.

It's the same old sublime to the ridiculous shit it always is, but I keep putting hours into it, so it must be at least decent.

Was trying to upload both goals in my game, but lost connection to the servers after saving my goal. In the same game N'zonzi smashes in a cracker, we conceded the shittest goal you'll ever see, about 4 ricochets and then bundled in on the line with my keeper nowhere to be seen.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuuHR3LjCCg

Fairly common you'll have to deal with that bullshit.

[John]

MOTM Aduriz with a Hunter. :drool: All over that.

[Samadini]

FFS, the card looks like the Giroud TOTS card in 12.

Doesn't fit into my team at all, but desperately want. Help.

[Samadini]

Just seen his stats...3 of his 5 goals were penalties, and he's ended up with 79 for penalties. :cab:

[John]

I'd forgotten about Giroud on that version. Him, IF Remy and TOTS Belhanda were a great combination.

[Samadini]

https://s11.postimg.org/bpjqrjbar/g_rude.png

:hail:

Aduriz is one upgrade away from that.

[Gray Fox]

Dortmund scored 5 goals today. 4(and 1 assist) came from Aubamayang and 1 from Dembele. Almost guaranteed IF card for the former, while it might be worth picking up one of Dembeles OTW cards just in case as he could well get a small boost.

[John]

Aubameyang will get an IF and it'll sell for eleventy billion coins. His original card goes for more than Lewandowski as it is.

[John]

Thinking about Giroud has reminded me of my favourite ever FIFA player. (http://www.futhead.com/11/players/10286/edinson-cavani/)

I got the original pretty much right away that year and he was brilliant, so I just kept upgrading as he got new IFs. What a player.

[Gray Fox]

Which version had Maicon with about 50 IF cards that season? Possibly 11 or 12.

Players like him were the reason that they removed the RWB > RM card. He had about 90 in every stat so people just pushed him all the way up top and he was unstoppable.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Which version had Maicon with about 50 IF cards that season? Possibly 11 or 12.

Players like him were the reason that they removed the RWB > RM card. He had about 90 in every stat so people just pushed him all the way up top and he was unstoppable.

http://www.futhead.com/players/135455/

[John]

I'd forgotten Maicon played for Man City. What a move that was.

[Gray Fox]

I've just played through a season. Some things became quickly apparent. Sanches must play in the middle of the midfield 3. He just dominates. Keita is a good compliment to the side of him too. He attacks really well and you could use him as a CAM.

My front 3 needs something though. Schurrle is fantastic, but I feel like Hernandez and Bellarabi are lacking in something. I do have 50k left over so I can buy maybe 1 big player or a couple of good ones. The OTW Embolo/Dembele cards are looking tempting.

Players that definitely need replacing are Sokratis and Goretzka. The former feels too weak and small to make any impact, while Goretzka got replaced by an out of position Draxler because he didn't really do anything.

[Spikey M]

I had a quick gonat FUT last night, I don't fucking get it. Why do they have to be of the same nationality / from the same league? Just let me put a good squad together ffs.

[John]

You can just put a good squad together. The red lines you get between two players without a 'link' don't mean you can't use them together, just that doing so will murder your squad chemistry and you won't get stat bonuses.

[Spikey M]

Can you not 'earn' chemistry by playing together for a set amount of time? I mean, how do you go about only getting Dutch players? Or only players playing in Italy? What if I set up a decent Italian squad and Messi pops up in a pack?

[John]

You can sell Messi to boost the quality of Italian player you can afford, you can sell the Italians to build a La Liga or Argentinian side around Messi, you can go with Icardi up front and Banega in midfield to fit Messi into a Sere A side, etc.

You can get two bonus chemistry points for each player, one for having a manager the same nationality or league as the player and one received when they've played ten games for your club.

[Yevrah]

Bought it.

First impressions are that it plays a horrible game of football, with players having ice-skating qualities.

[Gray Fox]

After my season I had a go in the draft. It was one of those where it gave me every attacking player I could have possibly wanted, but then kind of forgot about the defence. I got absolutely murdered 7-3 in the first round. Between the two of us we must have scored about 4 screamers.
Bale seems like the best player on the game.

[John]

Bale has shat in my pockets every time I've played him. The combination of stupid pace and high strength for a wide player makes him near unstoppable. If you come up against someone who's put an Architect card on him you'd be as well just switching off at the wall.

[Gray Fox]

Another thing I've noticed is most players I face now seem to start the game on Park the Bus and never come out of it.

I was facing this one player last night who was 2-0 down in what was a fairly even game, yet he stayed in it for the whole game. I even tried to pass it round the defence to draw him out, but nothing doing.

[Samadini]

Yeah most of my games are really low scoring now and barely have any real chances because of park the bus.

Seem to be consistently losing games like this at the moment :moop:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jK4Pay8Tm4


Pressing the tackle button seems to be my biggest mistake. You press it and your defender just seems to time travel whilst the striker runs into the place left behind.

[John]

Looks like you could be doing with using L2 more when defending. Hold that in and your player will face the attacker up.

[Gray Fox]

That one was more bad luck than anything. Looks like you tackled him a good 2 or 3 times only for his momentum to take him into you over again. Pushing your slide tackle button could help. That way you'd clean him out, but it comes with obvious risks.

I just ran through division 9, winning each game again. I ended up switching up to the 4-3-3(4). It's really nice going forward but good god is it a bombscare at the back. A few times in game, I've switched up to the narrow 4-1-2-1-2 and I really like it, but if I were to use it in the Bundesliga I'd have to play people as RF/LF and get reduced chemistry. With a manager plus the loyalty badge you'd get 7 chem by doing that so still pretty good.
If I do end up switching, I'll probably pick up a movember Luis Gustavo and sell on Keita. He's a tidy player, but for the 15-20k coins I could sell him for, I could buy a Naldo and a Thiago for example. Or even upgrade to Leno.

[John]

I had a Bundesliga side very briefly after I left Serie A and Leno was an absolute horror show. I'd guess you'll be using Fahrmann at the moment, and I'd stick with him because Leno couldn't save a Word file when I had him.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He's been great for me.

[Gray Fox]

The test I guess, would be when I come up against him. I have come up against De Gea a couple of times already, but you needed to pass it around him. No way through. So I assumed a higher rated keeper would be a good thing.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://i.imgur.com/djqpM78.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/u1xYzKt.jpg

:harold:

I was donning him all game long as Gerso and Hernani are bonkers, a driven through ball to them and they're gone but they can't cross for shit but he got two lucky goals. He then completely fell apart when I scored my first.

Last goal was a beautiful looping header which lobbed the keeper but I saved the screenshots first so there was no video.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bought Aduriz for 110k. Couldn't say no.

Edit: Bought a hunter card without realising he already had one on him.

Edit: The goal:

http://i.imgur.com/UztvGtV.jpg

[Gray Fox]

Why Ochoa?

[Gray Fox]

I've just been knocked out of the semi finals of the qualifying tournament 3 times running. Last time was to a guy with barely anyone rated above 80.

I seem to be doing well against those whose team you look at and think "oh fuck." Yet when I come into a game seeing a beatable team I get torn apart. I'm now thinking of selling up and moving on. There's just so few options left in the Bundesliga now. Almost any upgrade on a player I have is over 100k.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Why Ochoa?

FM legend, mate.

Good times were had with him.

[John]

That handling stat. :sick: Although with 87 acceleration he'll do all his goalkeeping on the halfway line anyway.

I reckon positioning is the main stat for a goalkeeper this year. I've always used Diego Alves when given the chance because high reflexes and diving, but he seemed to get caught out on crosses and with snapshots from strange angles this year. Brought in Oblak to replace him, with his questionable reflexes, and that problem has gone away completely. He gets done more often than Alves would have with close range finesse shots from players who're in behind the defence, but that's a far more avoidable problem.

[Gray Fox]

I've sold up and got myself 110k to spend. Annoyingly in the 2 weeks or so I've had the team, I've lost 50% on most of what I bought them for.

I'm on the verge of caving into some 4-3-2-1 pace abuse. Something like this is almost exactly affordable.

https://gyazo.com/6b75edb8b4e6275a7283c11410da263b.png

[Yevrah]

Starting to get into this and it's not dreadful.

How do Chemistry Styles work in UT? They weren't there when I last played it.

[Gray Fox]

Starting to get into this and it's not dreadful.

How do Chemistry Styles work in UT? They weren't there when I last played it.

The short answer is, they will give the player or 'card' you have a stat boost.

Long answer time:

Each player you have in a team has his own chemistry. Now they changed it this year so it works the following way... If the player has 5 chemistry, you will be getting what you see on the card. Regardless of the chemistry style you have added to them. If you have him at below 5 chemistry, you will be getting worse than you see on the card(chances are you wont though, as only 90+ rated players are really worth it after this downgrade).
Were it comes into effect is when your player moves above 5 chemistry. He will then gain what are essentially bonus boosts to his stats, depending on which style you have added. If you get your player up to the maximum of 10 chemistry, you get the full effects of this boost. Which style you use, depends on what you think the player is lacking, or can be used to make their best stats even better.

As an example I'll use Mesut Özil. (http://www.futhead.com/17/players/4891/mesut-ozil/)

Here he is with no chemistry style:
https://gyazo.com/e4065460ac8d75e730e20c911d2e89c8.png

As you can see, he looks a very good CAM already with great dribbling and passing. However being played further forward, you may want your player to be faster and a better finisher. By adding the Hunter chemistry style he will improve to this:

https://gyazo.com/4ca014fe5be4db3c3192591ce9d0d99d.png

Obviously he's now gone from very good to outstanding. This is him on 10 chemistry so the full boosts are in effect. This will now improve his speed in game, and also his shooting stats(for example his finishing has gone from 75 up to 85). Imagine you've gone into the FM editor and given him a CA boost, but only in a specific area.

Obviously each style does varying things to a card and it's worth playing about with them to see which suit you better.

[Yevrah]

Cheers Fox, very useful that.

[John]

I like the idea, and how it lets you tailor players to your own style, but the boosts are far too big. Stick an engine card on 900 coin Mateo Kovacic, for example, and you've got a card which wouldn't look of place as a 'legend' card for some creative nineties genius.

http://i68.tinypic.com/2vak3dy.png

[Yevrah]

That's nuts. :D

Are the chemistry cards expensive?

Oh and what do the actual legends look like when you put a card on them?

[John]

No idea. I'm on Playstation so I've never bothered. I've just had a look and that Kovacic card isn't a million miles away from Michael Laudrup.

The more expensive cards are a couple of thousand coins, but you can get a Hawk (Pace, shooting, physical), an Anchor (Pace, defending, physical), or an Engine (see above) for a few hundred coins and I reckon they're the best ones.

[Gray Fox]

The Hunter style goes for 4.5k coins at its cheapest.

I'm still shaking. Tried the weekend league qualifier. First run through the EA servers kicked me out when I was 1-0 down. Apparently it did the same to my opponent because he was also given a loss. My next and last chance at the run through, I got pretty comfortably to the semi-final where somehow I withstood a 120 min barrage. I nicked 2 goals on the counter to his 1 long shot.
In the final it was tense. Not many chances but boy did Begovic come up big in extra time. Ended up going to penalties. It got to me being 3-1 down after 3 taken, but I managed to pull it out my ass and went to sudden death, only to miss again. Then he missed and I scored. In his last penalty, he made it really obvious in his run up where he was going, so I dived there and then I was up Mourinhoing is about the room.

Now to get fisted at the weekend.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://www.futhead.com/17/players/1336/diego-godin/?chemType=shadow

Woof.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Oh and I've instantly bought that new Roncaglia IF for my La Liga side.

[Gray Fox]

Those Bale and Aubamayang cards. :uhoh:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Firstly, lol at this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t-n46qq25o

Although I'd have been pissed had I not gotten a third chance.

Secondly, this is the greatest goal that someone has ever scored against me:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkwhhav2Khk

It's fucking godly, if I was to ever score something like that I'd 'Randy Marsh' it up.

[John]

That strip. :sick:

Do yourself a favour and get the NYCFC away kit.

The goal you're raving about looks like a fairly standard FIFA goal to me. Defensive fuck up punished by wonderful control and a bullet finish. I must score and concede about three or four like that in each FIFA session.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I know, both strips are bollocks but I couldn't be fucked changing them.

I highly doubt that. Most finishes are either low finesse shots, cross glitch cross goals or for king cunts, the cut back.

[Gray Fox]

I've sold up and got myself 110k to spend. Annoyingly in the 2 weeks or so I've had the team, I've lost 50% on most of what I bought them for.

I'm on the verge of caving into some 4-3-2-1 pace abuse. Something like this is almost exactly affordable.

https://gyazo.com/6b75edb8b4e6275a7283c11410da263b.png

Of this squad, I ended up swapping Mustafi out for Matip as he was a bit taller. I hated using most of this team. Musa feels awful and Mane not much better. Martial feels fantastic, but people twigged on to me forcing him the ball. I expected Dembele to run the midfield for 20k but he didn't do much. In most games I ended up swapping out to a 4-1-2-1-2.

I'm now looking at this:

https://gyazo.com/934b117d765f007206518413dc096cec.png

Obviously one of these things is not like the other, but I packed him and it saves me buying. Now for my dilemma. I'll be switching straight to 4-1-2-1-2 (2) in game. My central CM will drop back to a CDM and the RF will move to CAM, leaving Martial/Mane and Remy up top.

Dilemma is, I still have 33k coins left. That is within a few hundred coins off Kante. I could also buy Mkhitaryan and have him as the RF that moves to CAM in game. I only have the loan Bellerin for now, but he has 11 games left and all of those have 1k coin boosts attached. That should be about 15k with normal match coins to buy one anyway.
My 3rd option is to buy a proper striker. Remy, while better than Musa is not amazing and Vardy, Lukaku and Sturridge could be affordable soon. Or some combination of all of the above.

[Spikey M]

I feel like I should finish The Journey but I really can't be arsed. It should adapt to gow good or bad you do, as is it's a pile of wank.

[John]

You get his Ultimate Team card if you finish it, so if haven't got far left to go it's probably worth the headache. He's quite good.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Or just do enough to get the packs.

[Spikey M]

I can't be arsed with FUT either. I'm just going to revert to career mode.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Been using this for the Fut champions (bar Marcelo who is a loan):

http://i.imgur.com/mQI5gyo.jpg

I love Aduriz, Godin, Oblak and Thiago (in my Bundesliga squad, here less so) but the rest I pretty much hate.

Going to sell them all as I just don't think I can make it work.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://i.imgur.com/VqyvBQy.png

:drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://i.imgur.com/uFyBx1z.png

Made this too.

Will look to bring De Gea and IF Kante in as well as a decent CAM or something.

[Gray Fox]

Have you managed to get into the weekend league?

[Gray Fox]

Also, I've just clocked that blue Lacazette card. I want it badly, but I'll never be able to afford it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Have you managed to get into the weekend league?

No, I haven't had much time on the weekends and usually only win 1 or 2 matches.

This week I actually had time and lost 6 matches winning 0 with my La Liga side and started seething. Went back to a bit of trading and donning gimps in season 9 online.

I keep drooling all over the shop when I use my Bundesliga side as Alaba has 99 acceleration with 96 sprint speed. It's fun using him to chase down everyone.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://i.imgur.com/e9WE47P.png

I'm guessing people like that Lacazette card a lot.

[Gray Fox]

I've done 14 games(12 in one stint) of the weekend league and I stand at 9 wins. The goal is to get to 18, to qualify for next week, but fuck me it's a grind. I only have Saturday night to play the rest really as I'm up for the early shift next week.

I've come up against a fair few super teams so far and they're responsible for most of my losses. If you have a competent player controlling them, you're essentially done for. I've splashed out on Kante and I have to say he's worth every penny. If not for him I'd be down at about 5 wins or less.

The problem for me is a lot of the team is bobbins. Shaw and Clyne at full back are great, so is Smalling. While Begovic and Zouma are okay. But I have Schniederlin and a RM Moussa Sissoko either side of him. Neither of those are exactly creative or great on the ball. Up top there is Martial as a LF, Remy and Mane as a RF.
Martial is by far and away my best player. He's the only one I can rely on to finish his dinner. Remy is great in patches but then goes totally shite and Mane is just horrible to use. I'm binning the latter off and will even take someone like Deulofeu as a RF.

I have just shy of 20k. I can spread it about, looking at cheap midfielders like Herrera, or I can look at someone like Mahrez/Mkhitaryan for my RF spot, which will eat up all my coins.

[John]

A bit surprising on Mane. He's the one player I haven't been able to deal with yet, the obvious super players aside. Every time I play against him he just blasts down the wing or makes four of my players look silly with some ludicrous dribbling in the box. What 'FIFA level' are you at? If you're high enough you should be able to get Mkhitaryan and Mahrez on loan for about five games each, which should be enough to tell you which, if any, you should be spending your coins on.

[Spikey M]

I've started my Southend save and used the 'Scout a future beast' bonus thing. The scout found me a 16 year old right winger who is only a 60 but alteady has great pace and finishing with top potential.

We are bossing League 1 so I won't even bother with transfers this year, but I did struggle against Fulham in the cup so improvements will be needed for the Championship next year. First touch is particularly poor across the squad.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Came across this squad in division 7 today:

http://i.imgur.com/SEXkgG3.jpg

This is the squad I was using at the time:

http://i.imgur.com/08rBfto.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/24x0DcF.jpg

Andre Silva :cool:

He's so fucking class.

[Lemmo]

Finally got round to getting this a few weeks back, I seem to be a lot better on this one than Fifa 16 for some reason.

Just made Division 2 and my current seasons record is 42-11-11. Been using 2 squads and rotating them to avoid having to use fitness cards. I've not currently got any special cards:

Bundesliga 4-3-2-1:

GK: Fahrmann
LB: Rodriguez
CB: Toprak
CB: Sokratis
RB: Piszczek
CM: Thiago
CM: Luis Gustavo
CM: Junuzovic
RF: Dembele
LF: Coman
ST: Werner

Shout outs in this squad to Coman who's the best player I've used so far this year and Werner who again is a great budget striker. Probably need to look at improving the midfield in this one and I'm thinking of Sanches as he seems to be dropping in price.

La Liga 4-3-3 (2):

GK: Ter Stegen
LB: Gaya
CB: Varane
CB: Mangala
RB: De Marcos
CDM: N Zonzi
CM: Andre Gomes
CM: Koke
LW: Nani
RW: Williams
ST: Ben Yedder

Mentions in this team go to Ben Yedder who I really like using and the 2 CM's who are complete all rounders and rarely get out done.

Not really sure what this FUT Champions is all about, I'm guessing I'm missing a trick by not qualifying for this at weekends? Is it possible to qualify for this via Seasons or do I have to do those daily knockout tournaments that I always seem to miss?

How are people making money this year? I've got the coin boosts on and I'm going to look into the Squad Building Challenges this weekend and see if they're worthwhile.

[Gray Fox]

A bit surprising on Mane. He's the one player I haven't been able to deal with yet, the obvious super players aside. Every time I play against him he just blasts down the wing or makes four of my players look silly with some ludicrous dribbling in the box. What 'FIFA level' are you at? If you're high enough you should be able to get Mkhitaryan and Mahrez on loan for about five games each, which should be enough to tell you which, if any, you should be spending your coins on.

I'm a level 50. I've tried Mkhitaryan on loan but he's only on 6 chemistry, so it's not a greatly accurate. He was okay but again he wasn't as best as he could be. I've tried switching to 4-1-2-1-2(2) less in game. Tending to only do it if I'm being cut open and need that support. I'm doing a fair bit better going forward, with the obvious cost defensively.


Not really sure what this FUT Champions is all about, I'm guessing I'm missing a trick by not qualifying for this at weekends? Is it possible to qualify for this via Seasons or do I have to do those daily knockout tournaments that I always seem to miss?

How are people making money this year? I've got the coin boosts on and I'm going to look into the Squad Building Challenges this weekend and see if they're worthwhile.

If you have the time to be playing 40 games in a weekend and are pretty good, then you are absolutely missing out. You can qualify by playing in Division 1 and completing a season. FUT Champions is where the money is made this year.

For example I've played 18 games this weekend. Of those I've won 11. That puts me at "Silver 2" if I stop now I'll get 15k coins and the equivalent to a 35k and a 25k pack. Obviously it's all dependent on what you get in the packs, but the more wins you get, the better your packs will be, in theory.
The dream for me is another 7 wins. Getting 18 wins or "Gold 3" gains you 30k coins, 2 x 35k packs and a 50k pack, but more importantly gives free entry to the next weekend. So you can see just how quickly you can rack up the coins playing in a few weekend leagues. That's not even taking into account what you can get if you go into 30 win territory. Those prizes are insane.

[Gray Fox]

Finished my 40 games just before the McGregor fight. Ended up with 24 wins. Lost 14 and got 2 disconnects. It's those last 2 that are a killer. 1 more win would have had me in Gold 1. Would have been a 2 x 100k packs and 50k coins.

As it is, I'll be getting 45k coins, 1 25k pack and 2 x 55k packs. The consumables in those packs should help out a hell of a lot as you burn through loads of squad fitness cards. It's 900 coins for a bronze fitness card at the weekends. So you gain very few coins per match if you don't have more than one squad. The most important bit is that I got over 18 wins and so qualify automatically for next week.

I'll have about 65k plus anything I can sell from the packs. So I can spend big on one of two players or try to make a fitness squad. Got a week to think about which I want.

[Yevrah]

I've built and MLS side which is quite fun and cost next to nothing. Drogba and Oduro up front, with a midfield trio of Kaka, Lampard and Gerrard.

Everyone has 10 chemistry and the arrows when I toggle through the cards on some stats are showing as positive, as if I'm getting a boost due to the chemistry, even though my players are all BASIC. The stat boosts don't look as though they're reflected in the 6 stats on the face of a card either. Any ideas?

[Samadini]

Basic Chem style still gives a boost in stats with chemistry over 5. The basic chemistry style gives the upgrade as a general spread, rather than a targeted boost.

Chemistry style boosts won't be reflected on the card in game, whichever style you choose, only on websites like futhead.com.

[Samadini]

I think Lassana Diarra is the best midfielder I've used so far. I've scored more goals with him than all my strikers bar Gignac and Giroud.

Midfield 3 of Diarra - IF N'Zonzi - Kante is pure quality.

[Samadini]

Only just realised I accidentally had Ben Yedder at CB in my last game. Shows how much attention I pay. Kept a clean sheet as well, which makes you wonder how important correct positions are.

[Gray Fox]

There was a mini market 'crash' before. Players in the 50k range all came down by about 10k. Kante, who I bought on Friday was 36k then and is just creeping back above 27k now. Vardy is now easily below 30k. Sturridge coming down too.

It looks like I may well be able to stretch that 65k a lot further than I could have last week. I do need to think about this weekend though. There's a requirement on the tournament that you must have 3 leagues and 4 different clubs represented in your team. It keeps it fresh but I'm going to have to do a little thinking on where to fit in new players.

[Samadini]

I'm a bit annoyed about the weekend league thing now starting on a Friday, it's very rare I get to play the game properly until Friday night and I've already missed qualification by then. I'm nowhere near Division 1 yet.

Had a hour or so on it last night, so wanted to give qualification a try, but my team didn't fit the requirements and I've only got about 4 coins left after buying Kante for 33k. :moop:

[Gray Fox]

I'm a bit annoyed about the weekend league thing now starting on a Friday, it's very rare I get to play the game properly until Friday night and I've already missed qualification by then. I'm nowhere near Division 1 yet.

Had a hour or so on it last night, so wanted to give qualification a try, but my team didn't fit the requirements and I've only got about 4 coins left after buying Kante for 33k. :moop:

This was my gripe with it. The only tournament I could have tried after the extension is the no requirements one every other week when I was on lates.

On the plus side I did reasonably well with this team (https://www.easports.com/uk/fifa/ultimate-team/web-app/show-off?showoffId=cGU0gL42lQ7:FFA17XBO). I think I'll meet the requirements for this week if I just swap Martial to RF and bring in a French striker, such as Gamerio or Lacazette.

[Samadini]

Give Gignac with Finisher chem style for a couple of games, will cost you pennies and you don't need to play a crossing game, I always score with his feet. One of those players who seems to ignore his stats and play well beyond them. No past boost and he breaks through so easily for me, somehow and then obviously can't be shaken off it.

[bruhnaldo]

Been trying to get back to FUT but when I did my "you have packs waiting for you cause of all your FUTting!" bit i got so many shit cards I've been entirely turned off.

Probably fire it up tonight I guess. Just annoying when you spend so much time and money on it and then the new one comes out and you get absolutely fuck all.

*sigh*

[Gray Fox]

The market is seriously tanking now. Kante was 36k last Friday for me, and is now going for 20k. Aguero has lost 100k of value in about the same time too.

If I didn't have to accommodate the other 2 leagues this weekend, I'd be able to make some quality additions to my team.

EDIT: That TOTW though... :D

[Samadini]

Seething. I've played 3 games with Kante since I bought him for 33k and now he's lost 13k in value.

[Gray Fox]

Seething. I've played 3 games with Kante since I bought him for 33k and now he's lost 13k in value.

Prices for the most popular players will rise again before the weekend. People will be buying up ready for Friday.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just had a little 4 game stint and it's probably the most unlucky session I've ever had.

Lost count the amount of times we hit the woodwork and I maintain one of those went over the line after coming down off the bar. Also, my most reliable geezer in IF Silva couldn't hit the target for shit for the first time ever :(

Two of the games were with my Bundesliga side and it does reaffirm just how brilliant Alaba with a shadow is.

99 acceleration, 96 sprint speed, 96 interceptions, 86 heading, 97 marking, 99 standing tackle, 99 sliding tackle. I've become so good at trying to get my opponents to attack down his side and when they do he cleans up with ease.

[Gray Fox]

Got my reward packs through from the weekend league just gone and I feel like I was punished for not getting that one extra win to take me to Gold 1. Best player I got was Ben Yedder and I got him in both packs.

However having him means I can put him as my striker and move Martial out to the right. I can then use my 70k to spend elsewhere. Maybe a midfielder and striker. Someone like Vardy would leave me with plenty to spend on a midfielder, or I could go with Lukaku/Strurridge.

[Samadini]

Looks like I can make my money back on Kante at the moment, so he's on the list. My next most expensive players are N'Zonzi who cost 19k and Corchia who cost 10k so no point putting them up.

Finally another French player with an IF, but I won't be able to afford him. Frenchies need to up their game.

[John]

IF Andrea Belotti and IF Mertens are making me seriously consider going back to Italy once the market recovers and I can get decent returns on the La Liga lads. Belotti with a Hawk on him is a proper beast and Mertens with an Artist looks like the answer to the CAM problem that basically made me chuck it before. Those two with a Hawk Immobile as a front three in a 4-1-2-1-2 would be nightmare fuel for most sides.

[Gray Fox]

Looks like I can make my money back on Kante at the moment, so he's on the list. My next most expensive players are N'Zonzi who cost 19k and Corchia who cost 10k so no point putting them up.

Finally another French player with an IF, but I won't be able to afford him. Frenchies need to up their game.

If you're going to sell, do it before Monday. People still playing the weekend league will keep his price up, but then next week there's the usual Wednesday price drop, followed by black Friday. One black Friday hits, the market wont come back.

How's N'Zonzi? Every time I've faced him he's been impossible to go through.

[John]

I'm using N'Zonzi too, and he's a wall. Always exactly where he needs to be, mighty in the tackle, and he can whack them in from distance as well.

[Samadini]

Did get my coins back on Kante in the end. Will either buy him back or buy another IF if something decent comes within range.

And yeah N'Zonzi seems pretty great.

[Gray Fox]

On your guys recommendations(I'm sure it was John who said Gamiero was a tank) I've come up with this:

https://gyazo.com/f48b6ddc7868809cc250be8e96638bc9.png

It serves a few purposes. It meets the 3 leagues/4 clubs requirement. But it also means I can do it by just buying two players. The positive being that those two are no longer in packs and so should lose little value when the weekend league finishes. This means I should be able to sell them both whilst just losing a few thousand coins on each. I want to keep my options open.
The negative being that my midfield is now quite strong defensively, but not so much going forward. It'll be almost leaving the front 3 to it.
It also means I couldn't really afford to upgrade my defence, which needs some love.

I could buy Bailly, Bellerin(and move Clyne to LB) and a new keeper(Cech/Courtois/Lloris) and still have some change.

[Samadini]

Make sure to give Diarra a go as sub in for N'Zonzi. Plays very differently, as you'd expect, but he's absolutely amazing for me.

Fucking hate Sissoko, I play him in the middle as well, does everything right and then shoots like a moron.

[John]

Gameiro isn't a tank, he's just the perfect 'little man' striker, only with added jumping ability. If you can get your wide forwards to bomb on he'll assist as many as he scores too.

[Gray Fox]

Well Martial and Coman have pace to burn so they should be good doing that.

Managed to pick up IF N'Zonzi with about 59 mins and 54 seconds on the clock. He was 5k cheaper than the next closest option. That should hopefully account for the tax if I decide to sell him. Next I've to try and find Gameiro with a hunter/hawk card.
Samadini I like Sissoko as he makes up for Kantes only 2 shortcomings, which are his height and his goalscoring. He's not amazing but he does a good job. I would have replaced him this week with someone like Gundogan if not for the weekend league requirements. It's quite sad, but this game is now all about playing at the weekend. As long as you can go at least 18 wins to 22 losses or better, you're getting some damn good rewards.

Next weekend requires you to have 7 differing nations in your team, so players like that IF Bolasie card are going to be on my wishlist.

[Gray Fox]

Ended up getting Gameiro with a hunter card. He's a little on the weak side however his right foot is lethal. It's only division 8 but 2 games, 7 goals. N'Zonzi seems faster than his card suggests too.

[John]

I thought the same on N'Zonzi. I think it's at least partially because he's always in the right place so essentially starts every race with a yard start but even in a straight race he seems considerably quicker than 60 pace. With a shadow card on him his in game rating as a CDM is 92, by the way.

Gameiro is weaker than would be ideal but I got around that by flicking the ball away with the right stick. His mental acceleration and agility mean you can pretty much always get there first and as you'll have noticed, he can find the top corner from pretty much anywhere.

[Samadini]

For some reason I seemed to think that during Black Friday all previous IFs are available again, but now I can't find anything on that.

Have I just made that up/confused it with another event? I was hoping to get a reasonably priced IF Lemar.

[Gray Fox]

The monthly rewards for the weekend league have been released.

Essentially they are packs only containing IF versions of players from the previous month, but they show as red cards. You get them in Bronze(1), Silver(1), Gold(3), Premium(11) and Ultimate(44 + 1 Legend). The quality of pack refers to the quality of player you will get. From 1 Bronze IF all the way up to 44 Gold IFs and a legend card. They are all cards you can't trade but it's a great idea. The only downside is that it's like usual packs in that they're all random. I saw one person get a red version of the IF Ronaldo, while the next person I saw got IF Muller.
You'll need to be hitting mid twenties in all 4 weeks to be getting up towards the Premium packs, but if you can those rewards are worth it. Hell even if you can only win 67 games in the month you'll be getting 3 IF cards for free. Me missing the first week all but rules out the top prizes unless I magically go 38-2 or better in both weeks. But I need to win 43 games over the next 2 weeks to make it.
It's not as vital for me to hit 18 wins and auto qualify this week, because I'd have the time to have a go at qualifying being on the late shift. But it makes sense for me to be hitting similar to last time.

[Gray Fox]

I've had to sell Gamerio back on. He's great, but the first 4 games I played have exposed flaws in my team. Mainly my defence. I've brought in Bellerin and I'm looking at getting Walker as well and playing whichever has the stronger weak foot at left back.

I've played 4 games and noted that the first goal scorer in each has gone on to lose. With my 2 losses seeing me comfortably 1-0 at half time, only to be caught out in the 2nd half. I know I'm not great at defending but it happened a lot last weekend too.

[Samadini]

Been able to have a proper look, seems I did invent the re-release of IFs :(

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Finally managed a win to stop my awful run with a 3-1 win.

Problems scoring still shone through though as I could have had double figures.

Things just haven't been working for me in the last few days. Crosses being massively overhit, woodwork being rattled about 5 times a game, mental saves etc. I've actually been playing my best stuff in terms of build up in the last few days.

[Samadini]

Crossing got completely screwed up when they released the patch. It needed to be done, as it probably was a bit too easy, particularly to score from a corner, but I found it fun. I still play with target men, but rarely score with the head now, I just use their strength to break through.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://i.imgur.com/XtVVlAf.png

Took out Coman and IF Hernandez for Costa and Forsberg.

http://www.futhead.com/17/players/50865/emil-forsberg/?chemType=maestro

For 30k he looks bonkers.

I've also taken out Rashford in my Premiership squad for Mame Biram Diouf.

[Gray Fox]

I mentioned yesterday I was looking at picking up a new keeper. I was going to go for Courtois. He's gone up 50k in price now thanks to that squad builder for Hazard. Could have been easy money.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just tried my first game with that squad and initial signs are very positive.

Costa didn't get involved much as the guy I was playing just wanted to try and injure him (although timing skills just right so Costa skills around/over challenges is grand) but Forsberg absolutely ran the show. I've tried quite a few at CAM across various squads but after 1 game he might be my favourite.

Firstly he's allowed Muller to go up top where he is so much more suited, he's mega there especially with a hawk card. He brings so much more to the side than IF Chicharito did, primarily because he's so brilliant at holding up the ball. Secondly because he was just picking apart the guy I played.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE8ZJo5Rthw

Those finishes always look so damn awesome.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGWaIjl3d5o

Won the match 4-0 which is my best result in ages, I can't even remember us hitting the woodwork.

[Gray Fox]

This is the first time I feel like I'm actually getting my hands on those kind of players. This weekend league business is great for average Joe just as much as it is a pro player. If I can get to Gold 3(18 wins from 40) every week, I re-qualify for the next week and gain 30k coins as a bonus, plus whatever comes in the packs.

After selling Gamerio I needed a replacement who was French and not in England, so I ended up nabbing Ben Arfa. Since then I've gone from 2-2 to 9-4. This puts me halfway to my target. I've noticed I'm keeping my composure a lot better now. For example, I'm quite often leading 2-0 early in the 2nd half, but I know before the first goal for my opponent even goes in, that he'll grab the 2nd not far after. Last week when this happened, I fell to pieces. Most if not all of those occasions I'd go on to lose the game. The last 3 games I've just had has seen this scenario happen in all of them, but with the difference being that in 2 of them I was able to go out and score again to take the win.

I had just enough coins to buy Vardy too. I can't start him but I can bring him straight on from the bench. He's probably the quickest player I've seen on this. God help the game if he ever gets an in-form card.

EDIT: Also if any of you have any Belgian IFs get selling. They're being bought up on the market for the Hazard SBC, to the point where there's none left so you can pretty much name your price. The IF Carrasco, Chadli, Benteke, Mertens and Alderweireld cards are all currently extinct. Zero on the market whatsoever. Anyone who bought one of these, well done you.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Guess I'll sell my Toby card for now then.

Edit: Fuck, some are getting close to 300k for him.

I bought him for 112k a couple of weeks ago.

249k for me.

Cheers, Gray. I wouldn't have checked had you not posted about him.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Replaced Toby with OTW Bailly and also bought IF Eriksen plus OTW Dembele in the hopes he gets an IF this season.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAOAivYK39s

How was that not a foul?

Would have been nice had Leno actually attempted to save it.

[Gray Fox]

It does feel like there are games you're just not allowed to win. That looks like one of them.

[Gray Fox]

I've not come up against Butland or Areola until tonight and both have been irritating. They seem better than Neuer who I've met plenty. I'm up to 15 wins 9 losses. With 16 games remaining I can get into Gold 1(25 wins) if I keep up with how I'm going now. Although I was in a very similar position last time and ended up falling at 24. I was robbed in my last game. He got a 90th minute equalizer but in the penalty shootout, it went to sudden death. As I started my run up the game lagged and sent it straight down the middle, his keeper for once never moved. He then took his to win and although I went top right, the lag meant the dive didn't register until too late and the ball was just past him when he got there.

I've already faced 2 people with the SBC Hazard + Godly team. Each player costing more than my full outfit type of team. I won one simply because he was forcing the ball to Hazard and it became easy to read. The other guy destroyed me 5-2. Having to break down a Thiago Silva/Boateng/Ramos defence almost every game is making me a better player, but it's almost impossible when they go on park the bus mode.

[Samadini]

I've just sold everyone and I've only got 110k :( I refuse to buy more packs after the money I spent last time earned me about 5k coins, so I just really need to get involved in the Weekend League to have a proper chance of earning coins, but that's never going to happen as I'm too shit at this version to get to Division 1 (I used to find it easy, so it's a bit distressing) and I rarely play the game during the week. Pissing me off.

Not sure where I got next, possibly to Italy to try an IF Kalinic/SIF Mandy strike force.


And yes park the bus teams are still the most annoying thing about this, I win some and lose some against them, so it's not that, the games are just fucking boring as hell, about 3 shots between the teams in the whole game and the winner is usually through a defensive error.

[Samadini]

Actually, no I'm not, I should have tried them before the crossing/heading nerf. Going to Bundesliga to try out some of their cheaper IFs. Kalou upfront for sure. Forsberg any good Mahon? Think I've got to give him a go.


IF Castro 175k on PS4 and 80k on Xbox :stamford:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yeah I like Forsberg a lot.

http://www.futhead.com/17/players/50865/emil-forsberg/?chemType=maestro

Tidy as fuck with a Maestro card.

[Gray Fox]

If you can wait to buy, the prices are about to crash. There's the usual weekend league firesale, combined with black Friday coming on the 25th. I'd say between Monday and Tuesday is best to buy if you can't afford to wait a week.

[Samadini]

I'm actually off this week so can finally put some good hours into the game in the week, so I won't be able to make the most of the price crash, but I've got fuck all coins anyway, so not going to make a huge difference to me.

Praying Gayle gets a third here and an SIF.

[Gray Fox]

Finished my weekend league. I've got 1 game left but I'm not bothered by it as it wont make a difference. I ended up going 25-14. I bought myself Lacazette for the run in as my Niang just wasn't cutting it and the former was down 20k on what he started at the weekend. Seems like he would have saved me a few losses had I thought of this earlier on.

Either way that's 50k coins and 2 100k packs(with fuck all in them) coming my way late Wednesday.

[Samadini]

I've just started the game up, ready to finally try and qualify for the weekend league.

The team I've just made doesn't meet the requirements. The one I just sold did. I'm sure I probably could have checked, but fuck me.

[Samadini]

Played some online seasons instead and the Bundesliga team is the best I've played with so far. Alonso is absolutely brilliant at CDM and as everyone knows, Sanches is one of the most overpowered players in the game. Had only come up against until now, he's brilliant to play with. Forseberg seems decent, but far from my most important player, so think I'll get rid of him and replace with Draxler, so I can afford a team for the weekend league.

https://s22.postimg.org/s0ys5ttbl/skwad.png

[Gray Fox]

I've just started the game up, ready to finally try and qualify for the weekend league.

The team I've just made doesn't meet the requirements. The one I just sold did. I'm sure I probably could have checked, but fuck me.

Just as a warning, if you do qualify you should check the requirements for the weekends in advance. I know that this weekend you need 7 different nations in your starting 11. That way you can buy on a Monday or Tuesday when prices are down.

You should also stock up on fitness cards. Even the bronze squad ones go up to 900 a pop at the weekends.

[Samadini]

I can't even qualify anyway. On my third attempt now. I'm absolutely battering teams but can't seem to win 4 in a row at the moment. Not sure I ever have on the version actually.

It's so annoying, I'd be confident of winning enough games to keep me in it every week, just can't get there. I'm missing out on hundreds of thousands of coins by never playing the weekend league.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I've never qualified too :(

[Samadini]

On a horrible losing streak at the moment. Don't even think I've scored a goal now for 5 games, not even battering teams anymore. Close to binning this.

You up for a game Mahon? I need to know how bad at this I really am.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Maybe later tonight.

I really need to do some work for Uni :(

[Samadini]

Think I've just played it for the last time to be honest. I'm not actually enjoying it at all, had my first day of playing it all day and I've just been stressed out by it.

Anyone want 100kish coins? Yev, you've just started, so might need them more than the others?

[Gray Fox]

If you're on xbox I'll take them off you.

[Lemmo]

I'm a level 50. I've tried Mkhitaryan on loan but he's only on 6 chemistry, so it's not a greatly accurate. He was okay but again he wasn't as best as he could be. I've tried switching to 4-1-2-1-2(2) less in game. Tending to only do it if I'm being cut open and need that support. I'm doing a fair bit better going forward, with the obvious cost defensively.



If you have the time to be playing 40 games in a weekend and are pretty good, then you are absolutely missing out. You can qualify by playing in Division 1 and completing a season. FUT Champions is where the money is made this year.

For example I've played 18 games this weekend. Of those I've won 11. That puts me at "Silver 2" if I stop now I'll get 15k coins and the equivalent to a 35k and a 25k pack. Obviously it's all dependent on what you get in the packs, but the more wins you get, the better your packs will be, in theory.
The dream for me is another 7 wins. Getting 18 wins or "Gold 3" gains you 30k coins, 2 x 35k packs and a 50k pack, but more importantly gives free entry to the next weekend. So you can see just how quickly you can rack up the coins playing in a few weekend leagues. That's not even taking into account what you can get if you go into 30 win territory. Those prizes are insane.

Cheers, made Division 1 tonight with a record of 52-16-14, pretty chuffed with that. Got entry to the weekend league with the promotion and I've got a free weekend coming up so I'll try get through 40 games (seems a lot!).

Going to sack off my Bundesliga team, it's struggling with the budget speed Premier League teams you come up against. I lost two in a row with it and rage loaned Reus and Aubemayang as a temporary measure but they're expiring shortly.

May replace that team with Serie A if it's anything like previous years, you can get some cracking players for decent prices. Alternatively I'll have to build a budget prem side which I'm not too keen on.

Got 70k coins and whatever I sell my Bundesliga team for, probably about 110k overall to spend. My LaLiga team may need some improvements from that too so not a lot to play around with, hopefully prices have crashed in the couple of weeks I've been out the market.

[The Merse]

Trying to qualify for this weekend league is doing my box in. I have a limited window due to work travel, and have made the final of the daily knockout 4 times since last night. Twice I've been winning up until about 80 mins and annihilating teams in R1/QF/SF's. The last one was soul crushing as I was 2-0 up. :(

[The Merse]

Trying to qualify for this weekend league is doing my box in. I have a limited window due to work travel, and have made the final of the daily knockout 4 times since last night. Twice I've been winning up until about 80 mins and annihilating teams in R1/QF/SF's. The last one was soul crushing as I was 2-0 up. :(

After another tense and horrible final (last attempt given I'm back to London tomorrow at 6.30) I finally made it... Fucking horrific tension.

I got into it at the first time of trying a few weeks back when I had a rare Friday at home (before they extended the window of the weekend league itself), not sure if it's easier later on in the weekday phase as the top lads qualify earlier. It was the last one before the revamps. I missed Gold 1 by two wins due to a lack of time to get the matches in but would've made the effort had I known that they were now auto-qualifying Gold players into the next weekend league. I've been away Tues-Fri most weeks so not even got a shot at qualification, think I had two attempts last weekend for the first time since the first qualification.

Typically, the bigger weekend window would suit me down to the ground normally, were it not for this being away from home all the time lark.

With the revamps, I hope this might be the only weekend league I have to qualify to make it into for a while. Just need a wee bit of luck and should make Gold this weekend :drool:

EDIT

Hold the fuck on Gray Fox, you can qualify by playing a season in D1? I just made D2 the other day and normally yoyo between the two but haven't played much seasons this year... Why the fuck did I bother with this knockout shit?!?!?!

[Gray Fox]

Yeah I'm sure I've mentioned it a few times. Winning, holding in, or getting promoted to Division 1 gains you access to the weekend. I'm not sure about being relegated, but I'd imagine you would too.

Be prepared now too. People are coming with mega teams thanks to monthly and weekly rewards both dropping last week. I faced a guy with a red Ronaldo. It did not go well.

[The Merse]

I got some sodding red Irish winger.

Need to ramp up.

My starting XI is at least fairly beastly now that I've got the right formation/custom tactics/instructions. I'm playing 442 with Aguero as a false nine and Aubameyang going in behind. Sanches stays back (like fuck he does with that work rate) and de Bruyne gets forward (he's shit at defending anyway).

Alaba might be the finest left back I've ever played with too.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'll need to buy that new IF Sokratis at some point.

http://www.futhead.com/17/players/51013/sokratis/?chemType=anchor

He looks bonkers.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I don't know why I keep playing this. I hate this version more than any other and yet I've probably paid it the most.

My silver team was killed by the new patch but I didn't realise that their corpses were getting raped too.

Can't win in online seasons with my Bundesliga team again now too :(

[Gray Fox]

What did the patch do to your team?

I've just had my rewards from the weekend. My 2 x 100k packs gave me IF Defoe and Movember Dahoud. Sold Defoe straight away for 39k and Dahoud only goes discard value for 9.9k, combined with my 50k coin reward means I essentially got 100k. Not bad at all. It shows the difference in that one extra game I won this week.
If I get my standard 18 win target this week, then I will also make Gold 3 for the month and get a 3 player IF pack as a monthly reward.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It was completely built around crossing it into the box.

Batshit fast wingers beating their man and putting it in for the monster Andre Silva to head it in.

It doesn't work for shit now and I just struggle to unlock teams going down the middle with it.

I might sack it off and build a 4-1-2-1-2 narrow silver team.

I feel that the older I get the worse I become at FIFA. I miss the days of 98 :(

[Gray Fox]

Both 4-3-2-1 and 4-3-1-2 are great, with the latter allowing you to really pen your opponent in if you have the players. Running down the wing with a speedy player and knocking it in to Andy Carroll seems to have been given a big nerf. Same for corners. There are far too many auto headers at corners.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://i.imgur.com/fcDvrwI.jpg

:face:

I did score this beauty though:

http://i.imgur.com/1tV0w64.gif

I'm so used to seeing those fly over the bar.

This wasn't too bad either:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4VfGv3bZLg

Props for the mental celebration too.

Oh and I'll give 4321 a go.

[The Merse]

4312 feels like a cunts trick of a formation. Way, way too OP as it guarantees a midfield battle win if you've got high positioning ratings in there and physicality. Kante-Sanches-Matic was the stuff of nightmares.

Genuinely abhore playing anyone with a CDM as well.

[Gray Fox]

I will point out that you really need to be paying attention to the workrates in the 3 midfielders, in either the 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-1-2. Kante is the business in the centre but you need guys either side of him that are either med/med or high/high at the worst. Med/high is perfect.

Replace Matic with someone like Vidal and you can give someone nightmares The Merse.

[Gray Fox]

https://gyazo.com/6a2e234188f6c00fcfe5a63879f2d32e.png

I'm looking at something like this for my team for this weekend. Allen is there for another nationality and will swap straight out to Sanches who is on my bench. I have concerns with Coutinho as whenever I've faced his normal card, he was pretty easy to bully with Kante.

The other option is to move to a 4-3-2-1, keep Martial up top and maybe get a Lukaku/Sturridge while playing that Depay or the IF Bolasie as a RF. Blow out the budget on one player option is Hazard who I can just about afford, or Alexis would take a massive chunk of it.

[The Merse]

I will point out that you really need to be paying attention to the workrates in the 3 midfielders, in either the 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-1-2. Kante is the business in the centre but you need guys either side of him that are either med/med or high/high at the worst. Med/high is perfect.

Replace Matic with someone like Vidal and you can give someone nightmares The Merse.

I find Matic a real problem when he's a proper CDM. Sits right where I want my playmaking CM or CAM to run into and cuts passing lanes with his telescopic legs. The big cunt.

Thinking of signing Vidal. Not sure what I'll do this weekend. I have 59 squad fitness cards but normally play no more than two games before re-applying or swapping squads. The latter has allowed me to keep off the fitness cards until recently as I had two 185-rated squads - one Bundesliga and one Premier League. The qualifying tournament demanding 4 leagues meant I switched up to the 442 with half of each team and to fit the Overmars loanee in as one extra league and Ter Stegen as the other and after playing with that for the first time in a while, it's suits me beautifully, especially with Aguero and Aubameyang then getting in up front. It also plays well as it combines the strengths of each team - POTM Sterling/Bellerin on the right and Reus/Alaba on the left is great, certainly better than Azpilicueta/Son and Bellerabi/Piczek on the right.

But... that doesn't lend itself to swapping squads every couple of games, as I don't have a 442 behind it that stands out (mainly striking-wise and chem links as I do have a lot of 84/85s in reserve... just not the right ones.

I'll see how tonight's initial couple of games play out and then get into the marathon sessions on sat/Sunday with a better idea.

[The Merse]

https://gyazo.com/6a2e234188f6c00fcfe5a63879f2d32e.png

I'm looking at something like this for my team for this weekend. Allen is there for another nationality and will swap straight out to Sanches who is on my bench. I have concerns with Coutinho as whenever I've faced his normal card, he was pretty easy to bully with Kante.

The other option is to move to a 4-3-2-1, keep Martial up top and maybe get a Lukaku/Sturridge while playing that Depay or the IF Bolasie as a RF. Blow out the budget on one player option is Hazard who I can just about afford, or Alexis would take a massive chunk of it.

I'd spend 5-7k to take Ramsey over Allen. He's very very decent. Often sub him in for De Bruyne when winning and his work rate (H/M) and all-rounder attributes work well alongside Kante who replaces Sanches.

Hazard is spectacular from the few drafts I've used him in. I fancied the PoTM version but won't quite make it due to the Belgian requirement. Need the IF Lukaku and that's looking too ambitious at the moment. Owned Lukaku for a while and it's a nice card with a hunter on it but the plethora of shadow Bailly's running about gave me reason to get rid.

[Gray Fox]

It's been a case of win one, lose one in my first stint. I've just put 2 wins together though to come out of it 8-6. In my experience Friday is the hardest day to play, but every game has been a struggle. I picked up Sturridge, IF Depay, Bailly, Firmino and Dembele. Dembele is decent and Firmino feels great, but for a lack of pace but Sturridge has been really disappointing. He feels very clunky.

I don't know if there has been a patch too this week, but my team feels awful compared to last weekend. I may well have to upgrade Begovic too. He's made some really bad errors and shots are hitting his chest/shoulders and flying in. I just can't do it with the 7 nations requirement. Depay is pretty nice to use, but I may need to sell him to upgrade the team overall.

10 wins needed, 26 to play. I may just stop for my sanity if I do get to 18.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Got bored so I made this:

https://www.futbin.com/17/squad/467048

http://i.imgur.com/ptpJxAy.jpg

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Won my first game 4-0 and then had a pretty fun game:

http://i.imgur.com/jKHx3KN.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EKMB25M.jpg

His first was jammy as fuck (keeper saved a shot at a corner and the rebound hit a defender's back to see it roll in) and his second was a disgusting pull back counter. Next two I was just pushing too hard to try and win the game. Was damn fun though, the front 3 are brilliant.

[The Merse]

It appears that since the last time I played FUT Champions I've regressed. :(

From 18-19 last time out (which I was perfectly pleased with given the standard) to 1-7 so far this time.

That every team is a sweaty BPL with the same line up of Vardy-Sterling-Kante-Lallana-etc is pretty shite too.

Maybe just one of those days. Maybe I'm shite now.

[The Merse]

Well, after sorting out my lag issues (made some router config changes), I've gone 5-3 today. 6-12 overall unfortunately after a further 2 losses last night, but reassuring that I've not gone permanently shit. The input lag was ridiculous before, but I'd just been playing through it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Was thinking of picking up OTW Hummels but decided to wait a bit longer.

He's gone up to just under 300k now after scoring yesterday :(

[Gray Fox]

Well, after sorting out my lag issues (made some router config changes), I've gone 5-3 today. 6-12 overall unfortunately after a further 2 losses last night, but reassuring that I've not gone permanently shit. The input lag was ridiculous before, but I'd just been playing through it.

I wouldn't worry too much. This week has been really rough. I'm 18-15. I'd like to get on and see if I can get up to 21 wins, but I've done the weekly and monthly target I wanted. Part of my problem is how I'm playing. Because I'm going from lates to earlies, I don't have Sunday night to play a meaningful amount of games. That essentially means 20 games Friday and Saturday night and as a result I've been playing rushed to try and get through it all those games. It's just too much.

I bought the Roma trio of Manolas, Peres and Naingolan to make up some nations in my team and I love them. I might end up buying more Serie A players and their prices, minus Dybala are all dropping through the floor.


Was thinking of picking up OTW Hummels but decided to wait a bit longer.

He's gone up to just under 300k now after scoring yesterday :(

It's always worth checking up on an OTW players performance about 4pm on a Saturday. If he's scored, especially if he's low rated, or a defender then it's always worth picking up as he's likely to make TOTW.

[The Merse]

I wouldn't worry too much. This week has been really rough. I'm 18-15. I'd like to get on and see if I can get up to 21 wins, but I've done the weekly and monthly target I wanted. Part of my problem is how I'm playing. Because I'm going from lates to earlies, I don't have Sunday night to play a meaningful amount of games. That essentially means 20 games Friday and Saturday night and as a result I've been playing rushed to try and get through it all those games. It's just too much.


I'm in the rhythm now, winning 6 of my last 7, and making it 11-13 for the weekend. If only I'd sorted the input lag and hit stride yesterday, I've been in smack bang in Gold 1 form today. Hopefully can get another 12 games in before the nights over and take the 7 wins needed for Gold 3 and possibly move up to Gold 2 if it's looking on with a few games left.


I bought the Roma trio of Manolas, Peres and Naingolan to make up some nations in my team and I love them. I might end up buying more Serie A players and their prices, minus Dybala are all dropping through the floor.

I picked up Manolas off the 82+ SBC and fancy using him at some point as I can't sell him. Peres was part of my 5-3-2 team prior to packing Ronaldo, and is an absolute beast.

If I get bored of Aguero-Aubameyang I may think of an Aguero-Dybala as the latter seems a complete beast from the games I played with his loanee card early on. Also fancy Pjanic IF. We'll see.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I wouldn't worry too much. This week has been really rough. I'm 18-15. I'd like to get on and see if I can get up to 21 wins, but I've done the weekly and monthly target I wanted. Part of my problem is how I'm playing. Because I'm going from lates to earlies, I don't have Sunday night to play a meaningful amount of games. That essentially means 20 games Friday and Saturday night and as a result I've been playing rushed to try and get through it all those games. It's just too much.

I bought the Roma trio of Manolas, Peres and Naingolan to make up some nations in my team and I love them. I might end up buying more Serie A players and their prices, minus Dybala are all dropping through the floor.



It's always worth checking up on an OTW players performance about 4pm on a Saturday. If he's scored, especially if he's low rated, or a defender then it's always worth picking up as he's likely to make TOTW.
I was thinking of picking him up on Friday as he was only around 170k or so :(

[The Merse]

I was thinking of picking him up on Friday as he was only around 170k or so :(

I'd take Boateng standard over Hummells IF. Boateng is the finest defender in the game by quite a distance.

Actually. No - Chris Smalling is. But he's best non-sweaty in the game anyway. Major threat at corners too. Then of course there's Sokratis.

If a better RB or an IF Brozinski appears then there'll be no better league for defences than the Bundesliga as Alaba is awesome too.

[Lemmo]

Fair play to anyone who grinds FUT Champions every week, my first ever experience and it's such a slog.

I've won 21 out of 28 but getting 40 games in at a weekend just seems mental. I've pretty much over done it doing as much as I have, it's literally about consistency.

I had a 5 game losing streak where I'd completely lost my head in true Fifa rage, usually I stop after 1 defeat but in this you have no option but to keep ploughing through. Everyone seems to either use the same sweaty BPL formation or a combination of Niang and Cuadrado also seems quite common.

I could really do with upgrading my teams if I ever attempt this again - it's extremely rare I ever have the better team.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'd take Boateng standard over Hummells IF. Boateng is the finest defender in the game by quite a distance.

Actually. No - Chris Smalling is. But he's best non-sweaty in the game anyway. Major threat at corners too. Then of course there's Sokratis.

If a better RB or an IF Brozinski appears then there'll be no better league for defences than the Bundesliga as Alaba is awesome too.

Oh I wasn't keen on Hummels but I thought his OTW was at a decent enough price to keep in my binder in case he got an IF.

I'm using Alaba (greatest defender in the game without a doubt, he's mental), Sokratis IF, Sule IF and Opare.

I'll probably be getting Boateng this week, especially if Hummels does indeed get an IF (I'd be stunned if he doesn't) as he might get a bit cheaper.

[The Merse]

Fair play to anyone who grinds FUT Champions every week, my first ever experience and it's such a slog.

I've won 21 out of 28 but getting 40 games in at a weekend just seems mental. I've pretty much over done it doing as much as I have, it's literally about consistency.

I had a 5 game losing streak where I'd completely lost my head in true Fifa rage, usually I stop after 1 defeat but in this you have no option but to keep ploughing through. Everyone seems to either use the same sweaty BPL formation or a combination of Niang and Cuadrado also seems quite common.

I could really do with upgrading my teams if I ever attempt this again - it's extremely rare I ever have the better team.

21-7 is tip top mate, kudos. If you could get the other 12 in and at the same ratio then you're looking at top 100 regional on c. 30 wins.

Hoping to get almost double games in now, as generally people eeking out the last few hours rage quit as soon as they're a couple of goals down and I'm on a run of 2 losses in 14 games now I think. I'll make my Gold 3 target easily enough with two more wins from my remaining 10, but I'm quite desperate to get a PB and hit Gold 2 (as well as that being a real worthwhile jump in rewards. December will be a big month for me - should have a fair bit of time to play as I'll be going out so much during the week that aside from a mates Birthday next weekend, I'll be in all throughout the weekends. Hoping to grab a nice monthly reward then and that perhaps they'll do a bumper one for Christmas.

[The Merse]

Well, finished all 40 games, going to bed with 4 hours before I have to be up is a sacrifice, but happily I made it to Gold 2 with a record of 21-19. The quality of the opposition got particularly tough towards the end, I'm guessing due to the skill rating levelling in play in FUT Champs along with it being the last leg of the competition and time of night (I always find harder opposition after 11pm, whether in seasons or tournaments or whatever), and went 5-5 in my last ten games, including a five game loss streak before winning the final two to secure G2.

Fucking horrible really. Excellent too, but fucking horrible nonetheless.

[Gray Fox]

Lemmo you really should have carried on if at all possible. Getting to Elite 3 or above is where the money really starts rolling. Either way though, share your team, as I'd love to have what you're having!

The Merse The whole 40 games thing really is horrible isn't it? I went on a few mini losing streaks but I can't turn it off because I have to plough through the games. I'd usually have had it off after 2. What monthly rank did you get? I didn't go back on again so finish with 18 wins. Gets me Gold 3 for the week and month. That'll be a bit 'meh' for the weekly prize, but the monthly prize is 3 random gold IF cards from November. Can't complain with that.

[Baz]

40 games in a weekend? That's insane.

[John]

It's about eight or nine hours of gameplay. I'd get bored, particularly if I started losing a few in a row, but it's hardly insane.

[Lemmo]

Lemmo you really should have carried on if at all possible. Getting to Elite 3 or above is where the money really starts rolling. Either way though, share your team, as I'd love to have what you're having!.

Yeah I wish I could of but I didn't really have the time Sunday to finish it with full attention. It was my first attempt so I wouldn't of got the monthly rewards either, might try and give it a proper go in December as all my Christmas nights out are mid week so I may have some weekends free. I'll plan it better next time and split it 10-15-15 over the 3 days or something similar.

My teams nothing special, prior to this weekend I was using a La Liga and Bundesliga squad and rotating for fitness. However it became clear early on the Bundesliga team was going to struggle massively so I put that on the sidelines and bought a budget BPL team and just tried to match some of the sweaty squads. My teams were:

La Liga:


GK: Ter Stegen
RB: Danilo
CB: Giminez
CB: Varane
LB: Gaya
CDM: IF N'Zonzi
CM: Koke
CM: Andre Gomes
LW: Nani
RW: Williams
ST: Bakambu

That's not actually my usual team but I had to swap a few out to get around the 7 nationalities for the weekend league. I usually play Mangala instead of Giminez and De Marcos instead of Danilo.

BPL:

GK: Butland
RB: Darmian
CB: Matip
CB: Zouma
LB: Rose
CM: Herrera
CM: Wanyama
CAM: Firminho
LW: Depay
RW: Mane
ST: Wellbeck

Depay is a serious player on this, he holds off defenders with ease and is pretty quick too, I'd thoroughly recommend him. Firminhos very good too but if I had more time to think this squad through I'd upgrade the 2 midfielders alongside him.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Bought OTW Mane, IF Depay and Halloween Lukaku for my Premiership side to replace Martial, Micky Targaryen and Slimani.

http://www.futhead.com/17/players/50508/romelu-lukaku/?chemType=hunter

I can't wait to use him.

[The Merse]

Lemmo you really should have carried on if at all possible. Getting to Elite 3 or above is where the money really starts rolling. Either way though, share your team, as I'd love to have what you're having!


I second this. Both actually - would like to see that team.

Edit - oops, missed that, looking at it now :D


The Merse The whole 40 games thing really is horrible isn't it? I went on a few mini losing streaks but I can't turn it off because I have to plough through the games. I'd usually have had it off after 2. What monthly rank did you get? I didn't go back on again so finish with 18 wins. Gets me Gold 3 for the week and month. That'll be a bit 'meh' for the weekly prize, but the monthly prize is 3 random gold IF cards from November. Can't complain with that.

Made it to Gold 2. Think I could've pushed for Gold 1/Elite 3 had I not had the input lag early on given the streak of 13-2 I think it was... Anyway, can't complain, sets me up with automatic qualification for next weekend, but I'll only have half of Friday and half of Sunday then due to heading off to Wales on Friday and Saturday for nights out so I'll need to really plough through again. I really fancy December being an Elite 3 month given that it's basically four weekends of Gold 1 plus an extra win. I'm also wondering if, given there's 4.5, will that be changed? 101 wins over 5 weekends (with the emphasis on the Friday and Saturday in the last one as still in December) seems very doable.

Fucked about a bit with too much with the 82+ and TOTW squad builders and now have some shit TOTW Metz defender untradable, a tradable TOTW pack awaiting opening once there's a better TOTW out there (I've already opened two and got Defoe twice, both times he's gone back through the SBC mill). If that gets opened and is a great TOTW, brilliant, but right now it looks like I've fucked myself over really. Probably lost 40k and 20 odd 83-84 players I had going into the weekend.

Also spent 3k on completing the Extra Time challenge for the 50k but the team wouldn't submit through the fucking app (was on a train home from London) and missed the other flash SBC's that I'd set alarm for because of meetings being dropped in the diary, so nothing to show for today. Pissed off is an understatement.

[The Merse]

Yeah I wish I could of but I didn't really have the time Sunday to finish it with full attention. It was my first attempt so I wouldn't of got the monthly rewards either, might try and give it a proper go in December as all my Christmas nights out are mid week so I may have some weekends free. I'll plan it better next time and split it 10-15-15 over the 3 days or something similar.

My teams nothing special, prior to this weekend I was using a La Liga and Bundesliga squad and rotating for fitness. However it became clear early on the Bundesliga team was going to struggle massively so I put that on the sidelines and bought a budget BPL team and just tried to match some of the sweaty squads. My teams were:

La Liga:


GK: Ter Stegen
RB: Danilo
CB: Giminez
CB: Varane
LB: Gaya
CDM: IF N'Zonzi
CM: Koke
CM: Andre Gomes
LW: Nani
RW: Williams
ST: Bakambu

That's not actually my usual team but I had to swap a few out to get around the 7 nationalities for the weekend league. I usually play Mangala instead of Giminez and De Marcos instead of Danilo.

BPL:

GK: Butland
RB: Darmian
CB: Matip
CB: Zouma
LB: Rose
CM: Herrera
CM: Wanyama
CAM: Firminho
LW: Depay
RW: Mane
ST: Wellbeck

Depay is a serious player on this, he holds off defenders with ease and is pretty quick too, I'd thoroughly recommend him. Firminhos very good too but if I had more time to think this squad through I'd upgrade the 2 midfielders alongside him.

Jesus.

You did 21-7 with that? That's not even sweaty. That BPL is just bang average... I mean no offense by that obviously - I'd be on about the same without the Ronaldo I imagine, I just mean, that's impressive and I imagine you could be running up a serious Elite rank with time and a better squad.

La Liga team is nice enough, but again, better squad and I imagine you're in the frightening ranks.

How do you find Bakambu? I packed him early on and found him bloody awful but his stats are quite good.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki8qprY-fHg

Had about 30 total shots with around 25 on target compared to his 4 on target.

Lost 2-0 and Mandanda seemed to be in God mode :(

[Lemmo]

Jesus.

You did 21-7 with that? That's not even sweaty. That BPL is just bang average... I mean no offense by that obviously - I'd be on about the same without the Ronaldo I imagine, I just mean, that's impressive and I imagine you could be running up a serious Elite rank with time and a better squad.

La Liga team is nice enough, but again, better squad and I imagine you're in the frightening ranks.

How do you find Bakambu? I packed him early on and found him bloody awful but his stats are quite good.

I'd previously used Bakambu when FIFA came out and had replaced him with Ben Yedder as I found him pretty bad however gave him another try this weekend due to the nationality limit and he was awesome. Has a bit of everything and for 1k you can't really complain.

The BPL squad was put together ridiculously cheap as I'm guessing people were just wanting quick coins with all the black Friday packs. I think the only players over 1-2k were Depay, Firminho and maybe Zouma. I'm still fairly sure there's a handicap in FIFA which I previously thought was a myth, I came up against a team with Bale, Suarez and Neymar and outpaced them/pushed them off the ball at ease.

After the coin reward and selling my Bundesliga team I should have around 120k to play around with to improve the BPL squad for next week and will probably look to get Baily (Who's the most overpowered defender I've faced by far), Kante, Matic and probably a half decent striker.

The La Liga squad I don't really have much room to improve without spending some serious coin, which I don't see happening anytime soon unless I pack someone outrageous. IF Gameiro does however interest me at around 45k.

[Gray Fox]

Lemmo You've done really well to do 21-7 with those as your teams. Do you not find yourself getting overwhelmed with the 4-3-3(4)?

Also, either Kante, Matic or both will immeasurably improve your team.

[Lemmo]

Lemmo You've done really well to do 21-7 with those as your teams. Do you not find yourself getting overwhelmed with the 4-3-3(4)?

Also, either Kante, Matic or both will immeasurably improve your team.

It is an issue and I do prefer the 4-3-3's with either one or two CDM's but I wanted to try a CAM as there's so many in the BPL who are half decent. The CAM seems to be very effective in this and links the midfield with the front 3 a lot more than a normal CM.

Ideally I'd have a 4-3-3 with 2 CDM's and a CAM but I don't believe that's an option. Might have a mess around with the individual player instructions and see if I can get what I need out of that.

Also will definitely be looking at Kante and Matic. In particular Matic who appears to intercept everything whenever I come up against him, always seems to be in the right place.

[The Merse]

4-3-3 (4) is lovely. The combo of a CAM and a proper winger is nice.

Get the custom tactics right and ensure you've got a beast with Stay Back At All Times and it's pretty great.

Kante is essential. Matic is just a massive, massive cunt.

[Gray Fox]

You'll want Matic if you're having a proper CDM. Kante is great but this weekend saw me go up against a lot of Yaya Toure and Kante just gets outmatched. He's too small to challenge in the air and a little too weak to bully the top top defenders off the ball. He does however, join in all the attacks very well.

How did you fix the input lag The Merse?

[The Merse]

Just messed about with the superhub to reach optimal settings for the xbone. Test, re-test, jig, re-test. Eventually got the xbone download speed up to 38mb (when my phone and laptop were hitting 70, the ping I expect to be high as it's pinging San Fran but the d/l speed? Odd). Not sure I could recount it all tbh but basically no firewall, 2.4, mid range broadcast, EA recommended ports forwarded and a few other bits and bobs. When I move I'll be buying a gaming router unless I can go wired.

Kante is a dual role super sub for me, with Ramsey and Draxler. If I need more control of the midfield and high energy, Kante and Rambo. If I need to chase a game, him and Draxler are a nice pair of fresh legs to replace Sanches and de Bruyne. Need to close it out? Kante alongside Sanches With both set to stay back. He features every match from 60mins on.

If you can fit Sanches in, he's devastating with physicality, pace and ability to score goals. Cannot recommend highly enough. I mean, he just isn't a fucking 78 card. That's bollocks - outperforms my various 84-88 rated central midfielders with ease.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

You could always get some Powerline adapters.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-PA4020KIT-Powerline-Streaming-Configuration/dp/B00QTG4J9C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1480451540&sr=8-3&keywords=powerline

I have those.

One is for my desktop and PS4 with the other for the Amazon Fire TV and PS4 (if I move it downstairs).

They're great, especially if your room is a bit of a deadspot for wifi.

[Gray Fox]

I haven't done port forwarding in some time but I'll give it a go if it'll get rid of that delay.

This weeks TOTW has me interested in paying up and buying some packs. IF Aguero, Hummels, Godin, Marquinhos, Cavani, Gylfi and SIF Bernardo Silva. Any of those would be nice to pull, not that I would. Aguero having 90+ in Pace, Shooting and Dribbling. I don't face him much at the weekends but I might now.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'm thinking of doing something really cuntish.

http://www.futhead.com/17/players/50535/marouane-fellaini/?chemType=shadow

:\

I love Kante and IF Eriksen but Schneiderlin is a bit meh.

[Gray Fox]

He'd make a properly good CDM/CB with that.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I was just going to plonk him in the 4321 as the middle of the CM's.

[Gray Fox]

Yeah he'll be a hell of a lot better than Schniederlin. 93 strength and 6"4. He'll be a mountain.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Well I have been using Kante there but I have troubles defending so a big bastard cunt like Fellaini with Kante providing some support (but with an artist card rather than shadow) or someone else who is a bit more creative.

So it's either Kante, Fellaini, Eriksen or maybe IF Gundogan, Kante, Eriksen.

[Gray Fox]

Expect Gundogan to get tired quickly. Whenever I've used him in drafts he's knackered by the 70th.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

His stamina doesn't look that bad.

I'm torn. IF Gundogan, Halloween Fellaini and De Bruyne look to be my best options I think.

Anyone I'm missing?

[Gray Fox]

IF Yaya Toure looks a tank.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He does but my budget is 200k.

[Gray Fox]

Rooney looks like a decent CM.

There are now no Courtois cards on Xbox whatsoever. They keep popping up for 100k and going instantly. If I can nab one I'll stick more on and put it up. People want that Hazard.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yeah but I hate the fat potato headed cunt.

I wanted to try that IF Chadli a while ago but felt he was a touch too high at 85k, he's now priced fixed at around 300k because of Hazard :\

[Gray Fox]

The SBC for him ends either tonight or tomorrow, but supplies of the Belgian IF cards have been decimated.

[Gray Fox]

Can't go more than 95k on Courtois as that's the highest limit EA will allow on him. I'd love to know how much he'd be without said limit.

[John]

They really haven't thought through including IF requirements in those SBC things.

I didn't get along with Aduriz at all, so I've sold him on and bought IF Iago Aspas, who is an absolute demon. I had Griezmann briefly but he was fucked after sixty minutes in every game, just as Aguero was either last year or the one before, so he was quickly binned.

[Gray Fox]

Just opened my reward packs. Only thing of note in them was the TOTW goalkeeper from Wolfsburg. He doesn't even sell for 11k.

I got spoilt last week.

[The Merse]

You could always get some Powerline adapters.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-LINK-TL-PA4020KIT-Powerline-Streaming-Configuration/dp/B00QTG4J9C/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1480451540&sr=8-3&keywords=powerline

I have those.

One is for my desktop and PS4 with the other for the Amazon Fire TV and PS4 (if I move it downstairs).

They're great, especially if your room is a bit of a deadspot for wifi.

I've got some. Used them when in an old property with a superhub 3, as they aren't compatible with Xbones and it cleared up the issues I'd had with wifi.

Now though, I'm in a very old place with shit cabling and extensions everywhere due to there being 1-2 sockets per room, which causes a terrible drop in/out based on mains usage by other devices/appliances.

[The Merse]

Just opened my reward packs. Only thing of note in them was the TOTW goalkeeper from Wolfsburg. He doesn't even sell for 11k.

I got spoilt last week.

The TOTW tradeable challenge has k.o.'d market with excitable twerps like me opening their guaranteed IFs.

Got the 86 rated winger from Monaco and he's going for 20k. Probably not worth what I put into the several cycles of SBC's. Still, will pop him up tomorrow in a hopefully stable market and see if I can get a bit more.

I may discard Movember Dahoud. They released so fucking many that 95% are going for discard or within 10% of the standard version.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I've unpacked a few Movember guys. I've discarded all bar 1 (Hahn).

They made the price range too high for what is only a +5 physical boost.

I discarded my Dahoud.

[Gray Fox]

I also got Movember Dahoud. Held onto him until the end of November assuming that they had a bigger purpose than just a +5 Physical boost. I also discarded him. There's only 3 players that come to mind that it's useful for in Lacazette, Barzagli and Zlatan.

In other news, prices are still rising and I've no idea why. Maybe it's people gearing up for the weekend league, but I was sure that SBC had finished. Annoyingly I was looking at adding Ramos, Alba, Iniesta and Walker, but as even the former of that list has gone up by 30k in a matter of days, this may not be possible.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

People who head to the byline before cutting back into the box are scum.

Lost 2-0 to a side with Pogba, IF Kante, Ibra, Hazard, Mahrez and Aguero because of it.

[The Merse]

What a fucking weekend. Got back from London to immediately fire up Fifa and claim my rewards/get on the new SBC's.

The FUT Champs rewards - (also inc. a Belgian IF Vossen, Cuadrado)
http://oi63.tinypic.com/25i9kb8.jpg]http://oi63.tinypic.com/25i9kb8.jpg
The Marquee Match Up rewards -
http://oi68.tinypic.com/1zltxn7.jpg

Four walkouts this year already - one from the Premium edition weekly free packs, two from SBC's and one from FUT Champs. Fucking epic packs coming my way.

Edit - yeah, I changed kit between the two when I packed that lovely Netherlands away kit too :cool:

[bruhnaldo]

i don't think i've literally ever packed anything good

I'm not even being sarcastic, it's just never happened.

[The Merse]

That was me til this year. I've just concentrated on SBC's and Weekend League to get the best packs available. The 45k, 100k packs etc yield big when opened in volume. I refuse to buy them with real money (aside from having bought the premium edition to get the 2 x 45k packs p/w), but I'll win them in any way I can.

[Gray Fox]

What a fucking weekend. Got back from London to immediately fire up Fifa and claim my rewards/get on the new SBC's.

The FUT Champs rewards - (also inc. a Belgian IF Vossen, Cuadrado)
http://oi63.tinypic.com/25i9kb8.jpg]http://oi63.tinypic.com/25i9kb8.jpg
The Marquee Match Up rewards -
http://oi68.tinypic.com/1zltxn7.jpg

Four walkouts this year already - one from the Premium edition weekly free packs, two from SBC's and one from FUT Champs. Fucking epic packs coming my way.

Edit - yeah, I changed kit between the two when I packed that lovely Netherlands away kit too :cool:

Not going to lie, I dislike you a little right now. In all seriousness though, did you rank well for the month?

[Lemmo]

Nice packs Merse, were those the monthly reward ones? I've just found the links for these:

http://www.fifauteam.com/fut-champions-rewards-fifa-17/#Monthly%20Rewards

Might try and hit Gold 1 in December, although looking at it I may have every weekend free to grind this. All my Christmas stuff is mid week with the exception of 1 weekend.

Gold 1 = 3 TOTW Informs
Elite 3 = 11 TOTW Informs

Quite a jump there.

[Gray Fox]

Nice packs Merse, were those the monthly reward ones? I've just found the links for these:

http://www.fifauteam.com/fut-champions-rewards-fifa-17/#Monthly%20Rewards

Might try and hit Gold 1 in December, although looking at it I may have every weekend free to grind this. All my Christmas stuff is mid week with the exception of 1 weekend.

Gold 1 = 3 TOTW Informs
Elite 3 = 11 TOTW Informs

Quite a jump there.

Word of warning with the monthlys. And also something EA need to fix is that you get the exact same rewards at Gold 3 (67 wins) as you do at Gold 1 (88 wins). The kicker here is that should you fall 1 single win short of Elite 3, you'll be getting the same rewards as someone who won 22 games less.
The good thing is that December has 5 Saturdays in it. So 20 wins a weekend will see you to Elite.

[Lemmo]

Word of warning with the monthlys. And also something EA need to fix is that you get the exact same rewards at Gold 3 (67 wins) as you do at Gold 1 (88 wins). The kicker here is that should you fall 1 single win short of Elite 3, you'll be getting the same rewards as someone who won 22 games less.
The good thing is that December has 5 Saturdays in it. So 20 wins a weekend will see you to Elite.

Yeah looks silly as all the Elites have the same pack reward as well so there's no point going past 100 wins.

[The Merse]

After looking at their values, I decided to keep Ramos and Silva as I've fancied playing with them for a while and a combined total of around £170k didn't seem worthwhile just now, especially as that should be peak value on the cusp of the FUT Champs weekend. I also had a Lucas and Movember Loanee Matuidi hanging around and an Azpilicueta not getting a game, so I figured a new Hybrid was in the offing.

Bought Navas (8.1k), Cazorla (22.5k), Walcott (1.5k), Rashford (3k), Lacazette (59k) & Aurier (4.1k) to form my 'rest' team for FUT Champs, which I missed last weekend when switching from having two disparate BPL/Bundesliga sides to a hybrid in the 442. I've fancied trying both Lacazette and Rashford for a while and may look to the formers IF or SBC versions if it's successful trial. So for this weekend -

Team 1 (2 in every 3 games)
Only thing I see myself doing with this is buying Neuer and upgrading Mustafi to his OTW.
http://oi68.tinypic.com/8y6rua.jpg
Team 2 (1 in every 3 games)
There's a few options for this team going forward, and it may just be a top class Hybrid for everyone I pick up that doesn't fit into the above, as I've got four of the five 'big' leagues represented across the two sides so there should be a good chance of adding just through packs and SBC's. Martial is also a potential addition. The Alex Sandro in my club that I've never played with may also come in with Silva moving to LCB and various other changes, as he's been a beast for me in a couple of drafts.
http://oi64.tinypic.com/wwfek6.jpg

[The Merse]

Gold 2, Gray Fox - had a ridiculous streak for about 9 or 10 wins and ended up 20-9 for Sat/Sun after all the problems of Friday night that left me at 1-9 on Saturday morning. Fancy moving up to Gold 3 by next weekend if I can replicate that form this weekend and solidify my gold ranking.


Nice packs Merse, were those the monthly reward ones?

Just the weekly.

I'll get a bronze for monthly as I didn't play the other November ones.

I should get Gold for December as like yourself I've got weekends spare as I'm mainly out in the week and actually need to calm it on Sat/Sun to not overspend as much as anything, but would love to sneak Elite with a very slight bump in form and luck.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Got bored so I made this:

https://www.futbin.com/17/squad/467048

http://i.imgur.com/ptpJxAy.jpg

This team went up against this today:

http://i.imgur.com/1XdUPty.jpg

88 rated (with 92 chemistry) and we bossed it:

http://i.imgur.com/964swfH.jpg

The final two of mine were brilliant pieces of counter attack. I just love the midfield and attack so much plus Lafont can be a wall.

[bruhnaldo]

i don't think i've literally ever packed anything good

I'm not even being sarcastic, it's just never happened.

I spent $25 on fifa points or whatever yesterday and the best I got was a Veratti,

Which isn't the worst thing considering I'm trying to do a Serie A team and Veratti's Italian natl. keeps the chemistry in check but i'm not looking forward to diving thru Ligue Un to build a french club team at all.

Oh I also got Pogba! Oh wait that's right it was his brother.

Worst part is I even thought to myself "watch me get Pogba's brother."

fuck my life.

[The Merse]

bruhnaldo 5k and 7.5k packs are shit. Invest time in SBC's and comp's that yield 25k+ packs, particularly rare Gold players packs and prime players packs. No need to spend actual money.

[bruhnaldo]

You're right and all but I got the bug and it's like gambling in the sense that ONE MORE PACK COME ON.

Gonna just grind it i guess.

[The Merse]

Proper shambles this weekend. I always find Friday tough, and would have waited until tomorrow to play were it not for being away all tomorrow and Sunday morning. What's frustrating is giving away leads in the last ten minutes, and being superkeepered by Buffon three times now, in games where he made double digits in saves.

Aubameyang remains in great form, but Aguero is struggling compared to last weekend. Similarly, Lacazette is lively, but Rashford is yet to register a single goal for the B team. I also really, really need a great keeper in my A team as Ter Stegen isn't cutting it. Neuer is my priority to bring in.

http://oi65.tinypic.com/tarjhz.jpg

[bruhnaldo]

Wow I should make charts

[bruhnaldo]

Just did the gold upgrade challenge

Got Carlos Sanchez from Monterrey, 79 overall but 90 pace isn't terrible I guess.

Also got the Son lad from Spurs, 86 pace, 81 shot, 80 dribble not bad at all

[Gray Fox]

The Merse Friday is definitely the hardest day so don't be too down on 5-9 so far. Breaking even is tough. Are you on PS4 or Xbox? I find breaking it down into charts like that really puts perspective on things. Such as you say Aguero is disappointing you compared to Aubamayang, yet Aguero has only contributed 1 less goal to you.

I'm trying a new strategy this week. I've not played a game Friday because I didn't feel up to it. I'm tired and have to be up early. So I was a bit meh about it. Instead of grinding through I'm waiting for tomorrow instead and looking at sorting my team for both this and next weekend(3 nations max).

As for my team I have 220k left but I have gaps to fill and I'm looking at this:

https://gyazo.com/5a555e0f563ce40983af8f98934ac1e9.png

I don't own the Spanish lads or Rooney but that would check off both this and next week and looks pretty good to boot. I'd like Martinez to be Ramos but the latter costs 100k more as of typing. Butland turning into De Gea would be great but again, he's over half my budget. Koke would also be IF Isco but you get the point. The biggest issue for me is Pedro being 80k by himself. With trying to set up for next weekend that RF spot has to either be French, Spanish or English. So I feel backed into a corner a little.

Any suggestions on how I can better use my 220k are greatly appreciated.

[The Merse]

I decided I wanted to keep track on performance over December to further motivate me towards the Gold ranking for the monthly rewards. I actually would fancy the Elite ranking with a win ratio of 56%, but Christmas falling on a weekend has fucked me there as I'll be away with family. Instead, I'll need 83 wins from 160 for gold, so I'm relieved to make it to 50% this weekend after a run of 7-3 since the last update. Keep that up in the few games I get tomorrow and the last session on Sunday, and I'll be comfortably making my Gold 2 target of 21 wins, and hopefully pushing into Gold 1 territory.

Aguero's form has picked up, and he's now tied with Aubameyang for top scorer in the A team with 8 from 15. Lacazette boasts a very slightly better ratio at 5 in 8 but Rashford continues to be unproductive in front of goal. What's worse is the number of chances he actually spurns. It may be time to bring in an LF Martial to replace him...

[bruhnaldo]

Just did the FA Cup hybrid challenge

So fucking tedious. Only got me a Zabaleta and Victor Valdes. Gonna go off myself.

[Gray Fox]

I've used the team you see above, but I bought Ramos and kept Deulofeu over IF Pedro. I thought I'd have a longer session that I thought tonight but I've only got 12 games in due to one of the kids waking up just as I was about to play. I'm now not going to get 40 games in.

However the news is that I'm 9-3. I was 9-1 but then I got disconnected when 1-1 in extra time and then my last game I lost on penalties. My theory about avoiding Friday may be on to something as I've felt like the better player in all but 2 games. Or I could just be getting great luck. This form has me on track to get Elite 3, but you always go through a rough patch. Annoyingly I'm either going to carry this on but not have the time to complete it, or I'm going to manage to squeeze the games in but see my form dip.

If I can start at about 10/11 tomorrow I reckon I can fit 15-20 games in, but that'd mean quitting out if I go down heavy/early. That's part of the reason I've only done 12 tonight. Despite being 3+ up in some games, people don't want to leave. I'll need to play about 10 games through the daytime to have any chance of finishing all 40. At this point though I'd love Gold 2 or 1.

[bruhnaldo]

This is where I'm at now. Don't feel it's so bad a team given I just started properly Thursday or Friday.

http://i.imgur.com/7xKIdvc.jpg

Went on a nice patch of form last night and won my last 3 games 10-1, 5-2, 5-1 (albeit in division 9 lmao) and that got me Alex Sandro

Any suggestions are welcome

[bruhnaldo]

Mind you the 10-1 the guy basically just started trying to injure my players after he went down 3-1 but I was rather pleased with my ability to tiki taki around his kamikazi players and still slot home.

Then the prick disconnected in the 89th minute smh.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Why play that long to disconnect? Jesus.

Anway, mon the Mane IF.

[Lemmo]

Write off for me this weekend.

Can't play any match without some weird lag. Every so often the game literally freezes then speeds up ridiculously fast to catch up, literally ruins every game and it's not affecting the other person.

Checked my internet and no problems there, might be the EA servers who knows.

[John]

Write off for me this weekend.

Can't play any match without some weird lag. Every so often the game literally freezes then speeds up ridiculously fast to catch up, literally ruins every game and it's not affecting the other person.

Checked my internet and no problems there, might be the EA servers who knows.

I've had that a few times too. It starts off with input lag then that nonsense starts.

[The Merse]

Same here for me today. I have got a worse d/l speed than usual, but still, it's 20mb compared to the peak 65-70mbps, and usually my ping is the key indicator, and that's at a healthy 9ms.

It's killing my results and I'm struggling to secure the 5 wins I needed tonight from 12 available games to just make Gold 3. To think I was targetting a comfortable 22-23 wins...



Now 3 from 6 is the necessary to scrape Gold and at least not have to qualify. I can't even connect to EA Servers just now.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Had some awful luck in a game and lost 3-2 but I did score this lovely goal with IF Depay:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlINmQGXPQw

He's got a thunderous shot.

[The Merse]

Well, the important thing was making it to Gold 3... It's also positive that I'm gutted about it and can say that there were 4-5 games I really, really should have put to bed when a goal or two up, others affected by fast-forward lag today and others where it really could have gone way or the other - especially as I lost 3 of 4 shoot outs and several in 2nd extra time. So... Not the 60% rate I was looking for, but not as depressing as it could be.

Rashford is so shit. He had bucket loads of chances due to Lacazette turning out to be a great provider, and to be fair - Rashford has great movement. But his finishing is awful and the weak foot is just too low, along with me playing him on the left side of the strikers due to the chem requirements.

Lacazette is a beast in general, and I'm enjoying Cazorla as well. Walcott is pretty bang average, not the destructive force we was at RW last year, but a lot of the reduced productivity I see from the wingers at the moment is due to playing the flat four in midfield. They don't get many chances to score and most of my goals are scored and created by the Get Forward CM and strikers.

http://oi63.tinypic.com/vg6ats.jpg

Next week is looking tough in terms of requirements. 3 nationalities is tough when I've developed two hybrids. When the requirement was four a few weeks back I was still playing distinct 433(4) BPL and Bundesliga teams, so I hardly had to jig about at all. As it stands, it looks like Aubameyang will be sitting the weekend out, which makes me wonder if I should sell him to fund bringing in a range of guys for this weekend, but I'm scared of losing him and kinda like keeping the one card with my record intact.

[Gray Fox]

I managed 26 games in total as I couldn't play until 1am both Saturday and Sunday night. This has annoyed me as I've gone 18-8 in those games. That would have had me right on track for 28 wins. The good part for me is that I've only lost 2 of those games in normal time, so I'm improving. My best effort being a comeback from 2-0 down with 10 mins left to win 4-2. Vardy is so lethal on the counter when people are pushing ultra/all-out attack.

I was using this:

https://gyazo.com/caf25e63aa15365bc8c1ea99bd0a35bf.png

It's by far the best choice I've made to bring in Ramos. The Spanish defenders were bloody great for me. There are 2 weaknesses in this team though. Koke doesn't really do much and normal Isco was a little worse when I tried him there, but he does well defensively. My main headache is Deulofeu. He just can't put crucial chances away and being part of a front 3 it was hard not to pass the ball his way. Most games end up in him coming off for Coman.

If I can find a good English, Spanish or French RF I'll be swapping. IF Walcott looks tasty.

[The Merse]

I managed 26 games in total as I couldn't play until 1am both Saturday and Sunday night. This has annoyed me as I've gone 18-8 in those games. That would have had me right on track for 28 wins. The good part for me is that I've only lost 2 of those games in normal time, so I'm improving. My best effort being a comeback from 2-0 down with 10 mins left to win 4-2. Vardy is so lethal on the counter when people are pushing ultra/all-out attack.

I was using this:

https://gyazo.com/caf25e63aa15365bc8c1ea99bd0a35bf.png

It's by far the best choice I've made to bring in Ramos. The Spanish defenders were bloody great for me. There are 2 weaknesses in this team though. Koke doesn't really do much and normal Isco was a little worse when I tried him there, but he does well defensively. My main headache is Deulofeu. He just can't put crucial chances away and being part of a front 3 it was hard not to pass the ball his way. Most games end up in him coming off for Coman.


Good effort mate, that's Elite 3 isn't it? Certainly on course for Elite monthly your end then!

Ramos is a belter - did you have him taking corners too? Scored a few off the back of his corners into Silva. I enjoyed his pairing wis Silva, but the latter has been sold to fund bringing in Chris Smalling and Ilkay Gundogan to form my two three-nation squads for next weekend:

Rashford has fucked the fuck off, never to play again, I'm gutted to be losing Alaba and Sanches from starting for a whole weekend, and along with De Bruyne will likely see me emptying £350k worth of subs off the bench at a time.

HYBRID 3 -
http://oi64.tinypic.com/16l9pmo.jpg
HYBRID 4 - (will be swapping Ntep for Martial before the day is out)
http://oi66.tinypic.com/pyk2p.jpg

[Gray Fox]

The Merse Gold 3. I only won 18. I was just saying had I completed all 40 games I was looking at 28 wins. Unless I have a trouble free weekend, 40 games is a massive ask.

I had Koke on corners. I have a routine too. Call a player short and let him run all the way up. People usually respond by moving the player above the corner of the 6 yard box up as he's the closest. After that your guy on the corner of the 6 yard box should be available to a ball into him. Swing it in and nod it on with A and someone coming around the back will be there for the chance to nod it in. The downside is that after the first 2 or 3 times whoever you're facing will shut it down.

I'll be getting 30k plus packs. So that's 110k I'll have to play with. I may just buy a forward to bring on from the bench as my only options seem to be IF Pedro or IF Walcott. I wouldn't mind a De Gea either. Butland pulls off worldies but I lost a game and several goals to shots going through him. Those annoying ones that hit them but still fly in. Either way I'm looking at one big purchase this week.

[The Merse]

[MENTION=41]
I'll be getting 30k plus packs. So that's 110k I'll have to play with. I may just buy a forward to bring on from the bench as my only options seem to be IF Pedro or IF Walcott. I wouldn't mind a De Gea either. Butland pulls off worldies but I lost a game and several goals to shots going through him. Those annoying ones that hit them but still fly in. Either way I'm looking at one big purchase this week.

It's definitely a 'thing' this year to have a top keeper. Buffon in particular is noticeably OP, one you get through the Barzagli-Chiellini partnership he's normally behind.

Keen to sign De Gea and Neuer this month to work with Hybrids 1-4.

[Gray Fox]

I'm starting to come up against Neuer more frequently and I don't find him too much of a problem. De Gea is the one that almost always stops me, it has to be a great shot to beat him. Buffon himself I've not run into too much, more Handanovic as I imagine he's cheaper.

Do you have the SBC Lacazette? I'm tempted to start going for him now I have a solid base of a team almost done. Him with a hawk card looks far too good to pass up as a sub or even as a low chem striker linked with Martial.

[The Merse]

No, but I'm en route as his standard card is fucking fantastic. Really enjoyed him and Remy together tonight.

I'm 8 teams through, so a long way to go given 75% of the remaining players for me to collect are silvers selling at £10k or are extinct.

[Gray Fox]

I was hoping he'd have come down in total cost by now, but the market seems to be going the opposite way to what everyone thinks. Griezmann was almost within my reach at 160k or so the day before black Friday but now he's 210k and rising. Same story for most of the expensive cards.

Though I guess that's just the popular nations in the run up to this weekend requirements. How much is he looking at costing? If it can be done for less than 200k I'd be interested, but any more is too much unless I get mega pack luck.

[The Merse]

Depends on your starting point. I had about 60 Ligue 1 cards and it looks like it's going to cost around 250-300k for me. Net spend will obviously be a lot lower as I'm likely to pick up some good stuff in those packs, so it's very much a project for proceeds from the next 4 weekend leagues and 'free' weekly packs. I've just started selling off my squad fitness cards at 1k per pop and will be waiting for the weekend league to sell the rest (40 odd) as the price normally jumps to 1.5k and may jump higher with the strictness of the requirements this weekend meaning few players will be able to rotate two squads.

Griezmann has never really done it for me. I'm tempted to team him up with Lacazette as opposed to upgrading Lacazette himself but it would also necessitate a La Liga winger and I tend not to get on with as well.

EA need to get more silver player packs out there for these challenges. Whether that's via offers, or ideally via the SBC's. Golds are cheap as chips and I've already got 400+ BPL, La Liga and Bundesliga players in preparation for SBC's for those being released at some point as with the Ligue 1, Liga Nos, MLS etc. Have a sneaking feeling all of those were just to stimulate Silver and Bronze markets though and that we won't get them for the 'big' leagues, which obviously would be a shame for me having 100's of thousands worth of cards there for them.

[John]

I've gone in early on what I presume will be a La Liga SBC at some point, and built a first eleven for every side in Spain. If the player they put out isn't to my liking, which he probably won't be as I'm about ninety percent sure it'll be James, I'll sell the players on for a tidy profit.

[Gray Fox]

300k+ puts me off. My team isn't good enough to leave for weeks on end yet.

[John]

It cost me about 180k all told, but it's a decent investment. Either I'll get a top player at the end of it or about three times that number of coins for selling the chaff.

[John]

The Villa you get for the MLS SBC on now looks a bit tasty. Whack a Hunter card on him and you've basically got peak Villa.

[bruhnaldo]

Got out of class early and will get 4-5 unfettered hours of FUT in tonight :drool:

[Gray Fox]

The absolute state of this TOTW.

https://www.futbin.com/17/totw/TOTW12

Just look at it! I'd be happy with anyone from that.

[bruhnaldo]

That Sanchez looks unstoppable

[Gray Fox]

...and I got Harry Kane/Pepe Reina/Laporte as my best from the rewards. What a week not to play all of my games. I suppose I've had a TOTW player the past 2 weeks, so I can't complain.

That SIF Costa might push his IF card into my price range, Dreaming more like.

[bruhnaldo]

Of course I don't qualify for the knockout tournament

[John]

...and I got Harry Kane/Pepe Reina/Laporte as my best from the rewards. What a week not to play all of my games. I suppose I've had a TOTW player the past 2 weeks, so I can't complain.

That SIF Costa might push his IF card into my price range, Dreaming more like.

SIF Benteke looks better than IF Costa and probably costs about the same. Stick a Hunter card on him and I reckon he'd be basically impossible to contain. My mate has the first IF Sanchez and routinely gives me an absolute chasing with him. The game itself is never a blowout, but any time he gets the ball to Sanchez I can almost hear him giggling through the screen.

[Gray Fox]

SIF Benteke looks better than IF Costa and probably costs about the same. Stick a Hunter card on him and I reckon he'd be basically impossible to contain. My mate has the first IF Sanchez and routinely gives me an absolute chasing with him. The game itself is never a blowout, but any time he gets the ball to Sanchez I can almost hear him giggling through the screen.

I'd love him. I really would. I just can't afford him after my purchases last week.

[Gray Fox]

The Villa you get for the MLS SBC on now looks a bit tasty. Whack a Hunter card on him and you've basically got peak Villa.

I've just seen this. You can get him for 40-50k. He looks a quality CF or CAM, but I just don't see him being much good as a ST as he has neither pace nor strength to deal with the endless Smallings and Boatengs. Get a Catalyst card on him (http://www.futhead.com/17/players/51127/david-villa/?chemType=catalyst)and he looks lovely.

I have 140k to play with, so I can get a few super subs or maybe 1 top player.

[bruhnaldo]

I have around 14k right now

Is it better to just save up or should I upgrade and try and buy an in form

[Gray Fox]

I have around 14k right now

Is it better to just save up or should I upgrade and try and buy an in form

Depends entirely what team you have, but odds are 14k wont get you much. IF cards are not always worth it too.

[John]

I've just seen this. You can get him for 40-50k. He looks a quality CF or CAM, but I just don't see him being much good as a ST as he has neither pace nor strength to deal with the endless Smallings and Boatengs. Get a Catalyst card on him (http://www.futhead.com/17/players/51127/david-villa/?chemType=catalyst)and he looks lovely.

I have 140k to play with, so I can get a few super subs or maybe 1 top player.

I've used his standard card a few times and he's been fine up front. You need to modify your game so that your attacking moves terminate with him in a position to take one or two touches and put it away, but his finishing is obscene so anywhere within about twenty yards works.

[Gray Fox]

The monthly rewards are out for those who played in the weekend leagues. You get no coins, but rather untradeable red versions of TOTW players from the previous month. Given that the likes of Ronaldo, Aubamayang and Bale were in November I was hopeful of something massive from my 3 cards.

Seeing Tim Howard come up made me wince though. Completely useless for me unless I put him in the Villa SBC. My 3rd card was Kevin Vogt who after looking, seems a pretty good card, so I'll keep him just in case I make another Bundesliga team. The 2nd card which has made me a lot easier about it, was the Depay card.
That's a 100k card for free, Better yet he solves a supersub problem. I've also used him before so I know how good he can be. I'm very happy to get him.

There are so many players in the 86-82 rated range I would have loved over Howard, but you can't complain I guess?

[Gray Fox]

I've just done the SBC for Villa using this team (http://www.futhead.com/squad-building-challenges/squads/217906/).

Some of those bronzes are rare, but are usually up for less than 1k. It depends on what time of day you're looking. The only expensive players as such are Ciman and Ivanschitz at over 7k each at time of typing. The rest are on average 900 coins or so each, if there's a healthy supply. In total the team cost between 23-27k. A word of warning though, you're going to need to do the loyalty glitch to get the required chemistry.

Now I'll just have to go get a chemistry style to put on him and get him on my bench.

[Gray Fox]

Started the weekend 7-1. so I'm going to have to try and fit in some games during the daytime. If there is any chance of hitting Gold 1 again I need to take it. As it stands I need to make 23/24 wins per week to get to the elite monthly rewards. Obviously any time I can go above that, it makes the task easier the following week. The good thing for me is so far my only loss was on penalties. Best win so far was coming back from 4-2 down at half time to score in the 89th minute to take the lead 6-5. That was a mental game.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That new Aduriz card looks a bit mental.

It's a shame I hated my La Liga team (bar his MOTM card), I might try and build a hybrid round him.

Pissed that Dembele's OTW wont get an upgrade to the Team of the Group Stage card.