FIFA 18 FUT Formations Guide – Best Ultimate Team Formations, Tips and Strategies

FIFA 18 FUT Formations Guide that explains all the formations in FIFA 18 Ultimate Team so you can easily pick the formation that favors your play style.

In this FIFA 18 FUT Formations Guide, we will guide on different formations featured in FIFA 18. FIFA 18 Ultimate Team features twenty-five different formations that have their own unique player positions and each formation has its own weakness and strength. In this FIFA 18 FUT Formations Guide, we have explained all the formations in FIFA 18 Ultimate Team in detail so you can easily pick the formation, which favors your play style.

For more help on FIFA 18, you can check out our Max Chemistry Guide, Ultimate Team Tips Guide, and Squad Battles Guide.

FIFA 18 FUT Formations Guide

FIFA 18 FUT Formations Guide details everything that you need to know about different formations in FIFA 18 Ultimate Team.

FIFA 18 FUT Formations

In FIFA 18, you will find twenty-five unique formations. Each formation has their own unique strength and weakness. Some positions are good for defending while some favor attack. We have explained them below.

3-4-1-2

This formation is all about attack. It features a very strong attack but it suffers extremely when it comes to defending and counter-attacking. The way the players are positioned, you will need extremely fast defenders and wingers so you can make up for poor defense.

Your midfield is totally exposed with this formation so make sure your CAM is a really good player. Using this formation, all you need to worry about are the counter attacks as you will not be able to tackle them very effectively.

3-5-2

This formation features decent attack and defense but lacks counter-attacking. Invest in a good CAM for this formation and you should be good to go. This formation is good for attacking as well as holds strong during the defense. Make sure your LM and RM are also players with good defense stats so that they hold their ground and the enemy is unable to exploit this side of the field.

You will need to watch out for fast opposition wingers, as they will outrun your players easily. You should be aware of most attacks. Your formation is good for defending so most of the opposition will come with pretty strong attacks so be prepared.

3-4-2-1

Again, this formation is good for pushing the ball in the opposition’s direction. This formation boasts very strong attack but lacks defense and counter-attack. It features the same dangers as of 3-4-1-2 that are it cannot tackle strong counter-attacks effectively.

You will need some good defenders with good defending skills and decent speed to overcome the gaps in the midfield. Here you will have three players at the front of your attacks will be very good. You just need to look out for wide counter attacks, as they will exploit your weaknesses.

3-4-3

Another formation good for attacking. However, this formation has a good defense as well because it has 3 defenders at the back. The positioning of the attackers makes up for some wide attacks, which also facilitate crossing. During attacks, you can easily pass the ball around as the players are near to each other.

However, in the middle of the field, your CM will not have much support as the players are widely spread during attacks so any counter from the middle can push through easily. Make sure your CM is not isolated during attacks or your opposition can exploit this weakness.

4-1-2-1-2 and 4-1-2-1-2 (2)

Again, this formation has decent attack and defense but lacks counter-attacking. Make sure your CAM is a good player as he will be your most important player. With this formation, your midfield will be decently defended as well as your outsides. Your CDM will even play as a CB sometimes so you need not worry about this side of the field.

However, the only drawback here is that this formation is too narrow and any wide attack will have a possibility of pushing through your defenses. With this formation, you will have a diamond shape with 2 strikers, 1 CDM, 2 CM and a CAM defending the middle that is considered the best mix of player positions in any match.

It is also one of the most popular formations in FIFA 18. For the second variation, it will be even more narrow so it will offer even stronger defense in the middle and easier passing. Other than that, the stats are the same for both variations.

4-1-4-1

This formation is all about defense. It has weak attack and counter-attack but the CDM present in front of the back four offers solid defense against attacks. With this build, your midfield should be nothing less than super trenched. You will have four backs and a CDM defending which will really strengthen up your defense.

The only thing you should be focusing on with this formation is the attack. Your attack will be weak and your striker will need some serious support so make sure your CMs have some good attack stats as well.

4-3-2-1

This formation offers good attack, defense and counter-attacking. It is similar to 4-3-1-2 but is wider which the previous one seriously lacked. It is also focused in the middle but wide attacks can also be stopped easily as the formation is a little spread out as compared to the previous one.

You will have two CFs and one ST. Your attacks will be much wider and tougher to counter. Your striker should be a good player who will be backed up by fast RF and LF. You can easily use through balls. Avoid using short passing too much as this formation is a little spread out. Your front three players are your most important asset in this formation.

4-2-2-2

This formation is a very balanced formation with only lacking in counter-attacking. It has a decent attack and a good enough defense. The right amount of players present during attacks and defense really help you out in almost every situation. Whether you are attacking or defending, you will find enough players to turn the situation in your own favor.

This formation gives you the flexibility if playing in the middle or quickly widening out in the field. Make sure your CDM is not stretched too much otherwise, the attackers will push through. In addition, your CAM will be playing on the wings so make sure he has the right attributes suitable for this role. Otherwise, your wings will be pretty weak.

4-2-3-1 and 4-2-3-1 (2)

This formation is a very narrow formation but it offers good attack, defense, and counter-attack opportunities. You will also have three different types of attacking players giving you the freedom of choosing your own attacking style. It really opens up your attack options. Same case as the last formation, carefully select a CAM player if you are going to use this formation, as he will be playing on wings.

Coming to defense, this formation will not disappoint you. It has 2 CDMs at the rear so you will have no problems during any type of attack. Make sure you are not over-exerting your CDMs, as they have to cover the midfield as well while defending as well.

The second variation of this formation is fully focused on speed and fast gameplay. It offers exception counter attacking with fast passing during attacks. This fast passing and counters can really frustrate your opposition. This formation is for the people who love strong counters and taking back control of the game. Other than these bonuses, rest of the stats are the same as the original variation.

4-3-1-2

This formation is good for players who play in the middle and do not really care about wide attacks. It offers good attack and defense stats but lacks in strong counterattacks. For mid attacks, your CAM and two front strikers will really make a hard push towards the goal.

Since you will be playing in the middle, you will have great passing opportunities. Expect greater possession with four CMs and one of them being a CAM. However, if the opposition is using a wide formation, you want to make sure that the ball stays in the middle of the court since your team formation is all about playing in the middle.

4-5-1, 4-5-1 (2)

With this formation, you get decent attack and defense. Only weakness is the counter-attacking. This formation is quite wide. In addition, keep in mind, this formation is not for a fast game. It is more of a slow-paced possession based formation. You have five players defending the midfield and two of them dedicated to supporting the striker.

Make sure you do not move your CM very far from its location because this is the problem with this formation. Your CM will often be away from its location because it will need to win the ball and then move it ahead to the wide players or the CAMs. Avoid using the CM too much.

Its variation is more focused on the midfield. It adds an extra layer of defense with three midfielders. Your striker should be a good one because he will have a lot of pressure since he is the only CM on the field. Keep the ball in the middle and you should be good to go.

4-3-3

This formation is all about attacking from the wings. It lacks defense but has quite a good counter-attacking ability. Use your front six men to formulate killer attacks that can be executed in different ways. You have many options of attacking when you are using this formation. With this formation, you can really pressurize the opposition with your wingers.

You can even bring the players playing on the wide side of the field in the middle to increase your midfield capabilities. For your defense, you will need to seriously work out some sort of strategy because the four players at the back do not really have much support. Make sure you can an eye out of any attacks coming from the midfield and try to stop them as early as possible otherwise the opposition will exploit this gap in the defenders easily.

4-3-3, 4-3-3 (Hold), 4-3-3 (Defense), 4-3-3 (Attack), 4-3-3 (False 9)

This formation is all about attacking from the wings. It lacks defense but has quite a good counter-attacking ability. Use your front six men to formulate killer attacks that can be executed in different ways. You have many options of attacking when you are using this formation. You can really pressurize the opposition with your wingers.

You can even bring the players playing on the wide side of the field in the middle to increase your midfield capabilities. For your defense, you will need to seriously work out some sort of strategy because the four players at the back do not really have much support. Make sure you can an eye out of any attacks coming from the midfield and try to stop them as early as possible otherwise the opposition will exploit this gap in the defenders easily.

The second variation of this formation is basically based on more defense and counter-attacking. It uses the same tactics but is more focused on defense and counter-attacking rather than attack. CDM will often play like a CB, which will greatly benefit the midfield defense. He will also assist the three back players in forming a link between the midfield and the rear.

The third formation is solely based on defense. It will have an excellent hold on the ground but will lack in attack and counter-attack. It will add another two CDMs at the back that make your defense impenetrable. The only drawback here is that no one will be able to support the attackers at the front line. Wingers will also need to multi-role and support midfield as well the wings.

The fourth variation of this formation is more focused on attacking and sacrifices the strong defense that the other variations offer. This formation favors those who prefer very strong attacking formation. It allows fast attacks on the wings but this leaves the midfield completely empty so make sure you have some good players back at the rear.

The fifth variation is focused for the mid which the other variations have been lacking. Easily attack the opposition’s defenders with this formation. Your CDM will often play like a CB furthermore your mid will be covered. CF and CDM are your most important assets here so you need to make sure they are good players.

4-4-2, 4-4-2 (2)

This formation is the most used formation in the whole world. The 4-4-2 is known as the classic format and it is most commonly set as default. If you are a new player to the game or do not really care about formations. This is all-rounder formation and it features decent attack, defense and counter-attacking.

The only drawback here is that veteran players know every trick of this formation and they will easily counter it. You should, however, be on the lookout for your midfield and try to support your back four with the midfielders.

Its variation is focused on defense and counter-attacking. Two CDMs move to the back to provide maximum defense and cover the rear of the field. This formation also has no fast wingers so you cannot really use your wings with this formation. However, you can perform very good wide counter attacks.

4-4-1-1

This formation is more focused towards defense. It features decent Attack and counter-attacking. In this formation, your CF is playing multi-role and sometimes drops back as well for the defense. However, the main problem also lies here. If the CF goes too back, your front becomes vulnerable and there is not much attack power left with the gap left behind.

CF going back yields strong defense but makes the attack weaker. Because of the fact that CF is not really commonplace and very few formations seem to have them; due to this fact, your CF player will be most probably an ST or CAM with modified stats of a CF. You need to pay special attention to this position.

5-2-1-2

This formation is very strong at defense and counter-attacking but it has a very weak attack mainly because of player locations. This formation is the best when it comes to defense and counter-attacks. The main focus of this formation is the wing back. They will be flankers who will support the attacks as well defend their positions so make sure these players are good.

You will have two ST and a CAM in this formation. Your CAM should also be a good player, as he will have to multi-role on the field especially in the middle. As long as the LWB and RWB are supporting the positions wherever they are needed, your defense will not go down. Attacking is not that strong so you will need a good attack strategy for some scoring.

5-3-3

If you really want five defenders on your team, then we recommend you choose this formation as this is the most balanced formation with five defenders. The best thing about this formation is that it is also a very good at attacking as well. If you have good passing skills, you can easily push through in opposition field during attacks because your players will be widely located.

Take it slow and play it easy with this formation and you will have a solid position on the field. There are no weaknesses here. Just make sure you know how to handle the wide positioning of the players otherwise if the opposition gets in the middle, there is a small gap in the mid and the rear, and takes control of the ball you will have a tough time getting it back.

5-2-2-1

Another formation focused on defending and counter attacking with poor attacking. We recommend you do not use this formation as it has very poor attacking capabilities. Your team will be widely spread so your midfield can be exploited easily. Even if you come across a team that has good and fast passing, you will suffer.

However, you can be sure that any wide attacks will not go through your defenses. The wingers will cover your wingbacks and they can easily flank the position when moving ahead during counter attacks. Keep a lookout in your midfield and try to keep the ball away from the mid to avoid any midfield retaliation.

This concludes our FIFA 18 FUT Formations Guide. If you want to add anything to this guide, feel free to use the comments section below!

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Ali is a passionate RPG gamer. He believes that western RPGs still have a lot to learn from JRPGs. He is editor-in-chief at SegmentNext.com but that doesn't stop him from writing about his favorite video ...