FIFA 17 Ultimate Team: Chemistry Styles Guide
Chemistry Styles. They look cool, but what actually are they? RealSport gives you the complete guide of which to use and how they improve your players on Ultimate Team.
Dec 3, 2016
Ultimate Team is by far the most addictive mode on FIFA 17. But with the margins between loss and victory getting smaller and smaller, you want to give your side that extra edge to start climbing divisions, winning trophies and earning coins. The most effective way of doing this is using Chemistry Styles on your players. These take the chemistry boost from your players and concentrate them towards certain attributes. For instance, there is no need for a striker to receive a boost to their defence, so a Chemistry Style would focus more improvement to pace and shooting instead of defending.
It is vitally important that you not only have 100 Chemistry in your squad, but that every single player has a 10 out of 10 chemistry rating. So be sure to have them in the right positions or bring in a manager to do so. This will allow the chemistry to have full effect, and your new Chemistry Style will not be wasted. The Chemistry Style cards can be found in packs, and bought & sold on the Transfer Market.
RealSport gives you the complete guide on all the Chemistry Styles, and what kind of players you should give them to.
What is chemistry?
Something all real life managers crave, but in FIFA Ultimate Team a great team chemistry improves the level of your players. Having players in their preferred position is the easiest way to start building chemistry, so make sure a ‘CM’ is playing as a central midfielder, not at attacking or defensive midfield. More importantly, make sure your players are of the same division, this is why you tend to come up against sides totally of Premier League, Bundesliga or La Liga Players in Ultimate Team. Still haven’t got Chemistry to 100? Try bringing in a manager of a certain division or nationality too, as he will improve all affecting players by one chemistry point. If you are still one or two chemistry points shy, don’t worry, once a player has played 10 games for your club, he will gain another chemistry point through loyalty. Once 100 Chemistry is achieved, you can be confident that every single players’ stats have been increased as much as possible, and then you can decide which Chemistry Style cards to give to your players.
Basic
The Chemistry Style that all players start with, Basic offers a five-point stats boost to the vast majority of all attributes. If you don’t know what Chemistry Style to go for, you can’t go wrong sticking with Basic.
Deadeye
Deadeye offers significant boosts of 15 to both finishing and short passing. Positioning, shot power, free kicks and curve all improve by 10. This should be for strikers who play up front in a two, meaning that their passes do not go astray. If they take free-kicks as well (Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Luis Suarez) it’s an added bonus.
Finisher
You may think that the Finisher Chemistry Style would improve finishing dramatically, but it will only improve by five. It’s shot power, long shots and jumping that get the 15-point improvement, with volleys, penalties, strength and aggression going up by 10. So any player that is deadly from outside the box, think Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, just became all the more lethal.
Hawk
The Hawk Chemistry Style is a more general improvement to the attacking and movement attributes, with acceleration, positioning, shot power, long shots, volleys, jumping and aggression all improving by 10. Any attacking player would benefit from this, but already pacey wingers or ‘inside’ forwards who look to cut in and strike at goal (Marco Reus, Paulo Dybala) could be your men here.
Marksman
A Marksman knows where the back of the net is. They will receive 10-point improvements to positioning, shot power, long shots, volleys and jumping, so a player who is going to get on the end of crosses for you. Think along the lines of Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Romelu Lukaku for this one.
Sniper
If you want a finishing boost, Sniper is the Chemistry Style you’re after. Finishing, penalties and dribbling will all improve by 15, with positioning, volleys and balance going up by 10. Depending on how you play, you will probably want a player who already has pace, so maybe a Jamie Vardy or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be the perfect fit.
Architect
The Architect strangely increases strength by 15 points along with crossing and long passing. Vision, short passing and aggression will also go up by 10, so a pacey winger lacking that final ball looks to be the best bet, so Theo Walcott, Raheem Sterling or PSG’s Lucas look good options.
Artist
An Artist is the more conventional midfield playmaker. Dribbling, long passing and vision all improve by 15, with short passing and reactions up by 10. Pace has no improvement, so you either make accept that Mesut Ozil will remain slow but become even more of an assist king, or allow Philippe Coutinho to split defences in two.
Engine
Engine is all about your midfield players you like to run from deep, so Paul Pogba or Yaya Toure (maybe two years ago) fit the bill perfectly. Acceleration, free kicks, short passing, balance and dribbling will all increase by 10, but there is next to no defensive impact.
Maestro
An all-round attacking midfielder would love to have the Maestro Chemistry Style, with shot power, long passing, volleys, free kicks, short passing and dribbling all improving by 10. Once again pace is not affected, so you may want a player who can run as well as create, so Kevin De Bruyne or James Rodriguez look to be the best fits.
Powerhouse
Powerhouse does have some defensive improvements, with short passing and standing tackles rising by 15, and vision, long passing, curve and marking all up by 10. Someone who can win the ball and start attacks is what you want, so an Arturo Vidal or Blaise Matuidi would be even more dominant with these improvements.
Anchor
Useful for defenders or holding midfield players, the Anchor Chemistry makes a player near impossible to beat. Acceleration, heading, marking, standing tackles, sliding tackles, jumping, strength and aggression will all improve by 10, so Javier Mascherano or Nicolas Otamendi type-players will benefit the most.
Backbone
Backbone focusses in on the defensive essentials, with short passing, marking, standing tackles, sliding tackles and strength improving all by 10 points. With no pace improvements, you may wish to pick a player who is already quick, so Jerome Boateng or Eric Bailly should be the kind of players you should use it on.
Gladiator
The Gladiator Chemistry Style is all about the defender who is in the right place at the right time. Positioning, heading and sliding tackles all improve by 15 points, with shot power, interceptions and standing tackles rising by 10. Sergio Ramos and Vincent Kompany are the most likely men to use this card on.
Guardian
Guardian is a bit more of a peculiar one, with dribbling and marking going up by 15. Balance, interceptions, standing tackles and sliding tackles go up by 10 as well, so you will want solid players who are comfortable in bringing the ball out from the back. Thiago Silva and Mats Hummels are among the few players who can try and beat players with all the way from your own goal.
Sentinel
For your old fashioned centre-halves, look no further than the Sentinel Chemistry Style. Marking, standing tackles, sliding tackles and strength will all rise by 15, with heading and aggression up by 10 also. Once again pace isn’t affected, but this could take a quick player like Raphael Varane or Sokratis Papastathopoulos to one of the best in Ultimate Team.
Catalyst
Another playmaker type Chemistry Style, the Catalyst card improves acceleration, vision and curve by 15. Sprint speed, crossing, free kicks and short passing will all also go up by 10, so you are looking at a strong runner who can take set pieces. Eden Hazard and Neymar look to be your men.
Hunter
The Hunter Chemistry Style improves acceleration, positioning and penalties by 15, as well as sprint speed, finishing, shot power and volleys by 10. You are going to be looking at goal scoring wingers or prolific finishers, so Antoine Griezmann and Robert Lewandowski wouldn’t be bad ideas for this card at all.
Shadow
The only Chemistry Style that suits full backs looks to be the Shadow card. Acceleration, marking, standing tackles and sliding tackles will all rise by 15 points, with sprint speed, interceptions and heading improving by 10. Bayern Munich pair Phillip Lahm and David Alaba will be licking their lips at this one.
GK Basic
The goalkeeping improvements are yet to be revealed by EA Sports, but just like the outfield Basic card, all goalkeeping stats will receive a slight upgrade with the GK Basic card.
Cat
The Cat card will see reflexes, speed and positioning improve by twice as much, so a keeper who will need to rush off his line and make stunning saves could do with this card. Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris is the perfect fit.
Glove
As for Glove, this will increase diving, handling and positioning, so if you keep getting beaten my long range screamers, try employing this one. An old fashioned goalkeeper like Gianluigi Buffon is what you want for this card.
Shield
Shield is for your sweeper-keepers, with kicking, reflexes and speed being raised. There are few better at this role than Manuel Neuer of Bayern Munich.
Wall
Finally, we have the Wall Chemistry Style. This will see diving, handling and kicking all improve, perhaps the most fitting for Manchester United’s David De Gea.
What’s your favourite Chemistry Style? Let us know in the comments section below.
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