Last Updated on March 15, 2024 by Ali Hamza
EA Sports FC 24 features dozens of formations to suit all styles of tactics. Among them, FC 24 4-2-1-3 formation has all the advantages of the classic 4-2-3-1 formation, but has a higher degree of threat in wide areas. In response, we designed a custom tactic to create one of the most powerful tactics in Ultimate Team this year.
Why Choose 4-2-1-3 Formation?
As we all know, 4-2-3-1 is a common tactical system in almost the entire history of modern football. However, formations can perform differently depending on the roles played by individual players.
New to Ultimate Team this year, FC 24 players can finally use the typical 4-2-3-1 system. But its attacking width has increased significantly.
The typical back four and double pivot of central defensive midfielders are still there. And there is still a center attacking midfielder and a center forward, but instead of left and right attacking midfielders, they are natural wing players. They are responsible for pulling plays and running in behind.
But 4-2-1-3 formation solves the glaring flaws that have always existed in 4-2-3-1. While the traditional system is great for controlling possession in central areas, the wider attacking midfielder rarely makes dynamic attacking runs.
However, with the addition of new features, this will no longer be a problem for those who prefer wing play.
Here’s our take on the best 4-2-1-3 tactics in FC 24. If you prefer offline gaming, maybe it can help you improve your Champions ranking or even help you win major trophies in Career Mode and earn generous EA FC 24 Coins rewards.
Custom Tactics
Overall, customization of the tactic is by far the most critical component of the tactic.
Defense
Starting from the defensive side, we chose a balanced style. This will ensure that the defensive unit remains off the ball and presses the ball towards the center of the pitch.
For Defensive Width, we chose to set it to 40. This will allow the team’s defense to be more compact, then allow wingers and fullbacks to create natural width when winning possession.
We set the defensive depth to 65 for 4-2-1-3 tactic. This creates a fairly high defensive line, keeping the midfield area compact.
We decided not to go with 71 depth, as this setup could be susceptible to through balls between the central defenders.
Offense
In the offensive part of custom tactics, the form of organizational attack we choose is balanced. This will allow players to stay connected and not attack too early when in possession.
The most effective chance-creating setup is usually direct passing in all tactics, and that’s the case here as well. This is a powerful trait, as the attacker will constantly attack the space behind the opponent’s defense.
The breadth of our offensive plays is much different from our defensive plays. We set it to 55 so that when a team has the ball, wide players will immediately look to extend the game.
For this tactic, the number of players entering the opponent’s box is best limited to four. The front three and central attacking midfielder can make breakout runs, while the fullbacks and central defensive midfielders provide continuous coverage.
The set-piece setup mainly depends on the preference here. The small number of Corners and Free Kicks in the box is ideal for customizing tactics. But if you usually use direct set-piece routines, you may want more players in the box.
Player Instructions
Player instructions are another key component of 4-2-1-3 tactic. They allow for complex customization of the specific roles that individual players will play.
Goalie instructions largely come down to personal preference. You can choose the default settings. Of course, if you are willing to buy FC 24 Coins at IGGM.com, you can also ask your shot-stopper to take on the role of Sweeper Keeper.
There is no doubt that central defenders are best served by default instructions. They must perform orthodox defensive duties.
However, fullbacks are where major adjustments are needed. It instructed them to stay behind while attacking and overlapping. This will allow them to prioritize their defensive duties. But whenever wingers cut inside, they overlapped.
In this tactic, the central defensive midfielders play a vital role in constantly providing central cover for the back line. They were told to stay behind and cover the centre-forward when attacking. This gives the players in front of them complete freedom to focus on scoring goals.
Wide attacking players will operate like traditional touchline wingers when running the offense and like wide forwards when attacking. It instructed them to stay wide and deep, which allows them to be a lethal creative and goal threat.
The ultimate player directive relates to arguably the most important player, the striker, who will provide the majority of goals. Their chief duty is to patrol the central area, looking for available space. The creative players on the team will do most of the work for them.
Meta Player
Both custom tactics and player instructions are crucial when creating the best FC 24 tactics. However, there is a key factor to consider: which players are suitable for 4-2-1-3 tactics?
We’ve found several meta players who are very effective in the setup we’ve outlined.
First, no goalkeeper is immune to mistakes, but a player with high attributes at this position should show minimal flaws on FC 24 pitch. The likes of Alisson, Thibaut Courtois or Ederson would be ideal here.
Any typical meta option for central defenders will suffice here. There are no special requirements for this 4-2-1-3 tactic and Eder Militao, Raphael Varane and Fikayo Tomori are all good and affordable options.
Of course, if you have a large FIFA 24 Coins budget, you can even spend your money on Lucio or Vincent Kompany. Because they are the real top defenders in FC 24.
For fullbacks, speed and good defensive numbers are key. Kyle Walker and Marcos Llorente are one of the best options on the right. On the other side, Andrew Robertson or the usual Ferland Mendy would be ideal as they can contribute to both defense and attack with ease.
For defensive midfield, a pair of all-rounders is a must. Jude Bellingham, Homare Sawa and Grace Geyoro make up the team’s main options at both positions.
For attacking midfield, high dribbling and passing attributes are the most important factors here. Martin Odegaard, Megan Rapinoe, or Icon Kaka could all be excellent creative focal points in this 4-2-1-3 formation.
At the winger position, high tempo numbers and respectable shooting numbers are ideal for this tactic. Caroline Hansen and Joe Cole are the most complete options for right winger. On the other hand, Paulo Futre or Hristo Stoichkov are perfect left winger options, although they are quite expensive.
Finally, for striker, a fast player is needed. He can run the ball and get wingers out wide. There is no shortage of such players in Ultimate Team, but Erling Haaland, Heung Min-Son and Joao Pedro offer impressive abilities. These abilities are quite affordable in the current game.
Here we provide custom tactics, player instructions and even ideal player selections to make up the best 4-2-1-3 tactic in FC 24 Ultimate Team. Hopefully, this guide will help you make better use of this tactic to win more games!
