FIFA 15 Beating CPU on World Class Tips

FIFA 15 Beating CPU on World Class Tips by Jamez10000

I should probably preface this by saying that It’s going to be a pretty long post. I’ll have to split it so that some of the text ends up as a comment as well. If people have any questions that I think are decent then I’ll edit them into an FAQ in that comment.

This time I’ll be focusing on my play-style a little more, and possibly reiterating some of the points I made in that first post. I also want to make it clear that this post really doesn’t address playing against Legendary. World Class and Legendary have some key differences that I think make several of my examples here redundant, so just be aware of that.

I’ve also chosen to put some examples of what I’m talking about in. Every example is from me playing against World Class. Several are from my recent games in my Bayern career mode, particularly with Arjen Robben.

I don’t recommend a possession style against the CPU

If you don’t care about this then just skip to the “So what’s my style?” section.

I know there are a lot of players who like to play possession orientated football just as many teams do irl. However, since writing my first guide I’ve decided I do not like to recommend this style to someone who is struggling against World Class. That is not to say it’s a poor style, It is an absolutely fine way to beat the CPU if you’re seriously good at it.

Now just to define possession style football: I’m talking about players who like to pass the ball up the field very slowly before eventually getting around the opponents box and then trying to create some room or a quick pass to get a player in and score.

The main advantage of playing possession football is the desperation you bring out of the CPU. So the longer you keep the ball away from them, the harder the CPU will go for the ball. The idea then is to exploit the space that they will start to leave open. So that sounds great right? Well I’ve decided it isn’t for a couple of reasons.

One of the main problems that people talk about in regards to World Class CPU is their precise tackling. The CPU players will take any opportunity they see to immediately take the ball off you. Thus, I think a lot of people attempting to play this style end up passing the ball around for maybe a minute, slowly advancing up the field, and then just getting suddenly tackled and the pressure is completely removed and you have to start again. A single poor first touch and it’s over. Here’s a quick example that shows just how rapid the AI can be when they’re looking to get the ball back, granted here it still falls to me, but I just want to display how easily you can lose it: http://gfycat.com/ShorttermGiganticKitten

The second issue is that one of your players is always going to screw up. Eventually you’ll get around their box and you’re passing it around in front of them, but suddenly a simple A pass is played to someone who decides to try to make a run in behind and it falls to their defender instead. Back to square one.

The third issue is that the CPU can be seriously smart when it comes to reading you when you get into a position like this around their box. Once you’re taking it slow the CPU will have a very easy time predicting what you’re going to do next. This isn’t only in terms of passing, they’re particularly good at judging where you’re going to dribble before you lay off your next pass. Here is an example where I want to turn back on myself so I can play a pass back to one of my CDM’s because I’m in a dead end. I’m thinking the AI will just run between me and the goal to block off a run, but instead he maintains a position behind me to intercept my turn: http://gfycat.com/HospitableHonorableEyelashpitviper

Basically, my point is that you’re going to spend so much time getting your slow attacks cut out that you won’t feel like you’re making any progress. This can just be plain frustrating I honestly think it results in people not improving.

But what if I like possession? :(

Well I’d probably recommend a style that is more orientated to looking for through balls earlier up the pitch. Use a formation with two strikers and a LM and RM. Then keep the ball in the midfield using your CDM/CM/LM/RM/CAM etc. You’re now looking for runs from your strikers or preferably your wide players. Lobbed through balls are preferable to ground through balls if possible. One particular strategy I would recommend is keeping the ball over on one side of the pitch, say with your RM, then suddenly play it to your CM and then a lobbed through ball to your LM. Generally this will get you behind the CPU as they’ll shift their whole team to one side.

This style still suffers from many of the problems I mentioned earlier, and it requires really good vision from you. You’re going to need to use co-op camera zoomed really far out for this to work. However, what it does avoid is getting into the annoying situation of sitting around the CPU’s box and hoping you can find some space. It’s a situation I personally hate being in.

If you’re desperate to play a style that requires slow movement up the pitch then I’d absolutely recommend learning how to use skills to create space. Here’s an example where I create an opportunity with Lewandowski in a very crowded box: http://gfycat.com/VigorousSmoothIndianhare. (If you’re desperate to know, I unfortunately did not score after that)

I can’t really give more advice on this style because I simply don’t like playing it honestly. I find possession a little boring, and the CPU can make it too frustrating at times. For me, once I reach the stage where they’re getting frustrated and trying to tackle me more actively they are often more successful in getting the ball of me. If someone else has some recommendations regarding this style then I’d encourage them to post them.

So what’s my style?

Dribbling. I absolutely love dribbling past a whole bunch of CPU players either into a goal scoring position or to a point where I can find a little through ball to either an easy goal, or an opportunity to create space with skills and finish it. Of course I don’t score a goal every time I try and dribble through a defense. Often I might lose possession and have to pick it back up before running at them again, but then I would say this is true for any style of play. If this style doesn’t appeal to you then fair enough, but I’m sure you can pick up a few tips from this anyway. If not then just skip to when I’ll discuss defending later. So, firstly:

Formation

I think you can use a wide variety of formations to make my style work, but some are generally more effective than others. Every formation I’ll recommend is going to have wide players. That’s because, in general, they tend to have high pace and dribbling stats which is exactly the kind of player that suits my style.

4-3-3’s

I love the 4-3-3 formations. It’s how I started FIFA this year and whilst I’ve drifted away from them from time to time, I always end up returning eventually for some enjoyment. I’d recommend the 4-3-3(3) in particular for a player struggling against the CPU because it gives you a lot more defensive cover than the formation I normally use, the 4-3-3(4).

Use really quick wingers with great dribbling stats, set them to stay forward, cut inside and get in behind. Set at least one CDM to stay back whilst attacking. I would just leave your other players as they are. The result will be your whole midfield will get involved in defending, which can is important because you wont be using your wide players to help at all.

4-1-2-1-2

This is a super popular formation this year, and with good reason. It’s possibly the most versatile formation available in the game. I’ve been using it a lot over the post few months and it can be very effective against the AI. However, I only recommend it if you are decent at defending the CPU’s attacks. You’ve only got one CDM to sit in front of your defense so it can be a little vulnerable.

I would set both of your wingers to get in behind and cut inside, but only set one of them to get forward. Do this to whichever you think is your more likely goal scorer. You’re going to need the other winger to get back on defense and effectively play as LB/RB. Other than that, have your CDM to stay back whilst attacking and you can leave all your other players.

4-2-3-1(2)

I think this is probably a preferable formation to the 4-1-2-1-2 to beat the CPU. It has a lot more defensive capabilities as you have two CDM’s to cover the back. Plus your CAM can drop a little deeper to help out or track a runner which is really helpful. It’s main advantage over the 4-3-3 formations is that you can manually run back with your LM/RM if they’re 2v1’ing your fullbacks.

Use the same instructions as I recommended for the 4-3-3. Keep in mind it’s effectively the same formation as the 4-3-3, it just sits your wingers much further back so you have more cover.

How to play

As you might imagine, it’s somewhat difficult to just explain how you should start dribbling through the CPU’s defense….but hell I can try.

I play a very quick style of football where I won’t be in possession long before I’m trying to run at my opponent. I never want to be moving up the field slowly once I’m in their half. So normally it will go:

1. Make a tackle and gain possession
2. If it’s with a CB I’ll play it to a CDM to relieve pressure/If it’s with a CDM I’ll play it to my other CDM or up to my CAM/If it’s with a LB and RB I’ll play it inside to a CDM or to my LM or RM if they’re in space. This will only be different if my CAM came back to defend, in which case I’ll play it up to my striker.
3. If it’s not already with a winger or my CAM then I’ll play it to my CAM. From here your options open up.
4. I’ll either start running at them with my CAM, using skills when appropriate or simply changing direction at pace. I’m looking for runs from my striker or wingers in which case I’ll play it out to them. Preferably I will immediately see a winger with some space and play it out to them. Then I begin running at them with my wingers.

It makes it sound fairly simple I know. To me it feels very organic rather than a set of steps, but when I consider my play it tends to go like that.

Now, I really think running at the opposition with wingers can be OP for a few reasons. Firstly, the CPU does not expect you to beat their fullbacks. They will not try to cover their fullbacks with other players until you’re getting close to their goal or you’re already behind them. This means a lot of space opens up behind them for you to run into it. Secondly, the AI really does not deal well with players running inside at them. Often times I can pick up the ball with a winger, spot a little gap between two players, begin sprinting perpendicular to the goal line to get into the box and then shoot.

Beating the CPU’s fullbacks is honestly quite an easy task. You can either skill past them with a simple roulette or a step over, you can be sprinting full tilt at them already and then change direction as you get close to them to avoid them, or you can get close to them whilst jogging and then suddenly accelerate. Here is an example where I force their LB into a poor position with a simple skill, before using another to turn inside and then I use sprinting+changing direction to create space for myself in the box and score an easy goal: http://gfycat.com/EnlightenedBlackandwhiteAustralianfurseal

I also have an example to display how easy it is to accelerate past their player suddenly, it isn’t actually out on the wing it’s straight from kick off but it shows how easy it is: http://gfycat.com/PoorIllAlligatorgar Just watch how I’ll utilise jogging into sudden acceleration to beat players.

So that’s how to beat fullbacks. Sudden acceleration toward the nearest sideline, skill turns inside or use a fake shot with a 4 star skiller to do the Ronaldo chop, run perpendicular to the goal line and shoot.

Something else I’ll often do is I’ll cut inside with my winger far earlier. So once I’m in their half I’ll look inside with my winger and if there is a gap between their midfield and back four line that im currently in, then I’ll immediately start to drift inside with the bill, often at a 45 degree angle to the side line. During this they’ll be continually backing off toward their goal. You’re looking for an opportunity to turn directly toward their goal and run into a gap between their CB and fullback or both CB’s. Once you’re in this space you’ll likely have one of their defenders to either side of you. Now its trigger time baby.

LT+RT is godly against the AI. I’m going to show you example here to use after you’ve been running at them like I just suggested, but you can really use it anywhere on the pitch.

First example: http://gfycat.com/BitesizedFrenchAmethystinepython. This is me simply running between their two CB’s, quickly holding LT +RT to stop dead, cut inside and little, and accelerate into open space to score.

Second examplehttp://gfycat.com/FreshBlackAmericanshorthair. Here I’ve found the gap but I can only run into a position that puts robben on his weak foot. So I simply use LT+RT to create the room I need to get it on his left foot. I don’t score in this example but you get the idea!

As you might be able to guess, both these examples are from the same match. It just goes to show how often I’ll use this strategy to beat their players. Like I say though, It’s important to remember that this will work almost anywhere on the pitch EXCEPT when they’ve got their box packed and you’re trying to beat a midfielder. This is because they may often step in a direction they predict you’ll move like I mentioned earlier. Thus they’ll cut you off. Have I said I hate being in that position already?

The last situation is if I get it to a winger that’s already behind the fullback then I’ll simply run diagonally towards the goal until I get into the box, at which point one of their players normally catches me, then use a simple skill to get inside of them as they desperately try to block your run, and then use my space to take a shot. Here’s an example of that: http://gfycat.com/UnevenValuableDassierat

Once you understand how to beat CPU players, then you can look to waltz through them with your CAM’s and find through balls as well. I’ll often start going at them with my CAM, beat 2 or 3 players, and then have a lot of space opened up by my front three running at them ahead of me.