PES2018 has several new tactical features compared to previous releases. If you’re still following the PES2017 Tips and Gameplay Strategies, then you’ll surely struggle in PES2018. So, if you wish to dominate your opponent, follow the instructions below and you’ll surely build a solid and winning team.

Advanced Instructions:

Every coach has their own format of playing but, newly introduced this year, Advanced Instructions can make a real difference. You can set 4 different specific instructions for attacking and defending. Go to the Squad section from the menu and check the Advanced Instructions tab from the Tactics. It can also be found during the match, in the tactics section. You can specifically instruct whether your full back should do a dummy run through the wing or they should stay close to line for defending. The same goes for attacking instructions, whether your wings should join the defense or mark someone specifically. Speaking of marking opponent’s players, it’s significantly helpful to weaken their attack and you can select targets during the match. Say if you’re playing against someone who emphasizes attacking through the midfield and relies on through balls. In that case, mark their midfield tightly and they won’t be able to connect pass that easily. In most cases, gamers mark the opponent’s forwards, which is a common mistake. If your opponent is playing with long ball strategies, their forwards can easily fool or outrun your defenders, provided they have a greater running speed. So, block their attack from midfield before they can make a proper pass. The same can be said if they play through wingers. Block their run, and early crosses, and rest assured that their forwards will soon get frustrated.

Passing Efficiency:

Not all the players in your team are Ronaldo or Messi. So, if you’re planning to run straight away through the opposition and score goals, I suggest you put down the controller or play some other games. In PES2018 quick passing is the one and only key. Decide what your style of play is and then focus on short or long high passes. Make sure you have a coach that fits your style of passing. It’s important that you calculate a passing route to the opponent’s goal. I’ve tried to show a few methods in the two gameplay videos in this article, but it’s wise to consider the type of players you have in your squad. Here’s a simple formula. If your midfield players are short in height, such as Mario Götze, use short passes. The same goes for strikers. With taller midfield players, play long high balls.  If you’re playing with a striker who’s short in height, long high balls will do no good as opposing defenders will out jump him 10 out of 10 times. Usually, stronger defenders are slower. If you lack taller strikers, rely on through passes. Smaller players usually run past the stronger defenders when chasing the ball, and if you know how to quickly turn with the ball, 9 out of 10 times you’ll get a free kick at the edge of the opposition’s penalty box.

Train Players:

Knowing when to train your players will give a huge boost to squad strength. After each match, players are rewarded with XP points which eventually help them level up. But if you’re only relying on match XP to level up your players, then you’re losing precious time.  If a player needs 1200 XP to reach the next level, go to the training section straight away and use a Special Trainer that gives 1000 XP.  When there’s just 200 XP left for leveling up, convert a player of the same position, whom you don’t use much or at all, into a trainer and use him to train the desired player. This way, not only does your player level up, but he also gets a huge attribute boost. Most people make a common mistake in using Special Trainers regardless of how many points are required to level up players. This way, players do level up, but their attributes stays at the same level. For example, if you’re training Mario Götze whose trait is 82 and currently requiring 1200 XP to for the next level, say 14,  using a Special Trainer for 1200XP will simply advance him to level 14, but his attribute/trait will remain 82. If you follow the method I’ve mentioned, he’ll level up to 14 and his trait will become 83. Do note that you can only increase their trait to their max level, and you’ll understand that when players won’t gain XP after matches anymore. So don’t train players when they reach their max levels or traits.

Team Spirit:

Your star players won’t win any matches unless you have team spirit that’s above 90. The fastest way to increase team spirit is through tactical training. Tactical training points are hard to get in PES since you can’t purchase them from the store. The only way to gather tactical points is by signing new players using special agents. Since these points are rare, use them carefully. Before using them, make sure that your manager is fit for the type of players you have. If a manager focuses on short passes, and your strategy is a long passing one, with your players being taller, change your manager. When you have the right manager and suitable players, team spirit will automatically be higher. Once your preferred manager is hired, use the tactical training points. If you have 10 of them, use 5-6. 6 tactical points will increase your team spirit vastly if yours is below 70. Team spirit increases very slowly after you reach 85. So, from that onward, use the tactical training points when you sign new players. Tactical training creates links between players next to each other and, sometimes, even between a defender and forwarder, provided you play with long higher balls.

Patience Strategy:

Football is a game of tactics and if you aren’t using some, then you’re playing something else. Only passing and kicking the ball won’t win you matches, you need to constantly employ different strategies. Depending on your team strength, you need to decide how the game should be played. It can be either through wings, quick midfield, or long high ball passes. Keep looking for the formula that you feel most fluid. It doesn’t matter if you’re a goal down or two, you can still make a comeback if sticking to your strategies. However, one important point to note is that when you have the ball, trying to hold it as long as possible is a must. The longer you hold the ball, the more your opponent’s patience gets thinner. This means they’ll break formation and make room for you to take advantage. When one or more goals down, I try to hold the ball as much as possible within one corner of my half of the pitch and, when the opposition is desperate to get the ball back, I pass the ball to the other side, where my free full back or left or righter midfields/wingers are . They can take the ball up with pace and make early crosses. If you see the video above you’ll notice this strategy. Another strategy uses diagonal passes to your forward players. This is super handy if you have a tall and fast forwarder. If your pass stays diagonal, your forwarder will surely win the ball in 1 on 1 or 1 on 2 situations with the opposition’s defenders and will have a chance to score goals from there. In case you can’t score, hold the ball there until your wingers reach you and pass sidewise to them for a cross. If you’re good at heading, you’ll score 9 out of 10 times in a situation like this.

That’s all for now. Keep practicing and you’ll start winning matches. If you have questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll try to help as much as possible. And, if you still haven’t purchased PES2018, check our PES2018 PlayStation 4 Review or PES2018 Xbox One Review to make your decision.

Good luck and keep having wonderful times at the pitch!

Sarwar Ron, NoobFeed
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