Choosing a playmaker

Choosing the right playmaker in XpertEleven can win or lose a game. In truth choosing the wrong playmaker, or having your playmaker marked, is more likely to lose a game. A lot of the decision making process will depend on your team too.

Playmaker rule #1

Rule number 1 with playmakers is don't get your PM marked. Anything too obvious is a bad choice - to the extent you may need to look at your team setup. This is also the area where scouting the opposition manager can help - how obvious are his marking options? Does he always mark the best midfielder, the freekicker, a forward - nobody? having a good idea who they will mark gives more scope for PM selection.

Basic playmaker selection

According to the rules the playmaker should be your strongest midfielder, preferably with intelligence. Unfortunately this is often too obvious a choice, and is a very strong reason not to have a standout midfielder. This can be more problematic with conveyor type teams where players are of varying skill levels than a flat team setup where you might have 5 midfielders with just a bar between them.

When to select a playmaker

You will always get a benefit from having a playmaker, even if all your players are exactly the same skill. The benefit is greater if you have lesser skilled players, eg youngsters, in midfield as you want to bypass these players as much as possible.

The downside is getting your playmaker marked, which can significantly weaken your team. I would suggest that if your team is significantly stronger (especially in midfield) then it might be best not to take the risk of PM selection, and similarly if you have just 1 or 2 significantly strong midfielders - and other times you should probably try to vary playmaker selection and pick one as often as possible.

PM selection & tactical considerations

Picking a PM who has SQs that compliment your style of play will always be beneficial. Heading or quick is great if your team is playing wing plays or through plays. Equally shooting power for playing long range shots. There are also some other SQs which work well with tactical setups.

If you are playing cheat with a referee then any player with the cheat SQ will get a boost, and this is beneficial if your playmaker has cheat. This is especially good because your opponent won't know which players have cheat as it's a hidden SQ.

The stamina SQ is great if you are playing bruise where you gain an advantage to having your PM tire slower than other players. The problem with this is it can be predictable.

Intelligent and cool are always good SQs to have on a playmaker, as is greedy.

Moody can be a massive risk and will often do more harm than good on a playmaker. A bad performance, especially if he is marked, can cost you a game that you should have won easily. Personally I am not a fan of moody on midfielders because it can limit your PM options. The flip side is it could be a selection in a game you expect to lose - where a great game could swing it for you.

Having no playmaker

Going without a playmaker is a viable option if all your midfielders are of a similar level. It removes one of the biggest risks - that of having your playmaker marked. Generally it is a more viable option if you have the stronger side, and all your midfielders are of a similar skill level. Sometimes though it's best to toss a coin or roll a dice if you have a number of equally valid PM options - at least that way you won't be predictable.