Fantasy FUT Nani Review

New promo. New rules.  Same cards.  EA is nothing if not consistent in their choices for those deemed lucky enough to receive special cards and the Fantasy FUT promo has proved no different.  However, there were some classic names that had yet to receive a special card that has done so in the past and Nani certainly fits that category.  The Portuguese wonderkid turned seasoned veteran definitely caught the eye when this promo was released and seemed to promise a dynamic and entertaining card.  It took next to no time for us to make this choice and it was off to the lab to formulate the chemistry for yet another Weekend League grind.  The move from a much more difficult to link MLS to the Serie A is certainly an added FUT bonus with Nani’s addition to the captivating story that is Venezia.  Cool badge, cool kits (which will cost you 20k on the market), cool branding and the entertaining idea of squads arriving in boats to the stadium have caught the headlines and hopefully the squad can squeeze themselves out of the relegation zone to end the season.  While Nani keeps his playing dream alive in Venice I was hoping his Fantasy FUT card could make my return to 16 wins dreams a reality playing as the holding striker in my 4-2-2-2 formation.  For a moment I considered using him as the CAM in my 4-1-2-1-2(2) but based on the rest of the squad I felt the 4-2-2-2 a better option.  With the need for linking play with his pace and an added scoring touch, I opted for the HUNTER chemistry style for this one and we were ready to go.  Nani was the key contributor all weekend long in the following squad:

Starting Formation:
 

Overall

Rating: 9.5/10
Pace Rating: 9.5/10
Dribbling Rating: 9.5/10
Shooting Rating: 10/10
Passing Rating: 9/10
Physical Rating: 9/10
Defending Rating: N/A

23 goals and 8 assists in 15 matches is the type of returns we have been striving for around here and this card just seemed to come by them with ease.  It took 19 matches to get the 15 matches for the review finished as opponents soon discovered the potency of Nani and Mid Eusébio were too much for their defences to contain.  I wasn’t sure how Nani would perform as a striker and even early on in the review we had a feeling out phase… but the returns started rolling in early and for a moment I thought I might have a 2.0 goals per game card on my hands.  But as opponents quit and their quality increased the goals were less frequent, but the contribution was ever present. 

Main Statistic - Shooting

Shooting Rating: 10/10
Weak Foot: ★★★★★
Trait: Outside Foot Shot

The base shooting statistics for this card are already on a foolish level before you start applying chemistry styles and do speak to the possibility of an ENGINE application.  The choice to go with a HUNTER felt rewarded though as this card had some fantastic finishing that rivals any of the strikers I have used.  Alongside Eusébio the goals were flying in and the versatility of the 5 STAR WEAK FOOT offers a wide array of ways to score.  The 99 POSITIONING had this card always in the right spot to aid and finish off my attacks, while the boost to 96 FINISHING felt incredible when mixed with the standard 99 SHOT POWER.  Unlike recent reviews, the standard 96 LONG SHOTS meant that a HUNTER did not leave this category short and all of that was rounded off with 99 VOLLEYS for good measure.    

Main Attribute - 5 Star Skills

Dribbling Rating: 9.5/10
Pace Rating: 9.5/10
Skills: ★★★★★
Attributes: Flair

177cm | 5’10 with a lean body type and all the tools to make him dance, this card has the ball glued to its foot and opponents on strings.  While I see the ENGINE argument I just want to point out that it didn’t feel necessary.  The 92 AGILITY felt higher while the 83 BALANCE didn’t seem to impede any of the left stick dribbling I was attempting.  The FLAIR trait continues to be a growing connection between any card and good dribbling… and overall seemed to boost Nani’s 93 DRIBBLING into something special.   

Value/Coins & Good vs. Bad

Value/Coins Rating: 5/5
Good vs Bad Rating: 5/5

500k feels like the perfect sweet spot for a card that has this quality and then produced these results.  As a side note, I do think it shines light on just how good of a deal FUT Birthday Quaresma was … but that is a story for another day.  When you start filtering the cards in this price range it is eye opening to see how much better Nani is than those currently around him… with the 5*/5* acting as a massive ace in Nani’s pocket should any comparisons arise.

There is really nothing that struck me as a possible complaint considering this card and my overall experience was both positive and enjoyable.  Maybe, just maybe, some added statistics in the passing and physical columns could have taken this card to even bigger heights… and for those of you eyeing Nani as a CAM you might just consider a look at the 91 SHORT PASSING & 86 LONG PASSING… but even then I didn’t notice many errant passes and the 8 assists speaks to the link up play that was possible.   

Closing Words

All of those positives and I didn’t even have a chance to point out the HIGH | MED work rates and how well those mix with attacking minded cards.  With more reserved striker instructions I felt like Nani was always dropping into the right positions to play out of trouble… but was quick to transition into attack once the ball was moving in the right direction.  If you can’t tell by now this was a fantastic review and I would recommend this card in a heartbeat.  As a ST he will find the back of the net and cause headaches for any backline… as a CAM you have the creativity and drive to give strikers the time and space to work their magic…  and even as a super sub he could provide that spark to get the squad moving in the right direction.  Nice card. Nice price. Nice results.  Enough said.  Hoping you are safe and well.  Cheers for reading. 

Game Stats:
 

Game Highlights: