What used to be Chemistries are now Strategy items but the logic behind these cards is still the same: you equip them to give certain players in your team an attribute boost.
Since only four Strategy items can be equipped at a time, choosing the right ones that work for your team is one of the crucial steps if you want to win more games in Madden Ultimate Team.
In today’s article, we’ll cover the best strategy items in Madden 22 for offense and defense, as well as how to get and upgrade them.
What are Strategy Items and How do You Get Them?
MUT 22 Strategy cards are boost cards that you can equip in the Lineup menu to improve your players’ attributes. Some of the best Madden 22 strategy cards will only apply to a single position (this is the majority of offense cards) while others will apply to the entire team, multiple positions, or all defenders.
There are three types of Strategy items, think of them as three tiers:
- Common: boost three attributes
- Uncommon: boost the same three attributes as Common plus another one
- Rare: boost the same attributes as Common plus two additional ones
It’s also important to mention that the additional attributes in Uncommon and Rare cards won’t always be the same. So, one Rare “Out My Way” strategy card can boost different attributes from another Rare “Out My Way” card – although the first three attributes inherited from the Common card will always be the same.
All attributes that a certain card boosts can be seen on the card, in the bottom left corner.
As for getting the Strategy items, you can get them easily by completing Week 7 in The Campaign challenges. Simply completing all of these challenges will give you four Strategy cards to start with. Other challenges may also give you Strategy items as rewards.
You’ll find Strategy packs in the store for 5,000 coins. You can also earn them by completing your Objectives or buy them in Auctions.
The Best Strategy Items for Offense
Most offensive strategy items will be position-specific so you need to look at what players you want to boost and which attributes you want to be boosted.
Deep Route Specialist, WR
The Deep Route Specialist card for your wide receivers is one of the best offensive cards if you’re lucky to get the Rare card with the right attribute combo. Here is how that card looks across different tiers:
Common: +DRR, +RLS, +CTH
Uncommon: (+SPC) or (+AWR)
Rare: (+SPC, +JMP) or (+AWR, +SPD) or (+AWR, +SPC) or (+ AWR, +JMP) or (+SPD, +JMP) (+SPC, +SPD)
The two Rare cards that you should be excited about are the ones that boost Speed and Jump or Speed and Spectacular Catch (SPC).
On the Move, HB
The second offensive card worth attention is the On the Move card for your HB. Here are all the combinations you can get:
Common: +JKM, +SPM, +BCV
Uncommon: (+CTH) or (+AWR)
Rare: (+AWR, +SPD) or (+AWR, +ACC) or (+CTH, +SPD) or (+AWR, +CTH) or (+SPD, +ACC) or (+CTH, +ACC)
Obviously, the SPD and ACC card is the one to go for to boost your running back and leave defenders in the dust. The CTH+SPD and CTH+ACC are also good cards since they boost mobility and Catching.
Let it Rip, QB
There are a few strategy cards for the QB position but Let it Rip is the best choice. Here are the attributes it boosts:
Common: +DAC, +PAC, +MAC
Uncommon: (+RUN) or (+SAC)
Rare: (+SAC, +BSK) or (+SAC, +THP) or (+RUN, +SAC) (+RUN, +BSK) or (+RUN, +THP) or (+THP, +BSK)
The best combo here is probably the SAC (Short Accuracy) and THP (Throw power) Rare card. Combined with the three default attributes from the Common card, it’ll boost five incredibly important QB skills. Alternatively, if you have a mobile QB, the RUN and THP combo card will also be of use.
The Best Strategy Items for Defense
Unlike the offensive strategy items, defensive items often affect multiple positions or even all defenders. There isn’t such a wide range of really good defensive strategy items so I’ll cover just the two that I find are worth the effort.
Lurk, MLB
Lurk is a great defensive strategy card but it’s unfortunately limited to a single position. Still, if you get the right combo, it can make a big difference. These are the possible combinations:
Common: +ZCV, +CTH, +PRC
Uncommon: (+TAK) or (+PUR)
Rare: (+AWR, +SPD) or (+PUR, +AWR) or (+PUR, +SPD)or (+TAK, +SPD) or (+TAK, +PUR) or (+TAK, +AWR)
Zone Coverage, Catching, and Play Recognition are all solid boosts for a linebacker but the cards you should be looking forward to are the ones that put Speed in the mix. So, TAK and SPD would be my first pick, and then maybe AWR and SPD. This card will make it easier for you to pick off passes and even get sacks in Madden 22.
In the Zone, DB
The In the Zone card can be a game-changer if you get the right one. Here is the card across tiers:
Common: +ZCV, +PRC, +AWR
Uncommon: (+TAK) or (+MCV)
Rare: (+MCV, +PUR) or (+MCV, +SPD) or (+TAK, +SPD) or (+PUR, +SPD) or (+TAK, +MCV) or (+TAK, +PUR)
Any of the combinations with MCV (Man Coverage) will be great because you already get Zone Coverage in the basic three attributes with the Common card. If you get the MCV and SPD card, you’ll boost some really important attributes for your defensive backs. The TAK and MCV combo card is also a good one.
How to Upgrade Your Strategy Items
Finally, you can upgrade any Strategy item by selecting it on your Strategy screen and Tapping Square/X to Upgrade. You’ll be taken to a screen similar to player training, where you can spend training points to get these cards to higher tiers.
Higher tiers will give more players better boosts but upgrading these cards can be expensive – taking a single Uncommon card to Tier 3 will cost you 625 Training. You can always quicksell players to get more training. Check out our Madden 22 Training Values guide to see which players will give you the most value for money.
Wrapping up
Unfortunately, getting the best strategy cards in Madden 22 will often be a matter of luck. Even a great card like On the Move can be pretty much worthless if you get a wrong combo like Catching and Awareness.
If you don’t get the right cards, your only option will be to hit Auctions and spend lots of coins on these items.
Still, this is easier than dealing with individual chemistries and provides an interesting aspect to the game. Test out the strategy items that work best for your team and decide which ones are worth upgrading!
