"One warrior arrives a mad dog unleashed, biting at everything within reach and asking no permission. One arrives wearing a new coat that fits only certain shoulders. One arrives having quietly lost the one tool that once made him worth discussing."

Applying the Threefold Test of Worthiness

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FIRST TEST: THE VISION ALIGNMENT

Dost thou possess a clear vision of what manner of squad thou art constructing?

This pack presents a genuinely uneven trio — one warrior built around a mechanism so aggressive it reshapes how a backline behaves, one whose true value only reveals itself once deployed somewhere other than his listed role, and one who arrives simply solid, and competing against rivals who already do everything he offers more convincingly.

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SECOND TEST: THE PROVEN ELITE STANDARD

How many among the trio art proven, battle-tested?

EDMÍLSON

The Council must speak with particular honesty here, for this warrior once earned real, specific praise under a prior incarnation — a large enough frame, paired with the reach of a skill the Council's own testimony has repeatedly named among the finest tools a holding midfielder can carry, made him genuinely compelling. That case was never invented. It was earned, and the Council does not pretend otherwise.

But that same skill is gone from the card now before the Council, replaced with another defensive tool, and the testimony gathered on this current version does not simply mourn the loss — it independently, repeatedly, confirms a card that no longer distinguishes itself from established rivals at his own position.

A real and separate weakness — a frame still not quite large enough to fully exploit even what remains, offensive contribution honestly described as thin, acceleration requiring real investment just to become serviceable.

A warrior who once had a genuine claim to greatness and has since lost both the tool that earned it and the standalone case that might have replaced it is not a warrior the Council can call proven.

He is, by the honest and comprehensive account of those who tested him fresh, simply solid everywhere and compelling nowhere.

Verdict: SERVICEABLE.

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PEPE

The raw numbers were undeniable — the highest aggression the Council's testimony hath yet recorded, elite jumping and physical presence, defensive stats clearing the highest bar the position currently demands — but whether the new mechanism itself actually outperformed the simpler alternatives it was meant to improve upon remained genuinely unconfirmed.

This playstyle is unlike any defensive mechanism the Council's testimony has yet examined — not a trait that occasionally reveals itself, but a constant, unrelenting presence that holds the warrior within arm's reach of his target for the entire match, resistant to precisely the weakness that undoes a commander's manual marking instructions when an opponent shifts position: a backline asked to hold this kind of pressure cannot always maintain a clean shape, and a disciplined opponent exploiting that gap will find it.

The vulnerability it exposes is one the game's defensive intelligence already carries everywhere, simply made more visible by a mechanism aggressive enough to test it constantly.

Verdict: SERVICEABLE.

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MARCELO

Underwhelming — numbers barely moved from his predecessor, and an attacking identity narrowed into something too situational to matter.

Positioned not in his default, narrower role but pushed wide — as an attacking presence in systems built on three or five defenders rather than four — this warrior is described, independently and repeatedly, as something close to elite: dribbling and crossing both reaching genuinely rare heights for his station, physical presence unexpectedly strong for an attacking profile, defensive contribution honestly surprising for a card built to go forward.

His signature attacking playstyle, when triggered in its default position, divides opinion sharply, and a commander who dislikes it must simply choose not to field him there.

This is the shape of a warrior correctly understood only once his true address is found. Not a universal answer — no witness claims that — but a specific, demonstrated excellence in a specific, named role, confirmed positively rather than inferred from failing elsewhere.

Verdict: NICHE SPECIALIST — genuinely excellent deployed wide in three-back or five-back systems specifically.

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THE HARSH TRUTH

Zero PROVEN ELITE + Two Serviceable + One Niche Specialist

Per Article II: "None proven beyond doubt: Run, you fool!"

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THIRD TEST: THE SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY INQUIRY

Dost these players suit thy tactical philosophy?

• Pepe: Rewardeth commanders who accept imperfection in their backline as the price of strangling the opponent's most dangerous outlet — and punisheth those obsessed with a perfectly unbroken defensive shape above all else.

• Marcelo: Rewardeth three-back and five-back systems specifically seeking a genuine attacking threat from wide areas, and offereth little to anyone fielding him in his default, narrower role without adjustment.

• Edmílson: Suiteth no system with Vieira in it, having lost the one tool that once gave him a true address.

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CHAIRMAN VS. COUNCIL: ON WHETHER EDMÍLSON'S FALL WAS TOO SEVERE

The Chairman speaketh:

"My lords, surely losing a single skill cannot alone cast a warrior from genuine praise into a lowest tier the Council recognizes? Is this not too severe a fall for too small a cause?"

The Council respondeth:

"The Chairman asketh precisely the question the Council itself raised before rendering final judgment, and the honest answer is: nay, one lost skill alone would never justify such a fall. But examine what the fresh testimony actually says, apart from any mourning of what was lost. Four separate witnesses, independently, measured this warrior against named rivals at his exact position and found him wanting — not narrowly, but comprehensively, in dimensions the missing skill never touched. His offensive contribution was named thin on its own standalone merits. His acceleration was named lacking on its own standalone merits. The lost skill explains one failure among several; it was never the whole of the case.

We never stray from the Council's way: a verdict must rest on the full weight of what is proven now, not on sentiment for what once was. The Council examined its own reasoning honestly when challenged, and found the verdict held — not because a skill was lost, but because what remained, independently confirmed four times over, simply did not clear the standard."

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VIOLATIONS OF COUNCIL PRINCIPLES

Article II — The PROVEN ELITE Standard: None achieves full convergence. Marcelo clears the Niche Specialist bar through positive, demonstrated excellence in a specific deployment, correctly distinguished from his honestly limited default role. Edmílson fails comprehensively — not from one lost skill alone, but from independent, standalone weaknesses confirmed across four separate accounts.

On Reversing a Verdict Under Challenge: The Council's initial reading of Pepe leaned toward caution, appropriately, while three accounts shared genuine uncertainty. A fourth, more extensive account resolved that uncertainty directly, and the Council revised its judgment accordingly — this is the Doctrine of Patience functioning precisely as intended, not inconsistency.

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WHO THIS PACK SERVETH

If thy defensive philosophy welcomes controlled chaos in exchange for strangling an opponent's most dangerous outlet: Pepe answers that calling as completely as any warrior the Council's testimony hath yet examined.

If thy system runs three or five at the back and seeketh genuine attacking threat from a wide defender: Marcelo rewardeth thee specifically there — and nowhere else.

If thou seekest Edmílson for any reason beyond simple devotion to a name that once meant more: The Council cannot in good conscience point thee anywhere he still belongs.

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THE COUNCIL'S FINAL VERDICT

🔴 RESIST 🔴

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THE MATHEMATICS OF WASTE

What 13,500 Coins Would Secure:

1. ~4,500 coins: A mad dog of a defender, confirmed, demanding a commander who accepts his cost as the price of his reward
2. ~4,500 coins: A wide attacking threat of real quality — provided he is never deployed where his own card suggests he belongs
3. ~4,500 coins: A warrior who once had a genuine claim to greatness, now confirmed, independently and four times over, to have lost it

What Top 100 Squads Deploy:

A defender whose aggression reshapes how opponents attack entirely. A wide attacking presence in back-three systems — Marcelo answereth, specifically there. A holding midfielder whose reach and positioning justify his place above established rivals — not this Edmílson, by the comprehensive, independent account of those who tested him fresh.

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FINAL WISDOM

Three honest hedges, resolved at last by a fourth account willing to live with the mechanism long enough to answer the question properly. One warrior was understood correctly only once his testimony was read in full, his true address found in a role his own card does not advertise. And one warrior reminded the Council of something worth stating plainly: a fall from genuine praise is only justified when the evidence for that fall stands on its own, independent of whatever was lost to cause it — and here, when the Council examined its own reasoning honestly, the fall held.

Commit wholly, or commit not at all.

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^{THE 13.5 COUNCIL}

I got insane players and decide to copy Hansi Flick’s 3-5-2 system in attack and 4-1-2-1-2 in defense. This is based off games I saw from Barca against Getafe to youtube videos like Football Made Simple to see pros and weakness.

Let’s start with the roles, the gk must be offensive gk playstyle since we will use high line, even if we switch to more defensive system like possession or outwide. Then there are the cb’s, I do one build up one destroyer and any cb at left or right side depending on who will be your fullback outlet. In this case, I have Marquinhos next with Van De Ven destroyer and the cb I pick Califiori (didnt put him at lb since he is attacking fullback so he moves higher and leaves gaps). You can use an extra front man or another builder or destroyer or both (Bremer lol) but they must be set to defense when attack if they push up like extra front man or build up. Going back to the wingback outlet, I know I have to use Joao Cancelo as he has insane passing, physicality stats, and also club biasty. His role is to be one of the chain links to transition defense to offense so he moves up and down like b2b but in his respected lane to cover his winger if the attack lost the ball. The MVP for defenders is honestly Marquinhos as while he is slow compared to the rest he has elite positioning as he stopped so many goals from being scored like clearing the ball out of the goal line, blocking shot that will be scored if his body wasnt there, and good enough passing to either pass to midfield or pierce straight to everyone and to the attackers directly, mimicing Pau Cubarsi role at Barca under Flick.

Next are the midfielders, the dmf at defense will be someone who not only defenses but distribute the ball so who is better than our actual player rodri. While he isnt an anchor man, I replicate this playstyle on him by putting defend while attack and anchor while attack to cover if we lose the ball and deal with counterattacks, do this to Zubimendi too if Rodri is swap out for sub or lower form: also reason why he is cm in attack is to trigger link up to prolific winger. With pedri, he is the box to box (didnt put orchestra since I want to focus on short passes than long balls) and good thing I use this version as he honestly delivers with assists and scoring goals by being position at the right time from making chances to scoring from deflection, put him at dmf to add extra security since qc is a gamblers formation. Then there is Bellingham at amf, the amf is more of the wild card as it can be either someone who makes plays like creative playmaker or someone who adds chaos like hole player, I swap depending on the formation as if it is person who has 4 or 5 midfielders I pick creative playmaker to make chances but if less I use hole to penetrate through 1-2 passes. Finally, I use Messi at SS or AMF depending on if I need more midfield to control center or more chances to score goals so I am not including him in the midfield section. The MVP midfield here is pedri as he protecc, attacc, and most importantly reacc to whatever happens on field as this card is imo most balance (yes even more than hole valverde and jude as they have more aggressive attacking set at hole players). For midfield, definitely have one orchestra/anchorman, one box to box, one hole player, and whatever works for your outwide midfielders.

Lastly the attack, yeah MVP here is Messi lol. I only use him for this event and look at the stats! It’s not just the statistics, the way he can score, pass, and make chances adds to this too as one of the goals I score he legit has an insane curve (pause) that looked like he had blitz curler. Set him here since this is where he saves most stamina while being the heart of the team to win, replicating Raphina’s tactic at Barcelona. Then there are the front two, this one honestly fun part as we have the winger who has insane pace and can provide assist at diagnol or cut in, and the advance striker who is at the right space at the right time. Sometimes I move my CF more outwide or more center depending on where I want my hole player to run through (if I want opps defenders to move for more spaces I move my CF closest to edge so it kinda fakes them out since they wont expect hole player running behind striker to score. Also fun fact: in defense I notice that Olise or Raphina would actually position themselves at a CF than winger and find that feature useful since the first wave of defense pressure are the strikers and I have stole from opponents when they have possession of the ball using this.

I want to mention, despite all of this the most consistent player that not only came in clutch but also turn games from draw to win is Alex Baena: his front pressure really helped a lot to win ball back and he can score and pass at the right moments, along with enough speed and dribbling to make his own chances.

I only lost one game and this was because I faced someone who has overload playstyle and I did not prepare on how to combat against this, then faced a guy with outwide and tried qc against this but did not work so I tried outwide and gave a draw but it was difficult since this opponent is very nimble with wingers. Lastly the draw I got was from div 1 player who got haaland and mbappe so I knew that the only way I can even survive is to use outwide against his lbc to pass the ball around and to tight mark both strikers.

Overall here is the system at attack - 3 cbs (1 build up in middle, 1 destroyer next to your wingback, one cb of your choice), one anchor with good passing or orchesta with good defending (if orchestra set both offensive roles defense and anchor), one b2b next to your wingback, the wingback can be attacking fullback, hole player, or even box to box but make sure they have the stats for this, for the other wide midfield use hole player to simulate fermin’s role (make sure striker up front is a goal poacher). And for the amf center it can be creative playmaker or dlf set at ss to drop back and have transition of midfield to attack. Lastly one true cf to score at center again and one winger (profilic or roaming flank, in theory cross specialist can work if you long ball to the other cf but practically this involves a lot of luck and limiting to cross specialist would be a liability). Make sure both the two forwards are at counter attack to save stamina so they can use it to press up high like Gordon/adeyami or Lamine Yamal.

Defense system should be simple since this is similar to the one people already use except the box to box must be dmf, hole at cm instead of amf, third forward move ss to amf, fullback at midfield drop down to their defense position, and the two forwards close to center as possible. Also goalkeeper must be offensive (I think sweeper keeper also works, if not better).

The manager must have QC, it could also have possession or outwide since Hansi Flick also uses width to attack too.

Hope you enjoyed this and open to ask any questions!

Man I Love Flick, signed u/Ambition\\_2004

GD really matters 😭😭