Chemistry Styles are the cheapest stat upgrade in EA SPORTS FC 27 Ultimate Team, and they're easy to overpay for. EA FC 27 is in Season 2 right now (22 October to 3 December), so this guide uses live 1 November market data. It covers what the card symbols mean, what all 24 styles do, and which ones earn their price.
TLDR: FC 27 Chemistry Styles in 30 seconds. The symbols on market cards are Chemistry Styles: the boot is Basic, the ninja is Shadow, the bolt is Catalyst, the snake is Hunter. Styles only work if the player has chemistry, and 3 chemistry gives the full boost. Best value: Catalyst. It cost 350 coins on PS5 on 1 November against 2,800 for Hunter, yet fut.gg ranks it above Hunter in 27 of 34 outfield roles. Still buy Hunter for strikers, and still buy Shadow for centre-backs and Centre Half CDMs. On a Box to Box midfielder, the free default Basic ranks first.
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What do the symbols on FC 27 cards mean?
The icons beside a card on the Transfer Market are Chemistry Styles. Two 86-rated cards of the same player can look different because each owner applied a different style, and the style stays on the card when it's sold. A question on r/EASportsFC this week asked exactly this about four Caicedo listings, and said Google hadn't helped.
The poster saw a lightning bolt, a boot, a ninja mask and a "water faucet". Replies identified the first three as Catalyst, Basic and Shadow. The faucet is most likely Artist, whose paintbrush icon looks like a tap at small sizes.
How do Chemistry Styles work in FC 27?
A Chemistry Style decides which attributes receive a player's chemistry bonus. It doesn't add chemistry. As fut.gg's FC 27 page explains, every card starts on Basic, and applying another style replaces it.
The boost scales with the player's chemistry in your squad:
| Player chemistry | A +9 boost | A +6 boost | A +3 boost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | +9 | +6 | +3 |
| 2 | +6 | +4 | +2 |
| 1 | +3 | +2 | +1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Three rules catch people out:
- 0 chemistry means no boost. The player keeps their base stats, but the style does nothing. Our FC 27 chemistry guide covers how to reach 3 chemistry, including the ICON and Hero link changes.
- Attributes cap at 99. A +6 on a 97 Acceleration only adds 2.
- Substitutes get nothing. Trackers such as FIFPlay report that players coming off the bench use base stats.
The 3/6/9 model comes from FC 26. EA's FC 26 Launch Update (linked in Sources) put it this way: "Styles now use a 3/6/9-point boost system instead of 4/8/12, narrowing stat gaps and keeping balance tighter." The same notes added: "Boosting speed comes with trade-offs in other areas, so not all Items become pace-focused." We found no EA statement that either changed for FC 27, and fut.gg's FC 27 page still uses the same 9, 6 and 3 scale.
What does every FC 27 Chemistry Style boost?
These are the full 3-chemistry values from fut.gg's style data, which match the FC 26 list published by RealSport101 (linked in Sources) on every outfield style bar one detail (RealSport also lists Long Shots +6 on Finisher). We couldn't find an EA table for FC 27, so check the in-game preview before you spend. One conflict to know about: fut.gg's explainer text gives Hunter 9 pace, while its data table gives 6. We use the table, because fut.gg's FC 27 card data reproduces with +6 and not with +9.
| Style | Pace | Other boosts at 3 chemistry | PS5 price | PC price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Sprint +3 | +3 each: Positioning, Shot Power, Penalties, Vision, Short Pass, Long Pass, Curve, Agility, Ball Control, Dribbling, Composure, Def Awareness, Standing Tackle, Sliding Tackle, Strength | 700 | 900 |
| Hunter | Acc +6, Sprint +6 | Volleys +9, Penalties +6, Finishing +3, Positioning +3, Shot Power +3 | 2,800 | 3,200 |
| Catalyst | Acc +6, Sprint +6 | Vision +9, Crossing +6, Long Pass +6, Short Pass +3, Curve +3 | 350 | 400 |
| Shadow | Acc +6, Sprint +6 | Sliding Tackle +9, Heading +6, Interceptions +3, Def Awareness +3, Standing Tackle +3 | 4,200 | 4,500 |
| Engine | Acc +3, Sprint +3 | Crossing +6, Curve +6, Balance +6, Dribbling +6, Vision +3, Short Pass +3, Long Pass +3, Agility +3 | 750 | 1,100 |
| Anchor | Acc +3, Sprint +3 | Standing Tackle +6, Sliding Tackle +6, Jumping +6, Strength +6, Interceptions +3, Heading +3, Def Awareness +3, Aggression +3 | 1,200 | 2,600 |
| Hawk | Acc +3, Sprint +3 | Shot Power +6, Long Shots +6, Jumping +6, Aggression +6, Positioning +3, Finishing +3, Penalties +3, Strength +3 | 300 | 400 |
| Finisher | None | Finishing +9, Dribbling +9, Positioning +6, Agility +6, Shot Power +3, Volleys +3, Penalties +3, Balance +3, Reactions +3 | 200 | 450 |
| Sniper | None | Positioning +9, Strength +9, Long Shots +6, Stamina +6, Finishing +3, Shot Power +3, Volleys +3, Penalties +3, Aggression +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Deadeye | None | Shot Power +9, Short Pass +9, Positioning +6, Curve +6, Finishing +3, Long Shots +3, Penalties +3, Vision +3, Long Pass +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Marksman | None | Finishing +6, Long Shots +6, Reactions +6, Ball Control +6, Strength +6, Shot Power +3, Penalties +3, Dribbling +3, Composure +3, Jumping +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Artist | None | Curve +9, Agility +9, Crossing +6, Long Pass +6, Reactions +6, Vision +3, Short Pass +3, Dribbling +3, Composure +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Architect | None | Short Pass +9, Strength +9, Vision +6, Curve +6, Stamina +6, Free Kick +3, Long Pass +3, Aggression +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Powerhouse | None | Vision +9, Standing Tackle +9, Short Pass +6, Long Pass +6, Interceptions +6, Curve +3, Def Awareness +3, Sliding Tackle +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Maestro | None | Long Shots +6, Free Kick +6, Long Pass +6, Ball Control +6, Positioning +3, Shot Power +3, Vision +3, Short Pass +3, Reactions +3, Dribbling +3, Composure +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Sentinel | None | Def Awareness +9, Jumping +9, Interceptions +6, Heading +6, Aggression +6, Standing Tackle +3, Sliding Tackle +3, Strength +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Guardian | None | Standing Tackle +9, Agility +6, Dribbling +6, Def Awareness +6, Sliding Tackle +6, Reactions +3, Ball Control +3, Composure +3, Interceptions +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Gladiator | None | Shot Power +6, Reactions +6, Sliding Tackle +6, Positioning +3, Long Shots +3, Balance +3, Ball Control +3, Dribbling +3, Interceptions +3, Heading +3, Def Awareness +3, Standing Tackle +3 | 200 | 200 |
| Backbone | None | Long Pass +6, Interceptions +6, Standing Tackle +6, Stamina +6, Aggression +6, Vision +3, Short Pass +3, Def Awareness +3, Sliding Tackle +3, Strength +3 | 200 | 200 |
The goalkeeper styles are simpler. Cat gives Positioning +9, Reflexes +6, Speed +3. Glove gives Handling +9, Diving +6, Positioning +3. Wall gives Diving +9, Kicking +6, Handling +3. Shield gives Reflexes +9, Kicking +6, Speed +3. GK Basic gives +3 to Diving, Handling, Kicking, Reflexes, Positioning and Speed, and uses the same boot icon as Basic.
Prices are fut.gg's lowest Buy Now readings from about 05:00 UTC on 1 November 2026. They update hourly, so treat them as a snapshot.
Is Hunter worth 2,800 coins in FC 27?
On a striker, yes. Almost everywhere else, no.
The table shows why. Hunter, Catalyst and Shadow all list the same +6 Acceleration and +6 Sprint Speed. So Hunter's premium buys its second half, and that half is weaker than the name suggests: +3 Finishing, with the big numbers on Volleys and Penalties. Catalyst spends the same slot on passing, including Vision +9.
fut.gg's model scored 3,919 FC 27 cards rated 75 or higher in every role, with and without each style. Averaged across all 34 outfield roles, the page data gives:
- Catalyst: +2.95 for 350 coins
- Shadow: +2.90 for 4,200 coins
- Hunter: +2.72 for 2,800 coins
On that GG Rating average, Catalyst outranks Hunter in 27 of the 34 roles. That includes Winger on both flanks (+3.32 vs +3.29 at RM/LM, +3.16 vs +3.14 at RW/LW), so paying eight times the price there buys a lower score.
Hunter does win seven roles. On Inside Forward the gap is only 0.12. At ST and Shadow Striker it's 0.29 to 0.41, which is the only place we'd pay. GG Rating is fut.gg's own model, not an EA number, and these are averages. A 95 Pace card gets less from any pace style than a 75 Pace card, so always check the card in front of you.
Which Chemistry Style is best for each position in FC 27?
This table uses fut.gg's role data, which goes to two decimals in the page source (the page itself displays one). Role names are explained in our FC 27 Player Roles guide. "Save coins" is the cheaper pick we'd take when the gap is small.
| Position | Top style by role | Save coins with |
|---|---|---|
| ST | Hunter on all 4 roles (+2.72 to +3.22) | Hawk on Target Forward (+2.58, 300 coins) |
| RW/LW, RM/LM | Catalyst on Winger and Wide Playmaker, Hunter on Inside Forward | Catalyst on Inside Forward (0.12 behind) |
| CAM | Hunter on Shadow Striker (+3.11), Catalyst on the other 3 | Finisher on Playmaker and Classic 10 (0.03 and 0.11 behind, 200 coins) |
| CM | Basic on Box to Box, Finisher on Playmaker, Catalyst on Half Winger, Shadow on Holding and Deep Lying Playmaker | Catalyst on Holding and Deep Lying Playmaker (0.19 and 0.01 behind) |
| CDM | Shadow on 4 roles (Centre Half +5.03), Basic on Box Crasher | Powerhouse on Deep Lying Playmaker (+3.07, 200 coins) |
| CB | Shadow on all 4 roles (+4.36 to +4.53) | Anchor (+3.98 to +4.05) or Sentinel (+3.74 to +3.78, 200 coins) |
| RB/LB | Shadow on Fullback, Falseback, Wingback, Catalyst on the 2 attacking roles | Catalyst on Wingback and Falseback (0.11 and 0.20 behind) |
| GK | Cat on all 3 roles (+3.04 to +3.44) | Already cheap |
Two lines there deserve a second look.
Box to Box and Box Crasher rank Basic first. Every card starts on Basic, so on those roles the best-scoring option can be doing nothing. Catalyst is only 0.05 and 0.11 behind if the card needs pace. If the card already carries another style, getting back to Basic costs 700 coins on PS5.
Shadow is worth it on real defenders. At CB, it leads Catalyst by about 1.4 and Anchor by about 0.4 to 0.5. On a Centre Half CDM, it reaches +5.03, the biggest gain in the whole data set. Those are the slots for your Shadow budget.
How much does it cost to style a full FC 27 squad?
We priced the popular 4-3-1-2 (see our 4-3-1-2 guide) with these roles: Advanced Forward, Poacher, Shadow Striker, Box to Box, Holding, Deep Lying Playmaker, two Fullbacks and two Defenders. The goalkeeper is excluded. The sums are ours, from fut.gg's averages.
| Build | Styles used | PS5 coins | PC coins | Total gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | 3 Hunter, 7 Shadow | 37,800 | 41,100 | +35.1 |
| Balanced | 1 Hunter, 6 Catalyst, 2 Anchor, free Basic | 7,300 | 10,800 | +32.3 |
| Value | 7 Catalyst, 2 Sentinel, free Basic | 2,850 | 3,200 | +31.3 |
The Default build scores 2.8 more than Balanced across ten players, for 30,500 extra coins. That's a real edge if coins don't matter to you. If they do, that money buys a better player. For a walkthrough of earning it, see our coins without playing matches guide.
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Can a Chemistry Style change a player's run type?
Yes, and this is the hidden cost of the wrong pick. fut.gg's own calculation applies Strength, Agility and Acceleration boosts when it works out AcceleRATE. Our Two Faces of Fear guide covers the Lengthy rule: Strength at least 65, Strength minus Agility at least 4, Acceleration at least 40, plus a height minimum.
We read fut.gg's FC 27 per-style run types for a sample of 1,912 tall strikers: every card eligible for the Two Faces of Fear Evo (ST, 80 OVR or lower, Pace up to 86, Dribbling up to 82) at 182 cm or taller, or 170 cm or taller for women. 955 of them are Lengthy on their base stats. This is the sample we had to hand, not the whole game.
- Artist removes Lengthy from 334 of those 955.
- Finisher and Guardian remove it from 212 each.
- Sniper and Architect add it to 269 more cards.
- Hunter, Catalyst and Shadow remove it from none, and add it to 20.
So a 200-coin Finisher on a tall striker can quietly cost you Lengthy. If you want to keep it, stick with the pace styles, and check the run type in-game before you commit.
How do you get Chemistry Styles cheaper?
The best trick is not to buy the consumable at all. Because a style stays on a sold card, you can often buy a card that already has one.
A trading guide posted to r/EASportsFC on 31 October gave an example: a Koundé at 5,800 coins normally and 6,900 with Shadow. That's a 1,100-coin premium for a style that cost 4,200 on its own. The same post points out that many sellers ignore the style when pricing, so you can sometimes pay less than that. Filter the search by Chemistry Style and compare. If you flip one instead, remember the 5% tax: a 6,900 sale nets 6,555.
Two more habits help. Check the Consumables section of your club before buying, since styles also drop from packs and rewards. And on PC, Anchor was more than double the PS5 price on 1 November (2,600 vs 1,200), so Sentinel or Catalyst is a better deal there.
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FAQ
What is the best Chemistry Style in FC 27? It depends on the role, but Catalyst has the highest average gain across all outfield roles on fut.gg (+2.95) and costs far less than Shadow or Hunter. Hunter is best for strikers, and Shadow is best for centre-backs.
Do Chemistry Styles stay on a player when sold? Yes. The style stays on the card, which is why the Transfer Market shows different symbols on the same player, and why cards with Shadow or Hunter can sell for more.
How many Chemistry Styles are in FC 27? There are 24: 19 outfield styles and 5 goalkeeper styles. That matches FC 26, and no new styles were announced for FC 27.
Can you remove a Chemistry Style in FC 27? You can't clear it, but you can replace it. Applying a new style overwrites the old one, and that uses up the new consumable. To return to the default, apply a Basic style.
Does a Chemistry Style change a card's overall rating? No. It changes attributes, and the face stats can move, but the OVR stays the same. It also has nothing to do with PlayStyles.
Why is Hunter so expensive if Catalyst scores higher? Most likely demand. Hunter and Shadow are the names players know, and market prices follow what people search for, not fut.gg's role scores.
Sources
- fut.gg: EA FC 27 Chemistry Styles: role gains, prices and style data, read 1 November 2026
- EA: FC 26 Launch Update: the 3/6/9 model
- RealSport101: FC 26 Chemistry Styles: the FC 26 outfield values
- FIFPlay: FC 27 Chemistry Styles
- EA: FC 27 Launch Rewards: Season 2 dates
