This might just work... (Wild Animal/Jump up)

[Pagan]

Jump Up on a Minotaur is a great choice. Sure Pro is a good skill for him, but Pro doesn't allow me the opportunity to stand up and throw an extra block on a turn after I used Piling On.

[Smeborg]

Pagan - I will often play so as to isolate my opponent's Wild Animal (i.e. make sure he is not in any of my tackle zones). If the WA were to have Jump Up, I would also make sure not to stand next to him when prone. At the same time, I will ensure that the WA does not have an interesting Blitz (by keeping him far from the action).

How do you address this problem? The only tactic I can think of is to push opposing players next to the WA, but for this to work, the block must "fail" (i.e. it doesn't work on a knockdown). Can you enlighten me? Or do you play in a bash-heavy league where there is always an opponent standing conveniently next to your prone WA?

Thanks.

[Pagan]

Well from reading the forums here, my league definitely seems to be the exception on many things. The league was moderately bashy(heavily now thanks to my Pact and another player's regular Chaos doing the same thing)

Sure, not standing up next to a Wild Animal is a tactic to keep him from using Jump Up and throwing a Block. But I'm okay with that, since my opponent not using his players is to my benefit for controlling the rest of the field. Ideally he didn't stand up because he was stunned and I look for a new target though. Unless I went for a crowd surf, I shouldn't be that far away from a group of opponents and the battle in the middle of the field is keeping people nearby. If the battle has moved away, then Jump Up does allow me 3 extra squares of movement/blitz range to get back into the action.

But my Minotaur always lines up in the middle of the field, usually 3 paces(learned the Quick Snap lesson the hard way) behind the LOS(depending on who I'm kicking to) or on the LOS if I am receiving to deliver his first punishment to. If my opponent manages to clear out his players from the middle of the field I'll usually enjoy the easy touchdown handed to me.

Strategy wise, I'll keep him near as many players as possible(as anyone will). Prioritizing blocks on the target and then expected location my Minotaur will end up due to Frenzy is usually on my mind. If you keep marking him then I don't have much choice but to smash the victim, not much I can do about that tactic except dodge away on a 4+ which usually means I smash the unfortunate soul. If you don't stand up my victim, and you have moved the play away from that part of the field, ideally I'll have someone else in that area ready to take a pass downfield. Our average drive lasts 4 turns, which means the first two turns of that drive the Minotaur is almost always nearby someone if not in their tackle zone. Due to the nature of play he usually remains near others for the whole 4 turns, or he has K.O./CAS 1-3 players from the game by that time. I'm also okay with that even if I conceded a touchdown, hoping to win by attrition.

Lastly, I have the option of wasting a blitz to get the minotaur into a better position. This is the most unwanted option since it burns a valuable resource for that turn. Usually I'd rather take the chance of a 4+ Move Action, all depending on how the Troll and Ogre are controlling the rest of the field, and if the Marauders are doing well enough to allow me that 50% chance of failure.

In all these cases, Jump Up either allows me a good chance at throwing an extra block I wouldn't of had before, or allowing me to Move into a much better position. It's rather dependant on the game state and the status of the other big guys, which is true of most Chaos Pact decisions.


Team is here. Bought an extra Marauder for our season playoff finals(Einstein), gobbo got fired at that time for getting -STR and unsure if I will hire a new one.

http://bb.obtenebration.org/index.php?s ... &obj_id=27

[Ullis]

So how do you declare a Block action when there's no-one next to you? All the Block text says against an adjacent - if no-ones adjacent, you can't declare.

The zero move Move isn't relevant, as that is (was?) listed in the rulebook.

The rules make a disctinction between declaring an action and then carrying out the block action. If you declare a Block action, you may block and adjacent opposing player. You don't have to, if you don't want.

Say you have a player standing next to three opposing players and you'd like to block one of them, the sequence would actually be this:

1. Declare a block action with your own player,
2. Find out which of the opposing players you'll actually throw a block at.

Not:

1. Declare that your player is blocking that opponent.

The way most sane people play means that this doesn't have any relevance, but you could have a league where you cannot take back declared actions. So you'd declare a Block action and find out that you miscalculated assists (or even find out that you thought that an opposing player stood in another square than where it actually is). Then you just don't block anyone but the action is wasted and the player cannot take another action later on.

Seen in that light the idea that a prone player with Jump-up can declare a block action, stand up and not block anyone isn't that farfetched. Allthough I have to say that if my opinion carried any weight, I wouldn't allow it.

[JaM]

Only double I had in Cyanide on my mino was +1 str. He's maxed out now, just like 3-4 others on the team.

[Heff]

If some guy tried to stand up and block me using jump up and the semantic argument you are using I would smile sweetly and never play them again. the rules say you can block a player if you are standing at the beginning of your turn otherwise it is a blitz. standing up is moving it just don't use Movement points if you have jump up. its jump up, not jump up and block (we have a word for that- its blitz). Now go away.

[Darkson]

Um..have you read the Jump Up rules?

[Heff]

not that closely. did I over egg that last comment. Sorry was late and I was tired. Think then post not the other way round. Just have done. retires with egg on face

[daloonieshaman]

not that closely. did I over egg that last comment. Sorry was late and I was tired. Think then post not the other way round. Just have done. retires with egg on face

not quite egg on your face ... notice the smell

[rodders]

oops

[someone2040]

Seems pretty gamey to declare a block when you can't possibly perform a physical block.
Dunno, just seems to go against all intents of the rules, and I wouldn't be particularly happy if someone tried to pull this against me (But then again, I don't usually stand guys next to downed big guys anyway).

[Heff]

I have played that a block declared must be undertaken. As I am the worst player I know generally its to my cost. Teaches me tackle zone awareness at least. Must be doing that wrong too ah well. On that understanding if a WA piece was declared t be making a block then "changed his mind" once he was stood up I would be looking to re-roll the WA especially as he is likely to have Break tackle and so may wander off elsewhere.

I would have thought JU for blitzing if you have break tackle would make you much scarier, but what do I know anyway.

That enough of the hair shirt already?

[duckwing]

The player may also declare a Block Action while Prone which requires an Agility roll with a +2 modifier to see if he can complete the Action. A successful roll means the player can stand up for free and block an adjacent opponent.

If we're going to go to be picky over semantics a succesfull agility roll let's you stand up and throw a block. So if there are no adjacent players to block you can't stand up.

[alternat]

The player may also declare a Block Action while Prone which requires an Agility roll with a +2 modifier to see if he can complete the Action. A successful roll means the player can stand up for free and block an adjacent opponent.

If we're going to go to be picky over semantics a succesfull agility roll let's you stand up and throw a block. So if there are no adjacent players to block you can't stand up.

that's why you have to perform a Blitz Action to do the trick.

[duckwing]

I have played that a block declared must be undertaken. As I am the worst player I know generally its to my cost. Teaches me tackle zone awareness at least. Must be doing that wrong too ah well. On that understanding if a WA piece was declared t be making a block then "changed his mind" once he was stood up I would be looking to re-roll the WA especially as he is likely to have Break tackle and so may wander off elsewhere.

I would have thought JU for blitzing if you have break tackle would make you much scarier, but what do I know anyway.

That enough of the hair shirt already?

I would say that once you've rolled for WA it's too late to change your mind.