Cage doesn't move

[Coach Barry]

I have tryed the cage tactic a few times and I just can't seem to make it keep on going. It always stops just one or two squares in front of the LoS. I'm used to the passing gaming, and punching up the opponents was never my strong point. I'm trying to learn how to play with power teams but in the end it always ends up with a missed pass in a desperate move to score, because the cage consumes lots of turns to evolve.
Some of you people can help, so help me.

[martynq]

What team are you playing? (Presumably a bashy one?) What teams are you playing against?

For example, I doubt that the cage will work with norse against dwarves... but I doubt you're trying that.

Cheers,
Martyn

[McDeth]

Dont rely on it entirely for progress send a few distracting strays and waifs down as receivers, its even better if thewy've got a few skills to complement this and distract the defending coach.

remember the cage is supposed to take a while to get to a scoring position, so it will take 4 ton 5 turns to get into a good position. If your ball carrier is developed well enough he will be able to score from 6 squares from the endzone so you dont have to progress deep into the enemy half, Dodge comliments this skill as you use your front line to make the gap and a blitzer to exploit it and the ball carrier to move through it. Bull Centaurs are fantastic at this as they can score from 9 Squares out

[DoubleSkulls]

To make a cage move you probably need most of your team.

Don't think of it so much as moving the cage, as reforming a new cage further downfield. The more players you can carry over from the previous cage the better, but any sort of opposition in TZ's is going to make you leave players behind. Try to ensure those left behind are freed up in your turn so they can rejoin the cage the turn after.

[Mestari]

And if you want less players in the cage, use the sideline cage - less players needed and less directions he can approach you - also leaves a lot of space for those "Aces" to distract the defense.

Granted, the sideline cage moves even slower than the ordinary one, but you must be determined.

Every turn you have to do a cage advancement decision that depends completely on your opponents positioning:

Either
1.Preferred and the faster one
Notice a hole in the defense - a hole that you can create by your single blitz (or combined with blocks if your opponent gave you any).
Create the hole and move every possible player through that hole to create a new cage. The players who can't make it attempt to tie down the enemies.

2.Distraction
Stay there - let him think you got something up your sleeve (remember to have those aces moving about and looking like your gonna pass to them). Remember to blitz near the cage though (unless absolutely necessary for the aces).

3.Slow

Challenge the defense. If he plays the 1-square-back defense, move next to them and try to make dodging away difficult by a well-placed blitz. Try to direct the situation into a direction where you can choose to use the option 1 above instead.

IMPORTANT:
Don't PANIC! The advancement might seem slow, but keep your head cool. Let your enemy get nervous and attempt something - make him nervous with the aces running around and with a determined look on your face. Try to make him challenge your cage - that usually creates good situations for punching the cage through to the other side.

[Joshua Dyal]

Don't set up the cage on the line of scrimmage, first off. First, use a blitz and a block or two to open a hole on one side of his defense and set up the entire cage on turn 2 or 3 at the latest inside his half. Don't try to advance the entire cage forward, advance who you can by leaving the front to become the rear of the cage in the next turn, if you must. Move the cage a bit from side to side if it helps you get forward movement as well. Don't move your whole cage into the endzone either, obviously -- move it close enough that the ballcarrier can make a one turn scoring threat. This is even easier if you have some other potential ballcarriers that are already backfield, so he can run, hand-off and the other guy can then run it in.

Who are you playing against? What kind of defense are they using?

[Coach Barry]

They use the one-square-back tactic. I'm trying a chaos team, but I was a human and Dark Elves coach, so I'm not very good in the punch-them-down thing. They keep on fleeing and I just find the team lacking the "I know what I'm doing" feeling from my players. I am very bad with the dice, and that only frustrates me more because I just can't injure the opponents enough.

[Mestari]

Against 1-square back-tactic:

Have those surprise catchers running somewhere - he has to commit players to defend against them. Otherwise let them score. Now that his defense is thinner challenge it! Wait for the unavoidable failed dodge early in his turn, then trash his defense. You have plenty of time to make it. And try to create the situation I described in my first reply - a situation where you can sneak your team through a hole that you can create with a blitz...

[Pink Horror]

Yes, always look for that hole. The cage has to act like one of those blob monsters that can squeeze under the door and reform on the other side. I wouldn't use the cage with a Chaos team, though. Because each chaos player is roughly the same when not in contact, and decently mobile, a loose cloud of protectors could be more useful. The cage is for when you have a few players that are a nightmare to push through. Of course, if your opponents are staying off, they must not realize how easy it usually is to break into a young (I assume because you don't have the strategy down) chaos team's cage.