Doubles on a big guy, pro over block?

[Xtreme]

So if i'm given the chance to give a big guy a doubles skill at a tourney am I crazy if I choose pro over block? Thinking I could use pro for failed negaskills with no risk. And if he rolls both down I could try to correct that with pro. So really the big thing would be not having block as a defensive skill.

Considering this for my pact team, where i'll want to avoid as many bonehead, stupid, wild animal turns I can.

I'd also be giving up mutations on the pact team to try and make them more reliable.

[Joemanji]

Block on a big guy is simply immense, and I wouldn't consider it with equally weighted skills. Some tournaments have Block costing more to take than Pro, in which case I might consider it.

[nazgob]

at Newquaybowl i gave block to my ogre. he was wonderful - hard to put down and hard to stop.

the only problem I had (as noticed by buggrit i believe) was my slight overreliance on his reliability!

[Ulthuan_Express]

Nothing has beaten Block, for me, on a Big Guy. I can't count the number of times that I've rolled a Skull and Both Down, then had to burn a team re-roll just to try and re-roll it. With Block, it doesn't matter. With Pro, you've got your 50/50 chance at getting a re-roll, without burning the team one first.

I see your quest for less Bonehead, etc, but for me that seems to happen less than Both Down results. Of course we'd all want Block and Pro, but that's dreamland.

[mattgslater]

Pro reduces your chance of failing a 2+ anti-skill by 5/12, from 1/6 to a hair under 1/10. Pro reduces your chance of failing a 4+ anti-skill by 25%, from 1/2 to 3/8. None of that ever stops a turnover, but it may save you a Blitz action (5/72 chance/blitz) or help your WA stand up (1/8 chance/attempt).

But on blocks, where you can end your turn, Pro isn't nearly as good. With Pro, you're much more likely to turnover, and will generate fewer knockdowns; though you will be better as the acting blocker against Block players, in practice it's not by much, because without Block, you can't safely re-roll pushes on 2d. Block also counters most of the standard big-guy takeout tactics. Who takes Wrestle/Dauntless, really? A rookie Zon lino or any other ST3 Blodger can hold a non-Block player to 11/36 to knock down, which in Big Guy world is really only 55/216, or just over 25%. Even with Pro saving a share of that, he's still subject to tarbaby plays. Block lets you throttle that little twerp, or at least make the other side invest a more expensive twerp in the effort.

So, yeah, Pro will occasionally save you an action while Block will not. But Block will accelerate your development and maybe save your behind.

[Grumbledook]

not much call for development in resurrection tournaments matt ;]

chalk me down for block over pro tho, agree with everyone else cause it makes sense

and what matt didn't mention for block is that it makes it harder for the other team to knock them over, pro has no use in that regard

[nazgob]

Block will accelerate your development

He did say in a tournament setting.

Not that I disagree with any of the points that you made.

**edit**

damn you dook! *waves fist*

[Nippy Longskar]

I think it would depend on the BG, and also on your play style, plus relative cost/availabity of skills in the particular tourny.

Stunty Big Guys can get decent mileage from pro for TTM. Humans and Orcs have the TTM option too but for these teams BG blocking reliability is probably more significant.

The Wood Elf tree probably has better options elsewhere, same the Deathroller.

All the Frenzy BGs are immense with Block, wouldn't ever pro them. Because of WA and Frenzy, they have to roll so many block dice, quite often at 2D if you're short on guard.

Beasts and Krox - maybe, if you're keen on using them as road blocks (which they're very good at, with anti-dodge skills and being surrounded by other strong players) and like them to move into a gap (cage corner?) once you've blitzed it open with a more reliable player, pro could help to ensure the move action. There's probably better none-double skills for this role though (SF?)

Overall I think I'd only ever consider it if it was half the price (or preferably less) of Block in the tourney rules, and in those conditions only really on Stunty BGs, Beast or Krox.

[solarflare]

It seems the consensus is for block. It's hard to argue with that.

But here are some instances where I like pro:
Treemen: It helps with standing up. Also, a lot of the blocks you throw are 3-die blocks, so the odds of turnover on block are less.
Pact Minotaur: If you are planning on using this as a blitzing machine, then it can save you the blitz. Also, with horns and one assist, a lot of the blocks you throw will be 3-die blocks as well.

[Nippy Longskar]

For the Woodie treeman I'd probably preference +Move or Jump Up.

Pact Mino - maybe - I think Block, Claw or Juggs would all be preferable though. On average you'll only lose 2 or 3 Blitzes in the game to WA, and at least those failures don't cost you a Turnover or leave your dude on the floor. Of course, if it's an absolutely key blitz then pro could be golden, but I think with pact something like a horns Dark Elf is a stronger safety type player in those situations.

Would be interesting to try a bit of pro Big Guy action though, to see how it pans out.

[Ironjaw]

The only time I wouldn't take Block on a big guy dbl skill is Pact/Chaos Dwarf, where I'd take Claw.

Mino's with Claw are an absolute destructive force, as they get 3 dice on most blitzes if you tag team with guard.

ALL other instances I'd take block.