Double 5 on a Pestigore

[TuernRedvenom]

My toughts on the matter. I never take Dodge on a team unless I think I'll have it at least 4 times long term. (except on high STR pieces because Tacklers rarely have high STR themselves) It's really not that hard for most teams to match their tackle player up with your dodger. If you don't have any Dodge at all, all the opponent's tackle is dead weight for them.
In this case Dodge isn't the best option IMO.

Thinking short term skipping the double and taking Block is best. Starting Nurgle are really starving for bread and butter skills like Block which keeps you from turning over too often.

Thinking long term it's either +MA or Side Step. Side Step is great on a team that has a lot of high strength, Foul Appearance and later on Stand Firm. But MA gives you something very usefull extra right away on such a slow team IMO. I'd take the MA.

[Smeborg]

My preferred division of responsibilities for Pestigors is 1 Runner and 3 Blitzers.

For the lone Runner Pestigor I go: S-Hands, K-Ret, X-Arms. Doubles are: S-Feet, then Sprint.

For the 3 Blitzer Pestigors I go: Wrestle, Fend, Tackle. Doubles are: S-Step, then J-Up.

If +AG has occurred, Dodge is a better choice. Dodge may also be considered if other players on the team have it.

Hope that helps.

[CopiousDude]

I can see that a few of you don't really think Dodge is great for Nurgle, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around your reasoning for why. What about Dodge makes it where you need multiple Dodgers for it to be useful? How do you get more than one player with Dodge if you don't give one of them Dodge when you have the chance?

Also, I hadn't thought of Sure Feet, another good choice. Not the most game breaking skill, but saving rerolls on Nurgle teams is always a priority.

[Aliboon]

Thanks all, I went for dodge in the end. It was a toss up between that and the extra MA.

Reasoning: rookie team so I won't be facing too many tackle players, dodge helps me straight away by helping him survive blocks and giving him a dodge reroll. To begin with, blodge ball carriers are a nightmare to get down. People always go on about how tackle negates dodge, and that a couple on a team will take make it meaningless. Rubbish, the tackle player still has to be in the right place at the right time and have enough movement to be able to make the blitz, not having to dodge through TZs etc. I swear some people play Bloodbowl in their heads...

MA is nice and if the team (and the opos) was further developed I might well have gone for it, but at the moment dodge beats it I reckon.

Side-step isn't bad, but is better on blodge players imo. I don't share some people's unnatural love for the skill (and it is in pbem). It would help in a developed team, having two side-stepper placed on the wings to stop easy run throughs, but side-step doesn't stop you getting knocked down (on the original hit anyway) which dodge does.

[Smeborg]

I can see that a few of you don't really think Dodge is great for Nurgle, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around your reasoning for why. What about Dodge makes it where you need multiple Dodgers for it to be useful? How do you get more than one player with Dodge if you don't give one of them Dodge when you have the chance?

CD - the question is not whether Dodge is a good choice (it is), but rather whether it is the best choice. For bash teams lacking in agility, Dodge is not an automatic doubles choice (Orcs, Dwarfs, for example). Dodge is at its best when the team starts with some and/or when the whole team likes to take it (for example an AG4 team). For Nurgle, Dodge is not necessarily a good choice on the Warriors (because they are AG2) nor on the Rotters (because Guard is better). If you have only a small number of players on the team with Dodge, they are easily targetted for blitzing, blocking and marking by the opponents' Tacklers. It is this dynamic which weakens the case for Dodge on the team.

Other doubles choices (S-Step, J-Up, S-Feet) work well on the Pestigors because they greatly increase their dynamism and range (the Pestigors are the dynamic players on an otherwise slow and static team).

My playing experience suggests that Nurgle are not a team that like to follow the development path of other teams - they have their own development ideas which suit them. So I like to question any Nurgle development path that resembles that of other teams. That does not make Dodge bad, but it's good to ask the question.

Hope that helps.

[TuernRedvenom]

To begin with, blodge ball carriers are a nightmare to get down.

Early on I agree, once you get in the higher TV's not so much anymore.

People always go on about how tackle negates dodge, and that a couple on a team will take make it meaningless. Rubbish, the tackle player still has to be in the right place at the right time and have enough movement to be able to make the blitz, not having to dodge through TZs etc. I swear some people play Bloodbowl in their heads...

Tackle players are usually blitzer types: good mobility and your opponent will be looking to match them up with your dodge. He will also probably have more then 1 tackler, especially at higher TV, vs your 1 dodger... The matchup is not that hard at all.
I'm not saying Dodge is useless but at higher TV other skills are better IMO.

Side-step isn't bad, but is better on blodge players imo. I don't share some people's unnatural love for the skill (and it is in pbem). It would help in a developed team, having two side-stepper placed on the wings to stop easy run throughs, but side-step doesn't stop you getting knocked down (on the original hit anyway) which dodge does.

[/quote]
Obviously SS is better on a Blodge player then on a player with no skills. So is Guard. Doesn't make it a bad pick though. I agree that on pbem SS is very sub-optimal and I certainly wouldn't take it.
Side step doesn't stop you from getting knocked down when he blocks you but might very well prevent the block in itself as not knocking you down might mean you SS into a better position. It can also prevent gang fouls, chain pushes and crowdpushes (and makes it easier for you to set these up).

The great thing about not taking Dodge on bash teams is your opponent's tackle is all wasted TV. And in high TV Tackle tends to get spammed by many as they run out of usefull skill picks and elves spam Dodge across the roster anyway (so Tackle will get taken anyway).
Dodge is also more usefull on AG 4+ pieces. Dodging with AG 3, even with a Dodge reroll is always a bit risky (clear 1 in 9 chance of a turnover).

[tool]

I would have stayed away from dodge also.

[mattgslater]

Dodge makes sense over SS to me in pbem formats, or in very short formats (where Nurgle make no sense at all). I'd still take MA over Dodge, but I understand the appeal, especially given how early it is.