Slann - Who gets Strip Ball?

the beanbag · Post by **the beanbag** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:13 pm

All this talk of cage breaking with Slann... I've played against Slann now a few times and I've found cage forming not the best way to defend against them, have you thought about just picking skills that go well with your players' development and not fixating on cages? Or letting your opponents tactics dictate how your team develops? Have a bit of fun, give your ST4 blitzer frenzy if you want, if a cage forms then he'll be able to extract the ball carrier or if it doesn't he just gets to smack someone who's hiding at the back twice!

SillySod · Post by **SillySod** » Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:39 pm

Jimjimjimany wrote:I don't see a place in the team for a MB/PO player; you will win games through ball retrieval, not attrition.

Knocking down surehands players.... permenantly. Also I think its handy for a temporary advantage on that drive, you're looking for KOs and tactical stuns as much as you are cas although you're entirely correct that you arent going to affect future drives via attrition

Storch · Post by **Storch** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:14 am

Ullis wrote:I guess there's no getting around the fact that my ST4 blitzer (or any player with ST4 in a slann team) should be built with ball extracting in mind. I was just looking so much towards MB, Piling on, Frenzy and Tackle.

But will Strip Ball be the first skill to give him? Would Tackle or Frenzy be better? I guess Frenzy would be asking for trouble as I'd need to negate more assists and if there's two cage corners with Guard I'd be in trouble on the second block. I think Strip Ball sounds good as in many cases only ST3 ball carriers have Sure Hands anyway. Strip Ball would force the opponent to use the player with Sure Hands as a ball carrier and then I'd get the 2-d or at least a 1-d block.

If he's got Block and ST4 and your wedded to that progression, a slight change could make him an excellent ball stripper. With Block and ST4, go Strip Ball, Frenzy, Juggernaut and the ball should pop right out.

Ullis · Post by **Ullis** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:02 am

The main reason I'd like a MB+PO blitzer is the fact that I've never had one yet on any team and the Jump Up does make the Slann blitzer uniquely suited to the role. It does detract from the use of Diving Tackle, but I can only use it to reroll the injury dice in any case.

I do think that fixating on cages is a good idea for a slann team. The threat of an aerial assault can severely hamper the other teams plans.

Anyway, my blitzer is still on 18 SPP, so I have some time before picking another skill on him.

Ikterus · Post by **Ikterus** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:14 am

It has been said before.

You win by extracting the ball, not hurting the oppostition. PO works well with berserkers, that's true, but your blitzer will really shine with Strip Ball and/or Tackle.

Perhaps Tackle is the way to go since you will have at least two linemen with strip ball and wrestle (if you follow my advice) by the time the blitzer reaches his next skill.

Jimjimjimany · Post by **Jimjimjimany** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:10 am

If you were to give your AG 4 lineman wrestle and strip ball, he would have a 69.4% chance of getting the ball of a ST3, non sure hands player (without a team re-roll). The ST 4 blitzer has a 59.3% chance of doing the same thing. The AG 4 player is also easier to get into the cage if marked, a 2+ dodge followed by a 2+ leap is much safer than a 3+ dodge followed by a 3+ leap.

The AG 4 player is just such a massive, constant threat; roll a few 2's and your hitting the ball carrier. I’d save the ST 4 player for hitting sure hands ball carriers in the centre of the cage, and otherwise being a blitzer.

SillySod wrote:
Jimjimjimany wrote:I don't see a place in the team for a MB/PO player; you will win games through ball retrieval, not attrition.
Knocking down surehands players.... permenantly. Also I think its handy for a temporary advantage on that drive, you're looking for KOs and tactical stuns as much as you are cas

That’s a good point, but if you want to develop a PO/MB player then why not use a S3 blitzer and use assists to get hits? I think +ST would be wasted if he’s just running around hitting things.

Ullis · Post by **Ullis** » Tue Apr 21, 2009 10:17 am

Jimjimjimany wrote:If you were to give your AG 4 lineman wrestle and strip ball, he would have a 69.4% chance of getting the ball of a ST3, non sure hands player (without a team re-roll). The ST 4 blitzer has a 59.3% chance of doing the same thing. The AG 4 player is also easier to get into the cage if marked, a 2+ dodge followed by a 2+ leap is much safer than a 3+ dodge followed by a 3+ leap.

I was thinking about this too. The AG4 lineman is much more mobile.

I've been thinking of giving the ST4 player Tackle followed by at least MB. That way he'd be good at getting rid of catcher types. With ST4 he wouldn't need assists. If there's no knock down, then at least he has Diving Tackle and he'll be harder to blitz off.

If I'd gotten +ST first, then I could've gone down the Wrestle + Strip Ball route, but with Block I think it's better to give him skills to complement that.

Carnis · Post by **Carnis** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:49 am

The players who rely heavily on cages are usually the slower teams, like orcs dwarves etc.

Most of those teams have sure hands ballcarriers, isn't it more likely the non-surehands ballcarrier is either a gutter runner or an elf thrower relying on passing play. Or in a slow team some receiver type like an orc blitzer who has got the ball on a pass/hand off. Considering this wouldnt it be more logical to produce 2 kinds of ballgrabbers, strippers & wracklers?

This route the most logical route would be going block/tackle with the blitzer & wrestle strip on the lino, or alternatively using a wrestle catcher with strip/dauntless for those non-surehands players. Giving strip ball to your most valuable asset seems like a waste considering the low mobility of Ag3, the already picked block skill and high rate of surehands carriers.