Doubles on a Rookie Bull Centaur

[Smeborg]

Block, Sure hands Hobbo in a Guard Cage works just as well against a wardancer.

Grum - I am sure the CDs can be played either way. However, the BC has a number of advantages over a HG in this situation:

- He can move further, and GFI more reliably.

- He can dodge on a 2+ instead of a 3+.

- He can Blitz his own way out of trouble (including to the end zone).

- He does not need Guard on the cage corners, giving more (and faster) caging options. This is very handy when you are trying to score quickly.

- If he is knocked down he is much less likely to have his armour broken.

These are not inconsiderable advantages. I have found over and over again in practical play that a ball carrying BC is very strong. I recommend you try it for a season.

All the best.

[trentusdementus]

I think I'd take Jump Up, Side Step, or Leader, avoiding the skills which make you roll AG and still take advantage of the doubles (imagine Jump up and Piling On, wicked and evil).

[mattgslater]

Dodge isn't dependent on AG rolls, not on a ST4 player. It's there to discourage blocking until he gets to 16, when its AG-roll component becomes part of a combo.

[trentusdementus]

Dodge isn't dependent on AG rolls, not on a ST4 player. It's there to discourage blocking until he gets to 16, when its AG-roll component becomes part of a combo.

The Dodge roll is an AG roll with a +1 bonus. The skill, Dodge, allows a reroll if the original roll is failed. The AG of a Bullcentaur is 2. Taking Dodge is good for defense and to allow a reroll on a Dodge roll. If he takes Break Tackle later on, he'll get a reroll on that Break Tackle roll if he needs it. Plus, a blodging Bullcentaur is pretty mean so Dodge would be a good choice.

However, I would still chose Jump Up. Depending on the role of the Bullcentaur, mobility is key.

[mattgslater]

Edited heavily a couple hours after originally posted.

An AG roll with a +1 bonus is not good enough to merit consideration on its own as a broad strategy, though with a re-roll it's pretty good for a desperation move. A reduction in the chance of knockdown is a different story: very few players with Tackle also have ST4+. One assist gets a 1d block. Without Dodge, this is a 1/2 chance of knockdown. With Dodge, it's 1/3. Two dice go from 3/4 or 5/9 (with/without Block) to 5/9 or 11/36, as much as a 45% reduction in his chance of getting knocked down. Now that matters.

Jump Up doesn't give this guy any mobility. I mean, he gets to go one square, but BCs get hedged all the time. Jump Up is a good skill for a guy who's already dodge-ready, or a guy who has or will soon get Stand Firm or Side Step. It's also good, to a lesser extent, to combo with Block or Guard. Back in the old days before the AG test at +2, I used to play against a Block/Dodge/SF/JU Troll, and that guy was a drag to fight, but it was the SF that made JU work.

I like Jump Up on a Chaos Dwarf. Sadly, I don't like it as much as I like Side Step or Claw. It's quite solid on a normal Dwarf. But ST4/Dodge is just awesome on a really expensive guy.

[trentusdementus]

Okay. Maybe it was a bad choice of words using "mobility".
I like the ability to be prone, then stand and block without declaring the blitz. From what I've seen, BC are always on their butts.
Although, Dodge is solid and probably the way to go.

[Grumbledook]

Block, Sure hands Hobbo in a Guard Cage works just as well against a wardancer.

Grum - I am sure the CDs can be played either way. However, the BC has a number of advantages over a HG in this situation:

- He can move further, and GFI more reliably.

- He can dodge on a 2+ instead of a 3+.

- He can Blitz his own way out of trouble (including to the end zone).

- He does not need Guard on the cage corners, giving more (and faster) caging options. This is very handy when you are trying to score quickly.

- If he is knocked down he is much less likely to have his armour broken.

These are not inconsiderable advantages. I have found over and over again in practical play that a ball carrying BC is very strong. I recommend you try it for a season.

All the best.

You can still do all that without sure hands. Also if you are scoring quickly the centaur surely isn't going to be able to pick the ball up and score in two turns. He will be too far back as pretty much most teams will have a kicker at this point. This means you are going to hand off or pass to him, which sure hands is useless for. So I do consider it an inconsiderable advantage, making him worse at blocking and blitzing will also lead to more times when you have to score quickly as well in my eyes. Try all you like I'm not going to be convinced ;]

[mattgslater]

You can still do all that without sure hands. Also if you are scoring quickly the centaur surely isn't going to be able to pick the ball up and score in two turns. He will be too far back as pretty much most teams will have a kicker at this point. This means you are going to hand off or pass to him, which sure hands is useless for.

This.

[Luxor]

The situation just happened to me the other week in our league. Doubles on a rookie Bull.

I've personally gone for Dodge with Break Tackle as my next choice (He actually just scored twice in the last game so is closing in on 16SPP). If he survives long enough, then Block as a third choice. Even just with Dodge he is harder to knock down and is proving to be a very useful cow on the field.

[smokingmonkee]

Just getting some extra advice here. After my first game I had one lucky BC. So the team is just developing but I rolled a 12. Do I take the str? or do I got for a skill?

[TuernRedvenom]

Just getting some extra advice here. After my first game I had one lucky BC. So the team is just developing but I rolled a 12. Do I take the str? or do I got for a skill?

definately take the STR

[Punk_in_Drublic]

+1 for str, easily! Then Break tackle after that. Now you have an reliable Big Guy. I had the same thing happening to me one game ago, and I'm saving up for a mino as fast as I can, for 2 str 5 guys (although I might sack the mino again if I'm not lucky with the skill rolls and the rest of the team develops past him).

[mattgslater]

Just getting some extra advice here. After my first game I had one lucky BC. So the team is just developing but I rolled a 12. Do I take the str? or do I got for a skill?

Party foul! Asking if you should take +1 ST on a non-Stunty player! Take the +ST, and a penalty drink.

[Grumbledook]

+ST

or


+ST

[Decker_cky]

Leap for sure. Think of all the jokes you can make about red bull giving you wings!