Observations on Slann

[cpatrol]

Just to share a few opinions about the team:

-Rerolls-
I contemplated chucking my Slann team at one point, cos they were so hard to play early on (there's only one reroll that you can make each turn). No player rerolls AT ALL!

It was only after I got a few skill ups, such as dodge, that the team really becomes a handful for the opponents. A catcher with guard, a blitzer with stripball and defence has never been more fun.

-Catching-
I got Catch for one of my catchers (before the boost to Diving Catch) and found it slightly redundant, since I usually just pass to the player in the best position rather than the one with catch. Prolly need to get him Pass Block to fully utilise Catch.

My catchers are still used as catchers (as throwers too), and with the new Diving Catch they become viable targets even with 1 or 2 TZs on them. Remember that they can just leap out after making the catch, making them all the more harder to pin down (need Tentacles to do the job)

-Caging-
As I started with more blitzers, I was caging more often initially. Without leap, it is almost impossible to get to the ball carrier due to Diving Tackle. Once the cage moves within range of the EZ it is usually possible for the catcher in the cage to leap and dodge out.

Orc or dwarven cages can and will roll forward with the same players, due to their superior blocking as well as limited mobility. With better mobility, a Slann cage cannot bully its way through, but often the ball carrier can jump into another cage when the first one if tied down.

-Risk taking-
"One giant leap for humans, one small step for Slann"
Leaping is an essential part of slann play, and that, not being covered by a player reroll, will always entail higher risks. Leaping burns rerolls, but more leaping gives the team a chance to win the ball back. A lot of risk to be managed.

[LimpingFox]

I'm planning on putting together a Slann team ... still looking for some cool figures.

When I play them, I am going to make sure I put one of the suggested tactics to good use;
- say "slimy slimy slann" and your opponents will fail dodge rolls

[Skipper]

I'm looking at the Heresy demon figures for a possible Slann team. I'm not sure what they are called....I think....Crouching and Leaping Lurkers.... I think they make a wicked looking evil slann team.

Skipper

[SillySod]

I figured it was time to give this a bit of a bump. Over the weekend I think I learnt plenty more about how to use the team effectively, especially against elfy kind of teams (damn you Gaz ). One thing which became apparent was that not taking blitzers (and having a krox instead) was definately the way to go.

In a tournament if you have an option to take +AG on a player then take it take it take it! A +AG linefrog is a superb piece, especially against agility teams which are able to sack your ballcarrier. The catchers tend to just go splat as soon as an elf breaks into the cage whereas the agility linefrog is usually able to either withstand the block or remain on the pitch able to recover the ball next turn... try and get the ball to that player as quickly as possible while on offence against elves and skaven.

PS, can a mod shift this over to the tournaments forum, its primarily intended to be advice about slann in tournaments.

[Ikterus]

We might aswell shed some light on the excellent attack method discussed in another thread.

This move makes an almost certain turn 2 TD. I was enlightend on the MBBL forum where Joemanji told me about it. Thanks Joe.

You push forward with three guys. It works best with one blitzer (B), one catcher (B) and one other guy (what you have in handy). The catcher gest the ball and they form a cage against the sideline 6 or 7 squares from the EZ.
I
I_B
IC
I_B
I

You can blitz open the cage and put some TZ on the catcher only to see him leap away.

You can try to dodge in and push him out (without getting tripped by the diving tackle).

What ever the opponent does (well, there are some counter measures, War Dancers come to mind) the catcher will have a +2 leap and maybe a dodge or two to score.

[SillySod]

Thats pretty much what I do against bashing teams. It isnt nearly as certain a score as you suggest but it is almost certainly the best way to score quickly (which you seem to have to vs bashers). If you are playing against a much slower bashy side you can probably afford to hold back a few turns, although I've not been brave enough to do that yet.

[s031720]

I dont think that strat is broken.

I guess this is what Id do with DE to combat it, but I think this defence would work pretty well for anyone.

First of all I need a semi-deep defence, wich is the norm against mobile teams. I should be able to reach the cage with ATLEAST 4 players, probably more, and atleast 1 blitzer.

Halfcage of leapers:
I - B -
I C - -
I - B -
I - - -

Would end up, preferably, and with great probability, like this:

With blitzer:
I - B 1 -
I C - - -
I b 3 - -
I - 2 - 4
I -(5)- -

With Witch Elf
I - B 1 -
I C - - -
I 3 - - -
I - 2 - 4
I -(5)- -

1 = any DE player with TZ.
2 = any DE player (but preferably an assassin (got shadowing) or a blitzer)
3 = Blitzer or WE (with guard preferably)
4 = any DE player (but prefarably an assassin (got shadowing) or a blitzer)
b = prone

If I can reach with more players, I would put one right below 2.

Sum Up:
1: Bind upper Blitzer with tacklezone.
2: Put TZ on lower Blitzer to gain assist and stop leaping.
3: Blitz with blitzer. Make sure he goes down, one way or another.
4: Put the forth player to prevent leaping sideways for that gfi-score.
5: Put fifth-player, if applicable, below player 2 to prevent a blitz through.

Its not foolproof, but it will give you a decent chance of forcing a TO on him, without risking much for yourself.

Id take the advice to bash them as hard as you can during the game aswell.

[Ikterus]

You'll need that 5th player... And rememer that the Slann can choose freely which side to do the maneuver on. At M6 you can't have that many DEs on either side of the field.

Without the fith player we have a +2 leap and then a 3+ dodge and then a 2+ dodge. Great odds with a reroll.

Shadowing helps, that's for sure.

[GalakStarscraper]

s031720 brings up a good point.

Against any team with Frenzy you are trading a player surfed into the crowd for the TD (assuming you don't blow the leap to get out).

Giving that most Slann teams need to keep their players around for a bit ... that is really risking a lot of the game for a quick score.

Norse, Dwarf, and Dark Elf (all popular tournament teams could really do some damage to your team quickly with this strategy in use).

Galak

[SillySod]

A single player into the crowd in exchange for a TD... I'll take that deal any day.

It certainly isnt foolproof though... its much more risky than I'd like (if you see two 1s in four to five rolls in either turn it will fail) so once I can figure out a better way of scoring vs bash I'll be much happier with slann in general.

[GalakStarscraper]

A single player into the crowd in exchange for a TD... I'll take that deal any day.

Tournament play I agree with you.

For league play .. that's a heck of risk to team development to give up a free injury roll on your team for the TD.

Galak

[s031720]

A bit of theory-bowl here, but this is how I play vs all quickmoving teams, with the exception of my deep defense. But in this example I use the semi-deep.

None the less, here is the defensive set-up I had in mind

Semi-deep defense against agility-teams

I # # # - I 1 - - 2 - - 3 I - # # # I
I # 4 # - I - - - - - - - I - # 5 # I
I # # # #I# # - - - # # I # # # # I
I - - - # I 6 # - 7 - # 8 I # - - - I
I - 9 - # I # # - - - # # I # - 10 - I
I - - - - I - - - 11 - - - I - - - - I

As you can see, forming that halfcage is a problem in itself, you need to blitz 9 or 10 out of the way. But you cant get there without dodging or leaping, since 4-6 and 5-8 have adjoining TZs. (marked with #).

Its not impossible by any means, but still rather hard work, and that 1ttd seems less than certain to me.

And I do think that that 5th player isnt impossible at all. 7 players are within range (counting with MA 6 here), and 9 if you count gfi. With maximum efficiancy, 3 of them might be knocked down, but on the other hand, one of them would be knocked down right by the half-cage. Thus atleast 7 players remain. These you can tie down with other players ofcourse, but that requires even more dicerolls, they can dodge out etc etc.

Add in the potential crowdpush and I think its still a nice strat for scoring quick TDs, especially when your down in numbers. But the risk of loosing the ball and loosing players are to great for me to use as a general strat. Had I been coaching a slann-team, id rather go with a kroxogor-spearheaded cage and some satelite catchers for possible handoff-TDs.

Well thats just me, and everyone to their own.

Edit:
Tried to fix the set-up, but gave up. All players except for 11 are paired up with 2 squares in between; 4-9, 1-6, 2-7, 3-8, 5-10.

Btw, this is my usual setup:

1. Lineman
2. Blitzer
3. Lineman
4. Blitzer
5. Blitzer
6. Lineman
7. Runner
8. Lineman
9. Lineman
10. Lineman
11. Blitzer

Others like dwarves might use SF on the 9-10 position if they worry about this slann tactic etc. Still not a bad strat, just not a certain TD in my mind.

[Coach Harris]

Semi-deep defense against agility-teams

Is this what you mean?

[s031720]

Hey, thats great! How did you do that?

Do you have a special program or just haxx0r paint-shop skillz?

[SillySod]

A single player into the crowd in exchange for a TD... I'll take that deal any day.

Tournament play I agree with you.

For league play .. that's a heck of risk to team development to give up a free injury roll on your team for the TD.

Galak

Thats a risk I'd take any day Chances are 1/18 that anything permenant happens to the player and only 1/36 that I lose them completely (even with no apoth). Throw in the increased chances of winning (for +10k cash) and it looks like a very easy decision to me - leagues are there to be won, not for team development

Then again... with the vampires I've had a fair bit of practice of giving up injury rolls to achieve far less than a TD

Semi-deep defense against agility-teams

Is this what you mean?

That looks like an excellent defence for the job. If I was going for the 2-1 win I'd probably setup normally and force the slann to go for the quick TD but if my offence had already been broken I'd probably use that one to keep them at bay and force them to actually play the drive (not to mention pushing them out of their comfort zone).

As a Slann player my response to that would be to block the front players out of the way and then push forwards through the centre (keeping my ballcarrier well covered). I'd keep doing that until I saw an exposed flank to leap down and score.... your big problem will be applying enough pressure to the middle to stop the slann caging traditionally while still covering the breakaway leap on both sides. Hence if I were you I'd probably bring the back row forward a litt, the important part is the double layer and not the distance backwards. Your formation is also vulnerable to frenzy (highlighting the value of a frenzied linefrog) so we need a variation specifically to face frenzy.