Talk Fantasy Football

I've only played 6 games of bloodbowl in my whole life, and 5 of them are league games. I started with the following line-up (I know it's bad, but they suggested the apoth straight away and I did not know that re-rolls cost double after the first game)

1 WD
9 Linos
1 Thrower
1 RR
1 Apoth
6 FF

The other teams in the league are: Humans, orcs and necro.

I had to buy a new lino straight away, because my elves got whacked up quite badly (luckily not one of them has died so far), and for some strange reason I bought a second thrower (should have gotten a catcher, right?), anyways, I've had some bad luck and bad plays so I've only gotten 2-1-2. My WD gets beat up every game (wonder why?), but still he's managed to score 4 TD's. My problem is that even though I always try to score with someone else than WD, some roll goes horribly and I have to "save the day" with the leaper. I've managed to get the second RR and now I'm saving for another WD, though my treasury is empty. So my current lineup is:

1 WD Strip ball 12 SPP
1 Lino -1 ST, Dirty player
1 Lino Block 14 SPP
1 Lino Kick
2 Throwers rookies, other one has 5 Completions though
7 Lino rookies

Apoth
2 RR
6 FF

What to get for the WD? I'm thinking about Dauntless, (maybe jump up, because there are only 5 enemies that have more than 3 strength) on doubles and Sidestep on normal skill. For the rookie linos block or dodge, and if they manage to get doubles, maybe one with leader and others with guard? Throwers with accurate or strong arm, maybe sure hands (I have the only player with strip ball but not for long I think) or safe pass. Maybe I should get one with passblock? For the blockerlino I'm thinking about Dauntless on doubles, maybe guard and on normal skill roll dodge (maybe tackle, the human catchers and ghouls piss me off)

Hi, I started in a new league right yesterday, also with woodies. I would discourage you from taking dauntless on ANY player, just stay away from the big guys, BOBs and Flesh Golems. Get your Linos dodge and block (not necessarily in that order). Get catchers, and develop them to passblockers, if you desire some (though I doubt your opponents will rely much upon a passing game against you). Get your wardancer sidestep or tackle on skills, jump up on doubles. Thrower accurateon skill, later on dodge or sure hands, on double strong arm. don`t bother about safe pass, that's something for cages, you will not get to use it that often.

Getting an Apo from the beginning seems right for me, I didn`t get one, bought instead the second RR, and on turn 3 my wardancer got injured...
Those damned bastard lamer dwarves!

^ Actually the other players pass quite often, especially humans. I mean, the orcs can't get their cage through to EZ in 5 rounds or so that pushes them to pass it if they don't have time (and usually they don't). Undead aren't exactly the most agile and flamboyant team, but they pass around somewhat once a half. And the psychological advantage of the passblock, that's what I like the most. " I could pass the ball for that blitzer but your passblocker prolly going to catch it anyway". I know that catchers make the best passblockers, but My first catcher is like 5 games away with my winning rolls (WD 120k + catcher 90k).

of course, pass block is nice, but you catch only on a 5+ (if the passblocker is within 3 squares reach) if not in any TZ, without RR. But if you want to give one of your linos PB, give it to at least 2.

With the few number of rerolls you have I suggest taking sure hands for the throwers first. For the WD-ers side step and tackle are the way to go. I don't know which rules you play but for Dauntless and Jump Up you need doubles. If I rolled doubles for a WD I probably take Mighty Blow.
Guard is very good for linos on doubles, otherwise take tackle or dodge or side step.
You need catchers, give them pass block, its a 5+ but with a reroll for the catch skill so that is actually a 5/9 chance it will work!
BTW I like the ST 2 dirty player ! He's got character

^ Mighty blow? I don't need to inflict injuries, I need to get the ball. So if some Black orc is inside a cage, I guess dauntless would be good. Otherwise the jump up is just great because my WD is on the ground almost always. Is leader worth a double on linos? I mean, I only have 2 RR's and the third would be extra nice.

Yeah, I love my ST 2 Dirty player too. He's name is Jissi Skinniprick. He's an flower of an undescript sort.

The idea behind Mighty Blow on a Wardancer is that he is your major blitzer. Whether he has Stripball, Tackle, or any other skills what he will be doing is hitting people to get the ball off of them. Strip Ball is the first way to increase your chances of achieving this, Tackle is the next. Both skills help to ensure that when the Dancer goes for the ball carrier either the carrier goes down or he drops the ball. What Mighty Blow does is help the ball carrier stay down and gives the Dancer 2SPP. It aids the Wardancer development and it thins your opponents numbers and all because you are using the wardancer to do what wardancers do!

Other doubles options on Dancers are Dauntless (if the league has St 4 ball carriers about eg Bull Centaurs), Frenzy (tricky to use as it can leave you exposed when cage breaking ie leap in for a 1 die block but get forced to throw a 1/2 die if you just get a push. Useful to develop a second War Dancer along these lines as you then threaten anyone near the sidelines), Guard (again a second Wardancer option, a leaping guarder can help you get 2 dice blitzes even if the ball carrier is protected - but you have to make more leap rolls). Final one is Jump Up, but what is the Wardancer doing on the floor in the first place!

My first Double would normally always be Mighty Blow.

As Al the Trowel says: Strip Ball is going to do more to get the ball loose from a ST 4 ball carrier than Dauntless is.

As for Leader. I liked leader when you could use it for the Treeman. But you cannot anymore, so i'd say guard is more useful. I know extra rerolls are hard to get, but you will be in more trouble when your leader doesn't show up or killed.

Al the Trowel wrote:The idea behind Mighty Blow on a Wardancer is that he is your major blitzer...

Point tooken. I'm still leaning towards Dauntless or Jump up on doubles (at the moment the only 4 ST players are a human blitzer, 3 B Orcs and a Flesh Golem)

Al the Trowel wrote:Final one is Jump Up, but what is the Wardancer doing on the floor in the first place!

Maybe because he happens to be the best player in the league, and he is the one that's going to be blitzed if there aren't any better options (linos on EZ, ball carrier...).

Yavatol wrote:As Al the Trowel says: Strip Ball is going to do more to get the ball loose from a ST 4 ball carrier than Dauntless is.

He already has the Strip ball skill, remember?

Yavatol wrote:As for Leader. I liked leader when you could use it for the Treeman. But you cannot anymore, so i'd say guard is more useful. I know extra rerolls are hard to get, but you will be in more trouble when your leader doesn't show up or killed.

So if I have a lino that has leader he will be a constant threat to another team and he WILL be taken down? Sounds good to me. I really don't understand your logic here: don't take a good skill because he will be killed because he's too good? I just don't get it. Maybe it's because I'm such a new BB player.

it's not the thing that leader is such a good trait, it's just that guard is better! rerolls can be bought, assists can't. your linos will be harder to be brought down when they have guard to support each other, leader doesn't do any good here.

My comment on the Wardancer being on the floor was flippant. I'll explain. A Wardancer should not be left exposed to random blitzing. They are too valuable. However, they should be quite resilient. A 1 dice blitz only knocks down 1 time in 6 if the attacker doesn't have tackle. A 2 dice blitz only knocks down 11 times in 36 more or less 1 in 3.

They may receive a lot of blocking though, particularly if they have just made a play to free the ball. However, if the play was successful your opponent should be going after the ball first not the Wardancer and the opponent may turnover before getting around to blocking the WD. If it was unsuccessful chances are the Wardancer failed his leap, dodge or block and is on the floor anyway. If that happens the opponent will put the boot in and foul him off the pitch or at least to stun him. In which case your Jump Up is useless. So basically, the Wardancer should rarely use Jump-Up because a) he should rarely be on the deck, and b) if he is on the deck chances are hes having seven bells fouled out of him.

If you're finding he is getting targetted it is probably because you are over extending and leaving him exposed. You have to be patient with Woodies and pounce when the opponent makes a mistake.

Yavatol mentioned that Stripball was more useful than Dauntless against St 4 ball carriers, not forgetting that you had Strip Ball but emphasising that is not the best doubles choice for a Wardancer.

Looking at your last post the only threat the WD might need to blitz is the human Blitzer. The BOBs won't have the ball and nor will the Flesh Golem, so there's no point in the War Dancer hitting them. The blitzer might, but a 1/2 die blitz only fails on 11 results in 36 which are still odds in favour of the Wardancer.

Thanks for clearing out your point Trowel. That really helped. Maybe I should play more patiently. And yes, mighty blow is the best choice now for me and tackle if not doubles. Still hoping for the +MA, +ST, +AG though :)

And yes, the guard is quite more versatile skill than the leader, I do understand it now, but I think I still will go for the leader first because I'm not getting the 3rd reroll for ages..

Well if your team rating is fairly low, and your opponents have high FF then your money might come in quickly. You will have the cash to buy the wardancers and the catchers, and the linemen.

Your team as of right now contains 13 players.

8 Players on the Orcs can mighty blow.
4 Players on the Humans can mighty blow.
2 Players on the Necros can mighty blow.
2 Players on the Necros have claws.

That is bad for AV7. I suggest being careful so you don't fall and crack and don't be hit and die. Its unlikely that the BOB's will have tackle, and the humans might not. Dodge is a really good opening skill for the lineelves. This allows you to dodge off the line and make a cage with your boys. You will probably want to skill up the Lineelves because once you get your catchers, and your wardancers they will rack up the SPPs.

The lineelves don't have time to get the SPP's. So they need to get them now with TD's completions, and the pray for casualty.

You seem to have everything else down pat. My only suggestion is dodge before block for most lineelves.

OverDose wrote:He already has the Strip ball skill, remember?

I knew, so he doesn't need Dauntless for that anymore. Is all I am saying...

OverDose wrote:So if I have a lino that has leader he will be a constant threat to another team and he WILL be taken down? Sounds good to me. I really don't understand your logic here: don't take a good skill because he will be killed because he's too good? I just don't get it. Maybe it's because I'm such a new BB player.

It is not so much that he will be hunted down, although some players do. He is not as big a target as your WDs, catchers, throwers or your dirty player for that matter. But there will come a point that you will loose him and that is going to hurt because you loose both a player and a reroll. But the comment is valid if you play in a long running league. If it is a short one Leader is much better, as you get the extra reroll without paying for it and the cummulated chance that you loose the player is much lower.

OverDose wrote:Still hoping for the +MA, +ST, +AG though

Get +ST, or + AG and you have been blessed by Nuffle indeed. I never had the chance to play with a +ST WD but have seen plenty of +AG ones and they are great. But if I get a +MA, I don't bother. The best thing I like about the WD is that he is awesome with only normal skills (stripball, tackle, side step).