Wood Elf team development

[dwarfrunner]

I am playing in an open league, and have played 10 games. The league is balanced on the bashy side, with the league consisting of:
Orc x3, DE x2, WE x2, Nurgle, Skaven, Norse, Necro & CD. The league has a mix of experienced and new coaches, and most people have played between 3-10 games. My TV is pretty big, so other teams get inducements quite often (I think I am around 151).

My question is, how do I develop my catchers? The rest of my team I have a decent idea of how to develop them, but the catchers I am scratching my head.

My team so far is (brackets are what I am planning to give them next):
WD - Side Step, Jump Up, MA+ (shadowing possibly)
WD - Strip ball (Side Step)
Thrower - Accurate, NOS (Sure hands) to make his useful at picking up the ball and throwing in TZ after my wardancer makes the other team drop it
Catcher - nothing
Catcher - ST+
Line - nothing
Line - Dodge (block)
Line - Wrestle, Dauntless, -AG (playing him until he dies or gets another INJ)
Line - Dodge (block)
Line - Kick, Dodge (block)
Line - Block (dodge)

[clouds]

The +Str catcher, I would give him block. Making him another wardancer and a pain in the ass to handle. Side step is always usefull on any elf. Fend could keep others away from him, but since he's STR 3 it's not as big an issue.

If you get a +1MA on one of them, I'd go for a sprint + sure feet combo for One turn TD. If you get another uprgrade you just get leap to make him a scoring machine...

[wesleytj]

My question is, how do I develop my catchers? The rest of my team I have a decent idea of how to develop them, but the catchers I am scratching my head.

Well, with the ST3 one, you have a great opportunity to make a very powerful long distance blitzer. Take Block, then Strip Ball, Tackle and Sure Feet.

The idea is that you can kick the ball really REALLY deep in the opponent's end with your Kick skill. Then, often, your opponent will be unable to form a cage that far back, so you'll have the ballcarrier standing there by himself, or with at most one guy nearby. That's when this catcher becomes a beast, with sure feet you have a reliable MA11, ST3, and block. Gotta fear that.

On the rest, you have tons of options. You can make a guy with Shadow and Tackle to give other catchers and Gutter Runner types fits. You could make a pair of Passblockers. You definitely want at least one of them to get Leap relatively early on, you can use this on offense to run to the weak side that you're not attacking, so your opponent is often forced to put 2 or 3 defenders on your one leaping elf...giving you localized numbers advantages where the rest of your players are.

Be creative with your Catchers, they have many more purposes besides just catching the ball and running real far with it, although they do that really well, too!

[dwarfrunner]

I really like the idea of giving my ST3 guy block and strip ball, simple because he can be a nuisance depp in their end.

With my second one, i also like the block, shadowing, tackle combo. With his movement, no one on the field is safe. I like passblock also, but in this league i wouldn't use the skill that often.

Usually I don't bother with offensive skills on catchers, unless a deadly combo arises that is to good to pass up. Like getting a MA+ on the first skill, simply because Wood Elves and specifically catchers have no problem with scoring. Its surviving when the opponent has the ball that is the issue.

[Robotorz]

shadowing on a st3 we-catcher is a pain (if that catcher has block / sidestep) but block, tackle or strip-ball is maybe the better option.

[Fronko]

The good thing about woodie catchers is, that EVERYTHING does make sense.
Shadow, tackle, sidestep is a valid combo, as is block, sure feet, strip ball (even without added strength, might want dauntless though), as is block, sidestep, passblock, shadow, as is diving catch, leap, whatever ...

Depending on where to go, you have a plethora of options at your disposal. It is really hard to create a cobination of skills, that odes NOT make at least some sense.

Match passblock with shadowing to attach yourself to either of the two opponent catchers in your backfield. Add diving tackle to the mix for increased terror. Use Jump Up as a general goodie.

Uh ... have I made my point?

[Mad Jackal]

I've found my catchers like wrestle more than block. Usefull for taking blockers (or blodgers) down and with 9 move they can usually out-pace any thing that they bring down.

I have a +St wrestle jump up catcher. He is very annoying on offense and defense.

[wesleytj]

I've found my catchers like wrestle more than block. Usefull for taking blockers (or blodgers) down and with 9 move they can usually out-pace any thing that they bring down.

I have a +St wrestle jump up catcher. He is very annoying on offense and defense.

I would think such a player would be extreme foul bait, and you're being nice enough to place them prone...

[Cramy]

I've found my catchers like wrestle more than block. Usefull for taking blockers (or blodgers) down and with 9 move they can usually out-pace any thing that they bring down.

I have a +St wrestle jump up catcher. He is very annoying on offense and defense.

I would think such a player would be extreme foul bait, and you're being nice enough to place them prone...

If my opponent is nice enough to place their AV7 star on the ground, I'll usually be nice enough to foul him next turn.

Seriously, unless you are playing in some "gentlemen's" league, avoid skills that place your expensive AV7 stars on the ground. This includes wrestle, piling on, and diving tackle (from the top of my head, may be missing some).

Diving Tackle ain't as bad, as if it worked it caused a Turnover and you can get your guy back-up in the next turn. But if it didn't cause a turnover ... the boot it is.

So dwarfrunner, feel free to give wrestle to your catcher

[Mad Jackal]

Yup.

Foul my Catcher. In 3 or 4 games his replacement will be wrestle+ jump up again.

He's lots easier to replace than the WarDancers I have.

And no I don't give the WarDancers wrestle because they are foul bait. Yet it seems there is enough tackle around that they are on the ground enough.

So I take the risk with the One catcher at a time. I don't mind.

[Fronko]

Exactly, I was gonna post just that, but Jackal beat me to it. :-/

If I can lead my opponent to not knock down and foul my WD, I´ll gladly sacrifice one of the four catchers.

[Urb]

I'd rather not lose catchers either. They are not that cheap themselves. When your "slow" lineelves move 7 wrestle is a good option on them. 2 wrestle woodie lineelves can cover the entire pitch so why sacrifice catchers?

Fine by me if you want to your catchers on thier butt during my turn. It's not like I need that many assists to ensure breaking armour on the foul.

btw putting wrestle on someone who has block just doesn't make sense to me. None whatsoever.

[Fronko]

Well, looks like people have different opinions sometime.

I will stick with wrestle on my catchers.

I agree on the block part.

[wesleytj]

Yup.

Foul my Catcher. In 3 or 4 games his replacement will be wrestle+ jump up again.

He's lots easier to replace than the WarDancers I have.

And no I don't give the WarDancers wrestle because they are foul bait. Yet it seems there is enough tackle around that they are on the ground enough.

So I take the risk with the One catcher at a time. I don't mind.

Yeah, maybe, but not on your ST3 catcher. That's NOT a replaceable player.

To me, this is better suited to a line elf.

[Fronko]

DISCLAIMER:
I somehow didnt realize, we are talking about a ST3 catcher here. In that case, I believe wrestle is the wrong choice, as for the reasons stated (fouling mainly). Apologies for the confusion.

ST2 catchers still get wrestle.