Starting a High Elf team in a league, what to go for?

[CrockmasterJr]

Hi,

I was just wondering what people would put in a High Elf team at the beginning of a league?

So far I've come up with this:

Thrower - Pass, Safe Pass
Blitzer - Block
Blitzer - Block
Lineman
Lineman
Lineman
Lineman
Lineman
Lineman
Lineman
Lineman

3 RR

Team Value = 1000

I want to play a game with lots of passing and beautiful touchdowns etc; whats the best way to go about it?

Cheers,

Crock

[PubBowler]

It depends a little on how long your league is.

If it's long (10 or more) then your line-up isn't bad but I'd probably swap the thrower for either a catcher or (my choice) FF2.

If it's short (around 6 games) I'd drop a reroll (just take Leader on your thrower) and upgrade two lineman to Catchers.

Either way, it's standard elf play.
Try not to leave your opponent with any blocks by dodging your guys away. Use your speed & AG to gang up for two dice blocks when you can.
Score fast & pressure on defense.

[Pil]

The elf catcher is pretty good, MA 8 with S 3 and AG 4, I'd say get one or two of them, and you can have a quite succesful passing game. One of the first things to get would be an apothecary I guess.

[tafta]

I can't say I'm an experienced high elf coach, but in my league the high coach focused on his catchers and used them instead of throwers. This worked very good so I'd say focus on you catchers. Having MA 8, ST 3 & AG 4 makes these players, in my opinion (and his I believe), the most important players on a high elf team. Also Catchers are more than capable of playing a good passing game. Get them Block & Dodge and the opposing coach will get all kinds of problems.

[mattgslater]

I coach Pro Elves, so maybe I have a bit of a bias as the Pro Elf Catchers are better and their Line-Elves are weaker, but that Catcher is all kinds of sick and the fundamentals are the same. 8/3/4/7 just rules. Two TDs with that player is easy, and then you've got a guy with MA8, AG4 and Dodge. After three matches with my current Pro Elf team, I have two Catchers with two increases (one with Dodge and Leap at 16, the other with +ST and Block at 23), and my other players still have a nice smattering of points too because these Catchers' TDs are pretty much only the ones I couldn't pull off some other way (except the first two, of course)! Largely due to the absolute coolness of those Catchers as receivers, runners, run-blockers and blitzers/assists (MA8 is very hard to account for), I've scored 12 TDs in 3 games, and only allowed one (off a card, no less).

I say, long league, short league, whatever, drop a Re-Roll and grab two Catchers and a Fan Factor. Some of the 50k you lose buying that RR later will be made up for over the wins your Catchers pull out for you, and having two guys with Catch is only a little less cool than an extra RR anyway, so the extra MA is, if you squint, a free bonus. Free or cheap, it's gargantuan in magnitude.

[howlett]

Hi, i have a quite equal problem.
I will start a High Elf team in a few weeks in a quite bashy league with exactly 10 games. My opponents are:

• 1. chaos dwarf
  2. ogre
  3. necromantic
  4. amazon
  5. lizardmen
  6. undead
  7. norse
  8. vampire
  9. nurgle rotters
  10. dwarf

And here's my suggestion of a working roster:

• 2x Blitzer
  2x Catcher
  7x Linemen
  
  2x RR
  3x FF

What do you think of it. Would you rather sell a positional and get an Apo? Thoughts are welcome.

[mattgslater]

That looks good. The extra FF will come in handy in a league like that. Protect your Catchers and try to get at least one Blitzer with Tackle ASAP (week one if possible) so you can take max advantage of the squishiness of Snotlings, Ghouls, 'Zons and Skinks! This means organizing a high-flying passing game around an MA7 player -- maybe if you start with only one Catcher and one Thrower, that will be easier. As the season goes on, hire an Apoth first, then Catcher, Catcher, Catcher as fast as you can!

[howlett]

I made a mistake, i suggested the races of the teams by only seeing their names. Now i have got a new list with a race-coloumn. And the result is a different line of match-ups:

• 1. chaos dwarf
  2. high elf (the team name was "Snobs All-Star Warriors" i read "Snots...")
  3. khemri ("Nehekhara Necropotence" )
  4. woodelves ("Amazonas Giants" )
  5. lizardmen
  6. necromantic ("The playing Flesh" - i was unsure if this is undead or necro)
  7. human ("Die Freibeuter = The buccaneers" )
  8. vampire
  9. nurgle rotters
  10. dwarf

maybe if you start with only one Catcher and one Thrower, that will be easier

I was thinking about that point, but i guess that AG4 and 3 RR is enough to throw passes with the linelves. I don't see the significance of having a thrower in an Elf team.
I guess - just like "tafta" and "mattgslater" - that the power of the High Elfs are the catchers. And i will not use them only for offense support, as one catcher gets mighty blow on a double and block and will be my MA8 blitzer afterwards
So i will purchase as soon as possible in this order:
Apo, Thrower, Catcher, Catcher.
Or should i refuse, to get a thrower, until i have 4 catchers?

[mattgslater]

1. chaos dwarf
2. high elf (the team name was "Snobs All-Star Warriors" i read "Snots...")
3. khemri ("Nehekhara Necropotence" )
4. woodelves ("Amazonas Giants" )
5. lizardmen
6. necromantic ("The playing Flesh" - i was unsure if this is undead or necro)
7. human ("Die Freibeuter = The buccaneers" )
8. vampire
9. nurgle rotters
10. dwarf

Oh. That changes my advice entirely. You don't need a fast jump with a Blitzer. You have three games. Don't take a Thrower! Take Catchers. I was only recommending it because with the schedule you put up it looked like you needed Tackle badly, so getting the ball to one specific Blitzer would have been important. Throwers are good for that, both on offense and defense. If you don't have to do it that way, you shouldn't. Your team doesn't need a Thrower.

Apo, Thower, Catcher, Catcher sounds good. The players could come in any order. A Thrower is more optional than Catchers, so you could push him down the line if you want... or not -- some people like Safe Throw and if you buy him early he can get Leader.

[[Tom]]

I was thinking about that point, but i guess that AG4 and 3 RR is enough to throw passes with the linelves. I don't see the significance of having a thrower in an Elf team.

I'm about to start a High Elf Team in a second league... I like your "build" - even if two RR seem a bit... risky, since you have "only" AG 4 and not Dodge (I used to play Amazons )

But I see a reason for a Thrower:
First of all, he comes with a built-in reroll for passing. Then he has some "immunity" against interceptions - which is really cool since you have 4 really good runners.
But the (maybe) most important thing is: Passing Skills! Only a Thrower can gain them without a double... Accurate, Leader, (Nerves of Steel) - and reserving the double for a strength skill: Strong Arm.

So you pay 20k more for a lineman with two good skills and an additional skill availability. Much better than the lousy Runner of the Dark Elves...

[datalorex]

I went with
2 Blitzers
2 Catchers
1 Thrower
6 Lineman
2 RR
1 FF

I'm 8-1-1 with the team so far.

You could make an argument to drop one Catcher and get more FF and bank a little towards an apoth. That way you can still use a blitzer to open a hole and send a catcher and the other blitzer through to get them in position to take a pass and score a TD. And that extra +1 armor on the lineman could be handy until you get the apoth.

I won't lie to you, I take a lot of beatings. I struggle to get a bench each game with lots of players MNG or dying. I've had a catcher, a thrower, and 2 blitzers kills so far. But even at that, I still win games.