Doubles skill selection for High Elves, LRB5

[Ullis]

Hello!

After having a look at the other posts, it would seem that this is a place for getting good advice.

I played my first game with High Elves in a league and got two skill rolls. 1 for a blitzer and 1 for a lineman. Both rolled doubles and the lineman's was a ten. Since it was my first game, I don't have any other advances yet.

I'm inclined towards strength skills as doubles is the only way to gain them. I'm thinking Mighty Blow for the Blitzer and Guard for the lineman. In the future I'll be facing more bashing teams than agile teams.

Any comments or ideas?

[TuernRedvenom]

I'm inclined towards strength skills as doubles is the only way to gain them. I'm thinking Mighty Blow for the Blitzer and Guard for the lineman.

I think both are good choices! Give the blitzer dodge and tackle next and you have a good "catcher" type hunter.
Guard on linemen is superb of course!

[Bucket-Head]

Guard in both players.
In an elf team its priceless...

[Meradanis]

Guard for the lino is a no brainer.

In case of the Blitzer, it's a matter of style. While Guard certainly does help your team, some more bashing power is quite nice, too. Take a look at my High Elf team, especially player #1:
http://www.midgardbb.com/MBBL/teamView.php?teamid=609

They don't have Guard, which did hurt them in the past. But those 14 casualities Baneed made (5 in one game) did hurt my opponents even more. My High Elves crushed an Elf team (7 cas), a Norse team (Snowtroll and 1 Ulwerener KO, both Berserkers cas, 1 Runner cas) and is now huting down some Lizardmen (they are down to 6 players after half 1). I even played against dwarves and made more cas than them, all because of one player. He's been killed 3 times by now, and once received a Niggling, all in all the most fouled/blitzed player I ever had (apo healed him every time).

Because most of my opponents are totally focused on this player, I have an easy time scoring and doing my passing game.

[TuernRedvenom]

Yeah mighty blow on elf positionals is really good since they have the speed, agility and the skills to hunt for the opponents weak spots and make that mighty blow really prove its worth. Besides guard players need to put themselves in positions where they are going to get smacked, this is fine for line elves but I dont like it for my more expensive players.

[PubBowler]

I agree with Guard for the lineman (thinking Block, Side Step as next)

I agree with Mighty Blow for the Blitzer (thinking Tackle, Diving Tackle next)

I haven't mentioned Dodge as I prefer not to take Dodge with High or Pro-Elves.

[Ullis]

Thanks for the responses.

Seeing as there are so many posters agreeing with me, I think I'll go ahead with Mighty Blow and Guard (actually, my very first thought was Guardx2). I'm anxious to get Dodge on the a few players as there aren't too many Tacklers in the other teams yet, but I'll get there eventually.

After posting I got around to thinking about the +MA, but after a few more matches I'll get a few catchers which should take care of any mobility problems. I'm expecting both new skills to be useful in both offense and defense.

[DoubleSkulls]

6,4 on a rookie HE lineman I'd take +av. Sit him on the line and let him get whacked. +MA when you've already got up to 6 players MA7 or better just isn't that wonderful, but a genuine punch bag is great.

5,5 - guard every time!

[datalorex]

The only thing I'd like to add is that I like Dodge on my elf guards. It keeps you up just as much as Block, and it allows you get that guard in the spots it needs to be in to be most effective.

[Cramy]

The only thing I'd like to add is that I like Dodge on my elf guards. It keeps you up just as much as Block, and it allows you get that guard in the spots it needs to be in to be most effective.

I think that it depends on the opponents that you face. I also prefer dodge on my guard Elf linemen, but if the league has lots of tackle, I'll favor block. As they end-up assisting blocks and are in harms-way, you have to look at the risk if ending-up next to tackle players. Then dodge is useless, but block is still useful.

Ultimately what you want is a block, dodge, side step, guard player.

[kithor2002]

Guard for both players.
Mighty blow is fun but guard will help you more.

[Ullis]

I ended up with MB and Guard and played against Dwarves yesterday. Mighty Blow wasn't even close to fun and the blitzer was the game's first casualty after making only one block which failed to penetrate armor. Lucky for him, he didn't have to stay alone very long. He proved so popular that half of the remaining team decided to join him by the miserable end!

On the other hand, Guard was excellent and I think it was Guard that enabled the only High elf goal by getting the ball from a cage. My plucky catchers gave everything they had and prevented two Dwarf goals and the game ended tied.

[Anthalas]

Sounds to me like you didn't protect your MB player properly. He is a weapon that should be protected at all times. It becomes even more vital when you put MB on a catcher or Witch Elf. Don't give the dirty dorfs free 2d blocks on your most expensive players.

[DoubleSkulls]

Also complaining about MB when you make one block against dwarves is a bit like bemoaning having taken tackle and then playing dwarves. Watch those Av7 players cringe in fear of MB.

[Ullis]

You're of course right with the object of my complaining. I don't have too much experience with BB yet and I started out with Orcs.

I played the game against the dwarves with too much of the Orc mindset, and consider myself very, very, very lucky to have even tied the game. The problem was that at first the dwarf player had trouble penetrating my armor, which led to massive overconfidence. I was constantly allowing the dwarf player to easily set up 2 die blocks which is pretty stupid even without every opposing player having Block. I do know my math and had figured out that being on the receiving end of a 2 die block my linemen had a 25% of NOT falling down, but the facts on the table at the beginning just seemed to favor AV8. Despite 7 (or was it just 6?) casualties in the end I got off with little permanent damage (and a Tie!). Just one catcher with ST -1 and one other Miss next game.