Talk Fantasy Football

So I'm going to take orcs into a new league.

My previous experience is with an elf team and coming at it from the other side I usually found that if I could hang onto the ball for a crucial turn I could score regardless of how well the orcs were bashing me.

I can see the merit to the guard/tackle/mighty blow progression for orc blitzers but I have been thinking of an alternate progression to create at least one blitzer who can knock the ball loose on D to help create a turnover or at least get some TZ around the loose ball and slow it up.

Juggernaught/strip ball/tackle is my alternate progression. Most thrower/runner types take block ahead of dodge (if they don't get it standard) so jugger and strip ball look like a good fit. Tackle down the line as a push result from a defender stumbles is still achieving the primary aim against non-sure hands dodgers.

A lineman would be another option for this progression but then they need a double for the juggernaught access and my line of thinking put the linos with guard on a double and also that the 5MA is not gonna cut it for a player who needs to get to the ball carrier.
Thoughts...

I'm building one gut the same way...

I've gone
Tackle (Stop Catchers and Hopefully cause casualties)
Strip Ball (not every ball carrier has Sure hands)
Frenzy (have a 2nd Crack at it)
Jugg (Great Synergy with Strip + Frenzy)
Guard or Stand Firm (Probably SF)
~Doubles
Jump Up so I'm still a threat from my back
or
Dodge allow me to give better chase.

Linemen I'm going Wrestle, Fend, Tackle, Dirty Player

I develop two Blitzers as rushing outside LBs, or one as an LB and one as a safety. One of those guys I could totally see going that way with. The other two are Cornerbacks who go Stand Firm - (Frenzy or MB) - (MB or Tackle).

Standfirm on the corner backs. I like that line of reasoning Matt. Now if only I picked 4 blitzers to start

Here's my starting team for the 1000TV league:

2 Black Orc Blockers
2 Blitzers
2 Throwers
5 Linemen
4 TRR
3 FF
20kgp treas - which I have already commited as a bribe to kill the commissioners first halfling to skill up

It's not everyones first pick starting roster but it suits the models to hand and I prefer to learn the ropes with linemen to understand positional play before relying too heavily on special players. I have models for another couple of blitzers and linemen up my sleeve and Black orcs shouldn't be too hard to come up with if I decide to go that route.

Basic defensive set-up against most teams is going to be a 3 man LOS consisting of a tight 3 orc centre - a line man flanked by both Black Orcs.
One square back I'll have a pair of linemen in each wide zone and the blitzers will play ILB. 5 squares from the LOS the throwers will set up just off the wide zones to provide safety coverage.

Big Daddy wrote:A lineman would be another option for this progression

You probably want this blitzer and a lino both built for the job. The lino gets wrackle/frenzy, for when the ball carrier does have Sure Hands. Plus it's a good all-round build that'll be useful in all sorts of circumstances.. opening the side of a cage, for example.

Big Daddy wrote: 2 Blitzers

Cardinal sin with Orcs. Buy 2 more ASAP. They're your fastest players, start with your best skill, and have the best progression. In the future, 4 Blitzers and 3RR is infinitely better than 2 Blitzers and 4RR.

mattgslater wrote:

Big Daddy wrote: 2 Blitzers

Cardinal sin with Orcs. Buy 2 more ASAP. They're your fastest players, start with your best skill, and have the best progression. In the future, 4 Blitzers and 3RR is infinitely better than 2 Blitzers and 4RR.

Thanks for the pointer Matt. I understand the in-game benefit of starting with 4 blitzers but I'm just not really the kind of guy who maxes out on the "good stuff" at least not without earning it. I also have the quaint notion that linemen should at least make up a fair portion of the team. I like the RPG element of the game too. If I get flogged all season it will probably change my attitude

I'm not the most experienced coach going around but I know that if a game gets tight late season and I need to use linemen to get the job done I'll be in much better stead if I've actually learned how to use them. The best time to learn is early in the piece before everyone has a bag-load of skill ups at their disposal.

More blitzers are the first thing on the shopping list as I'm not going to go near the troll or goblins this season. I also like the idea of being able to present a different structure to players from when I play them early season to late season or finals.

Good idea Tenwit. I think I will try to get a lineman or two with wrackle.

Just Wrestle/Stripball is also a good option, though Wrackle is particularly good if you need to put S skills on Blitzers to justify them.

The blitzer with Juggernaut/Strip Ball means that Wrestle/Strip Ball is pretty much superfluous on the team, though. Any time Wrestle would pop the ball loose from someone that Strip Ball would work on, Juggernaut will do it better (because it leaves the blitzer standing, hopefully with a TZ on the ball).. so there's no real point in putting the two skills together. The Wrestle orc can be built specifically for the times when Juggernaut/Strip Ball won't work.

Of course, it'd be good to have a spare strip baller or two, but it won't help your TV much..