Talk Fantasy Football

So a new league is starting 'round here in a about 6 weeks, and our league just voted to OK the Slann, Chaos Pact, and Underworld teams.

My question is, what line-ups work well for these teams? At the moment, it looks like the season will be about 12 games long (with a 5 game preseason and 2 postseason games...) At the moment, the league make-up will likely be:

2 developed skaven, 1 rookie wood elf, 1 rookie Underworld Creepers, 1 rookie Chaos Pact, 1 rookie Undead, 1 developed Undead, 1 developed Orc, and me.

Here's what I was thinking of going with:

Slann:
3 re-rolls
0 FF
3x blitzer
2x catcher
6x linemen

Chaos Pact:
3 re-rolls
0 FF
1x Ogre
1x Troll
1x Dark Elf
1x Goblin
8x Marauder
30k in bank

I'm thinking my Slann line-up would be better with a 12th man and/or an apoth... maybe only 2 blitzers, 2 catchers, 7 linemen and an Apoth? I've also considered starting with a Krox, but that doesn't seem to work (3 catchers, a blitzer and a Krox seems OK, I suppose.)

Jural,

I've had pretty good luck in league play so far with my Slann team.

My recommended league starting roster is:

2 Blitzers 220k
2 Catchers 160k
7 Linemen 420k
3 Rerolls 150k
Apothecary

In terms of future purchases... I save all my money to buy the 2 other Blitzers first, then a 3rd catcher, and then a 4th re-roll.

When I play the Slann ... the Blitzers job is to make the ball be on the ground so I focus on Wrestle and Strip Ball for them. The Catchers job is ball retrevial so I focus on Sure Hands for 2 of them. The 3rd gets Kick-off Return and Pass Block (the Slann Catcher makes the most incredible kick-off receiver ... one skill upgrade and he'll catch any kick-off landing within 4 squares of him on a 2+ (if you have two of these guys (which is my end goal for my team) you can cover almost the entire half* to start with the ball in hand.

Contrary to popular wisdom ... I'm winning about 80% of my games and have no plans to put Block or Dodge on any of my players at this time. I've really been enjoying playing this team and proving that you don't need the "must have 2" to win.

Galak

* - 2 Kick-off Return Slann Catchers can cover an area 9 x 15 squares in area. This covers the entire back field leaving only the 4 rows closest to the LOS (and if the ball is kicked to this area you should be good to go.

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I am so dying to play these guys at a tournament. I keep hoping the NAF will announce that they've decided to let them into the rankings since they are official now. I'll be out playing them as soon as I can if that happens.

Galak

I'm dying to play them too, I just don't know if they'll hold up against a lot of bashy teams. At the end of the day, they are mostly strength 3 with their best (and most expensive) players also being the only Strength Access players.

But at least the league I'll be in seems like it will be a good mixture of teams. I'm nervous that if the opposition successfully cages, it won't be pretty for my frogs. Kick seems like it will be critical for this squad.

(By the way, I think you mean 3+ for the catchers on a kick-off.)

My starting Chaos Pact looked like this:

6 Marauders
Skaven
Dark Elf
Goblin
Ogre
Minotaur
Troll

1 Reroll
1 Apothecary
2 Fan Factor

I feel that you need to have all the big guys from the start. In retrospect I would have removed 1 Marauder and the 2 FF for another reroll. I am also not really using the Gobbo as much as I could/should, so I would probably scratch him too.

The key to success is getting a Marauder or two to handle the ball (to get around the DE's Animosity), so extra arms, AG +1 and pass skill are highly recommendable. Plus some of your opponents will target the DE and the Skaven very early. A +1 MA is quite nice on the Marauders, too.

Other than that you can obvioulsy make a nasty strength team out of them since all Marauders have access to Strength skills on normal rolls, too.

I fancy taking pact to a TR110 Tourney.

think i would go

1 Ogre 140
1 Troll 110
1 Mino 150
1 D elf 70
1 gobo 40
7 marauders 350
3RR 140

might even drop a RR and take leader for the 1st skill

At this moment, my starting Pact roster looks like

7 x Marauders
1 x Skaven
1 x Dark Elf
1 x Ogre
1 x Troll

4RR
FF0

I read somewhere else that starting with 4RR is key due to the lack of any type of skill to start off with. Alternatively, I'm thinking about replacing the skaven with the goblin and 1 FF, but I'm not sure that I want the squishy goblin as one of 11 yet.

GalakStarscraper wrote:I am so dying to play these guys at a tournament. I keep hoping the NAF will announce that they've decided to let them into the rankings since they are official now. I'll be out playing them as soon as I can if that happens.

Galak

Any word when LRB 6.0 will be released? The last I heard it was scheduled for October. I didn't think anything was official until that point. Of course, I don't get to many tourneys so it's likely just ignorance on my part. Oh, if LRB 6.0 is out, where's it hiding

All you Chaos Pact guys... Why the skaven? +1MA and -1AV over a Marauder for the same price, plus Animosity? Doesn't seem worth it to me... but maybe the +1MA is that good?

Jural wrote:...
but maybe the +1MA is that good?

It is for me.

I have used the guy as my mobile blitzer/last line of defense kind of player. The first skill he got was Block, the second was tackle.

DG_Slider wrote:

GalakStarscraper wrote:I am so dying to play these guys at a tournament. I keep hoping the NAF will announce that they've decided to let them into the rankings since they are official now. I'll be out playing them as soon as I can if that happens.

Galak

Any word when LRB 6.0 will be released? The last I heard it was scheduled for October. I didn't think anything was official until that point. Of course, I don't get to many tourneys so it's likely just ignorance on my part. Oh, if LRB 6.0 is out, where's it hiding

The BBRC will hold a rules review this fall, I think, but no new LRB will come out of it. The LRB 6.0 (perhaps the last one?) will come after the 2009 BBRC meeting, I believe.

As for the status of the 3 teams (Chaos Pact, Underwoeld Creepers, Slann) they are in some weird nebulous gray area. The BBRC officially approved them in concept, but they can not be part of anything "official" unless there are miniatures to support them (and boxed sets at that, not just the ability to pull and pick from existing rosters.)

That's my understanding anyway, I may be off on some details, hopefully not important ones.

Galak, what's your development path for the Slann linemen? I've been considering...

Blitzers:
x4 Guard, Block, Side Step

Catchers:
x2 Sure Hands, Dodge
x2 Kickoff Return, Dodge

Linemen:
x1 Kick, Block
x3 Strip Ball, Wrestle
x2 Block, Frenzy
x1 Dirty Player

My thinking is that any player, including the linemen, are good ball poppers because they start with leap. I don't see any reason to use Blitzers for this since the skills I want for my ball poppers are Strip Ball and Wrestle.

Blitzers take Guard so they can leap adjacent to the ball carrier and lend the assist. Lineman leaps in and hits with Strip Ball and Wrestle. Catcher swoops in with Sure Hands to extract the ball.

I've gone with:

Marauder x 7
Goblin
Skaven
Dark Elf
Troll
Ogre
3RR
2FF

This with a view to the TTM route if all else fails at the end of the half/game. The Marauders are going to get loads of interesting mutations asap. Big Hand and kick-off return on one to pick it up, Disturbing Presence and Pass Block on a couple to disrupt the opponent's passing game, Tentacles on one for any dodging elvesessesses.

You get the picture.

everyman wrote:Galak, what's your development path for the Slann linemen? I've been considering...

1 with Kick, Tackle
2 with Tackle, Fend
2 with Fend, Wrestle

Galak

Jural wrote:All you Chaos Pact guys... Why the skaven? +1MA and -1AV over a Marauder for the same price, plus Animosity? Doesn't seem worth it to me... but maybe the +1MA is that good?

YES!

MA7 over MA6 is the most important MA bump in the game (other than 2 to 3, or 9 to 10 if Sprint is a possibility). The board is 26 squares wide: from the half-way line to the end zone is 13. An MA7 player set up one-back (as close as is feasible on D) can score in 2 turns without GFI: on offense, he can lose a square to avoid a TZ and still avoid GFI.

On top of that, there are all of the other normal arguments for MA (situationally better, but that's a lot of situations). The GFI rules (and their interplay with the turnover rule) really boost the value of MA bumps anyway, as by changing the odds you can open up new tactical options (for instance, moving into position for an early block as opposed to a late one).

For Slann, I've started with 2xBlitzer 2xCatcher 7xLineman 4xRR, and I needed it. Only now, after 9 games, am I thinking about dropping that extra RR.. it's been a game-saver for me more than once.

Galak, why KoR and Pass Block on the same Catcher? Pass Block is a defensive skill, KoR is offensive.. I'm looking forward to building an offensive Catcher after I get my fourth Blitzer, but I don't think that the team needs it.. it's a nice-to-have, not a must-have.

I can't imagine building a Pass Block catcher without Block, since there's such a high risk of them being caught out in the open (after a failed intercept), but other than that, Slann don't need Block. I'm doing fine with Block on only one lineman, though I'm definitely putting it on the krox if he rolls doubles. Dodge is a very useful skill for this team though.. I've put it on two Blitzers and two catchers: on offense, they line up on the LoS and leap/dodge into the oppositions backfield, even before I take my free hits