The ST3 Defensive Line Poll

[mattgslater]

OK, don't consider teams that don't set up an all ST3 D-line, like many Orc teams. Let's just talk about ST3 defensive lines. I want to see what's most popular here, where a good pool of advanced coaches can be found. Feel free to expound below, as long as the conversation remains focused on all-ST3 D-lines. Particularly if you gravitate towards one but sometimes change it up, when and why?

The options are:

A) Bunched line (- - x x x - -)
B) Spread out line (- x - x - x -, or x - - x - - x)
C) Offset line (x x x - - - -, or x x - x - - - or whatever)
D) Stacked line (more than 3 on the line)
E) No clear favorite.

[SierraKiloBravo]

Staggered. My theory is that you're basically looking to clog up the works with the front 3 and staggered works better for me on this.

Anyone that puts more than 3 on the line is a novice and is still learning the game. No reason to give away free blocks.

[Wanchor]

Anyone that puts more than 3 on the line is a novice and is still learning the game. No reason to give away free blocks.

That sounds almost arrogant.

I don't play Str 3 teams very often, but I've seen the stacked line, especially with Guard and Side-Step players, do a pretty stand-up job grinding the advance up the middle to a halt.

I prefer a spread-out line, though, myself.

[Carnis]

Voted A, but do B and C sometimes as well.

A is most consistent though, an opponent without grab will have a *very* hard time going through your middle, if you stack the line + put one man behind in each corner. C is basicly same as A most of the time, with more focus on where you are going to kick.

I sometimes (not frequently) use B against very slow opponents, like trees (having them bunched down one side is often better, though).

[Elyoukey]

I use the A most of the time, with only linemen ( the more rookie the better), but i also use B with big guies on the secund line, giving the coice to my oppenent between freeing my lines or being hit back. (2 mumies do this very well)

[wesleytj]

Staggered. My theory is that you're basically looking to clog up the works with the front 3 and staggered works better for me on this.

Anyone that puts more than 3 on the line is a novice and is still learning the game. No reason to give away free blocks.

There are plenty of cases where that's wrong. If you have plenty of guard, if your opponent is really shorthanded are two examples where it can make plenty of sense to load up the line a little. Then your opponent might be able to get ANY blocks. I know when I play wood elves, I tend to dodge them away and not block anyone when I can.

[rodders]

voted A gives yuor opponent fewer places to push defenders with B he can pushtem where he likes and make big holes

[mattgslater]

Anyone that puts more than 3 on the line is a novice and is still learning the game. No reason to give away free blocks.

As long as we're talking about all ST3, I have to all-but categorically defend this. Dwarfs can be the exception, but only at high levels of development (it takes a ton of Stand Firm and Guard to do with ST3). Now, ask me about my Orklahoma defense, and you'll get a 5-man front, but it's mostly ST4+ (and still loaded with Guard and Stand Firm).

[Axtklinge]

I tend to use A most of the times.
Sometimes I go for B but now that I think of it, I usualy have a couple of St4 so I might just stick with A if it was ST3 only as stated in the begining of the post...

[Warpstone]

Voted A, though I might deviate a bit if my opponent has a 2 or more guard skills.

You're really just hoping for them to stall the offence slightly and force him to roll to win midfield positions. In the event that the offence has a ton of guard, you're pretty much forced to attack only from the flanks anyway so you can space out the 3 linemen a bit to get the o-line spread for a counterattacking gamble.

[voyagers_uk]

Voted A, although would probably change if either party had 2 or more guarders

[voyagers_uk]

every match is different though.... so hard to answer this question correctly

[Machiavellismx]

every match is different though.... so hard to answer this question correctly

mhm - i try to tailor to face my opponents. overall, its usually A though.

[SierraKiloBravo]

Staggered. My theory is that you're basically looking to clog up the works with the front 3 and staggered works better for me on this.

Anyone that puts more than 3 on the line is a novice and is still learning the game. No reason to give away free blocks.

There are plenty of cases where that's wrong. If you have plenty of guard, if your opponent is really shorthanded are two examples where it can make plenty of sense to load up the line a little. Then your opponent might be able to get ANY blocks. I know when I play wood elves, I tend to dodge them away and not block anyone when I can.

The example gave no specifics, so it seems to me that the assumption was with fully manned squads. Matt, if the hypothetical is otherwise, please let me know.

Of course if you're up multiple players due to injury, it might make sense to stack the line to make it more difficult to get 2d blocks. But 11 on 11 with all ST3, I will always find a way to throw the full series of 2d and possibly 3d blocks on the front line against ST3 targets.

I'm not trying to sound arrogant. It's just the nature of the beast.

[mattgslater]

It's probably best to assume that both sides are at/near 11 for polling purposes, but I think it's also good to talk about alternatives in the thread. For instance, if your defense is down to 7 men, do you spread out more, clump up more, go more gimmicky, abandon the gimmicks? I too am more likely to stack the line if I'm up men on an armor team with lots of Guard, but it's the exception, not the rule.

Awesome. n>30! I'll let it sit another couple days and gain a few votes before making any statistical inferences, though I'm already pretty sure that it a) will tell me that almost everybody uses a symmetrical 3-man line as their default ST3 defense, and b) won't tell me that any given symmetrical 3-man line is more popular than any other. I mean, when factoring for 3 men and symmetry, the poll reads 27 for, 1 against and 3 unknown.