Talk Fantasy Football

Heya TBBers,

Question: When you are piloting a non-bashy team (Skaven in my case, although this could go for wood elves, Humans in a very bashy league, skelly/zombie laden ppl, etc), do you prefer the Fend/Block strategy, Fend/Wrestle, or a combination of the two?

There are pros/cons to each (I know I'm stating the obvious to most TBBers, but for the record...).

Fend/Wrestle: Against block-heavy teams, you can take a bunch of them to the ground, opening foul opportunities, and keeping you off your feet for a follow up block from them. At the same time, you're on the ground too, and you're not bashy, so fouling is probably a better proposition for them than it is you. Also nice to have more people that can wrestle down that ball carrier.

Fend/Block: Staying on your feet gives you tackle zones to slow your opponent down, and adds assists for your other boys who may still be facing blocks. Another huge pro for block is of course, the greater chance of earning SPPs. Who doesn't like SPPs? As above, if you're not bashy, staying on your feet might be a bad thing as well.

A combo strategy meshes these two together. You may be able to pull that wrestle guy in to sack the ball carrier, and you can pull in the block guy for some offense, but there's the added trouble of trying to have enough balance to make it work, and the frustration when you mismatch them, and have to wrestle when a block would have been huge, and vice versa.

If there are other awesome suggestions out there, I'm all ears as well, but this is what most coaches do to keep their linemen breathing.

depends on the team

skaven and elves I prefer wrestle

humans I'm happy with either

guard combos better with block as they are standing more often

block can't be countered by juggernaut but it is rare

read this about http://bloodbowlplaybook.com/wrestle/ for a more in depth explanation

Wrock is the term you're looking for in the title.

Elves: 1st LOS guy gets Side Step first, rest get either Wrestle, Dodge or Block first, depending on what I'm facing. Skill #2 for the first guy is taken from that list also. For others, it tends to be Dodge or Block/Wrestle second, depending on what they've got, except for Pro Elves, to whom I tend to give massed Side Step in order to take advantage of the head start.

Rats/Zons: Block or Wrestle (see below). Mostly Wrestle for Rats on account of their high MA, and Block for 'Zons to keep a maximum number of TD targets afoot. Fend is secondary: it's nice, but Side Step it ain't.

Here's my priority order with survival skills.
No Dwarfy-types? Dodge.
Facing low-level opposition? Block.
Otherwise? Wrestle.

It goes like this for me:

Early league (assuming most opponents have low TV)- AG access goes dodge, block, GEn only access goes block, fend.

As the league develops, I try to develop players to be wrestle, dodge, (Ag access) or Wrestle, Fend (Gen access.)

Finally, at the high end of Ag team development, I like to have Block, Fend at the end game, with some dodge mixed in.

So ideally, over the first 10 games it's great to have some blodge (dodge first) or blend (?) (block first)

After that, Wrestle comes into it's own and I like some Wrestle Dodge players (wrestle first) or Wrestle Fend players (wrestle first.)

For my elf teams, I think the final end game mandates having 2 wrestle fend players and 2 block fend players, with dodge being a nice third pick up on both.

Luckily, I tend to lose linemen enough to let me accomplish this!

For me, both Block/Fend and Wrestle/Fend are excellent, indeed outstanding on Lino-types. It depends on the team.

Block/Fend is better if (a) you use the Linos a lot as cage escorts or (b) you intend to give the Linos Guard on doubles or (c) you have Blitzer types to whom you will give Wrestle. Block/Fend is superb for marking hairy scary high ST players who do not have Block (Big Guys, for example).

Wrestle/Fend is better if (a) you have lots of starting Block on other players, (b) you do not intend to give Guard to the Linos on doubles and (c) you do not have Blitzer types to whom you intend to give Wrestle. Wrestle also seems to work well on Linos in a side where ST2 Catcher-types also take Wrestle. Wrestle seems to work best when you have quite a bit of it in the side. Wrestle/Fend is superb for marking hairy scary high ST players with Block (Black Orcs, Chaos Warriors etc.). Wrestle on Linos enables you to delay taking Tackle on other player-types (because it gives you the means to down Blodgers).

Some examples:

I run an Orc team with no Black Orcs, no Troll, and 4 Gobbos. Wrestle/Fend is outstandingly good on the Lino who has it. Another Lino has Wrestle, as do 2 Gobbos. Another Lino (the Kicker) is on 15 SPPs and about to take Wrestle.

I run a Human side with no Ogre. Wrestle on the Linos is good, but as the Linos get fewer SPPs than their Orc counterparts, and die faster, there is less Wrestle around. I have been giving the Catchers Block as their second normal skill, and feel that I should have been giving them Wrestle instead (to complement Wrestle on the Linos).

I run a Nurgle side, which is different from the above because of no starting Block. As I give 3 Pestigors Wrestle as their first skill, I give the Rotters Block/Fend/Foul Appearance (not that they ever get that far). The Rotters get Guard on doubles.

I run an all Hobgoblin side (which is doing quite well). I give Wrestle to them if their first skill roll is normal (to be followed by Fend). If their first skill roll is a double, I give them Guard (to be followed by Block, Fend).

I ran an Elf side in which I started all the Catchers with Dodge, Wrestle (the side was outstandingly good). There was therefore no need to give Wrestle to the Linos. As the Linos took Guard on doubles, Block was the better skill for them.

I intend to put out a Dark Elf side shortly. As I intend to give the Witch Elves Wrestle, I intend to give Block to the Linos (who will take Guard on doubles). I note that some coaches give Block to the Witch Elves, and Wrestle to the Linos (not my cup of tea, but it illustrates the point).

Hope this helps.