Good use of Wizard

[dines]

Hi there.

As I am a pretty big underdog with my Chaos Dwarves in our league, I will have plenty of fun with inducements. Therefore I have thought about how to use the mighty wizard best. The last couple of seasons I've been the league leader in TV, therefore I haven't had much chance to use him.

Usually I have thought of using the wizard's lightning vs agile teams (targeting a single runaway ballcarrier) and fireball against the bashy teams and their cages and generally trying to hold back on the use, to have it as a threat.

But is that the most efficient use? What about blowing soft opponents to pieces with an early fireball hoping for KO+ and following up with fouling.

The chaos dwarves aren't exactly lightning fast, so might get less chances of capturing the ball after a fireball/lightning. So are the wizard a worthy inducement at all?

[Joemanji]

Never, ever use it for attrition only. Complete waste.

Best use is to pressure your opponent into not having a double layered cage. Then LB the ball carrier. You have a blitz action left, so use this to get another TZ off the loose ball and then pile in. Good bounce and you get the ball, bad bounce you still put your opponent in a lot of trouble.

[nazgob]

To quote sillysod, the wizard is (almost) guarunteed to free up the ball, and with certain teams, is (almost) guarunteed to give you a score. admittedly, he was playing with skaven at the time, but the theory stands. with xhaos dwarves, probably the best you can ope for is to put the ball on the ground, and then surround it. Best thing I could suggest would be not to waste it. Unless you can capitalise on your best case scenario, don't do it.

[Ulthuan_Express]

Ive used it when kicking on a Blitz! result to help run an Undead Wight through, to catch the ball and then hold on to score in my 1st turn. Otherwise it's always the ball carrier when I absolutely, positively have to take them down and can't.

Any other time is just frivolous.

[spubbbba]

Don't forget against low agility teams it can be a great psychological weapon as well.

Khemri or Dwarfs may well be forced to score in turn 6 or 7 rather than risk a failed pick up if you lightning their ball carrier and only AG2 players are nearby.

As you can use it at the end of your turn you can always do all the safe moves first then go for a 6+ dodge into the cage (with a RR it is almost 1 in 3) to hit the carrier. If you fail the dodge or don't manage to knock the ball loose then you can bolt the carrier and if you've moved some players up then the ball might be in your tacklezones.

[Harry Buddha Palm]

I agree with Joemanji. Almost every time someone has used a wizard against me, they've fireballed me on the first turn hoping to take a bunch of guys out and it's always been a waste. Sure, they may knock a couple of guys down and might even take out one or two, but it's never been game-changing in any way. What I like to do is wait until my oppoenent is about to score and lightning bolt his ball carrier and then grab the ball and run away with it. You rob them of a point and may even get one yourself. Unless you roll a 1, course!

[solarflare]

Against cagey teams, I like to wait until the 2nd half to use the wizard (and not the 1st turn of the 2nd half, either). The threat of the fireball can sometimes be enough to stop my opponent from forming an optimal cage. Waiting until the 2nd half means that the threat stays active longer...

[Drool_bucket]

Against cagey teams, I like to wait until the 2nd half to use the wizard (and not the 1st turn of the 2nd half, either). The threat of the fireball can sometimes be enough to stop my opponent from forming an optimal cage. Waiting until the 2nd half means that the threat stays active longer...

+1

I always sit on a wizard. Makes Cagey teams fear to cage and makes agile teams use players "as back ups" (no lone thrower holding the ball in their backfield) Wizard, prior to its use, makes coaches play differently.

When it comes to actual use it flubs more than you would think.

But my best advise is to get yourself a wizard miniature, paint him in bright colors, and put him on the sideline, so you don't forget the little bugger. I've seen plenty of coaches completely forget to use him, or slightly worse, forget to use him at a good moment.