Newbie with Dwarf team needs advice.

[Orin]

Maybe that's what's the disagreement is about. I play running dwarves!

[Orin]

Skills: Blitzers and Runners like Dodge on doubles - Block/Dodge/Sure Hands makes for a good ballcarrier. At least one runner has to become a thrower or you'll get a really hard time when the opponents starts getting Kick...

it's obvious we play entirely different Dwarf games. While Dodge is a very good skill, there are so many skills that are more fun! Catch on a Blitzer and you can play the heavily armoured variant of the passing game. Nerves of Steel on doubles for a runner, if he can get Dump Off and Accurate as well you can really annoy the hell out of your opponents.

I've heard people complain that playing dwarves is dull. The only thing they do is cage up and rumble forward. Well, they don't have to.

[MickeX]

it's obvious we play entirely different Dwarf games.

That's probably true, but I'm not much for the 2-1 tactics. I prefer scoring in 3-4 turns.

One important thing with a Blodge/SH ballcarrier is that he frees up a lot of other players to to more fun stuff then form a cage. Two Guard player are often enough to make even 1D blocks impossible. That means you can play more aggressively, getting players upfield faster.

I consider most Pass skills good for runners, but I can't see much of a reason to ever choose Catch for a dwarf. Dwarves have cheap rerolls and seldom needs them for more than gfi:s.

Back to the Guard/MB discussion: IMHO you overstate the point of MB giving SPPs a lot. Guard gives you a lot more blocks every match, which not only wins you matches but also gives you cas SPP:s. Fronko is right about the cage rolling: without Guard you often end up not being able to follow up, and particularly not putting enough opponents in your TZs.

[Duke Jan]

One great strength of dwarves is that they can keep the opponent in place. This, in itself, will do you no good. that's why you have to stop thinking of cages. I know the elevator-like quality of the cage makes Dwarfs feel at home, but there's other possibillities.

I tend to try the game of frenzying a hole in the WZ, then sending my runners and blitzer through to get the ball. Meanwhile I try to keep the LOS in place. This, in my limited dwarf experience, is an efficient tactic against AG teams, against ST teams Guard becomes more important.

MB does not give you many more SPP if you can't block more often. I start with Guard, then MB for the next Long Beard etc. The combination is what does the trick. As a second skill for MBers shadowing is a good one, in the words of Glod Glodson XI (formerly a privy-doorknob): "try dodge away from me you dodgy elf and I'll punch your dodging lights out!".

Oh violence, solution and answer of the unimaginative.

[Snew]

Ah yes. Shadowing. A very under-taken skill by Dwarves. I wonder why. Hmm... Ah yes,

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Each coach rolls a D6 and adds their own player’s movement allowance to the score.

Shadowing SUCKS if you only have MV4!

[jimmy944]

Well the gaming evenin is over and I even got in an extra game vs a Chaos Dwaef team!

The CD team was pretty much as expected, 2 B.Centaurs 3RR and about 4FF. The first half was something of a non-event, a 6turn riot broke out. I received and, not feeling myself likely to manage a 2 turn TD decided to contain his LoS and bash the hobgoblins on the perifferey. At 1/2 time the score was 0-0 with me having one KO'd dwarf (frigging bull centaur) and him having one KO'd Hgoblin and one in the Dead/injured that I'd fouled on with my last action of the half.
The second 1/2 He received and got the ball to a hobgoblin one square in on the RH touchline, using a blitzer and slayer I bundled him into the crowd, gotta love frenzy. After the crowd had throwbn the ball back and it bobbled about a bitI managed to get my runner to pick it up. After that I basically kept possesion for about 4 turns trying to get some kind of cage rolling. This failed misserably but did suck in enough of his players to create some space on the other touch line and with a quick pass and a hand off, the ball was away with a linemamn acting as a guard for the ball-carrier. By this time it was my turn 6 and I scored on the 7th (Icould have scored in the 6th but The ballcarrier was in no danger as I had KO'd/Injured all bar 1 hobgoblin and didnt want to use an unecessary go4it). The last turn was a simple slug fest as neither team could hope to score the 1 Turner.

THINGS I LEARNT. *Bull centaurs are nasty but if pushed back/knocked over, their threat is limited to assists or 1 blitz (also dauntless is a WINNER) *taking out weaker players early on is important as it can leave the opponent short handed. *Frenzy and Dauntless are worth their weight in Block Dice! Note that I said very little about what happened on the LoS, this was because it was a simple dwarf v dwarf affair, several knock overs, very little intheway of action.

The orc game was equally successfull with me winning 2-0 and seriously injuing/killing 4 players (ok so 3 were gobbos) to a loss of 2KO'd linemen and a sent off slayer . I will report on this match l8r if you guys want me to and when its not 3am.

Bring on the league

[Duke Jan]

Ah yes. Shadowing. A very under-taken skill by Dwarves. I wonder why. Hmm... Ah yes,

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Each coach rolls a D6 and adds their own player?s movement allowance to the score.

Shadowing SUCKS if you only have MV4!

And that's why its so good in psychological warfare. You have this MA4 dwarf vs an MA9 catcher and he manages to shadow him!!!! A 1 in 36 chance, but it can really irritate your opponent and can inspire bad tactical decissions. Because your opponent knows of course, that with his luck being as it is, he won't make the next dodge roll......... Tackle on an MA4 guy may be of little tactical value, but it sure brings fun to the game.

Tackle is of course more efficient on a runner, but that would mean turning him into a fast lino since a shadowing/tackle combo is what you want.

[Orin]

I consider most Pass skills good for runners, but I can't see much of a reason to ever choose Catch for a dwarf. Dwarves have cheap rerolls and seldom needs them for more than gfi:s.

If passing skills are good, why not the Catch skill? You need to pass so someone, right? The upfield pass to the forward blitzer is one of my favourites. Catch combined with Pass Block on a Blitzer opens up entirely new avenues of play as well.

[MickeX]

If passing skills are good, why not the Catch skill?

Because you get the same effect with a RR, which are plentyful for Dwarves. On doubles I much prefer Dodge, Stand Firm & Frenzy. Someday I'll try taking Frenzy on all doubles for a dwarf team, just for fun

[Old Man Draco]

You should give them sure feet. It makes your LB more manoeuverabel. They then can go 6 squares with less risk to fall over. Great tactic!

[Orin]

If passing skills are good, why not the Catch skill?

Because you get the same effect with a RR, which are plentyful for Dwarves. On doubles I much prefer Dodge, Stand Firm & Frenzy. Someday I'll try taking Frenzy on all doubles for a dwarf team, just for fun

So, you don't need pass on a runner, or sure feet or any skill that is nothingmore than a built in re-roll? The whole point of taking these kinds of skills is that you can use them and still use your team reroll for something else.

[Orin]

If passing skills are good, why not the Catch skill?

Because you get the same effect with a RR, which are plentyful for Dwarves. On doubles I much prefer Dodge, Stand Firm & Frenzy. Someday I'll try taking Frenzy on all doubles for a dwarf team, just for fun

So, you don't need pass on a runner, or sure feet or any skill that is nothingmore than a built in re-roll? The whole point of taking these kinds of skills is that you can use them and still use your team reroll for something else.

[MickeX]

So, you don't need pass on a runner, or sure feet or any skill that is nothingmore than a built in re-roll? The whole point of taking these kinds of skills is that you can use them and still use your team reroll for something else.

Yep, but in an all-block team and no dodging team, the RR is seldom necessary for that. Instead I prefer skills that give all new options.

For the same reason, I prefer Accurate to Pass in a Dwarf team. And if I had to choose between Catch and Sure Feet, I'd take the latter anyday because it's a much more generally useful skill.

[Glorian Underhill]

Most Dwarv teams have the problem that they start up good but lack in the long term, when you play for example a dork elves team with block on everyone.

What then count is the ability to do what you need to win. Move the Ball.

With your Guard, MB Longbeards it should been easy to punch him into the next emergency room, but to react you need your gamemakers.

So your runners need to been build up.

A Block, Tackle Runner for intercepting his ball carrier, a Block Dodge Runner for getting the ball with even Dodging through one of his Tackle zones.

Most Coaches didn´t even plan that you could dodge in your turns.

After dodging some times , they will change their tactic and build holes elsewhere, which can been used by some push back tricks to get your intercepter in.

So also the Blitzers need to been build up as Ball movers, as Runners get to fast hurt. They are also the first target for his Blitzes, Fouls.

And so the Slayers are the surgical knives. They do good in a rumble, but with their AV 8 they get hurt very soon. So when you get them on a mummy or a big guy, better hope you get him Down, next round you can alsmost roll for injury for sure. Make sure to use your Slayers in the side zones, but take cautions that they wont get pushed out themsekves next turn.

And a last word for the cage.
I usually try to build him first on one of the sides, but not to wide. Around the line of the side zone and centerfield it should been fine. Because next round he will mass up in front of you. If he don´t go up through the front. If he do try to change sides. The only importent things are.

Move at least one square towards his Endzone, and never end one turn with one of your cage mebers in a zone of an standing enemy player.

Believe me there is always the opportunity for your opponent to block, and blitz into your cage.

ReRolls are made for the real cool actions, like blocking his Ball carier on your side with only one dice and stuff like that, so try to plan your blocking game that a ressult maybe only a push. Don´t waste your ReRolls on useless Blocks. Don´t get me wrong, a doubleskull at the beginn of your turn is definitely worth a Re Roll. But two push backs from your slayer against some Lineman of any race is not.

I have tried some Leagues Acurate and Dump off on my Runners, but I had far more Better Results with Block, Dodge, Tackle Runners and Block, Dodge, Sure Hands Blitzers. Dump off is quite fun, but an importent thing for a Dwarf is never lose controll of the Ball. When his Wardancer comes into your cage, and Blocks your Runner, He stands better Chances just to survive with Block, and or Dodge. When he gets you down pray that the Ball will land between one of your little fellas.

If your throw the Ball and have no AG4 Catch guys nearby you will sure lose controll of the Ball. It will land elsewhere, and his Gutter Runners, Catchers Skinkstuff will have it easy to pick it up.