first advancement for my stormvermin

amadoris · Post by **amadoris** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 1:56 pm

i've never used skavens before, so my question is about the 1st advancement of my stormvermin. it's a new team, only 2 linemen have advancements. what skill would i take?

narkotic · Post by **narkotic** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:02 pm

I give my Storm Vermins Strip Ball or Tackle as the first skill. With that they will be able to knock the ball lose on Defence. Those Block/Dodge catchers are annoying.

To get the ball from the ball carrying opponent, so that your Gutter Runners can fetch it and counter-score is essential for Skaven play. Watch the opponent sweating when he's 2:0 behind in turn 5...

As the second Skill I give both my Storm Vermins Guard.

Gus · Post by **Gus** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:32 pm

i give my storm vermins guard as their first skill.

sean newboy · Post by **sean newboy** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 9:27 pm

Depends on the make up of the league. If more st teams then Guard, if more humans and elves then the stripball/tackle choice.

Post by **DoubleSkulls** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:31 am

I'd give them guard first.

IMO Line rats are just as good at hitting people (once they've got block) and I like making Gutter Runners into turnover specialists (Strip Ball & Block, or Shadowing/Diving Tackle, or Dauntless/Horns).

Storm Vermin are better at soaking up punishment than anyone else on the team, and guard is always very useful.

I'll often give a line rat or two tackle as their first skill.

narkotic · Post by **narkotic** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:52 am

I'm not sure about giving Linerats Tackle and using Storm Vermins for soaking up damage:

With the new WA, the Rat Ogre receives the part of soaking damage, actually an opponent hitting the Storm Vernin, the only player with Block and AV8 on the team and not going for the Linerats does it wrong anyway.

I build up a turnover Gutter Runner later, after you have 1-2 scoring Gutter Runners.

My first Skills were Strip Ball for the Storm Vermin and Kick for a Linerat, both increased the quality of the Team tremendously and in a low TR environment you don't need much more to win (maybe Block for the Gutter Runners).

Markus · Post by **Markus** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:55 am

I think the best way to develop sv is to have two different ways to get to the tackle/guard/mighty blow/strip ball skills. My first sv to skill up will get guard at first followed by tackle, mighty blow and strip ball. second gets tackle followed by guard, mb, strip ball. Tackle before strip ball is good bc it helps getting the sv the much needed spp (early dodgers usually have low av = more cas). neither strip ball nor guard will help a lot earning spp.

The first lino to skill up should always get kick(most important skill for almost every team!!), second one should get dirty player to get pesty gr/wd/ww/claw/rsc-pl of the pitch. other linos should get a mix of block/tackle. on doubles get claw/guard/foul appearance, depending on your opponents.

The gr are the best defensive players in the game after they got block/sidestep/shadowing/tackle/passblock (guard/foul appearance on doubles) and natural scorers, I don't get them offensive skills at all. Two of those players are usually enough to keep the opponents thrower pinned (block or pass) deep in his zone where the kicker put the ball.

First double on a gr should always be dauntless to build a dauntless/ block/ strip ball/ tackle/ leap/ possibly horns ball retriever/safety. The last gr can be developed any way(leap/sure/big hand/sprint/vll), but block should always be the first skill on a normal roll.

My throwers just pick up the ball and quick-pass it to the next gr on offense. Otherwise they are just easy-skill-up-linos. They all get block as the first skill, later safe throw/ dump off/ accurate and big hand on doubles.

RO should get block/guard/shadowing on normal rolls and tentacles/claws on doubles.

With my fumbbl-skaven-team I rarely score on offense, bc the gr cause so many turnovers and can score on defense.

amadoris · Post by **amadoris** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:39 am

thank you. i think my sv will take guard, there are lots of bashy teams in the league... but the 2nd one, if survives and takes skills, will be a stripballer. 2 ways, 2 sv

Flix · Post by **Flix** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 12:16 pm

Guard ist elemetal for Strom Vermin
Skaven got only 3 Players with Strengths Skill and Guard is one of the most important skills like Block in Blood Bowl

Post by **DoubleSkulls** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:52 pm

narkotic wrote:I build up a turnover Gutter Runner later, after you have 1-2 scoring Gutter Runners.

The way I look at it, all GRs are scorers out of the box. MA9, dodge & AG4 is a damn sight more than most teams can ever hope for from a receiver.

So always skill them up defensively.

1st skill is always block. Then sidestep, followed by Shadowing or Diving Tackle. Sometimes I'll take Shadowing/DT before Sidestep but you really need all 3 to make the combo work well. Then I'd either take the other one or Pass Block next.

One GR (normally the 1st to get a 2nd skill) takes Strip Ball as his 2nd skill. The odds of knocking the ball loose are reasonable with a 1/2 dice block. Leap is handy as the next skill here for the desperation "war dancer light" play.

Doubles always go on Dauntless first and if you get a 2nd double then horns. GR's with Dauntless ought to look at Strip Ball and/or Tackle as their 3rd or 4th skills.

If you get 6 & 4 then take the +MA and develop a one turner (Sprint, Sure Feet, Leap, Catch) but otherwise I'd not bother - using 5 & 5 for Dauntless instead.

+AG and +ST make GR's amazing. +AG would tempt me down the dedicated interceptor route (pass block & catch) but the blitzer route still works as you can dodge into cages with a good chance of success.

kithor2002 · Post by **kithor2002** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 6:13 pm

I also would give him guard.

But when you will roll a double for him choose claws.

The Florist · Post by **The Florist** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 11:40 am

On a related topic, I have a + AG Stormvermin I tend to use as GR screen/alternative scoring threat on offence and to try to dodge into cages (admittedly with limited success) on defence.

Any suggestions? I'm thinking SF on doubles, strip ball or guard on a normal advance. My other SV has tackle and is the team sweeper.

Apart from that, there are two block/sidestep GR's, one of them has shadowing as well, a kick lineman, a thrower with accurate, a rookie GR, A rookie RO and a bunch of rookie linerats.

Post by **DoubleSkulls** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 2:38 pm

+AG I'd either give Tackle or Strip Ball next, and use him as the sweeper instead.

Kundschafter · Post by **Kundschafter** » Fri Aug 13, 2004 9:51 am

My stormvermin's first choice was guard. Second was a +1 AG. That allows him to get in places and give assists to my Linemen, who all have block. He is one of my keyplayers. The problem is, that I have no choice as to use him giving assists. Therefore, it is hard to gain him spp.

But he is a great defender and gets to places, that nobody expects. I now hope, that he rolls a double next time to give him dodge. Otherwise I think about tackle.

As Ian said, linemen are just as good at hitting people. With this combo you can hit more often.

The Florist · Post by **The Florist** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 1:48 pm

Assist and then hit. But wouldn't Stand Firm be better than Dodge?