Just started BB, and my Lizardmen are getting slaughtered

Conf · Post by **Conf** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 8:31 pm

I've just played my first game of Blood Bowl and concluded that my Lizardmen team is obviously doing something wrong. Two of my Skinks died (especially bad considering it was the start of a league) and by the end of the match I had only seven players left on the field. The problem seemed to be that my Sauruses couldn't do squat. They just kept ending up in tackle zones they couldn't realistically be expected to dodge out of, and even throwing blocks at the enemy players bogging them down didn't work nearly as well as it should have, since most of the time there were several Zombies assisting each other. They also got knocked down by Flesh Golems ridiculously often for the supposed powerhouses that they are. Meanwhile my Skinks were getting bruised and battered... what am I doing wrong? Right now it feels like my team is being not so much held up by its strengths as crushed under the weight of its weaknesses. I've purchased another Saurus so I'm up to five of them now, but I only have six Skinks left to complement that now so once they start dropping I'll have no reserves.

Also, I got a compensatory Silibili star player with the team because it was delayed when I ordered it, and I'd like to try using him, but everyone in my gaming club is telling me it's a waste of money to freeboot star players. Seeing how I'm dead last in the league now and would rather not make any more mistakes, would it be unwise to field him?

Dropdeadfred · Post by **Dropdeadfred** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 9:08 pm

id put this post in the tactics and team development forum mate

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 9:33 pm

Maybe some advice in here can't be wrong:

Since you said, that your Sauri were outnumbered when blocking i assume, you had no player around to prevent the Zombies from assisting.

I don't play Lizards so I can't give any in-depth tactical advice here BUT try to use your free players to beef up the blocking chances of the other players by just removing the assists from essential blocks (hope there's not much GUARD-skill in the other team).

From what i know, skinks should reach the endzone by your second turn, so block a hole in the defence-line in turn one, flood the enemies half with enough material (maybe even protected by Sauri) and score the next turn. Remember to place your players in positions where they can only be blitzed an not simply blocked. By doing this you ensure, that at least one skink is standing an ready for the dodge-out and scoring

This is all pretty basic stuff but maybe it helps.

ScottyBoneman · Post by **ScottyBoneman** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:00 pm

Another thing I would say is don't over cage with them so you are getting into one large mass against them- doesn't work in Zombie movies, why would it here. His teams has 4 players that can vaguely keep up with you and none of them have Regen or even Block on their first game.

Even a simple 'V' shape to hold the ball deep into your own end means he can't make any kind of sustained attack with his Wolves. and if he gets the tackle zone on the ball you can use a Saurii to get it off or just dodge, hand-off to a midfield Skink and you are deep into his zone.

sven · Post by **sven** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 1:44 am

hello conf, and welcome to tbb

at first the lizzies do struggle but as gandhi said you can score easily in two turns, and the trick i find with the saurus is not to get bogged down, dont commit all of your saurus to your oppenants players because until they get break tackle (if not your first skill, your second for sure a at least three of your saurus) they will get stuck. and definately just smash holes in the line and flood your players through as gandhi said, and as long as they are not in base contact only one will get blitzed, and should be able to score in the next turn.

and for your next game i would'nt bother hiring in silibilli, buy an apothacary if you dont have one or just save the money for another skink or even better a saurus. what team are you playing in your next game ?, and dont get to attached to your skinks they break all the time, and even a rookie one is still a very good player.

phil

kithor2002 · Post by **kithor2002** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:03 pm

First I would buy an apo.
Then you should go for another Saurus and a Krox.You definately need the strong ones to protect your small weak skinks.
After you have purchased the max. amount of Saurus and Krox. you should have a very solid team which will crush most of your opponents and hardly a skink should be reached by an opponent.

Conf · Post by **Conf** » Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:12 pm

My next opponent will be an all-linemen Wood Elf team that will be one player short because of a Serious Injury. I'm more optimistic to being able to go all bashy on that team, although they do have an Apothecary. But after that I know I will be facing Skaven with a Rat Ogre and a second Necromancer team.

And sorry if this ended up in the wrong forum, I figured it was a fairly newbie-ish thing to ask.

ScottyBoneman · Post by **ScottyBoneman** » Thu Dec 02, 2004 1:45 pm

Conf wrote:My next opponent will be an all-linemen Wood Elf team that will be one player short because of a Serious Injury. I'm more optimistic to being able to go all bashy on that team, although they do have an Apothecary. But after that I know I will be facing Skaven with a Rat Ogre and a second Necromancer team.

And sorry if this ended up in the wrong forum, I figured it was a fairly newbie-ish thing to ask.

Its funny but I am one of the few people that see the Lizards as a great starting team and I am wondering if it might have to do with being a Hockey fan and the details of that game.

This team, particularly at first, illustrates the power of controlling the pace of the game- the Dwarves can be like that (normally just to slow it down, and the Undead used to be flexible in that way too (%#&*&). If you set out on the idea of being a ‘bashy’ team against the Wood Elves there is a fairly good chance you will learn all you ever need to know about why not having Block sucks. It is not going to be an easy game, but falling down as often as they are on Blocks could make it frustrating.

Depending on the structure and time limit of the league, I would consider letting this game turn into a high scoring shootout first- they are better at it but you need the SPPs. Use your Sauriis strength not to try and hit everything in sight but to make it too hard for him to get dice on the ball. Make it hard for him to pickup or block your ball carrier, because he will have problems moving you- a standing Saurii is more dangerous then one that got a both down on a lone Wood Elf.

Roberto · Post by **Roberto** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:05 pm

If what I know about Necro teams is corrct then you could run round the world before He even gets to the endzone!!! As I have recently found out, luck is always at hand with the block dice. In a Match today I managed to kill jordell freshbreeze

With A SKINK!!!!!!

Just keep your skinks out of trouble, 'it em with your sauruses, try Silibili, and run like the wind!!! Another piece of advice that I would give to anyone playing lizards is: DO NOT PASS THE BALL!!! If needs be make hand-offs or quick passes but do not try any thing bigger, especially when there are ten woodelves hanging around you catcher!!!!!!!!
Hope You Improve
Roberto C

Darkson · Post by **Darkson** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:07 pm

Roberto wrote:If what I know about Necro teams is corrct then you could run round the world before He even gets to the endzone!!!

Then you've obviously not checked the Necro stat line! 2 MA8 players, that can also make a serious mess of your Skinks (I had 1 were take out 4 opposing skinks in one game - SI or worse - shame he died on a Saurus charge in the last turn

), 2 MA7 players (Ghouls) and 2 MA6 players (Wights). Necro's are not slow.

Roberto · Post by **Roberto** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:15 pm

But the general jist of the whole undead thing is slow

Darkson · Post by **Darkson** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:02 pm

Well, yeah, in the same why that in general, Khemri aren't a hard hitting team.

SSSSSSS · Post by **SSSSSSS** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 1:30 am

I've been playing Lizzies for 2 years now and they can be a hard team to get started. As a rule I find that it is best to get all the big guys as soon as you can 6 Saurus and a Krox can be mighty scarey.

However don,t start blocking profusley untill you have block on some of them. I have found that its always safest to take a little time to score as the amount of times that a failed pickup happens can be very frustrating,

so don,t try to take the ball into the other half untill you have a few saurus there as well and skinks work best in packs. Hail Mary on a skink is brilliant, pick up the ball and run to the back line and wait untill you have enough players down the other end to be sure that if you don;t catch it this turn at least the opposition will not be able to get to it. We play with the Vault rules so progressing the saurus has been quicker that in LRB, and since our league is dominated by elves I have tended to take Block, Tackle ,Frenzy and some Guard. If you must block make sure it is always with 2 dice and move your saurus through as soon as possable, but always keep the skinks well out of the way they break easily. Passing the ball is the last resort and only do it if there is no alternative.

Chairface · Post by **Chairface** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 12:25 pm

Sound advice! Thanks

Brokje · Post by **Brokje** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 7:51 am

If you play LRB.4 Break tackle is also a good choice for Sauri. On touchbacks give the ball to a saurus because they are (more) difficult to sack and need the spp's.

Good luck!