Dwarf Tactics

[Darkweaver]

Hi all!

I decided to go for Dwarfs in the next league. After so much time with Norse, I'd feel naked without at least nine Blocks in my starting roster!

Now..I remeber looking at the guy who had Dwarfs in our last league and thinking about how difficult is to set up dawrfs both in Kick Off and Receiving, to be in a good position to attack or not being overrun in defense.

I plan to start with the following:
2 Slayers
2 Blitzers
2 Runners
5 Longbeards
3 RR
4 FF

I already given a look at BloodBowl.net startegy guide..bout found not much about setting up the players at kick off.
Also..is there some nice "bonehead guide to da cage" around here?

Well..all advice welcome, and I will start tomorrow to play dwarfs to accumulate gaming experience!!!!

[Olsson]

against elves i'd go for 2-1-2 formation with the longbeards. With gaps where the '-' are. Then you have all the los covered. a runner and a blitzer on each side to cover the wings. Then the 2 slayers 3 sqaures back in the middle. Something like that and you have lots of tz everywhere. The usual way to go round this is on the sides. Blitzing and then you can run near the sideline. But, at least youre only giving him the sideline.
And remember, give him as many dodges as possible, they will fall sooner or later. Play the 1on1 game, but not in your backfield.

Against the ugly ones, i'd go for 3 beards holding the first 3 squares on los together, then 2 beards 2 squares behind together with the slayers. With not that many players 'bound', youre free to go where you want in the defense.

[Vero]

Against stgr3 teams I prefer:

Code: Select all

----|L--L--L|----
----|-------|----
--S-|R-L-L-R|-S--
-B--|-------|--B-

Or

----|L--L--L|----
----|-------|----
--S-|R--B--R|-S--
-L--|-------|--L-
----|---B---|----

L=longbeard
S=Slayer
B=Blitzer
R=Runner

Because str 3 teams must use six guys for the los or keep their block count low. Standard alternatives include third and fourth line one square towards the los if one doesn't not fear quick snap. Dwarves must keep be able to keep contact because they lack movement: if an elf get's through then hope for interception.

Against str 4 teams put those los longbeards next to each other. One interesting way I have found is like this:

Code: Select all

----|LLL----|----
--S-|R--L-RL|-S--
-B--|-------|--B-

which is again weak against quick snap.

[Darkweaver]

Thanks for the advice!
I'll try them tomorrow!

[Xeterog]

check your math tho..it should be 3 RR's and 3 FF. (tho I almost always start with 2 RR's and 7 FF)

[Darkweaver]

check your math tho..it should be 3 RR's and 3 FF. (tho I almost always start with 2 RR's and 7 FF)

Wops! Thanks! ^^'

I am a FF lover..but in the next league I'll play mostly against FF 1-2 teams (after LRB 4 came out everyone here thinks Fan Factor is even les important than before) and I'm not sure if starting with a high FF is a productive idea...

Has this topic been discussed somewhere else??

[Drool_bucket]

Hey,

I don't completely agree with Vero, though his thought of surrendering a strong side right off the bat is interesting. I'm not sure you can spare that many LBs commited to one side, however. A smart coach will just got the other way and should outnumber your far flank considerably....

Here's how I do it.

vs. Bashy

Code: Select all

----|L--L--L|----
----|-------|----
--B-|L-----L|-B--
-S--|-R---R-|--S-

L=longbeard
S=Slayer
B=Blitzer
R=Runner

I swap the slayers, because I don't want anyone getting smart thinking they can hit my poor slayers right off...

Against Agility teams

Code: Select all

----|L--L--L|----
----|-------|----
--L-|B-----B|-L--
-S--|-R---R-|--S-

A simple switch, but what it does is surrender a LB off to a sideline in favor of speed up the middle, as to react (i.e. put tackle zones on) to opposing players flooding your half. Against really fast teams (WE), I bump the rear line back even one farther.

Against Stunties...

Code: Select all

----|B--L--B|----
----|-------|----
-L--|L-----L|--L-
--S-|-R---R-|-S--

Again, little adjustment, dropping LBs back of the LoS purely for putting tackle all over the place. Against Lizards, I would be tempted to sway the Runners and the LBs in the midzone. You need those LBs up and free to move to anyone that invades your endzone.

Basically, I keep it simple and it's worked very well so far for me. Having the same basic concept on defense allows you to understand how to stall drives against you, and recover so you're opponent never gets an easy score.

Remember, unlike your Norse, your linemen's job is to get knocked around, but slow people up while they do so. If your LB is outnumbered 2:1 on the opposite side of the pitch, he's doing you a huge favor and you should be getting to that ballcarrier. This is the basic reasoning why I never set my LBs up together in the middle of the pitch. I am daring my opponent to put two players on his weakside, so he can always have his 2d blocks against my lonely LB....

good luck!

[pseudo_draconic]

been a loooong time since i made a post but anyways heres my way to play dwarfs

i allways start with a line up heavy on longbeards , 2 runner , 2 blitzers and the rest longbeards (7??) i think it was somehting like 2rr's and whatever fanfactor

then on defense i use the 3-4-4 style formation with 3 longbeards on the line , 2 squares back a row of 4 longbeards then the runners and blitzers a further 2 squaers back, the safteys job is to see where the attack is coming through and pile in to shore up the line and hopefully come out of the other side holding the ball.

for me offense is simple, tie up the 7 strongest (or best defenders) with the longbeards and use the riunners and blitzers to push down jst off centre to give some sideline action if i need it , i find that this 2 runner 2 blitzer cage can normally push through a weak point carrying a few longbeards from the line with it , of course these arent my only tactics just the ones im willing to share

i typically dont plan anything beyond that coz its best to improvise once the blood is flowing.

[Bizzy]

If they have FF 1 and 2. DEFINATELY TAKE IT HIGH. Yours grows, and granted in the games against these players they earn money. Unless they are playing cheap teams they will have deaths, and need to reearn money. You can rebuy your positionals and finish off your team. Their Wardancer, Werewolf, Mummy, Witch Elf die, then they are screwed in buying it back.

FF definately helps you a lot

[chunky04]

I often start without the Runners, so I can get a skill on the Blitzers pretty quickly before folks get Strip Ball. The Runners tend to soak up spp later on.

[Gus]

i don't understand the "they hog SPPs" approach. if they hog SPPs it's either because:
- their special skills are essential to score that particular TD
or
- you make them score without trying to score with others.

in case A, that means that you wouldn't have scored otherwise, so it's cool. in case B, that means that you should pay attention more.
both runners from the start are pretty important to the dwarf game. and it is also pretty important that you try to have LB and Blitzers score when you can.

[DoubleSkulls]

Naturally people take the most risk free option - so you tend to pick up with Runners over Blitzers (because of Sure Hands) and then don't tend to hand off or pass either.

Also with their superior speed and agility they are more likely to make it to a loose ball should you knock it loose.

To really distribute SPPs evenly you need to be willing to lose to do it.

[Gus]

disagreed. you need to be willing to take risks, OR to create risk-free situations. obviously, you'll score less if you try to use your LB than your runners. that doesn't mean that you will lose more, however. you just need to create the good situation.
btw, if "having runners" means that you don't want to take the risk of a handoff to blitzers, why take blitzers and no runners ? you take the risk of a 3+ on the pick-up as well. if you're willing to take that risk, surely you're willing to take the risk of a handoff.
what i'm saying is: balancing teams requires effort, but saying "if you do that the team will be unbalanced" is simply wrong, too simplistic at the very least.

[chunky04]

I simply find it more useful to skill up the Blitzers early on than the Runners. Even if I do start with a Runner, I'll be trying to score with the Blitzers for the first couple of games anyways. If that is the case, why do I need the Runners for the first few games when I won't be using them to their full capability? I'd be better off spending that 80K on things I will be using - like 2 rerolls or 1 and a FF for example.

I definitely want the Trollslayers early on, as that gives longer to skill them up, and more opportunities to look for opportunities to score with them - risk-free scoring opportunities will be given to my AG2 players, not the AG3 Blitzers, another reason to have them in preference to Runners early on, along with the lack of Strip Ball early.