Skaven team, unexperienced coach, unexperienced league

Coach Alex · Post by **Coach Alex** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 2:38 am

I took Guard for my Storm Vermin, since the Wood Elves team only have one player with dodge and that, in fact, there are about three or four players with it that aren't in my team in the whole league.

May be I'll think about buying a Rat Ogre, but I seriously doubt it. Their Wild Animal caracteristic pisses me off ...

JaM · Post by **JaM** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 8:42 am

You've mentioned a 'recent rulebook'... I DO hope you've got the right WA-skill in fornt of you ! aka 2+ for a blitz/block, 4+ on a move.

I found strip ball on my SV very useful ! Let him drop the ball, and worry about picking it up again.

Hey, skaven were my first team too, and I still like them ! Besides, you can give your thrower kick, after he got accurate and (maybe) block... he's in the backfield most of the time anyway (well, mine is/was).

Coach Alex · Post by **Coach Alex** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:45 pm

Yes, I have the 4th edition of the living rulebook, but I think that a rat ogre actually sucks, he can basically only block and is very expensive, I'd like to buy two re-roll (which is basically buying yourself some luck) for almost the same price ...

Coach Alex · Post by **Coach Alex** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:09 pm

Well, finally I've found some utility to the rat ogre. If you place him in the LoS, it's one Linerat that survives! And I guess I can use him for other purposes anyway ...

el sid · Post by **el sid** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 5:17 pm

Coach Alex wrote:Well, finally I've found some utility to the rat ogre. If you place him in the LoS, it's one Linerat that survives!

That's some very expensive cannon fodder you're putting on the line. Remember, the Rat Ogre is the least robust Big Guy in the game. Having no Thick Skull, no Regenerate and only AV8. This means that if you can avoid it getting punched, you should do so. I would not recommend putting it on the LoS. A pitty for your Linerats, but it's their job to get smacked all over the field!

Trolls and Treemen are much better suited to stand their ground on the Los.

But as you said yourself, the Rat Ogre has other useful properties. It's fast, and it's got Frenzy! I normally use it to take out players somewhat lost in the open. This way, you can easily hold up 2-3 players simply using your Rat Ogre. If I'm desperate, I'll also use it to hit the ball carrier inside a cage. But in this case, you need Break Tackle.

Never use the Rat Ogre for those all-important, game-deciding moments. If I definately want to take down an opponent, I use my Block/Tackle Storm Vermin on which you can use Re-Rolls.

But still I like the Rat Ogre for collecting casualties. Just don't throw it in the heat. Rely on your positional players to take care of the more delicate stuff which makes you win games.

El Sid

The Florist · Post by **The Florist** » Wed Apr 13, 2005 7:57 pm

Exactly. Put TZ on people with him, and force your opponent to plan for the risk of crowd pushes.

Coach Alex · Post by **Coach Alex** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 4:58 pm

It might be fast, but this speed has 50% chances of not having any utility due to WA. So basically, if I don't place him on the LoS, or on the middle's side lines, he might just never do anything, which is kinda annoying. Which is worst? Loosing a rat ogre after 6-7 games of active playing or keeping him roaming in the middle of the field for the whole season? I like the first one better.

Bizzy · Post by **Bizzy** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 7:25 pm

Give the rat ogre the ball. He is a monster plus when your rushing into the endzone you just say "blitz" and walk in on a 2+ not very sportsman but it works.

el sid · Post by **el sid** » Thu Apr 14, 2005 7:53 pm

Coach Alex wrote:It might be fast, but this speed has 50% chances of not having any utility due to WA.

If you're still using this rule (WA not getting a +2 bonus for a blitz, only for a block), I'd not take a Rat Ogre at all. This will save you a lot of frustration. If the Rat Ogre had the stat line of a Troll, such a rule would not be such a big problem (although it still would suck). But with its high MA and being relatively fragile, the Rat Ogre is not designed to be thrown into a scrum.

Forget about it, get yourself a full Rat Squad with some decent Re-Roll number, and outmanoevre your opponents.

Using the recent WA rule (+2 bonus WA roll on blitz) makes it worthwile to get yourself this agressive Big Guy though. Just don't let your gameplan depend on it.

El Sid

Coach Alex · Post by **Coach Alex** » Fri Apr 15, 2005 1:18 pm

Is this the rule of the fourth edition? If it does, then of course I'm gonna use it lol. That's how I first thought it would work, but apparently I looked at some old rules once and took it for granted. My bad ...

Coach Alex · Post by **Coach Alex** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 2:03 pm

Hello guys, it's me again. I'm doing pretty well in my league since I still haven't lost any game nor any player after four games. I'm not scoring as much touchdown as I'd like to but, well, it's because usually I'm able to prevent other teams for scoring, which slows the game a little.

Anyway, my question (this time) is the following : should I give a MA upgrade to my linerat or just stick with giving him kick, considering a 8MA LR isn't that usefull, and that a kicker definitely would be.

I'm also wondering if I should take catch of sidestep as a second skill (after block) for my GR ...

Brokje · Post by **Brokje** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 2:17 pm

I'd say sidestep, although if your playing online I am less convinced. At least it will give you the oppertunity to roam the sidelines.

Kick is definetely more useful, especially with those anoying fast GR's. Place the ball 3-4 squares from your half when kicking, and 3-4 squares from your favourite sideline. Hopefully he wont pick it up or maybe his designated up-picker is too far away.

If he fails anyhow, you are their to get it!

Coach Alex · Post by **Coach Alex** » Sat May 21, 2005 6:28 pm

Hi, it's me again, it's been some time since I asked you anything about my current season and I got to say I've done pretty well by myself, 9 wins, 0 ties and 2 loss.

My team, right now, looks like that :

One thrower with accurate (12 SPP)

A Gutter Runner with 10 MA, Catch and Sure Feets (41 SPP) (I know what next skill I'm gonna give him

)
A Gutter Runner with a niggling injury (from aging), block, sidestep, shadowing and diving tackle (56 SPP) (I think giving him both shadowing and diving tackle is a mistake, but I realized it too late

)
A Gutter Runner with 5 AG, Block (28 SPP)
A Gutter Runner with Block (10 SPP)

A Storm Vermin with AR 7 (from an injury) and Guard (13 SPP)
A Storm Vermin without any skills (2 SPP)

A Rat Ogre with Break Tackle and Block (17 SPP)

Two Linerats with Block (both 8 SPP)
A Linerat with Kick (11 SPP)
A Linerat with Dirty Player (8 SPP)
Three Linerats without any skills nor star player points

2 Assist. Coach, 2 Cheerleaders, Apothecary, 13 Fan Factor, 150k in bank and 208 of team rating.

So far, I think I'd need to get my storm vermins more skills and to get another linerat with block, one with leader if I can and the last one with dirty player eventually. My AG 5 GR should level up next game, as well as my Guarding Storm Vermin and I don't really know what to give them. I thought of Leap for my GR or Dauntless on a double (to make him a cage-breaker) and I don't really know what to give my Storm Vermin, probably Claw or Horn on a double, but no clue for what to give them for a normal skill.

Also, any comments about my actual team strenghts and preferably weaknesses would be appreciated, or suggestions for further team developpement.

Thanks

The Florist · Post by **The Florist** » Sun May 22, 2005 1:51 am

I'm not to sure about keeping the AV 7 Stormvermin.
Retire him or try to get him killed.
In general, don't score with your developed gutter runners if you can avoid it.
Try to develop the low-SPP one instead, and the storm vermin if possible.

But apart from that it looks like you're doing very well.

Coach Alex · Post by **Coach Alex** » Sun May 22, 2005 4:30 pm

I don't see the urge of firing my good SV fellow. It's like a linerat with block and guard, which is great, I'm just not gonna give him SPP (unless he earns them by kicking some asses) and use my money to buy myself Headsplitter, once I'll have enough cash to buy another SV I'll turn him into an assistant coach, but until then ...

Thanks for the advice anyway