LRB5: Dark Elves, using the assassin

Cramy · Post by **Cramy** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 6:33 pm

fen,

Why Stand Firm instead of Side Step. For the purpose of staying next to your opponent, they are almost the same. Side Step you get on a normal roll, while Stand Firm you need doubles.

Can you please explain? I think I missed something.

fen · Post by **fen** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:03 pm

1. Side Step is cancelled by Grab. A skill which a) works on blocks and b) is being picked more and more by coaches in the leagues I play in as it sets up chain crowd pushes, keeps players in blocking range and cancels Side Step which is a much hated skill.
2. Our league is so used to side steppers that blocks are thrown in situations that limit the side step options dangerously.
3. You can position yourself for a multiple stab on the following turn and then be forced to side step away to a position that doesn't help.

Stand Firm is only cancelled by Juggernaut on the Blitz. If you're going to spend your blitz to push a player who's already in base to base contact and blockable, that's a waste.

So yes, you can use Side Step for a similar effect, but imo Stand Firm works better if you can get it. I'd rather the player stay put where you placed them.

Other leagues may not have started using Grab. In which case Side Step is a better choice. But Grab is only going to get better in peoples estimations as time passes.

Cramy · Post by **Cramy** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 3:47 pm

Update on my first game with LRB5 DEs. I used the lineup that I had in my original post.

3xBlitzer 300kgp
2xRunner 160kgp
1xAssassin 90kgp
5xLineElves 350kgp
2xrerolls 100gp

The game was against Skaven team with the following lineup (from memory):
2xBlitzers
2xGRs
1xThrower
5xLinerats
1xRat Ogre
3xRR

The Assassin was a blast. In the second turn of the game, I stabbed one of his GRs, causing a Serious Injury: -AV. He only had one GR left, and was very careful with him. The threat of the Assassin made him hide his GR for most of the rest of the game (when he wasn't KOed

).

The Assassin managed to stab only a few other times during the game, with little to no direct effect. But the threat of the stab on a mostly AV7 team was quite impressive.

I chose to keep a lineman on the Rat Ogre for the whole game. As soon as the Rat Ogre would have been free of TZs, he would have blitzed the Assassin, which I didn't want. This was a risk, but it payed-off as the RO didn't injure anybody. Most of the play was happening next to the sideline, where I outnumbered my opponent. The last thing that I wanted was the RO in the middle of that mess. The RO stayed around the LoS for the whole game.

In the last turn of the game, I was winning 2-0 and had the ball, but couldn't score. I decided to try to give an SPP to the Assassin. I handed-off the ball to him and moved him to throw a pass to another players. Yey, and SPP. But idiot me, I had left my Assassin in the middle of the field, all by himself. The grin on my opponents face was not reassuring. He promptly blitzed the Assassin and injured him, MNG. As least the Assassin avoided the gang-foul that my opponent was planning for him.

My next game is against Amazons. It's unfortunate that the Assassin won't be there. Serves me right to get cocky at the end of a game.

Father911 · Post by **Father911** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 4:07 pm

If you didn't take a journeyman you can induce an assassin mercinary for 120k since you are down 90k for the MNG assassin already thats just 30k more... Definetely worth it against Zons (Blodging blitzers beware

)

Cramy · Post by **Cramy** » Fri Oct 06, 2006 4:30 pm

Hmmm. Never thought about that. That would be 120kgp ...

I'm not sure that our TV will be different enough to make such a difference. I bought an apothecary, so without the journeyman my TV is 96. The Amazon coach started with TV100, but I have not seen his new roster after his first game, which he lost. He would need to have a TV of at least 108 for me to be able to hire the Assassin Mercenary.

I'll wait to see what his new TV is ... If I can get the Assassin, great. Thanks for the suggestion.

sgtspiff · Post by **sgtspiff** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:19 pm

ok I now that this is thread necromacy at its best but whys start another assassin thread when this is a great one.

I'm thinking of giving my lone assassin (1st skill) Sneaky Git.
As I use him to mark prone players a lot why not let him foul the marked player?
What do you say about this?

wesleytj · Post by **wesleytj** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:27 pm

I think using position players to foul is looney. Give Sneaky Git/Dirty Player to a line elf. Use your assassin to Stab and Shadow people. Give him skill that keep him alive and increase his annoyance factor, since Annoyance is truly their greatest asset.

Assassins do well with skills like Sidestep, Dodge, Fend, and Tackle (to enhance the shadowing aspect)

Father911 · Post by **Father911** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:44 pm

wesleytj wrote:
Assassins do well with skills like Sidestep, Dodge, Fend, and Tackle (to enhance the shadowing aspect)

IMHO The best skill to enhance shadowing is Diving Tackle. But I can see the argument for tackle as well...

PubBowler · Post by **PubBowler** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:30 pm

My skill choices:
Diving Tackle (Better than Tackle IMO as you don't need the Block dice effect as you'll be stabbing), Side Step, then...

Never got one to a 3rd skill. Can get to two fairly quickly and then I find I have to use better developed players to get the scores. And they're pretty fragile to get advances through MVPs.

But maybe Tackle, Dodge or Block if I did.

Cramy · Post by **Cramy** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:17 pm

I agree that giving him Sneaky Git would be madness. Sneaky Git and Dirty Player are Lino skills.

For the Assassin, I agree that Side Step and Dodge are quite good on the Assassin. Block is also good, so is Tackle and Diving Tackle. But if you chose Diving Tackle, make sure that if you go on the ground, it's a turnover for your opponent. Otherwise you're likely to get fouled.

On doubles, Multiple Block.

Father911 · Post by **Father911** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:53 pm

Cramy wrote: But if you chose Diving Tackle, make sure that if you go on the ground, it's a turnover for your opponent. Otherwise you're likely to get fouled.

You can decide after the roll if you are going to use diving tackle or not, so if the roll is high enough that diving tackle would not cause a failed dodge, don't use it, use shadowing instead.
The one problem comes from dodge rerolls, If the diving tackle causes a failed dodge it can be rerolled, and may pass with you on the ground (since you used for the first roll, you must use it for the second). Risk you have to take for the potential turnover.

Tarp · Post by **Tarp** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:44 pm

Against other elf teams, an the like, an assasin with tackle and diving tackle is a fantastik way to ruin your opponents plans... an if you feel like a 2nd one with pass block an diving tackle is also alot of fun