When to play Cards and Wizards?

Warpstone · Post by **Warpstone** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:30 pm

Just wondering, do most coaches tend to hold onto possible game changing cards (i.e. pit trap) and wizards until late in the match, or do you use them as soon as you think you can prevent a TD?

I like the idea of holding something up my sleeve for the last turns, but I wonder if it's just better to play these inducements earlier in order to impact the game early?

datalorex · Post by **datalorex** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:35 am

A card played early can change the whole outcome of the rest of the game, giving you the advantange. Other cards, like ones that give you the secret weapons, should be played at the end of the match if you only have 11 or 12 players. It just depends on the card. Personally, I'd just take a babe as you know what you are getting.

Cramy · Post by **Cramy** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:36 am

I've seen my opponents wait for the best time to play a card, then never get a chance to play it. I'd play it as soon as possible in most cases.

But as Datalorex said, I'd rather take a Babe or something else that is more guaranteed. I have never used the cards myself, too random for me.

Grumbledook · Post by **Grumbledook** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:59 am

The cards are something imho shouldn't even be in the rulebook!

As for the wizard I was very anti wizards in the game and still have that opinion. I think they are overpowered and a 2+ lightening bolt to knock over the ball carrier seems rather handy. I nearly took one to the chaos cup.

I would basically use it whne you have a clear shot at getting the ball back after taking he ball carrier down. Either bolting a corner of a cage then getting 2 dice on the ball carrier, or blitzing a route to the ball carrier, then bolt him after surrounding him.

zephard · Post by **zephard** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:50 pm

Cards I feel normally use as soon as I can. Or if its chainsaw, first turn of me recieving.

I have figured that they aren't worth spending extra money on though. Just the free money for cards only. Not inducement money.

Wizard, have taken many times, fireball a cage. But normally I don't use the wizard until it is a definite way for me to affect the game.

If you review my Underworld team against Galaks Slann on the MBBL, you will see how the wizard helped me win the game. (lighting bolt)

Warpstone, didn't I have a wizard against one of your teams, and lost due to rolling a 1 on a lighting bolt? I have failed that die roll. On the last turn of a game, trying to take out the lone ball runner.

Warpstone · Post by **Warpstone** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:19 pm

zephard wrote:Warpstone, didn't I have a wizard against one of your teams, and lost due to rolling a 1 on a lighting bolt? I have failed that die roll. On the last turn of a game, trying to take out the lone ball runner.

Don't think it was me. Though it does bring up a thought in that I tend bait a coach into using his wizard early so that I don't fall prey to a late-game lightning bolt/fireball. Conversely, is there any merit to hanging on to the wizard purely for his value as a threat?

Regarding cards, I guess I'm beginning to agree with the above comments about them not being that great a value for your inducement money. It's too bad though, as I recall that the cards in Death Zone were a blast... but maybe that's just nostalgia

Omalley69 · Post by **Omalley69** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:41 pm

wizard:

as said; fireball cages, and lightning fast ball carriers you cant reach...

but beware! fireball is often jinxed...(in the matter of dice outcome!)
i cant seem to get any good dices at all when using fireball

but lightning is pretty dahm good...esp if your a slow moving bashy team (ogre) against thouse fast skaven/WE...but save it untill its against all odds that you catch that ballcarrier before he gets the td...

but 150 points of inducement is alot for a single lightning...

Skipper · Post by **Skipper** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:30 pm

The lightening bolt is pretty tough. Its used after your turn is over. You pop the ball carrier and they have a turnover and suddenly its your turn again. At least thats what happened to me. We read through the rules and noticed that the Fireball will cause a turnover if the ball carier is hit and even though it didn't specifically say so in the lightening bolt, we assumed the same for it. Needless to say it not only cost me a touchdown but almost guaranteed my opponent one (if he hadn't failed to pick it up for two consecutive turns). Did we do this right?

Skipper

Grumbledook · Post by **Grumbledook** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:13 pm

you can use it at the start or end of a turn

if you use it at the start of your opponents turn to hit the ball carrier, it doesn't cause him a turnover, that would be silly

best time to use it would be at the start of your own turn to get the ball loose, then use your turn to either recover it, or make it really hard for your opponent to recover

TalonBay · Post by **TalonBay** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:45 pm

I found in the playoff final of our league last season that a wizrd evened up the two teams far more than the same money on a player would have, I was pretty far behind in terms of skills (too many deaths on the way to the final) and reasoned that the numbers/skills of his team would eventually grind down my team.

Thus I was looking for possible game breakers, as already stated a timely fireball or lightning bolt can wreck a cage but I found an unexpected use. At 1-1 in the second half, his ball carrier was holding way back from the LOS waiting for the run-handoff-run-pass-run-td move when I ZAP!'ed him and got all my players round to get in-between the new frog and the rest of his team. I made a mistake with a GFI and this was ultimately enough to stop the tactic working perfectly but it was nearly a single move to win me the game in an otherwise bleak situation.

Wizards can open up many opportunities, especially against inexperienced opponents.

wesleytj · Post by **wesleytj** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:00 pm

In previous editions, wizards were usable at any time during a game. This including allowing you to interrupt your opponent's turn. Most of the cards were the same way, too. This allowed you to effectively skip your opponent's turn, and if used together, would allow you to take several turns in a row.

Additionally, wizards were permanent parts of the team, for a one time cost of 150,000, and so were much more prevalent. Essentially every team over TR 170 or so had one (except dwarves, flings, and undead, who didn't get them).

That was crazy. It's much more subdued now, as it should be.