Need some advice for my Norse

Frankus Macimus · Post by **Frankus Macimus** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 4:48 am

Hello all,

I'm a new member and new to Blood Bowl (LRB5.0) but I'm really enjoying it. We're running an 8 man league and it's been a blast keeping track of who's doing what and having the guys develop their character.

I'm playing Norse and I've got 2 throwers, 2 runners, 2 berzerkers, and 7 linemen (I had 6 but I needed a journeyman and of course he got MVP so I kept him).

My dilemma is now that I've got a few league games in, I need to pick some skills. My last game was a win and I got 4 players with skills.
My two throwers (already have pass/block)
A runner (already has block/dauntless)
The former journeyman lineman (has block).

I'm thinking the lineman should have Tackle to cancel dodge and get people down.

Get the Throwers Leadership ("free" re-rolls). Accurate would be nice but the team re-rolls could be huge.

The runner well, that's tough Catch, Sure Hands, Fend and others look good but I'm not sure which would be best.

A few other things, I've got Fan Factor 6, 2 re-rolls, an apothecary, and 160,000 in the treasury.

I look forward to reading your feed back.

--Frank

Younglord Denisar · Post by **Younglord Denisar** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 7:26 am

I'm playing Norse as well and I start my thrower with accurate and sure hands. My linemen with tackle and the tunners with dodge and side step.

rodders · Post by **rodders** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 10:21 am

tackle is a good choice for a lino imo an interesting one i have on one line in my team is wrestle ok you already have block but so do alot of ball carriers and sometimes you just need them on the floor.

sure hands is a deffinate on one of the throwers norse dont play the passing game that well and are far better at running the ball maybe leader fot the other as you only have 2 rr's but that can be a waste of a skill

for the runner go with either dodge or ss i would have said sure hands if you had no throwers .

the 160k in the treasury SNOW TROLL you wont regret it then save for the ulfs

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:48 pm

There's actually a thread on what people do with different teams' advancement up above. Here's what I might do:

Thrower -- Sure Hands.
Thrower -- Leader or Sure Hands (Leader if you have 2 or fewer RRs).
Runner -- Dodge.
Lineman -- Tackle or Kick (you want both on different linemen; if your next opponent is dodgy go Tackle, and if they're smashy go Kick).

Jeremiah Kool · Post by **Jeremiah Kool** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:36 am

I´d suggest the same as Mattgslater.

Grogmir · Post by **Grogmir** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:12 am

I also agree with Mattgslater,

However I would also like to reitterate rodders question.

Why no Snow Troll? Or Ulfwereners (Sp?). The Snow Troll is the best big guy in the game, buy him! buy him now!

Also don't play fair - you have the best crowd pushers in the game - use it!

Grogmir.

Frankus Macimus · Post by **Frankus Macimus** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:08 pm

Grogmir wrote:I also agree with Mattgslater,

However I would also like to reitterate rodders question.

Why no Snow Troll? Or Ulfwereners (Sp?). The Snow Troll is the best big guy in the game, buy him! buy him now!

Also don't play fair - you have the best crowd pushers in the game - use it!

Grogmir.

Thanks to all for the advice and tips. I went with:
#1 Njall (thrower GP/AS), skill: Accurate (Pass)
#2 Logan (thrower GP/AS), skill: Leader (Pass)
#6 Ulric (runner GA/SP), skill: Dodge (Agility)
#13 Falkor (lineman G/ASP), skill: Tackle (General)

I went with team fluff for Njall Signal-Caller since he has 5 completions in 1 preseason and 3 regular season games (and leads the league).

I took Leader for the "cheap re-roll," Dodge to get through enemy lines and tackle for stopping the dodgy gits.

Right now it seems like I'm using my runners Dauntless to take on a lot of teams big guys or stronger guys. My league features 8 players: Humans, Halflings, Orks, Chaos, Lizardmen, Goblins, Dwarves, and my Norse. I'm doing alright with a record of 1-0-2. I beat Humans and tied the 'flings and Lizardmen.

As for not having a Snow Troll or Ulfwerener, I guess I just went with what was in the Norse team box to start my team. I was thinking of getting that next re-roll with the loot. I take it the Snow Troll is the better investment.

Also, I definitely like being able to be a crowd pusher. Against the humans, I got a back and down injuring the player in base to base and pushing another into the crowd for an injury (although I think it was just stunned). Still it was a nice player swing.

Again, thanks for the responses.

--FJ

Aliboon · Post by **Aliboon** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:11 pm

A Snow Troll would indeed be your next best buy. If I were you, I wouldn't be using your Runners to take out big guys (leave them to the Troll) , they're bound to fail their dauntless rolls at some stage and get battered with a 2d against.

I'd use them more as blitzers-they've got the speed, and with dodge, they can get where they need to go.

Whilst Norse blitzers/beserkers are good, I don't think that they're really like blitzers from other teams-frenzy means that they'll often be next to players at the end of their turn and they're not as good as making a hole then running through-if they don't get the player down, they've still gotta follow up and maybe have to dodge away, which you don't wanna be doing.

Agree with your other choices, surehands would be nice at some stage, especially if you generally pick the ball up with your accurate guy. But I shouldn't have thought there is any strip ball in your league as yet and at the moment, Leader is probably as valuable.

Frankus Macimus · Post by **Frankus Macimus** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:02 pm

Aliboon wrote:A Snow Troll would indeed be your next best buy. If I were you, I wouldn't be using your Runners to take out big guys (leave them to the Troll) , they're bound to fail their dauntless rolls at some stage and get battered with a 2d against.

I'd use them more as blitzers-they've got the speed, and with dodge, they can get where they need to go.

Whilst Norse blitzers/beserkers are good, I don't think that they're really like blitzers from other teams-frenzy means that they'll often be next to players at the end of their turn and they're not as good as making a hole then running through-if they don't get the player down, they've still gotta follow up and maybe have to dodge away, which you don't wanna be doing.

Agree with your other choices, surehands would be nice at some stage, especially if you generally pick the ball up with your accurate guy. But I shouldn't have thought there is any strip ball in your league as yet and at the moment, Leader is probably as valuable.

I guess I should clarify, when I use the runners on big guys, I try to have a few guys assisting just in case I miss and if I do take him down, I get the bonus on the foul. with the extra MA, I do also use them to chase down break aways. I try to use the throwers as safeties keeping them in the backfield to slow down anyone coming through and having the runners lay them out.

Berzerkers can be fun however, my first experiences were with Chaos and while an assisted block is nice, Frenzy put me in a lot of bad situations being behind on strength. I think I'm "seeing" the play better trying to keep numbers on my side but I'm a bit gun shy.

I already submitted my roster to my commissioner with the third re-roll so I'll have to save for the Snow Troll. As it is, I'm making a lot of painting progress on my guys and don't need another model to paint just yet.

--FJ

Mo · Post by Mo » Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:13 pm

Definitely get that Troll -- there's a lot of high armour opponents in that league for you to sharpen your claws on. Don't put the Troll in the front line on defense though, keep it in the second line right behind your LOS 3 to scare away follow-ups.

Kick was the first skill I gave a Liner this season and haven't regretted it at all. Dirty Player was next. Then I got around to the Wrestle and Tackle. Wrestle up front in your defensive LOS is a good way to open up holes in the other team's line. My Linewomen have also been lucky and 2 got armour upgrades.

Sure Hands will save you from using 1-2 rerolls each game trying to pick up the ball, its a must-have skill.

Don't be shy about Frenzy, just take a little care not to be forced into 1/2 dice attacks too often. The huge strength of the Norse team now is that with all of that starting Frenzy you can throw a lot more Block dice each turn than other teams can. If your frenziers are staggered every 2 squares, you can make your first attack to shove your opponent down the line and the meat grinder just keeps churning until you knock them down or shove them off the sidelines. You're short changing yourself on attacks by only having 2 out of the 5 starting frenziers on your roster.

Setting up 1 die blocks with the Runners and hoping the Dauntless will convert it to 2 dice, as you've found out, is also a great block die multiplier for Norse.

So far this season, only 1 out of my 13 players hasn't scored a casualty yet

Cheers,
Maureen

Rab · Post by **Rab** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:52 am

Aliboon wrote:A Snow Troll would indeed be your next best buy.

Yup, and that Impact one is lovely - I just finished mine off (apart from the base) for the Thrudbowl, and he practically painted himself.

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:08 pm

Frankus Macimus wrote:Thanks to all for the advice and tips. I went with:
#1 Njall (thrower GP/AS), skill: Accurate (Pass)
#2 Logan (thrower GP/AS), skill: Leader (Pass)
#6 Ulric (runner GA/SP), skill: Dodge (Agility)
#13 Falkor (lineman G/ASP), skill: Tackle (General)

Cool. Try to get Njall up again so you can give him Sure Hands. You won't be sorry.

My league features 8 players: Humans, Halflings, Orks, Chaos, Lizardmen, Goblins, Dwarves, and my Norse. I'm doing alright with a record of 1-0-2. I beat Humans and tied the 'flings and Lizardmen.

Does this mean you won't be playing the Humans, Halflings or Lizards again? If so, you can stop taking Tackle guys. If you'll see them again, you'll have a lot of fun if you get another one or two. If you think you're going to go up against those Orcs, Chaos or Dwarfs, you'll want a Kick player.

Frankus Macimus · Post by **Frankus Macimus** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 4:31 pm

mattgslater wrote:
Frankus Macimus wrote:Thanks to all for the advice and tips. I went with:
#1 Njall (thrower GP/AS), skill: Accurate (Pass)
#2 Logan (thrower GP/AS), skill: Leader (Pass)
#6 Ulric (runner GA/SP), skill: Dodge (Agility)
#13 Falkor (lineman G/ASP), skill: Tackle (General)
Cool. Try to get Njall up again so you can give him Sure Hands. You won't be sorry.

My league features 8 players: Humans, Halflings, Orks, Chaos, Lizardmen, Goblins, Dwarves, and my Norse. I'm doing alright with a record of 1-0-2. I beat Humans and tied the 'flings and Lizardmen.
Does this mean you won't be playing the Humans, Halflings or Lizards again? If so, you can stop taking Tackle guys. If you'll see them again, you'll have a lot of fun if you get another one or two. If you think you're going to go up against those Orcs, Chaos or Dwarfs, you'll want a Kick player.

I plan on getting him Sure Hands as well. He'd actually have a few more completions but when my runners got behind the line, they'd drop the ball. As you can guess, with only 2 re-rolls I was burning through them pretty quickly (I'm notorious for bad dice including a double double skulls).

I will play Goblins, Orcs, Chaos, and Dwarfs once (Dwarfs are next on the schedule). As for the others, I will probably play them in the play offs (6 of the 8 teams will make the play-offs).

--FJ

Buggrit · Post by **Buggrit** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:09 am

Yup I started my team with 2 ulfs, 2 beserkers and the Snow Troll (named Fluffy) who quickly went on to gather 5 CAS's and 2 TD's!! he's now Strength 6 with Mighty Blow (breaking all armour on a 7!!) next skill for him will be juggernaught (for taking out the Ogres and Kroxigor in our league with a 2 Dice Blitz)

Frankus Macimus · Post by **Frankus Macimus** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:34 am

Team Update:

Well, the Mighty fNords are continuing their quest for the play-offs. On Saturday I got two games in. I played Chaos and Dwarves.

I lost 2-1 against Chaos. I had a tough time in the first half keeping players on the field. I was lucky and finished the game with an apothecary to spare (I got $100K in inducements). None of my guys missed more than the rest of the game. One of my runners scored a TD as the game ended and I had a blitzer inflict a casualty (broken neck on a beastman... apothecary reroll was dead guess which he picked...).

After that game, I had enough SPPs to raise two players. I gave my second runner dodge and the Berzerker rolled 11 and took agility. Even though I lost, I still managed to pull in $60K for the treasury for a total of $100.

The second game was against the dwarves and I could tell that he wasn't accustomed to playing someone with block. He tried to knock me off the line and I was able to get around him and scored a league high 5 touchdowns (my 2 runners each had 2 and my AG 4 blitzer scored the last TD).

Unfortunately, after the game none of my players had enough SPP for advancement. Even worse, I rolled a 3 for the treasury. I was +2 with winning and fame so I went with the re-roll. Of course, I rolled a 1. So I'm sitting at $130 with 2 games left in the season.

My next game is goblins with orcs to follow. I'm hoping for a good game against the goblins, although after the dwarves, I don't think I'll underestimate the gobbos.

I've also got a few players close to advancement:
Njall (thrower) has 14 SPP;
Bjorn and Ulric (runners) are each at 12;
Borgeirr (AV8 lino) is at 15; and
Ragnar (berzerker) is at 4.

--Frank