Waterbowl Goblins

[Leipziger]

Hi, am looking for advice regarding which skill set to take for the forthcoming Waterbowl Weekender. The tournament is TR 110 and you need to choose your skills beforehand. My line-up will be:

2 Trolls
10 Goblins
1 Chainsaw
1 Pogo
1 Ball and chain
1 Bomber
3 Rerolls
Fan Factor 5.

Skill sets available are:

Upgrade 1 = 4 x skill, 2 x doubles roll

Upgrade 2 = 4 x skills, 1 doubles roll, 1 x MA +1

Upgrade 3 = 5 x skills, 1 x AG +1

Upgrade 4 = 4 x skills, 1 x ST +1

I am tempted by skill set 1 and giving both trolls block and then maybe some side step on the goblins.

However, the idea of an AG 4 goblin is quite attractive too (I know he would be an obvious target).

Cheers

Leip

[PubBowler]

Do we get to play with your line-up?
At the very least change FF5 to FF1, 2AC &2CL.

As for advancement sets:

Option 1:

Block on two trolls, Diving Tackle on 4 Goblins
HMP on bomber, Strip Ball on a goblin, DT on 4 Goblins

Option 2:

HMP on bomber, +1MA on a Goblin, DT on 4 Goblins

Option 3:

+1 AG on a Goblin, 5DT on Goblins

I'm not wild about option 3 or 4. An AG4 skink worked well for pippy last yr but a gobbo is harder to protect. DT could be swapped for Side Step in any combination but I think having at least three DT is awesome.

All of this from a inexperienced Goblin coach (take from it what you will).

[fire olli]

Get rid of the bomber and some Fan Factor and get the star player scrappa sore head.



If you can not have star players still get rid of the bomber and get a goblin lineman

[Cramy]

First off, I think that you have too many secret weapons. If you get a few injuries early, you will be forced to put-on your secret weapons on the pitch to have 11 players on the pitch. They'll get thrown-out, and then you run the risk of being outnumbered in the 2nd half. I would suggest that you use 2 secret weapons only. I prefer the Fanatic and either the Pogoer or the Chainsaw (depending on your style). Pogoer if you want to foul (great if you have a Bribe ... see next paragraph), chainsaw to cause damage, and also is great to foul with. The Bomber can cause more harm than good, and he is not that useful against agility teams.

Some tournaments allow Bribes for Goblins. If you can get them, get one. Keeps your Fanatic on the pitch, or can allow you to foul with the Pogoer every turn until you have to use your Bribe.

I agree with PubBowler for the FF. If you have money left-over, get ACs and CLs. You want to deny rerolls to your opponent as much as possible.

Strategy tip: Try to get 3-dice blocks with the Fanatic and Trolls. Tremendously reduces the chances of turn-over. You do NOT want to miss a block with the Fanatic, ever. And setup the fanatic with buddies next to him at the end of your turn so that he doesn't get hit with 2-dice against. Essentially, don't send the Fanatic on his own. Anybody with experience against a Fanatic will hit him, even with two-dice against. He falls, it's KO or worse. Don't want that.

Skills:
I like the block for Trolls, and Diving Tackle for 4 Goblins. My biggest problem with Goblins is playing defense, and forcing turnovers. Without turnover skills, it's really hard to get the ball from your opponent. Diving Tackle, coupled with Stunty and Dodge, allows you to go put TZs on the ball carrier in such a way to force him to dodge, or stay put. Side Step on 4 Goblins would also be good.

If you think that you'll face lots of strip ballers, consider Sure Hands on a Gobbo instead of Block on one of the Troll. Makes your Troll less reliable (then it's really key to get those 3-dice blocks). But if you can't keep the ball, doesn't really matter what skills your Troll has. Just played against Strip Balling Wardancers and Leaping Strip Balling Gutter Runners, and what a mess that was ...

Most importantly with Goblins, have fun.

[PubBowler]

If you think that you'll face lots of strip ballers, consider Sure Hands on a Gobbo instead of Block on one of the Troll. Makes your Troll less reliable (then it's really key to get those 3-dice blocks). But if you can't keep the ball, doesn't really matter what skills your Troll has. Just played against Strip Balling Wardancers and Leaping Strip Balling Gutter Runners, and what a mess that was ...

This is a good point. A double spent on Sure Hands would well be worth it at WaterBowl (last yr was very elf heavy).

I would push for a HMP bomber though. Diving Tackle guys to defend against agility sides. Bomber with HMP to give caging sides nightmares.

[Aliboon]

Mmm, normally i'd never take the rostered bomber for the gobbos, but the option of giving him HMP is very tempting... Would be fun, but probably not too useful and you do have too many SWs at the mo'.

Unless you get bribes, i think you will be short handed very soon after the sending offs and the inevitable injuries.

Otherwise, Scrappa is a better buy than the rostered pogoer if you can get Stars (but obviously you can't give him skills, so can't get the DP, sneaky git combo, but with Scrappa, you have a better chance of a TTM...).

So skills:

DT on the normal rolls for the normal gobbos is your best bet imo. But I reckon you will be better off taking guard on the trolls, sneaky git on the pogoer (if no Scrappa) and say MB for the fanatic as those are all normal rolls too.

With Scrappa, i would be tempted to give a Troll Strong Arm to help the TTM, although Scrappa is also a loner, so the landing would be more difficult)

Then, assuming 2 doubles, I'd go wrestle on 1 gobbo to take down the ball carrier (not strip ball, because I think that most teams will go for at least one sure hands player), the other is a bit trickier, maybe guard on a gobbo, maybe sure hands (if i had guard on the two trolls, otherwise it is too likely that the gobbo will always have a 2d against them and just be bought down normally) maybe leader.

If the shown lineup is the one you have to have, then:

Trolls Guard
Pogoer Sneaky Git
Fanatic MB

Gobbo wrestle
Bombadier HMP (too fun not to have if you have to take him, but he probably* won't be that useful)
Sure Hands on a gobbo if I'm being a bit more sensible.

* Sods law will be if you take him he'll do nowt apart from turnover, but still, very tempting....

[lauth81]

I had a very similar lineup in a tourney last year (FF3 1 CL, 1AC instead of FF5). I had only 5 normal skills to distribute before and with guard on the trolls, 2 sidestep goblins and one sneaky git gobbo.

I went 1/3/1. I found guard on the trolls and the two sidesteppers invaluable. The sneaky git, I could have done somthing more useful with that skill (never needed it). All 4 secret weapons is too much, the chainsaw and the fanatic are obvious choices, personally I would get rid of the pogo stick guy and keep the bomber.

just my 2cents...

and see you on the pitch in 10 days

[Grogmir]

My Lineup would be

12 x Gobbos, Looney, Fanatic, 2 Trolls, 4 ReRolls, 1FF 2AC, 2CL.

Skills
Would choose option 1:
Block on Trolls + 2 SideSteppers and 2 DTackle Gobs.
(Would also consider Guard on Troll and a Surehands Gobbo.)

Good Luck.
Grog

[stick_with_poo_on_the_end]

HMP on a bomber is great, especially vs slow bash teams.

Stand in the backfield and launch a morter every turn at the oppos cage. If the ball spills free, throw a cheeky gobbo in.

[Warpstone]

HMP on a bomber is great, especially vs slow bash teams.

Stand in the backfield and launch a morter every turn at the oppos cage. If the ball spills free, throw a cheeky gobbo in.

A HMPing bomber is quite possibly the best skillset in Blood Bowl... ever. It's not that the HMP'd bomb will do what you want it to, but rather the sheer ability of the threat of bomb from nowhere that is great for distracting your opponent. It's great fun.

Leipziger, are you allowed to take inducements? If so, maybe you can give up the pogo, a gob and FF for a bribe (so that your Chainsaw or Bomber can do some damage in the 2nd half too)?

[thechosengobbo]

No inducements (halflings are allowed the master chef).

I got very upset about not being able to bribe refs, myself.

[DoubleSkulls]

HMP on bombadiers is very scary - but you have to be careful since knocking down your own players is a turnover... so the best defence against it is to pile in against the gobbos - which is what a lot of bash teams want to do anyway.

[Leipziger]

Thanks for all the advice, guys.

Have gone for:

2 x troll (1 with block)
11 x Goblin (4 x diving tackle)
1 x bomb (1 x HMP)
1 x chainsaw
1 x ball & chain

RR 4

Let's see how success my 'Hot Goblin Action' turns out to be

[polarbear]

That looks like a promising all round line up on paper. But can you deliver what it promises on the field??? Im almost tempted to steal that roster for myself. Almost!!!

[kadu-c]

It's a good roster but I'd prefer taking a mix of Side Step and Diving Tackle for the Goblins.