DE Blitzer development

[Jural]

One of my Blitzers has just earned his third skill advance, and I'm wondering if anyone has some interesting ideas. It's a normal skill advance, no doubles, not stat increases.

The Player:

DE Blitzer 1: 7 3 4 8 Block, Dodge, Dauntless, X

The rest of the team:

DE Blitzer 2: 7 3 4 8 Block, Dodge, Dauntless
DE Blitzer 2: 7 3 4 8 Block, Dodge, Kick
DE Blitzer 2: 7 3 4 8 Block, Dodge

Witch Elf 1: 7 3 4 7: Dodge, Jump Up, Frenzy, Block, Side Step
Witch Elf 2: 8 3 4 7: Dodge, Jump Up, Frenzy, Block, +MA

Lineman 1: 6 3 5 8 Wrestle, Dodge, +AG
Lineman 2: 6 3 4 8 Dodge
Lineman 3: 5 3 4 8 Wrestle
Lineman 4: 6 3 4 8
Lineman 5: 6 3 4 8
Lineman 6: 6 3 4 8

Bank: 210k
Re-rolls: 3 re-rolls
Fan Factor: 10

The rest of the league:

Developed Dwarf, Developed Nurgle, Developed Chaos, Developed Humans, Rookie Skaven, Rookie Khmeri, Rookie Orcs, Quasi-developed Vampires.

12 game schedule.

[mattgslater]

Side Step. Two is way more than twice as good as one.

[Jural]

I should add: I was thinking between Side Step, Strip Ball, and Leap...

Please let me know the following: 1) What you would choose. 2) If there are any interesting skills I might have overlooked.

Also, Please feel free to insult me for choosing kick on a blitzer. You'll be happy to know I set him up in the wide about 50% of the time, then realize it right as I'm placing the ball for kick off...

[falconeyed]

Side Step without a doubt.

[Grogmir]

I like your DE Blitzer I always take that skill on one of mine, I've been lucky enough to get a double first though allowing me MB then Daunt. Allows him to get a good chance against the BG's.

In this situation, where MB isn't possible I would still stick to my guns, Side Step is a fine choice, but perhaps Stand Firm or Fend could be uselful against all those Frenzied Big Guys?

I would avoided Strip Ball and Leap these are skills I would give one a dedicated Leaping Blitzer, Leap, SB then Tackle being my prefered choice.
But perhaps that +1AG Wrestling Lineelf can be your leaper?

Sorry but I think Kick on a blitzer is a very bad... well you know

Overall keep going I like the look of em. I would add a runner (just for easy P skills) or take Sure Hands on a Double Lineelf. Oh and grap any guard you can get... basically roll al ot of doubles!

Grog.

[DoubleSkulls]

I'd probably take leap on him (just for the war dancer analog)

Side step is great en mass so take it on all the blitzers as a 2nd/3rd skill IMO.

[Joemanji]

You don't have any Tackle on your team either.

[DoubleSkulls]

You don't have any Tackle on your team either.

Tackle definitely ought to be on the agenda.. just not yet.

Given the other teams in the league I reckon the two witches ought to be able to handle blodgers.

[Meradanis]

My last dark elf team developed two Blitzers with Dodge, Dauntless and Tackle. But I should add that we had an Amazon team with 4 times +1ST, so that combo was much needed.

But even after our league killed or crippled (-1ST) all of these ST4 Blodgers, I still liked the combo. Your Blitzer will be usefull against Blodgers AND against ST4 Blockers.

[Cramy]

Yes, given the opponents, tackle should be a later skill choice. Still worth it though.

Not sure I'd go for a dauntless/tackle combo. I understand the point though. He's OK at many things. But not a specialist.

I'd give Strip Ball and Leap to one of the wrestlers. Great combination.

So for this guy, I'd go for Side Step.

[NightDragon 2]

Too late now, but I think I would have gone for leap then tackle.

[mattgslater]

You can't have too much Side Step. Side Step/Blodge cornerbacks are the best there is. Side Step on the line is vulnerable only to Grab: otherwise it's as good as Dodge or Block because it prevents chain-blocking, and better because it makes inside blitzes all-but worthless. Side Step on an inside linebacker is good too, because it keeps the opponent from opening a bunch of TZs, and means you can step him up to one-back with no fear of Quick Snap, esp. if he blodges. That square makes a massive difference in the solidity of your inside formation and on your scoring ability (as MA7 can get the end zone in 2T without a GFI, or after losing two squares and only GFI'ing conservatively). It also has meaningful but not huge offensive implications. I'd say it's on a level with Block, Dodge and Guard, just above Stand Firm, Sure Hands, Mighty Blow, Kick (except on a Blitzer ) and Leader on the list of coolest skills.

I'm surprised not to see a tackler. Is there just a paucity of Dodge in your league?

The Kick guy? Get him SS next too, so you can always use him as a blitz-me inside LB (that way you never set him up outside). Then get Tackle on one of the Wrestle guys and one of the Blitzers to deal with Gutter Runners and Human Catchers.

How do you typically structure your wide zone defense? Do you try to shunt offenses to the inside or outside? Does it work?

[PubBowler]

I'd say it's on a level with Block, Dodge and Guard, just above Stand Firm, Sure Hands, Mighty Blow, Kick (except on a Blitzer ) and Leader on the list of coolest skills.

Side Step is just not that good.

[cpatrol]

Seeing five teams with guys(non-bigguys) with ST4 or more I can see why Dauntless is necessary. To make him more of a specialist I'll suggest Pro, which can also help when blocking Nurgle Warriors/Beast. Pro makes failing your Dauntless roll 1-in-10 rather than 1-in-6 against ST4, for something that you usually wouldn't use a TRR on.

Jump Up is another one that might fit his role (another possible 2+ that you'll wanna use Pro on rather than a TRR)

[mattgslater]

Maybe you just don't know how to use it. It's not immediately apparent. I didn't think Side Step was that good either, until I started playing Pro Elves and got half a dozen ST3 Side Steppers on the field at once.

Most coaches take Side Step on a onesy-twosy basis, or on boutique players like Witch Elves and Werewolves, who find themselves on the sidelines a lot. That's not where the real strength lies. One SS player will use it, and it's a cute fun skill that you don't regret, but that's all. Seven of them (not counting Snots) just saps your opponent's will to keep playing, because they don't even get to say what happens on their own damn turn: they can rest assured that if they don't KO/cas, all they can do is make the situation worse. It's worse than Dodge that way, by an order of magnitude.

In addition to just being annoying, some other advantages of SS:

* SS is better than Stand Firm in terms of protecting cages (Juggernaut is more common than Grab, after all), and though it's slightly inferior when it comes to holding them up, it's much better for keeping your boys intact while you try, as if needed, you can hole up in multiple TZs without suffering multiple blocks, and you always know you're going to be pushed to somewhere that'll give you the best possible dodge/assist/TZ picture (depending on which matters to you).

* SS combos insanely well with many other worthwhile skills, like Block, Dodge, Guard, Fend, Jump Up, Frenzy, Tackle, Diving Tackle, Wrestle and even Kick. It also makes a great part of a combo with a lot of fun boutique skills, like Shadowing and Pass Block.

* SS is an awesome skill for keeping a TZ on a particular square (like the one with the ball).

* One SS player stops most chain-push-based 1TS attempts dead in their tracks. Four SS players stops a GR with +MA and Sprint, unless he has Leap or the blitz yields a casualty, and it's also pretty damn smothering against a 2TS attempt: if you can't break in, you can't score the next turn.

* Best of all, SS makes your opponent game with theoreticals. On the kickoff, your opponent kind of knows what your Side Steppers will do, but once the drive has begun, he has to think much harder every time he throws a block.

Side Step might not be the best skill in the game: I think that's Dodge. But it's right up there.