Passing up Block

Spaceman_Spiff · Post by **Spaceman_Spiff** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:26 am

Yeah, i know. it's dumb. just hear me out.

My Chaos team is seriously hurting after having to replace 7 players in the last 8 games, 6 of which had at least 2 skills. I now have 7 rookies on my roster but I still have 7 players with block (plus other fun skills) and i think that i can successfully pull off skipping Block as the 'obligatory' first beastman skill in order to regain some of the skills I've lost recently. My record with chaos is always decent and i'm pretty certain i know what i'm doing.

Now, I'm only thinking of doing this for maybe 3 or 4 of the rookie beastmen (CW still gets block) just to get back some badly needed tackle, and some guard, and maybe, maybe something else like DP.

Here's the team, every rookie means a recently dead/retired guy:
beastman: -
beastman: Block, Guard, M.B, Jump Up, Claw
beastman: -
beastman: Block
beastman: Block, Str+, Claw, M.B.
beastman: -
beastman: -
beastman: -
beastman: Block, Guard, Niggle
beastman: -
CW: -
CW: Block, M.B.
CW: Block, Jump Up
CW: Block, Ag+, Jump Up
5xRR, 150K banked, FF10 TV 191

The real question to you all is:

Would this be a situation where passing up block might be a good idea?

Andromidius · Post by **Andromidius** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:34 am

Looks fine to me. You can keep your Block players in harm's way while you busy yourself skilling your other players.

I'd take block as their second skill, however.

~Andromidius

Post by **DoubleSkulls** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:24 am

With 5 rerolls I wouldn't be too worried about not getting more block quickly.

I'd be looking for a frenzy and then a balance of tackle & guard.

Spaceman_Spiff · Post by **Spaceman_Spiff** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:16 am

Yeah, i know i need some frenzy out there too, i just don't feel comfortable giving it to a player without block. I was planning on giving it to Mr Str4 Claw MB as soon as he gets a few more SPP's. He's not far off right now, 2 or 3 more games if I'm lucky.

And yes, block will definitely be the second skill on said beastmen.

Andromidius · Post by **Andromidius** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:23 am

Skills I'd suggest you get are Sure Hands (to make a makeshift thrower/runner) and Extra Arms (catcher). Moving that ball around can be a real nightmare for Chaos.

~Andromidius

tenwit · Post by **tenwit** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:40 am

Now might be a good time to learn the virtues of Wrestle...

Spaceman_Spiff · Post by **Spaceman_Spiff** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 5:11 am

As far as i'm concerned, trying to pass the ball is nothing short of a desperation play for chaos. Sure hands or extra arms are nice to have sometimes for picking up the ball, but for the style i play, on offense they are near wasted skills. I only need to pick the ball up once, and that's what one of my rerolls is for. On defence, when i pop the ball loose from the opposition and my sure hands player is on the other side of the pitch, or flat on his ass, those skills also dont do me a lot of good. 50 someodd games have passed without once regretting not taking either of those skills. I've seen chaos coaches swear by sure hands, I just dont see it.

As for wrestle... yeah. i want a few of them too, but right now, tackle and guard are much more important.

frogbear · Post by **frogbear** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 8:36 am

Sure hands, or every dedicated blitzer/Wardancer is going to get you to drop that ball

Best to cover your weaknesses first than to build on your evident strengths.

PubBowler · Post by **PubBowler** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:27 am

I'd be wanting a Sure Hands guy but you seem unconvinced.

Regardless of whether you decide to avoid Block (and I think the idea has merit) I'd be taking Frenzy on the first Beastman to get a skill.

frogbear · Post by **frogbear** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 10:59 am

Spaceman_Spiff wrote:I only need to pick the ball up once, and that's what one of my rerolls is for.

...and how do you account for strip ball?

Once? If you are lucky. Why use a team reroll when you can use a freebie.

PubBowler · Post by **PubBowler** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:16 am

frogbear wrote:Why use a team reroll when you can use a freebie.

I don't think it's fair to catagorise a skill reroll as free.

It costs 20k in TV to have a skill. And the SPPs to get it.

And that's before mentioning the energy spent on making sure that the right player is there for the pick up.

Or the opportunity cost of picking another skill.

I'd take Sure Hands (as I said) but I don't think of it as free.

Cramy · Post by **Cramy** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:22 pm

If there aren't any Strip Balling leapers or high agility Strip Ballers in your league, then I agree that Sure Hands is not that useful. I'd take Sure Hands to counter Strip Ball, not necessarily for picks-ups as you already have 5 RRs.

When I play any of the Elf teams or Skaven, one of my first skills to get is Strip Ball.

fen · Post by **fen** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:25 pm

I'd certainly skip out on Block for Extra Arms or Guard. But not Tackle, Wrestle or Sure Hands. Wrestle plain sucks on most Chaos players (apart from a dedicated strip baller), Tackle is too hit and miss and Extra Arms > Sure Hands as a first skill.

After you've got Block though Tackle and Sure Hands become interesting.

Spaceman_Spiff wrote:beastman: Block

That's the dude I'd get Sure hands onto if anyone.

whitetiger · Post by **whitetiger** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:52 pm

I think that skipping block on the new players is not a bad idea. You have plenty of it. Guard, tackle and extra arms would be useful skills for you.

Spaceman_Spiff · Post by **Spaceman_Spiff** » Thu May 01, 2008 1:05 am

Thanks for the advice thus far guys. Even though i may not agree with some of it, it is still appreciated. I guess I'm fairly stubborn in my chaos play style. But whatever. I'm winning the majority of my matches so I guess I must be doing something right.

The reasons I've never regretted taking sure hands is because of the almost complete lack of strip ball in my league for one, and for two, since about game 3 with this team I've always had at least one player with AG+. The league is becoming increasingly overrun with bash teams and i don't believe we've ever had a wood elf team, let alone any team with a leap strip baller. If those types of players become more common i will definitely think about taking sure hands. As it stands, I just don't feel the need to take it.

I consider extra arms a luxury skill for chaos. Not necessary by any means, just nice to have on occasion. Also, I'm not particularly fond of it for reasons mentioned in a previous post about chaos taking passing/ball moving skills. Again, it's nice for the pickup, but then what? I end up with a skill that makes said beastman the dedicated receiver for those turn 8 completions from a rookie beast who got the mvp the previous match.