How good is the APO in 5.0 ?

final fortune · Post by **final fortune** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:58 am

For some unknown reason i missed the chapter on the APO in 5.0. I have not played BB i a long time (like 10 years or more). if remember correctly back in the old days the APO cured the player totally except on a roll of 1. With the new APO i would like to hear people comments regarding soft teams like Elf, skaven etc.

Mootaz · Post by **Mootaz** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:02 am

He's still worth it in a league, not so much in tourneys. The reason why he's not so popular in tourneys is not so much the fact that he works less often but more the fact that
a ) players go to reserves instead of staying on the pitch (makes him next to useless in a lot of 2nd halves)
b ) cannot be used on stunned and KO players (it was very useful that way. Your Gutter Runner carries breaks through the enemy line and your opponent barely manages to reach him but knocks him down and stuns him? No problem, use the apo, stand up, grab the ball and score. No longer possible)

PubBowler · Post by **PubBowler** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:07 am

Mootaz has it covered really, the only other thing I can think of is that an LRB5 apoth will automatically move a Badly Hurt player into the reserves box.

This is a useful thing in tournie play.
Not enough to keep an apoth in your side for a lot of people but still.

Kheldar · Post by **Kheldar** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:01 am

There are not many teams where I would choose an apo in tournaments. Amas at 110k maybe. If you have to choose between 14th player or apo. Then I would choose an apo.

In a leage its still my first buy after the initial setup.

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 5:53 am

Four basic factors, in addition to the league/tournament discrepancy:

1) Low AV?

2) 60k+ for lino?

3) Numerous/expensive/indispensable positionals?

4) No built-in costing issues? (Read: not Wood Elves or Chaos)

For Skaven, an Apoth makes some sense in lieu of a 13th player. The same, paradoxically, is true of Orcs or Humans: they have so many positionals that replacing an early casualty frequently implies a step down. Dwarfs are in the same boat, as an Apoth is cheaper than a second reserve, and the relatively fragile skill players are crucial to team success. Amazons or Norse, OTOH, should only consider it if the alternative is 14 or 15 warm bodies, as their linemen fill in nicely.

Wood Elves should buy an Apoth as soon as they've earned the cash, but they most definitely don't have the resources to start with one at 1M. It's a great idea at 1.1, though, whether in a league or tournament. High and Dark Elves tend to have a little more scratch, but they also have less demand for an Apothecary and should also purchase one either out of winnings or only on a 1.1M roster. Pro Elves can start with one immediately, as they meet all four criteria above (no big costing issues, high-end positionals, low AV, linos over 50k), but that's the best argument for a starting Apo I can think of.

In a tournament, use the Apoth on the first BH lino or first expensive positional casualty of any sort. Don't sit on it unless you have a poor target right at the outset and a reserve to back him up! Apoth in leagues is an insurance policy on your positionals, but for tourneys it's for the numbers game!

PubBowler · Post by **PubBowler** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:41 am

mattgslater wrote: In a tournament, use the Apoth on the first BH lino or first expensive positional casualty of any sort. Don't sit on it unless you have a poor target right at the outset and a reserve to back him up! Apoth in leagues is an insurance policy on your positionals, but for tourneys it's for the numbers game!

Keeping a skilled (as in extra team building advance) player on is the best use of an apoth in a tournie.