Wood Elf Catcher - 5th skill

[AviStetto]

I just had a wood elf catcher earn his 5th skill and would like some input on his skill selection. This is for a LRB 5 league.

Current skills earned: Block, Dauntless, Side Step, Tackle.

I used him both as a safety on defense and as a scorer on offense.

The rest of the team:
Wardancer #1 - Juggernaut, Strip Ball, Tackle
Wardancer #2 - Side Step
Thrower - Accurate, AG+1, Dodge, Kick-off Return, Safe Throw
Catcher #2 - Block, MA+1, Nerves of Steel, Side Step, Sure Feet
Catcher #3 - Block
Treeman - Grab, Multiple Block
Lineman #1 - AG+1, Leap, Pass Block
Lineman #2 - Block, Dodge (Niggle)
Lineman #3 - Block, Kick
Lineman #4 - Block
Lineman #5 - Guard (Niggle, AV-1)


-Avi Stetto

[mepmuff]

With Tackle already on him and the survivability increasing blodge, I'd stick shadowing on him.

[Andromidius]

Oh yeah, Shadowing will infuriate your opponants!

Or Diving Tackle.

I am wondering why your MA10 Catcher doesn't have Sprint though. And why your Tree doesn't have Guard. I guess you wanted something a bit different from the norm.

~Andromidius

[mattgslater]

Shadowing!

[Mad Jackal]

I understand why the tree doesn't guard. Grab is key, and that also partially answers the sprint question on the move 10 guy as well I think.

My personal preferences for this guy would be in order: sure feet or strip ball or wrestle. Screw shadowing. All he is doing is letting some-one take a free shot at him or provide an assist that isnt' needed due to st 2. (I'd sooner give him diving tackle than shadowing.)

I say sure feet as defensively that extends his range even more. Which allows him to chase people down. And offensivley with the side-step and grab you have a safer OTS alternative. Plus extending range on offense is never bad either.

If not sure feet I say strip ball to get more opportunities to free up the ball. That one is "weaker" in my opinion as it has no uses on offense really.

Wrestle would be to take down opposing block ball carriers on defense and on offense, wrestle can be used to create holes even vs block opponents.

not much I can say more, at this point, I need to get to a meeting. but feel free to disect my choices.

[Jural]

Shadowing and Diving Tackle ensure that the player would be massively annoying if you don't knock him down, great on a safety who is marking someone.

I also like Pass Block, as it allows you to mark someone mid play, and this would be your second Pass Blocker (so you can really shut down the passing game.) And catch combined with AG4 makes intercepts pretty darn likely if someone does risk it.

Finally, don't discount Fend. I might have gone that way with this piece instead of Dauntless.

[PubBowler]

Diving Tackle for me.

And I wouldn't take Sprint on a MA10 Catcher either, it's very easy to get one chain push for a OTS.

[Warpstone]

Shadowing is not ideal on a ST2 player--even most agile opponents will normally take a shot at him rather than dodge away. If you really want him to be a man-marker, go with Diving Tackle.

Otherwise, strip ball is never a bad choice.

[stashman]

Current skills earned: Block, Dauntless, Side Step, Tackle.

Maybe Strip Ball, Diving Tackle or Shadowing

Catcher #2 - Block, MA+1, Nerves of Steel, Side Step, Sure Feet

Why didn't you go Sprint instead of Sure Feet???

[stashman]

And I wouldn't take Sprint on a MA10 Catcher either, it's very easy to get one chain push for a OTS.

There is much skills that stops chainpushing today.

Fend
Stand Firm
Side Step

[sann0638]

Shadowing is not ideal on a ST2 player--even most agile opponents will normally take a shot at him rather than dodge away. .

But with blodge and side step, they normally won't knock him over and he'll still be standing next to them.

[Warpstone]

Shadowing is not ideal on a ST2 player--even most agile opponents will normally take a shot at him rather than dodge away. .

But with blodge and side step, they normally won't knock him over and he'll still be standing next to them.

Good point and probably a worthwhile gamble if you're not too worried about player death. I'm happy to trade deaths for win, but I would still be a little reluctant to make a 5 skill catcher such a target. This is especially the case when you basically have a more suitable shadowing option in a line elf (he's not MA9, but atleast he's more expendable).

[dwarfrunner]

I think Shadowing would be an excellent choice. Yes, you put him in harms way, but you have to think of what it does to your opponents strategy.

If you get your catcher on the ball carrier deep in their half early on. Then the opponent doesn't have a chance to get set-up, and you are already forcing him to react to your play. On top of that, the coach has to decide to dodge away or blitz your guy off. If he blitzes, and doesn't knock him away (which is likely with Blodge and SS) then he wasted his blitz. If he tries to dodge, and you use shadowing, he will likley have moved a single square and be in the same position since you have a fairly good chance of succeeding with your high movement.

I personally play my Wood Elves that way, I usually develop them for survivability with Blodge/SS, but after that I start giving them skills that work well within the strategy I usually play. Pressure the ball-carrier and score quickly.

[Magictobe]

Shadowing is not ideal on a ST2 player--

Shadowing is good with a high value movement player. How high can you get with movement 9. That is why the shadowing on the dark elf assassin is not of much use. Players with low ST are more likely to have that high MOV what you want for shadowing.

I gave shadowing to a blodge, sidestepping catcher and it worked for me. I had lots of fun with it.

He once chased an orc blitzer with dodge who had to dodge 6 times in one turn and still had a wood elf catcher on his tail. Shadowing with that movement is fun.

[Smeborg]

It looks like a choice between Shadowing and Fend, given your description of how you play this chappie.

However, at the overall level, your team looks weak without Wrestle (the best skill on any blitzer in5th Edition). If you're not planning to give Wrestle to a Wardancer, perhaps you could give tito this guy.

Hope this helps.

Smeborg