I've been working on a beginners guide to Chaos of sorts (for the upcoming Cyanide game, hence why only those 8 races are mentioned) and was hoping the experienced coaches here could tear into it a bit (constructively) to both get rid of errors and perhaps add some new thoughts. I've only ever coached Chaos over the years (going back to '95/'96) however only consider myself a proficient coach at best so I'm sure there will be some glaring errors or omissions not to mention alternative opinions and playstyles to my own I'd like to incorporate. (For example the Long Term focused Beast only build perhaps)
Few sections (Tips & Miniguide) I'm still working on, and waiting on a special something before I can put in the images, but the bulk of the guide is complete. Anyway, I'd welcome any input.
Below is a straight paste from here:
http://www.cyanide-studio.com/forumBB/v ... f=11&t=232
Note: WIP ~ Editing/Smaller additions Phase
All input/criticism from Chaos coaches much appreciated as I'm likely not the best person to write it all and there will be plenty of playstyles out there I've not adopted myself.
*Blue notes are reminders of things that need added*
Since we only have 8 teams initially there should be room enough for each to have its own dedicated thread and given my beloved Chaos are the only team I have ever played (and likely ever will) I thought I'd get the ball rolling with them, though admittedly my knowledge tends to run from 3rd Edition, LRB4 then LRB5 in that order and I'm no tactical genius. Hopefully with some input from the great coaches out there a good knowledge base can be established for the newer coaches.
Contents/Miniguide
Foreword
Abbreviations
Starting Lineups
- 4CW, 7B, 3RR, 0FF
- 2CW, 9B, 4RR, 0FF, 20k
- 3CW, 7B, Mino, 2RR 0FF, 10k
- Chaos Warrior: Block, Guard, Mighty Blow (Claw, Stand Firm, Piling On, Tackle, Tentacles)
- Linebeast: (2-6) Block, Guard, Prehensile tail/Mighty Blow, Stand Firm, Tackle
- Killer: (0-2) Block, M.Blow, Piling on, Claw
- Blitzer: (1-3) Block/Wrestle, Tackle, Frenzy/M.Blow, Juggernaut
- Ball Carrier: (1-2) Extra Arms, Sure Hands, Block, Fend
- Ball Retriever: (0-1) Big Hand, Two Heads, Block, Fend
- Minotaur: [Block, Pro, Tackle] Juggernaut, Stand Firm, Break Tackle, Claw (Guard, Stand Firm, Tentacles, Multiple Block)
- General
- Cage - Protect the ball carrier, surrounding him with players, then slowly bash your way up the pitch.
- One Sided Drive - Favour one wing with more/stronger players and then drive up it. Slow opponents are left with players doing nothing as they attempt to move across the pitch giving you a numbers advantage.
- Ball Play - At times you will have no choice but to attempt playing the ball. With AG3 and the correct skills Chaos can play the ball to some degree and it can be very effective, don't ignore this.
- Agility Teams - Go for the 2-1 win, let them score quickly then slowly score back, stalling when you near the Endzone and inflicting as much damage as possible. Alternatively pressure, and sack, the ball carrier with more risk of a draw or defeat, but also more chance of a larger/easier victory should you score on defense.
- Strength Teams (Cage Breaking)- Blitz the cage corner or play the all out bashing game, get TZs on the ball carrier and always be looking for an opportunity to blitz him. Player/skill positioning is everything, watch out for potential chain blocks to aid you with this or to expose the ball carrier.
Lineups
- Offense
- Defense
- General
- Race Specific
Foreword
Firstly it should be noted that Chaos are designated as a team for experienced coaches, they start very slowly, you can expect to lose and struggle in early games, however do tend to be one of the better late game teams due to great skill access (Strength, General and Mutation on every player bar the Minotaur) which also leads to a surprisingly varied way of playing them though by far the most popular is still to bash and cage.
Abbreviations
I'll be using plenty throughout this, most being in common usage in most places where you see Blood Bowl being discussed however they can be confusing for new players:
- CW - Chaos Warrior
- RR - Reroll
- ST - Strength
- MV - Movement
- AG - Agility
- AV - Armour Value
- SS - Side Step
- NoS - Nerves of Steel
- KoR - Kick off Return
- TO - Turn Over
- FF - Fan Factor
- 1D - 1 Die (block)
- 2D - 2 Dice (block)
- 3D - 3 Dice (block)
Below are some common starting lineups with a brief description of each.
Option 1
4 Chaos Warriors - 400K
7 Beastmen - 420K
3 Rerolls - 180K
FF - 0
This is probably the most competitive Lineup. Chaos need rerolls, period. Starting with no skills (bar horns) and AG3 even picking up the ball is uncertain and when going for the blocking game, especially against opponents who start with block, both downs and skulls abound for early turnovers. Here you are playing to the team's strength packing in those Chaos Warriors, they tend to skill slowly (though with AG3 can get TDs) and are undoubtedly the backbone of the team so having them in from the start helps in the long run. Only having 11 players though can be somewhat of a weakness as you will be losing beastmen, however under LRB5 journeymen should see you safe early on. Fan factor is of less importance in LRB5 and there should be no issues leaving it at 0.
Option 2
2 Chaos Warriors - 200K
9 Beastmen - 540K
4 Rerolls - 240K
FF 0
Banked - 20k
Similar to the above, except that two Chaos warriors need to be dropped in favour of Beastmen to get that extra re-roll. Not entirely intuitive but the gulf between two and three rerolls is much greater than between three and four (in terms of preventing early turnovers, which will cost you games, as opposed to using them for successful plays) so perhaps a less than optimal choice, however you are "saving" 60k later on in the league as Chaos will be wanting, and needing, that 4th reroll at some point. The team has a slight bit more leeway in playing the ball and the banked money should see an apothecary sooner which is another requirement as you'll be wanting to save those valuable Beastmen who skill early in your team's career, with Chaos having no skills from the get go one skill is a large improvement. You will however greatly miss the extra strength from the Warriors and, as you'll be purchasing them later, they will then lag behind the team in skills in later games.
Option 3
3 Chaos Warriors - 300k
7 Beastmen - 420k
1 Minotaur - 150k
2 Rerolls - 120k
FF 0
Banked - 10k
The "strongest" lineup possible (Given 2 rerolls is realistically the absolute minimum you can take), in that the team is packed with a lot of strength. Many inexperienced opponent coaches will make mistakes simply due to the Big Guy's presence in a starting roster which can look very intimidating however due to his negative traits he can be as much a liability as an asset to the Chaos coach. Furthermore, with just two rerolls, you will be struggling with the ball and likely suffering early turnovers with your blocks. Still, with careful use of your Minotaur (Don't use him to block first, and be wary of his Frenzy, Wild Animal and Loner) and with good timing of your few rerolls this can be effective for an experienced coach. Little room for bad luck or error.
Player Builds
As noted earlier, starting with a blank slate, having average or better stats in every department and with every player having Strength, General and Mutation access there are a dizzying array of possible ways to develop a player and even more when one considers the team playstyles as a whole that can be adopted. In my opinion the development of a Chaos team can be a somewhat organic process given to changing with the whims of the dice and the coach. A team that rolls two AG4 Beastmen early on will likely develop much different to one that gains +ST on their Chaos Warriors. One of the greatest strengths of the team though is that it need not rely on doubles or attribute increases as Chaos performs brilliantly simply with that which it is given, anything on top of merely gives more options. This open ended ability of Chaos is another reason why they are viewed at being aimed at the experienced coach, you start with no skills (bar horns) and have great access to develop in any area and thus need to know in advance what works well and what to take. An inexperienced coach may choose less than optimal mixes of skills in the face of so many options.
Of Special note is that Chaos is one of those teams where doubles aren't always necessarily the best option. Don't feel you have to take them or something will be 'lost' (This was the case in earlier editions when some mutations were more powerful and only available on a double, but that is no longer true). Take what is best for your team.
I'll generally cover the first few skills for a player here as most (especially your beastmen) will do well to reach that point.
Chaos Warriors
These tend to be the backbone of your team and are one of the best all round players in the game. With ST4 and AV 9 they are hard enough to shift on the pitch and have great longevity, add in some skills and they become a nightmare. With AG3 and MV5 they can also fill in with ball handling duties. In most cases though you'll want these guys on the line, up close and personal doing what they do best. Their standard loadout tends to be:
Block, Guard, Mighty Blow (Claw, Stand Firm, Piling On, Tackle, Grab, Tentacles if ST5+)
If worried about high AV/Big guys claw is popular, as is Piling On to really turn them into killing machines. Stand firm is also a common choice, combined with Guard it makes the Chaos line very hard to shift. If you've a lot of agility teams to deal with Tackle may also be worth a look, however generally this will be less used on the line and entirely wasted against some teams. Grab is a useful skill to allow you to dish out more blocks and position players where you want (For example to pry open a cage) Some also add in Foul Appearance, this is especially useful for a player with Side Step, Tentacles or Stand firm as it allows you to make it more difficult for your opponent to move the player from where you want him which can really be a headache if, for example, he's beside the ball carrier.
Stat Increases are a bit of a tough choice with Chaos, generally +MV or +AV on Chaos warriors isn't needed, they'll be doing most of their work on the line and there isn't much benefit going from AV9 to AV10. +ST is a godsend and should always be taken (it also leaves Tentacles a very attractive prospect for a skill choice). The real contentious issue comes down to +AG on a Chaos Warrior. Now, some advocate making a Chaos Warrior your primary ball handler, which in and of itself is an alternative build to the general case, so naturally if going down this route +AG is great, and also makes +MV attractive. Ball handling skills on Chaos are generally Extra Arms and Sure Hands however AG4 negates the need for both of these and the player becomes very hard to take down, especially in a cage though Sure Hands is still attractive to protect against Strip Ball. The problem is you're taking a valuable player outside what is a useful role (bashing on the line), 'wasting' his 4ST, to do something a Beastman can do slightly better. Personally I would only take +AG on a Chaos Warrior if the team is early in development as any +AG player is a massive help at that stage. Later on you will have, through skills or +AG on Beastmen, this role well covered and it's more advantageous to leave the Chaos Warrior to blocking. Not only will you be pulling him out of this role but it may be hard to make enough use of the AG4 to warrant the extra TV as well, especially with other ball handlers and the Warrior already skilled towards bashing.
Doubles aren't really needed with Chaos Warriors, though if you have a Ball Handler/AG4 type Pass and Hail Mary Pass become attractive. With Piling on Jump up becomes a good choice and Side Step is great for cage breaking and holding the outside of your wing on defense. Diving Tackle is also a choice some opt for which is especially good at keeping elves from dodging off your line, or the ball carrier from escaping. With this skill Chaos Warriors, being hard to knock down or move, can be a real headache for some opponents. Dodge needs special note, some coaches advocate this as your first choice for any double with Chaos however only a smattering of Dodge in your side will leave those players prime targets for opponents with tackle, furthermore Chaos Warriors will only really be using it for defense as they'll be unlikely to dodge anywhere if on the line. It may prove useful for a ball handler though. ST4 blodge is extremely hard to bring down.
Beastmen
You may be forgiven for thinking Chaos has a lack of variety with just two positions on their roster bar the Minotaur, however Beastmen can evolve into almost any role, and they need to! They are the bread and butter of your team, scoring your Touchdowns, playing the ball, filling the line and essential in defense. Though their stats are decidedly average, they have unparalleled skill access. Also, with their horns, they are natural born blitzers and can develop into this role further very nicely indeed. Using your blitz effectively is a key part of Chaos Tactics. Beastmen are also somewhat "anonymous" on the field, especially when compared to your Warriors, which can lead inexperienced opponents to overlook them or at the very least have trouble distinguishing their roles in your side. Don't get too attached to them though, with ST 3 and AV8 they don't always hang around very long.
Below are some Common Beastmen variants, and some I use, as well as suggested numbers:
- 3-6 Linebeast: Block, Guard, Prehensile tail/Mighty Blow, Stand Firm, Tackle, Grab
- 0-2 Killer: Block, M.Blow, Piling on, Claw
- 1-3 Blitzer: Block/Wrestle, Tackle, Frenzy/M.Blow, Juggernaut, Strip Ball
- 1-2 Ball Carrier: Extra Arms, Sure Hands, Block, Fend
- 0-1 Ball Retriever: Big Hand, Two Heads, Block, Fend
Aside from this you should be looking to have at least one Beastman with Kick and one Dirty player. These skills are not always required but are extremely useful. An option often taken is to Develop a "Utility Beast" with Kick, Dirty Player and Sneaky Git or Leader (if early on and you need Rerolls). There's an obvious risk to putting all these skills onto one player, but it allows others to be somewhat more specialised without "wasting" skills needed for the more general play.
Doubles mirror that of Chaos Warriors somewhat, in that they aren't really needed but can offer some choice. Side Step is a firm favourite allowing you to protect your wings on defense and work your way into cages. Hail Mary Pass for Ball Carriers (it's great to toss it up the pitch against slow sides if you're in trouble) or pass for an AG+ beast to develop a thrower are also useful. Diving tackle again is a good choice, as is Jump up for your piling on killers. Once more dodge isn't very attractive in small numbers, especially later on when most opponents will have tackle to deal with it. If taking it though it should go to runners/ball carriers who will likely be making most use of the skill.
Aside from the potential thrower there are also some specific builds that can prove useful, however they involve skilling players to be useful for just the one reason yet they will excel in their role. The Pass block and Very long legs combo is reasonably common, often combined with Disturbing presence. Also Developing a blitzer with Leap on a double (even better if they have +AG) is also a very solid choice for breaking cages and sacking the ball carrier, with horns to blitz and the option of Very Long legs to further enhance this it can be extremely useful to have one player developed this way at your disposal.
Minotaur
This guy packs a punch however with lack of Block (or general access) as well as Loner and Frenzy he can be a liability on blocking, furthermore with Wild Animal an experienced opponent can avoid him if knocked down or if they can otherwise get away from him and thus he can become somewhat of a Blitz Hog, often Chaos Coaches can fall into the trap of allowing this to happen where a blitz elsewhere would be more beneficial. As with all Big Guys don't rely on him and most certainly do not use him to block first (most new coaches tend to fall into this trap). Also with AV8 the Minotaur is one of the least survivable Big Guys. However it isn't all bad, starting with Mighty Blow, Mutation Access and St6 on the Blitz the Minotaur has the potential to become one Fearsome player.
Below are some common skill Choices:
- Doubles: Block, Pro, Tackle (I'm mentioning these first as with Big Guys they tend to be extremely important, thank Nuffle if you get the roll)
- Blitzer/Crowd Surfer: Juggernaut, Stand Firm, Break Tackle, Claw
- Line Mino: Guard, Stand Firm, Tentacles, Multiple Block, Claw, (Can be risky to always put a Minotaur on the line due to their AV
General
With early Chaos it's very much a case of "Plan for the worst, hope for the best" which in and of itself is good practice for the game in general, you'll have few rerolls and no skills to fall back on. First things first, plan what your are going to do in your turn, and in what order. This will come as second nature eventually as you watch your opponent's turn unfold but taking a minute to sit and think is never a bad idea. During this be aware of what will happen at each and every point when you fail, and expect it to occur. Next get your moves/actions that require no dice rolling out of the way first, followed by those with the least risk of failure and so on until either you suffer a turnover or have no further actions.
Chaos are a strength side, in that much of your play will be focused around blocking other players and running with the ball as opposed to passing it. However with AV8 on most of your team and starting with few skills you will find this difficult at first, Chaos teams aren't truly feared as a Bashing side until higher team values where their skill access leads to strength throughout the side, you can expect to be out-blocked by Dwarves and Orcs initially. There are other facets to the Chaos gameplan though, they have enough movement and agility to be moderately proficient with the ball, skills or a lucky Agility increase really open up this option. You also have the ability to generate a good "disruptive" game with skills like Prehensile Tail or Disturbing Presence, options not open to other sides.
Also of note is, as with all plays, the following should be adapted on the fly to how your opponent is playing, especially if he opens up an obvious weakness. (for example on defense a newer coach will often commit too many player to the line of scrimmage)
Offense
Look further down the guide for some example offensive set ups, these are harder to plan in advance as they will be very reactive to how your opponent sets up their defense. What you should always be looking to achieve is the "man over" and "blocking down the line" essentially you start with an Extra player on the edge of his defensive line, giving you an assist and 2D block down the line. Your Chaos warriors will help greatly in this as with ST4 against teams without stronger players they can serve as the lead blocker. Just note to avoid any big Guys unless you have a Minotaur of your own, it takes too many players to block these guys and if you leave them stranded next turn the best your opponent can do is wasting their blitz using them. You should be looking to have your opponent's players tied up and the end of your turn preventing them from pressuring your ball carrier and hopefully have them in a position where it will be difficult to get many 2D blocks back against you. This way you can control the game keeping the pressure on.
With early Chaos picking up the ball is far from a sure thing, even with a reroll (You'll remember those times you fumbled it two turns running burning a reroll each time, trust me) so your first move should be to get some tackle zones on the ball, or in front of it to protect yourself in case your ball carrier fumbles the pickup. How defensive you need to be here will vary, against Dwarves you need not bother so much as they'll have a hard time making it through your tackle zones to reach the ball let alone pick it up, against Woodelves who can nip a few players through the line and right onto a dead ball you need to be especially cautious. Once you have a few skilled, dedicated ball handlers this is less of an issue but remember, the pickup can always fail so plan for this.
Once all your players are in position it's time for your first rolls and the pickup, there are two trains of thought here namely; picking up the ball first (using a reroll if needs be) or performing your two dice blocks first. Personally, though it is generally more "risky" in causing a turnover, I usually make sure to secure the ball first as controlling it this is what wins or loses you games. By blocking you could incur the loss of a reroll perhaps needed for the ball, or even a turnover without attempting to pick it up. In either case you should have planned for this and protected it. There will be many cases where counter intuitive thought like this is needed (for example if that risky 1D block would allow you to then chain block on 2D with all your other players, or make a gap for a blitz and TD). Knowing when to perform these and what risks to take is partly down to experience and the style of a coach.
Now, you've picked up the ball, and performed your less risky blocks. The next action to think about (though often it comes before the blocks) is the blitz. This action is crucial, especially for Chaos as otherwise you're wasting that bonus point of strength bestowed by horns. On offense it can be used to clear a path for the ball carrier, knock away that troublesome guard player, break through lines into the opponents half of the pitch and generally free up players and make space. On defense you'll almost always be wanting to use it to pressure or sack the opponents ball carrier. You should be thinking at all times on what you want to accomplish in your turn and how best to use your blitz to do so.
Finally you perform the more risky actions, these include 1D blocks, dodging, fouling etc. things you expect may cause a turnover and which you are not going to use a reroll on generally. One important thing to note, and something I see time and time again, is that you need not perform these actions. If throwing that 1D block and failing is going to leave a gap in your line and let another player waltz through, don't do it. Only perform these if there is an advantage to be had and a low risk even with failure. Again how risk averse you are is down to personal choice, perhaps that 1D block would leave you open, but if it succeeds also create a great gap for your players.
Right, you hopefully have the ball and blocked down the line, your opponent has had their turn and, if you've played things right, hasn't broken through your lines enough to seriously pressure your ball carrier. You're readying to start making for the endzone, yet how do you go about this? Next I will outline some types of play with Chaos to achieve that end.
The Cage
This is by far the most common tactic with Chaos and one you will see most slower, bashier teams employ. Simply surround the ball carrier with players and tackles zones and slowly bash your way up the pitch, keeping him protected at all times, until you reach the endzone. It doesn't take too much thought and can be extremely hard for teams such as Woodelves and Skaven to break down, what you must ensure is that there is no way for them to easily block the ball carrier or blitz a gap to shake things up. Probably the biggest risk to you with these teams is if they manage to break through your lines and get to the ball carrier before he is fully protected. This can result in you being deep in your own half with the cage when it forms, or even losing the ball and conceding a touchdown on offence which usually spells defeat against agile teams. You may want to Consider handing off the ball after your pick up (to a player with Extra Arms hopefully) to get the ball straight into the cage rather than spending a turn without it formed hoping your opponent cannot break through your lines. This will naturally depend on your opponent, the kick and the positioning of your players.
Skills such as Guard and Standfirm are your friends here, keeping the cage in formation and assists on the ball carrier should it be broken into. (Hopefully the Ball hander should have Sure hands also, to protect against Strip ball and leaping War Dancers) You can also use your blitzer to make gaps helping to move it forward that little bit quicker, or to take down those attempting to get into a position that may cause you trouble. Furthermore putting another ball handler into the opponents half as well as keeping one or two Beastmen (One skilled as a blitzer hopefully) behind in reserve can be another example of planning for the worst. Should the cage break down or a ball go loose you still have the chance of closing it down or getting it out of danger, plus in the case of the second ball handler your opponent will have to commit players to deal with him taking some pressure off the cage.
Using this tactic you'll be going for the 2-1 win against agile teams. When on Defense you'll actually want to pressure them into scoring quickly (of course stopping them entirely if possible) and then when receiving perform the slow caged march to the End Zone, scoring on turn 7 or 8 to prevent them from getting a quick Touchdown back against you. Against bashier teams it is harder to pull off, yet they will be having the same problems on their offense. I tend to rely more on my Blitzes here, making gaps and running a couple of players off the Cage (usually the ball handler and a Beastman with Guard) then using the remaining players in the cage to tie my opponent up so they cannot get enough players onto the break to stop it.
There are several types of cages also. Close, loose and "the wall". With a close cage your ball carrier is entirely surrounded by players with no gaps (except perhaps some at the back). This laves it very hard to reach him however commits many of your players, leaves you open for chain blocks, does not maximise your tackle zones, is usually slow to work down the pitch and is hard to move the ball away from if things go wrong or to break from is running for the End zone. It is however useful if you are stalling or if you have few players with guard and are worried about a bashy opponent breaking your cage.
The "loose" formation is one most coaches are familiar with, it leaves you open to leaping players or having the corner broken however with skills such as guard and stand firm it is very solid. Additionally you will have more players free to make things difficult for your opponent elsewhere, either defending behind your cage, blocking his players away from it or running some into his half of the pitch.
"The wall" is another type of semi-cage, where you ball carrier is behind two rows of players, it is open to being attacked by fast teams on the flank but protects against leapers and is a more open format allowing you to switch the play if you see an opening or if things look dicey. I would generally say this play is for the more experienced coach as protecting your ball carrier relies more on positioning and judging what your opponent can or will do. For example knowing where he may try to blitz a gap and moving you ball carrier to a safer position. Useful play for ball playing Chaos, if your thrower is behind the wall he can quickly switch over and pass through a blitzed gap or if you send some runners into your opponent's backfield.
Just as a final Note, Guard and Stand Firm are your bread and butter for the protectors in the cage, Chaos Warriors are excellent for this as they also have ST4 thus very to shift. Your ball handler should have Sure hands to protect from strip ball and hopefully fend or Side Step to put him into a safe position if tackled.
One sided Drive
This works better against the slower sides. Essentially you pack one side of the field with your strongest players, looking to break through and overwhelm your opponent there before they have a chance to bring more of their players to bear, essentially you can remove a good proportion of his players from play for a few turns. It is risky however as not only are you opening up your weaker side for them to roll on through you'll be inviting a kick as far away from your strong wing as possible and a fumble or failed hand off from the kick could leave you extremely exposed. Positioning of your backfield players and gathering the ball is essential, always make sure to cover your flank with some wide spaced tackle zones, these will prevent your opponent from getting to the ball easily or cutting across the field to block the path through to your strong wing.
If you get bogged down you can always revert to the cage tactics, however you'll be backed into the side of the pitch with little space to maneuver and thus will have a harder time of things, you also run the risk of being crowd pushed if the build up of players becomes especially thick. All in all this is a high risk, high reward play solely for use against slower bashier sides if you want a quicker score. If you have some good ball players a useful turnaround is to attempt the following: If bogged down when his slow players finally make it across, use your backfield players and those who were acting as blocking tacklezones to make a quick dash down the other wing. Using this play you can have three Beastmen free and clear from most of the opposition heading down an almost clear wing, however it usually requires a good pass and avoiding an interception to get the ball out from the cage. If you are lucky or can manage your players/blocks well you can just run out the back of the cage and hand it off and/or perform a quick pass. This is my preferred play when a one sided drive gets bogged down against a team I know I can't win in an out and out bashing game with.
An alternative, less risky, variation of this drive is to leave a few harder hitting players in the center back just off the line of scrimmage. When you receive the kick you can then switch them across to either wing to put pressure where it is needed or where your opponent is weakest. In that case I usually use my blitz down the other wing to try and put the player making the action in just behind (but not in block range) their line of scrimmage. This will prevent them peeling off and curling around to your strong flank for a turn, at least without dodging or blitzing said player, and allow you to push on up with your drive. Generally as this goes on you'll want you ball carrier on the side closest to the edge of the pitch with the strongest players holding off the opposition as they move across the field to meet him.
*Need diagrams/pictures with arrows to illustrate this play*
Ball Play
At times, even with your team building towards a bash and cage setup, you will have to play the ball. Perhaps the cage breaks down and there is no way out but to pass, or that long bomb could get you a TD that wins the game, in any case it's good practice not to ignore it with Chaos. You will already need a couple of players who can pick up and carry the ball, it's only a short step to something more and with every player bar the Minotaur on AG3 they are not completely inept at this style of play, though are no elves. You would do well to bear it in mind when making plays. I've had times where my opponent has made mistakes simply by assuming Chaos cannot cross the play and pass the ball.
The main thing of note is the hand off, this does not count as a pass, requires no rolls to perform and you'll be catching it on a 3+ (2+ with your main ball handling skill - extra arms) which is very doable, especially with a reroll. With MV6 your Beastmen have quite an extensive range when you combine three moves, a hand off and even just a quick pass. (One Beastman moves, hands it off, this second beastman Moves, passes, and then the final Bestman moves) A few skills makes this easier but what you are really looking for is that magic +AG roll on a Beastman, this really opens up a wide range of options as suddenly you can be confident of succeeding in playing the ball or dodging to break into space. Combine this with several skilled players, some doubles or another +AG or +MV and you can really throw the unexpected at the opponent. It's not advisable to completely aim for this and abandon your bashing game, which is the Chaos staple, but adding in such ball handling options to an already tough team (to a lesser or greater extent) really makes a difference and with Beastmen so well covered by their normal skill access it is something to be heavily considered on a double roll for them.
Defense
Now we move onto the most important part of Blood Bowl, the defense. This is where games are won and lost and where, generally, you'll have to put in the most thought. From the kick you're on the back foot, being reactive as opposed to proactive, what you want to do is force the play and push your opponent so they are now on the back foot trying to avoid the pressure you put on the ball rather than you yourself reacting to his drives towards your endzone. Chaos aren't the bashiest of sides, but they are a fair bit along to that end of the spectrum with only Dwarves and Orcs proving tougher (and the Orcs usually only at lower Team Values) and because of this Chaos generally have a harder time dealing with the swifter sides. We'll deal with each in turn now.
Agility teams
These teams post the biggest danger of a large defeat, one bad error in defense and they can nip through and score. Thankfully with Chaos we have access to the skills to deal with them and have moderate movement throughout the team so can usually find some way back if the line is broken. What you will be aiming for is the standard 2-1 win meaning that on offense you take your time to score making sure your opposition has no chance to get back at you so even conceding is part of the game plan. For example, Woodelves kick to you and you have the chance to score on, say, turn three. If you do so it is likely the elves will find a way through your lines in the coming turns and you will then not have enough time remaining to score back as, generally, it takes you more turns to make it to the endzone. (Fighting your way there in a cage as if you break behind your opponents lines they have generally enough ability to dodge and move to sack your ball carrier) If however, you hold off scoring your touchdown until your final turn it is unlikely the elves will be able to score back before the end of the half. When you kick to thmn in the second half if they score it will be quickly, leaving you 5 or 6 turns for your slow march to the endzone. This way you can prevent your opponent from having more than 1 offensive play.
This is known as stalling and is your prime weapon against agility teams. If you can control the ball near their endzone you can both bash their team trying to get as many of your opponent's players off the pitch as possible (however even as few as 4 elves have been known to score against a full 11), which in and of itself is another main goal you should be aiming for in the first half, as well as hold out for the 2-1 win. Of course this is risky, and your opponent knowing what your are trying to do will throw everything at you. I've lost a TD due to a 4+, 6+ dodge followed by a 2 dice against block on the ball carrier! When your opponent has nothing to lose these occasionally can come off so be wary and above all else protect your ball carrier and if you cannot, take the Touchdown.
Now there are two schools of thought on how to go about this. Pressuring your opponent into scoring early or turning defense into offense. If you can pressure your opponent into score in 2-3 turns then you know you will have two offensive drives lasting more than enough turns for your to cage/bash your way to their endzone. (This is again an example of counter intuitive thought, here you want to concede) If, however, you put up a strong defense for several turns and still concede anyway you are heading for a 1-1 draw or a risky play to score more quickly. Also, if you do manage to score on their offense then they will have another drive in the half and, unless there are very few turns remaining, could score straight back at you. It all comes down to how confident your are in your defense and offense succeeding as well as how many players the agility side has for the second half (making it easier for your to score, and possibly to score two). Personally I am a pretty offensive coach and tend to bring the game to my opponent. If I receive the ball in the first half, I'll look to score in 8 turns and take as many players off the pitch as possible. If kicking I usually play it by ear, trying to get the ball but if it becomes evident I'll not be able to prevent the score I'll try and force the opponent to the End zone. Now most opponents will gladly take any chance to score so you are effectively controlling the game, making them play to your gameplan. If you are confident you can prevent your opponent from scoring at all in defense then simply doing so is fine also as this will likely net you the 1-0 win.
Now, the 2-1 stalling method is not the be all and end all of defensive tactics against agility teams. Many coaches view stalling as a slightly underhanded tactic and find that the idea of purposely conceding a TD goes too much against intuition. In this case they will defend at all times and attempt to try and get the ball. As noted above this depends on how confident your are in your offense and defense, it follows that if you can prevent you opponent from scoring at all you'll likely win and, if defending admirably (but not turning it into offense) it's easier to just get that one TD for a 1-0 win than needing two if you purposefully concede. If you can score on defense through pressure then the game can be effectively yours. (Though agility treams do tend to always pose a threat of quick TDs back at you) Again, personally I find offense (and having control of the ball) much easier and will try and limit the time my opponent spends on offense and myself on defense.
Now I've talked a lot about overall strategies, but how do you actually go about putting pressure on your opponent and the ball? First you want to make sure that all avenues to the End Zone are blocked by tacklezones, preferably two interlinking to prevent your opponent using the blitz to knock the lone player blocking his way over. The defensive line ups shown later have been devised to achieve this goal right from the kick. Secondly you'll want players, preferably at least one blitzer, in a position where they can make it across the field to intercept a runner or ball carrier who makes it through your line, if not to blitz then at the very least to stand beside them and make all actions difficult. Beastmen excel at this as, with their horns, they'll almost always have two block dice against any player who breaks through without assistance as few runners/catchers are ST4. I typically keep one blitzer back deep near the end zone in the middle of the pitch for this reason. (Remember, blitzers are developed to bring down ball handling/dodging players).
As for using your blitz when not able to reach the ball carrier or dangerous runner, it should always be used to exert pressure on the ball. Typically you'll perform a few blocks on the line to remove tackle zones, then blitz to either bring that player through putting pressure (hopefully tackle zones) on the ball carrier, or making a gap so that some of your other disengaged players can do so. The danger here is not to commit too many players as agility sides excel at drawing you into on area of the pitch and dodging/handing off away to an area where you have few players. Ideally you'll be forcing your opponent to play down the middle rather than the wings so you can quickly bring players to bear wherever he goes. Beastmen have MV6 which usually means you can always get at least two to where the action is if they are reasonably spread around the line/backfield. Having an abundance of guard allows you to keep more players back, as does using the strength advantage of your Chaos warriors, the goal is to use these skills to hold up more of your opponents players with fewer of your own, leaving you more to move around towards the ball.
Bash Teams - Cage Breaking
Now, against most Strength teams you are going to be looking to break their own cage play and, hopefully, score on defense. How to go about this varies from team to team but with Chaos and your High AV, high ST Chaos warriors you have a good advantage. What you're ideally looking to do is blitz the ball carrier, preferably with a player that has strip ball or (more likely for a Chaos Blitzer) wrestle. Then looking to pick the ball up using your ball carrier or a dedicated ball retriever (see earlier for the skills this player has, he looks to get the ball and dodge away). You should also be looking to have one player available in your opponent's endzone to take a hand off/quick pass for the Touch down. Failing all this, if for example you've retrieved the ball very deep in your own half, you can simply toss it down the pitch as very slow teams (such as Dwarves) will have a hard time reposition most of their players to reach it. Hail Mary Pass on a double is especially useful for this.
Now with Chaos there are a couple of methods to breaking a cage. The first involves taking your Chaos Warriors/guard players and moving them en masse within block range of the front of the cage, hoping your superior strength and skills (guard, stand firm) will keep you on your feet and winning the blocking game, thus in your following turn you can block the front of the cage away and make a gap to blitz in and sack the ball carrier. This is rather dangerous as for one you're giving your opponent the advantage in the blocking game (as they can move assists in to get 2D blocks on most of your players, even Chaos Warriors with ST4) and also you'll be unlikely to get any tackle zones on the ball carrier that turn, who can simply move away from the entangled players. What this play normally does is slow the game right down and turn things into a bashing contest that can go on for some time, bogging down the cage. You'll want to keep some players on the wings/bind the fight as you could force or frustrate your opponent to make a break for the end zone, especially with your strongest players tied up.
The second, more standard, method involves attacking a corner. Essentially you use your blitz to knock the corner for the cage away and run in your strongest players getting tackle zones on the ball carrier, it's also useful to get players with skills such as Perhensile tail or diving tackle beside the ball carrier to prevent him from easily dodging away. This method isn't always possible if your opponent is employing the walling play (ie ball carrier behind several layers of other players) or a close cage (as blocking one player away still only leaves a small gap). In these cases your opponent will have more players committed and what I'll generally do is get some beastmen in behind his cage/wall (you'll be wanting to do this in most cases anyway in case the ball comes loose) and either using the threat to make him change his formation or hopefully getting a blitz in from behind if blocks on the front go well. It can also be useful to put Tackle Zones on the back two Guards on the Cage, this way to move forward he will have to blitz these players away or dodge, if opting to just block the cage won't be able to move forward or if it does it will be with just 2 guarding players, not four. Your players should also prevent assistance getting to the ball carrier from any players in the backfield.
All in all here you'll be tested on your positional play. Using those assists and blitzes to make gaps as well as knowing your skills. Stand Firm and SideStep are great for getting into a cage and making those Tacklezones stick, and the staple skill of guard keeps you ahead in the blocking game. Wrestle, Strip ball, Diving Tackle, Tentacles and Prehensile Tail are all dangerous for the ball carrier and can aid in getting the ball loose or preventing him from escaping.
There is another method and that is making the cage unfavourable by which I mean keeping at least 1 square back from it, giving your opponent just that one Blitz each turn on your players. This is a tactic usually employed by agility teams that have little chance of winning the bashing game and may be a good idea if facing an opponent who heavily outclasses you in that department. (For example if facing a developed Dwarf Team with your rookie Chaos side). It slows the cage down as it generally can't bash gaps in your defense and can frustrate some coaches into moving his players out from the cage formation to get within blocking distance of your own. It can even make some think about blitzing a gap and breaking a few players down a wing. If you really prefer high risk plays you can try and tempt an opponent into this by leaving a gap in your defense. Orcs and Chaos opponents (those that have some skill with the ball) will often send a runner/guard combo through this option and if you have planned for it (blitzing the guard player away and getting many tackle zones on the ball carrier) it can be much easier than breaking the cage formation.
More useful for agility teams, but one Chaos can just about pull off, is to not let the cage form at all. Use the "kick" skill to place the ball well (in the far corners or away from where they have placed their ball retriever(s)) so that slower teams will take a couple of turns to pick it up and travel with it to their lines. This gives you time to blitz a gap and run some beastmen down towards the ball carrier in your opponent's backfield. Hopefully your linebeasts and Chaos Warriors will be tying up most of your opponents team in the center so, even if outnumbered in the back field, you can generally push pressure on the ball carrier. If you opponent is in his own half with the ball having to deal with your players and unable to make it up the field they will really be on the back foot and again here you have turned the play away from being reactive to your opponent's actions and the flow being dictated now by yourself.
As a final note always be looking for "chain pushbacks" to break a cage formation, especially against close cages where there is little free space. If all three spaces where a player can be pushed back to are occupied you can then select one of those players for a further push back and so own until a player is pushed to an unoccupied square. Thus if you position your players correctly, as well as angling your blitz/block and making good use of the Grab skill, you can often knock the ball carrier out of formation this way making him a target for a blitz (if you used block to achieve this) or a much easier target to apply tackle zones to. This is an especially nice tactic if you can blitz from behind the cage as you can then push the ball carrier towards players of your own to be blocked.
Specific/Radical Builds
As if ball handling Chaos wasn't radical enough (Though I have experience with it and it can be very effective) there are some more extreme options to consider. One great thing about Chaos is that, in a non-competitive environment and with so many options it can be enjoyable to go for something entirely different. One variation of this is the Foul Appearance/VLL defensive/passing style. This has been around for a while but normal Mutation access makes it all the more viable though altered somewhat (with disturbing presence replacing foul appearance). Essentially instead of trying to block and Casualty roll your opponent off the pitch players are skilled to foul up their passing game, defend and play the ball to victory.
Players will have Block, Guard, Disturbing Presence, Stand Firm, Tentacles and Foul Appearance attempting to get in (and stay in) amongst the opponent preventing them from playing the ball. Meanwhile your other players will be blitzers and ball handlers, looking to take advantage of this and break away to score, Very long Legs interception bonus being common on the blitzers and the standard extra arms on the handlers. Hopefully with the opponent tied up in the rest of your team which is exceedingly difficult to shift, these players will be looking to steal the ball away and score. As I said I haven't played it myself and it's probably not the most effective build, but it is very different and surprising for opponents and will drive agility teams to distraction due to the frustration it will cause.
This was easier somewhat when Very long Legs gave and movement bonus and Foul Appearance combined with Disturbing Presence, however it was entirely reliant of good doubles rolls which now is no longer the case (though more skills are needed). Definitely one to consider for the friendly leagues.
Defensive Lineups
Tips
General
- Take as few actions as possible to achieve you goals, the fewer actions you take the less that can go wrong and is the mark of a great coach. It takes a lot of experience to achieve this and, in my opinion, is always a learning process. For example perhaps it would be useful to make a gap to get a runner into your opponent's backfield. A bad coach won't even see the option, a good coach may perform several 2D blocks and a blitz to achieve this, a great Coach May realise a single careful blitz with Frenzy is enough, an astounding coach may roll no dice at all managing to get the runner through using a skill such as sidestep in the opponent's turn or positioning his players in such a way that the opponent leaves a gap.
- Spread your Star Player Points around. With dedicated Ball handlers these players can tend to become SPP hogs, likewise your Chaos warriors can soak up all the Casualties, it's much better to have several players with a few skills than one or two with many.
- Don't get carried away with bashing, many Chaos coaches can get lost in the brutality the team can offer but remember, TDs win you games as does rolling the fewest dice to achieve those TDs. Do you really need to try for those "easy" 2D blocks before scoring the winning TD, double skulls are not uncommon. Is Mighty Blow really the best skill for your dedicated ball handler? etc.
- Don't blame luck for your defeats (Though it does occasionally play a part), the saying "A good coach makes his own luck" holds true. A critical look at what you did wrong often helps you improve more. Perhaps rolling those double skulls was unlucky, but then could you have scored by putting yourself in a position where the block wasn't even needed?
- Know the rules. This will come with time and if new to the game they can seem daunting however at least familiarise yourself with them and know what each skill does before you take an action. You don't want to lose a game because you didn't know the wrestle skill would bring down your player and lose the ball, in this example experienced coaches would also do well to make note of changes from earlier editions.
Gameplay Images/Example Plays/Replays
