Lizardman +ST advance has thrown a spanner in the works..

tenwit · Post by **tenwit** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:39 pm

Eight games into the season and I've managed four saurus skill-ups. Unfortunately my first Break Tackler died, but I still have one Break Tackle, one Wrestle, and I've just got a +ST guy.

Those first two guys were going to be the sackers/cage breakers, and probably will be for another 10 games or so, but ST5 begs Wrestle, Break Tackle, Tackle, Strip Ball in that order (though with a Niggling Injury, he'll be lucky to get as far as Wrestle). So.. what should I do with the other two?

I'm currently thinking that the Break Tackler should be switched to safety duty: Block, Tackle, Guard, Diving Tackle on doubles. The Wrestle guy can stay on his original path: Frenzy, Stand Firm, Tackle.

Anyone have better suggestions?

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:11 pm

I'd give ST5 boy Block next. Block/ST5 makes a great inside LB, does well at securing the forward position on a fast-moving cage, and makes a great big-guy hunter, which will reduce the body count on your Skinks.

tenwit · Post by **tenwit** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:49 pm

Really? But he'd be so good at getting into a cage! 2+ to dodge into a TZ, can live with 4+ dodging into 3TZs if necessary, almost guaranteed a 2d block once in there (with careful assist-cancelling), and has GS access for getting all the best skills that my krox can't get!

I think I have enough ST4 players to act as ILBs and cagers. When this guy is in a cage, he can be the one that starts as the backmarker, since he can dodge away so easily and still get a 2d/3d blitz going up the front of the cage.

My skinks don't suffer much from a body count. The only ones who get blocked more than once a game are the ones I dodge into a cage to cancel assists. They're built to be expendable, and so far have done very well (1 -MA is the only lasting injury). The valuable ones might suffer the occasional blitz, that's all.

someone2040 · Post by **someone2040** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:34 am

But surely a strength 5 with a niggling injury who places himself prone is gonna be fouled the next turn after an attempt to recover the ball. I think I'd be wanting block...

But then again, what do I know? I'm usually the one getting advice

tenwit · Post by **tenwit** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:04 am

I don't mind having him fouled. He's a bloat on the team already. I'm loathe to get rid of him, and if he causes a few early turnovers before he disappears, I'll be happy. And it would have to be early in the turn, to get the assists from the cagers, since they'll be off chasing the ball that I've just knocked loose.

Plus, if he does have to choose both-down when 2-die blocking the caged ball carrier.. he has still done his job. And there's no chance of him accidentally catching the ball and having no way out of the cage (having already used BT to get in there).

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:05 am

You can also run him into the front of the cage. He's very hard to push. With Block, he'd be exceedingly difficult to neutralize (he'd be especially good against Dwarfs; just keep the Slayers off him and a Dwarf team needs to get 3 Guarders or 2 and a TRR, as Block makes him immune to half-die end-of-turn jobs), and would make it easy to block your way into a spot where a single BT Saurus can get in and hit with 2d. Just make sure to keep him inside and off the line, so he can adjust to opponents' positions.

Break Tackle would definitely be a good #3 skill on him. Either that or Multiple Block. Or Frenzy. Feel free to follow into a TZ....

Got a Krox? What a pair of ILBs that would be. What do your Skinks look like?

tenwit · Post by **tenwit** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:25 am

They're small lizards. Brownish skin. Tend to slobber when talking, due to very thin lips and pointy teeth.

tenwit · Post by **tenwit** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:52 am

Oh you guys are no fun

Skinks are:
1) Diving Catch, Catch
2) Side Step, +AG, -MA
3) Side Step, Diving Tackle
4) Sneaky Git
5,6) -

Magictobe · Post by **Magictobe** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:43 am

In my lizardmen league team I got two sauri with +1 strenth and a skink with + AG and + ST

I am going for the block on the + ST sauri. They can safely go after opponents big guys or 3D on smaller players. It protects him against his NI as well.

Tripleskull · Post by **Tripleskull** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:09 am

The ironi with lizards is that even though they have pretty easy acces to good cagebreakers they dont realy need to go down that road - early on at least. And that comes from a player who essensially thinks good bb is about building and breaking down cages.

I think Im playing my lizards a bit controversially but Im having lots of succes with them. Im not gonna be taking break tackle for a hvile for one. Think the first break tackler will be 2nd skill on a wrestler.
I find it just as easy to dominate with strenght and forcing the ball loose as knocking down the ballcarrier, and to optimize this style you need basic skills like block and guard and a kicker.
If all your sauri is covered you will get a ton of blocks and you have skink to provide mobillity and taking a 5+ dodge in extreme situations is possible. Unless you have quite a few break tacklers they can proberbly be covered anyway. So if the opponent wonna put tacklezones on 7 ST 4+ players just kick his ass and score fast so you make him have to protect the ball. This obviusly works best when you dont need to be shaking every time you make a block, not having block or wrestle...

I have a guard skink - wich I regret taking. I thought he was gonna be usable for breaking cages and mobile guard skill. Dont really use him though since I dont wonna do the 3+, 3+ to get a 1D block on the ballcarrier. Something I think I would do with most other teams. Might change when I get kick, if he lives that long. For now his just an expensive side stepper. Should have taken block, but I had/have both a block and a sure hands skink.

Point is: IMO you need basic skill for blocking and standing in the way. On top of that is the niggling. So block for the ST + if you ever get there.

Gropah · Post by **Gropah** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:19 pm

Sorry, no real advice on what to do with your gimped ST5 saurii, but..

mattgslater wrote:What do your Skinks look like?

tenwit wrote:They're small lizards. Brownish skin. Tend to slobber when talking, due to very thin lips and pointy teeth.

.. that's so funny