Sitting on the Goal Line, Stalling Tactics. Opinions Wanted.

[TuernRedvenom]

tabletop and I fully agree with this:

Stalling for tactical advantage (aka Clock control) is fine.

Stalling when you've already won the game (e.g. you'd go 2-0 up) seems pointless to me since you are probably more likely to get a 3rd than give up 2 TDs.

[Warpstone]

I'm a die-hard Skaven coach and even I can agree that stalling is a valid tactic. "If you're stalling on me, then I haven't done enough to stop you" is my thought.

But, I do think it's nice when tournaments and leagues offer incentives to "open up" the game and reduce stalling:

• * Most TD awards
  * significantly more points for the win than a draw
  * Using TD difference as tie-breakers

Basically, any measure that can encourage a bashy coach to consider the value in going for more than a 2-1 grind is worth a try.

[Digger Goreman]

If I'm going to "manage the clock" when ahead by a couple/more, it would HAVE to be to keep a really destructive opposing player off the field, that I've worked hard to (or been lucky enough to) put in the KO box in the first place....

[fatfinley]

But, I do think it's nice when tournaments and leagues offer incentives to "open up" the game and reduce stalling:

• * Most TD awards
  * significantly more points for the win than a draw
  * Using TD difference as tie-breakers

Basically, any measure that can encourage a bashy coach to consider the value in going for more than a 2-1 grind is worth a try.

In our league (14 teams, 7 in each division) with a set schedule. You get 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, with the top two teams (based on points) in each division going to the playoffs. So this could be another reason "we" don't mind playing and scoring as often as we can, much better to get a win and 3 division points then getting a tie.

Looking back, maybe its also because of the way we started playing Bloodbowl most of us played 2nd Edition and remember the "first one to 3 wins" rules. We started playing back when we were 12-13, so maybe mentally trying to score and being first to 3, seems "natural and right" to us because we played that way so long.

Kinda like seeing a movie as a kid and thinking how awesome it was, then seeing it later and realizing it was not very good at all, but you still don't hate it because you remember liking it alot at some point.

[mattgslater]

We play a fixed league down here, with a seeded postseason tournament. Our first tiebreaker for seeding is "most wins" and "most ties" is second. So 5-4-3 will lose to 6-6. (the NFL only uses win % because ties are rare, and win % works just fine if no team has more than one or maybe two: ties are more common in BB.) This prevents stalling for the draw, though there's always OT. Of course, stalling out OT is the worst ... I did that to someone last week, not to stall, but to throw with my 5SPP Blocker to my 4SPP Slayer and improve both. It took a couple tries, and the rest of my team spent the meantime jumping up and down on the opponent (not fouling, mind you; just gang-blocking), until I finally got the comp for the 2-1 win on Turn 7 of OT.

[stashman]

Stalling is part of the game. It can be fun if both coaches are even in skills, so the next half will be the other coach stalling.

But if your team is buildning up with skills like Stand Firm, Wrestle, Fend and Side Step stalling will be a "less succes"

Hunt your opponent, don't "let him stall"

If the stalling is turning out to a dicerape, then what the heck, the game will be a hardone never the less.

Keep on stalling in a free world

[Storch]

Due to a couple of pantywaists who didn't want their precious elves to get hurt by having to set up on the line we had a couple seasons back, my league has a strict "no ties" rule. If you're present and playing, you play to a win.

This is relevant because stalling a turn to control the clock to guarantee win (or even to save your team a turn of getting stomped on) is completely normal. Now, if you race down the field and sit there for four turns, that's something different, but a turn or two is considered strategic.

[dr. evil]

I have no problem with stalling. Some teams (undead, chaos or orcs) need to stall if they want to win. If he or she cages up and stalls just start picking off the straglers or leap in and strip the ball.

For every tactic there is always a solution.

[Angeblich]

I see stalling as a valid tactic, but I will try to force you to score by teaming up on the remaining players for hard blocks and fouls, so you WANT to score to prevent more casualties.

[Carnis]

I see stalling as a valid tactic, but I will try to force you to score by teaming up on the remaining players for hard blocks and fouls, so you WANT to score to prevent more casualties.

I've barely ever withnessed this, that you can force a score to avoid casualties.. The scoring guy will have to put his guys on the LOS, bearing in more CAS than you can cause by just fouling. Have found threatening the ballcarrier much much more efficient.

[mattgslater]

Usually the threat of pressure against a stall is a takeaway and a defensive score, rather than damage. Generally, teams stall when they think they aren't going to get hurt: if comping for SPP isn't an option, then stalling is a critical development skill. Casualties tend to come in the late turns of the drive, when all the opponent's players are tied up in TZs. You get to those late turns by stalling.

If you're TD'ing to avoid taking damage, then as a rule stalling wouldn't have entered your mind. There are a few exceptions; if you can get an opponent's big guy down and control the field well enough to foul him at a bonus, or if you suddenly generate a couple of KOs, your opponent might score to make the beating stop or get his guys back. But generally, if you're going to force a TD, it's going to be by threatening to shut it down.

The exceptions usually come in first-half stalling, as a) there tends to be a smaller manpower disparity which makes it easier to lay threats and hit back, and b) the offense is likely to be less stubborn and relent to smaller pressure in the first half, because the game is more up-in-the-air. Sometimes a team that wouldn't normally stall might try to "manage the clock" for a turn, an idea that can be nipped in the bud with some good blocking.

[CoachScott]

Stalling is a valid tactic, however caging the ball carrier on the TD line and holding out for half the game seems a little beardy.

Then again this is bloodbowl, so if not here where...

[Hache]

I think stalling is a valid tactic to win, but quickly becomes boring for each of the two coachs (when used for longer than 2 turns). Depends of how much you want to win, and how much you want to have a dynamic game.
Again, some (few, very few) play to make the other coach angry. Then stalling can become one of the most powerfull tactics !

[Old Man Draco]

Those stalling against me can go ahead and put my turn marker ahead one slot every time they finished their turn and start their next turn. I'll be reading a good book instead.

I would rather concede, but some players take offense on that. So my advice, not only bring along you BB stuff, also bring along a good book in case you get to play somebody who stalls.

So I would love the league the first poster is playing in!

[Grumbledook]

coaches can only stall on you if you defended badly

or you got diced and don't have enough players left, but you are losing that situation tbh

so learn to defend properly, if you are doing it right, then they have to match a last ditch scoring attempt on the last turn of the half

you are reverse stalling them in effect