Playing pass the parcel with a bomb

[Fat_Emrys]

Imagine the scene. A goblin team is playing, say, skaven and his Rat Ogre has somehow got the ball and is within 1 turn of the endzone. I have just one conscious goblin 3 squares directly behind the rat ogre so his chances of tackling him are somewhat slim. There's another team-mate two squares further back diagonally but even with his assist it's still a 2D he chooses block. However, just over the halfway line is a bombardier:

Code: Select all

..END..ZONE..
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-----O-------   Rat ogre
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-----G-------   Team-mate within Quick Pass range of the Rat ogre
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-------G-----   Team-mate within Quick Pass range of the Bombardier
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---------B---   Bombardier
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I've been checking over the rules and can't see any reason why a bombadier couldn't throw a bomb as a quick pass to a team-mate who could then do the same or could in turn throw it at/next to an opponent.

It may not be the wisest thing to do (it's a lot of 4+ throws and 3+ catches) , but I think it would (statistically) be less risky than attempting a long bomb with a, um, bomb.

Am I missing something? If not, am I also correct that the goblin who threw the bomb has not taken an Action for the turn and so could scoot over and retrieve the ball from the hopefully smoking remains of the rat ogre?

(Edit: 4+ throws - forgot about Stunty)

[Oxynot]

Sounds like a dangerously wacky plan! After carefully reading the description of Bombardier I see no objections, except the high probability of friendly fire. After all it does say that the bomb can be intercepted or caught using the same rules as the ball.

And afterwards, if all goes according to plan the last goblin in line could go and pick up the ball amidst the gory remains.

A shame you don't get a couple of completions for pulling something like that of

[Grumbledook]

doesn't appear to be anything in the rules to stop you doing that

can be any player on your team as well, the extra passes are bonus actions

[Fat_Emrys]

"Dangerously wacky" is, I feel, an understatement but imagine the delight if it worked. One of its most attractive features (from a coach's point of view, rather than a goblin's) is that the bombadier won't be taking a -3 on his roll and blowing himself up 4 times out of 6. I'm not sure that the other players would see it the same way.

Having crunched the figures it seems that (ignoring rerolls and any catch or pass skills) there's only a 3.7% chance of pulling the maneuver off with goblins - and that's before wondering whether the Rat Ogre's armour is broken.

Whatever the stats say, I suspect it's a nailed-on certainty that - in the unlikely event that the bomb does get thrown at the Rat Ogre - he'll catch it (on a 5+), throw it inaccurately back at the closest goblin (on a 3 or a 4, so that the goblin doesn't get the +1 to catch it), it'll scatter but will end up in the goblin's square who'll fail to catch it (on a 3-) and be blown to bits.

The 3.7% is based on the targets being 4+, 3+, 4+, 3+, 4+ and 4-. It sounds ridiculously unlikely, but I reckon it's the same as an AG3 player making a quick pass to an AG2 player in a TZ who then has to blitz a block/dodger to score (i.e. needs a POW, so 6+). A sequence of 3+, 5+ and a 6 is also a 3.7% chance of success, I think (although I admit the consequences of failure are more severe for the "parcel game").

[daloonieshaman]

had a goblin with catch and hail mary ....
bombadier would quick snap it to the C/HM who in turn would lob it long
you get 2-3 good backfield explosions before the bombadier gets blitzed

[purdindas]

Yeah it can be done.

It has occured to me in the past but I've never had the chance to try it out.

[khudzlin]

definitely sounds like something dirty goblins would try: very risky, but also lots of fun

[Rimmer]

Whatever the stats say, I suspect it's a nailed-on certainty that - in the unlikely event that the bomb does get thrown at the Rat Ogre - he'll catch it (on a 5+)...

Not while holding the ball as stated above.

[Fat_Emrys]

Of course. So the success rate stays at 3.7% - well worth a try in my opinion.

[Kulgur]

Whatever the stats say, I suspect it's a nailed-on certainty that - in the unlikely event that the bomb does get thrown at the Rat Ogre - he'll catch it (on a 5+)...

Not while holding the ball as stated above.

Don't know if my pdf is old, but Bombadier rules on mine say you can catch/intercept and throw the bomb even if you're carrying the ball

[Fat_Emrys]

No, your PDF's right. I should have double checked that. That darned rat ogre can have his revenge after all.

[purdindas]

Just throw it to the square next to him if your worried about him catching it. Less chance of him getting knocked down but he aint going to catch it.

[Kulgur]

Bare in mind he not only has to catch it successfully at AGI 2, but also not fumble it (as a fumble also makes it explode on him) and there's nothing to stop you catching his throw and lobbing it back at him

[Fat_Emrys]

No chance to try pass the parcel on day 1 at Carrot Crunch but as I'm on course for the wooden spoon, I'll have a go tomorrow (nothing to lose except even more goblins).

[Smeborg]

Shame you can't hand-off a bomb...