Skavens on D **Updated on Aug. 7**

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Thu May 21, 2009 3:50 pm

Cramy wrote:You are down to 6 guys in the second half against Dwarves, but you are up 3-0? No problems if you still have some of your key players. If you play it right, it is almost impossible for the Dwarves to tie the game, let alone win.

Heck, you don't even have to be done scoring... though it might take a little luck, or at least the right six guys.

Mo · Post by Mo » Thu May 21, 2009 4:48 pm

With Skaven, you only need 3 players on the pitch to score. If you're lucky, it's 3 Runners. 1 to blitz and pop the ball free, one to scoop it up and pass it, to the 1 who is always down field in postion to run in the score.

No matter how short-handed you are, always keep a rat within movement distance -1 to the goal line to receive. Leave that 1 space buffer so you don't get blitzed and pushed away from scoring distance. Don't rely on sprinting, you'll have used your team RR for the turn before you are trying to GFI into the endzone!

Just rat up and say "Squee!!!"

SBG · Post by **SBG** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 12:25 am

OK guys !

Following on your advices here, I went and started anew in another league.

The Runners are now the central pieces of my defensive schemes. Here what they look like:

Runner w/Wrestle and a skill to choose;
Runner w/ wrestle, AG +1 (30 SPP - Leap incoming!)
Runner w/ wrestle (12 SPP)
Runner w/ MA +1 (15 SPP)

I wanted to give a thorough test to Wrestle, so I chose it a plenty. So far, I really like it. It resulted in many ball cariers down and turnovers of ball!

So where do I go with the 16 SPP one? SideStep? Shadowing? Diving Tackle? Strip Ball?

here's the rest of the team, juste for the sake of it:

Thrower w/ Strong Arm, Accurate (23 SPP)
Blitzer w/ Mighty Blow (13 SPP)
Blitzer w/ Mighty Blow, Tackle (22 SPP)
Line w/ Kick (learned my lesson!)
4 skilless liners
Rat Ogre w/ Juggernaut, Guard (16 SPP)

This team is 8-0 so far! Thanks for the advices!

Fred

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 1:46 am

Wow. Congrats. You're one instance of Grab or Sprint (on MA10) away from having a fairly reliable 1TTD mechanism, or one instance of Grab and one of Sure Feet or Catch away from a very reliable one. I'd probably take Catch on the MA10 GR. Then you can throw to him from wherever, which is great on either side of the ball. You already have three dedicated safeties.

For the Wrestler with a skill to choose, I'd consider Dauntless. For the other one, I'd shoot for either Tackle or Side Step, depending on what kind of opposition I'm facing. Either way he's a safety, but SS is a security blanket and Tackle is a prelude to Shadowing.

Any of your linos getting close to going up? You should try to skill one, give him Wrestle or Guard, send them to the line, skill another guy, until you've buffed them all once. Then ignore them unless they get close to skilling again (for Block or Stand Firm after Guard, or Fend or Side Step after Wrestle). Ignore 10, but 11 or 12 would get me to pull him off the line. On a single 11, I make him a dedicated safety, turning either the MA10 GR or the first GR replacement I hired into an offense/defense player with Block first.

SBG · Post by **SBG** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:20 am

I actually had a blocking-guarding linerat that got killed on the very first turn of the last game.

Since I didn't want to get stuck without an apo against a fairly well developped Necro team, I had to let him go...

I got two that are in the "MVP-gets-you-a-skill" range, so I'll try to have the closest one score.

I try to have them throw a pass when I get a two TD lead. But it doesn't happen every game!

Fred

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:15 am

If you have a TRR, a pass from a lino to a GR is a 5/6 proposition.

plasmoid · Post by **plasmoid** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 4:27 am

Dauntless seconded.

Andromidius · Post by **Andromidius** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 4:02 pm

Dauntless or Strip Ball on the Gutter Runner. Depends on your major opponants.

Sprint on the MA10 Gutter Runner ASAP. Just the threat of a one turner can force your opponant to do questionable things to counter it.

Then Block, Block, Block on your Linerats. Or Wrestle. Whichever floats your boat more.

~Andromidius

Carnis · Post by **Carnis** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 4:36 pm

Daunts gutter seconded (thirded?).

You're seriously going to need guard at some point, on both of the Vermin.

I actually had a blocking-guarding linerat that got killed on the very first turn of the last game.

Since I didn't want to get stuck without an apo against a fairly well developped Necro team, I had to let him go...

Who did you want to protect more though? Can always buy positionals, but not stat-increases/doubles.

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 4:39 pm

Yeah, I agree with Carnis: letting that guy die without using your Apoth was a serious mistake. A Block/Guard lino is worth more than any of the positionals you've got, except maybe maaayyybeee the +MA GR. You really need two Guard players minimum. Shame, 'cause there are so many S skills that can make this team so disgusting.

SBG · Post by **SBG** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 8:33 pm

Combination of the Causalty happening on the very first turn of the game and fear of many mighty blow (2 w/Claws) on the roster made me think it would be better to not use it.

To me, it was a sound move, especially since the Rat Ogre got killed at the start of the second half... APO BH'd him.

Fred

Carnis · Post by **Carnis** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 12:11 am

I thought skaven are like norse/slann in that they are frail, and that means you choose the 3-4 players pre-game that you will use the apoth on.

Then you just have to be a bit more careful if it happens to be that you lose the apoth on turn 1..

Yelf · Post by **Yelf** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 10:21 am

Last season I coached a Skaven team that was truly succesfull mostly because it had god defence. Eighteen games, and only nine TD against. I think the key to a good defence is chosing only defensive skills on the Gut Runners. This is what I did.

Nr 1: Horns, Wrestle, Strip Ball
Nr 2: Big Hand, Block, Sure Hands
Nr 3: Guard, Block
Nr 4: Block, Shadowing (Diving Tackle), Sidestep

As for tactics I tryied to give the oppo as few squares per turn as possible, stressing him to do stupid moves. And with the nr 1 Gut Runner even a -2D block has a good chance of getting the ball free.

SBG · Post by **SBG** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 6:59 pm

Another tricky one for you guys :

The AG 5 Wrestler just rolled 6-5 again... AG 6 or Leap ? I'm incline to have him go AG6 and dodge in a cage on a 3+.

My MA 10 Runner rooled double 5. I go Sprint for sure or mutation ? This one, I have no clue.

Thanks !

Fred

Jimjimjimany · Post by **Jimjimjimany** » Fri Aug 07, 2009 10:55 pm

Take the AG 6. Skaven are all about getting the ball of the opponent, and the ability to dodge in and pick up in two tackle zones on a 2+ is outrageous.

I’d say take the double on your move 10 piece; two heads, horns and guard are all solid choices. I dislike dedicated one-turners (i.e. +MV and sprint) as it’s not something you should be relying on, plus its not fun.

Talk Fantasy Football

Skavens on D Updated on Aug. 7

Got a new thing going on...