Schedule specific DE advice

Khail · Post by **Khail** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:34 pm

Hello all,

Looking for some advice/logic checking on my thoughts about a league I’m starting up shortly. I’m playing a fairly standard Dark Elf lineup:

4 Blitzers
1 Runner
6 Line Elves

2 Rerolls
5 FF (free)

My schedule looks like this:
Game 1 – Pro Elves
2 – Orcs
3 – Nurgle’s Rotters
4 – Humans
5 – Chaos
6 – Orcs
7 – Chaos
8 – Orcs
9 – Wood Elves
10 – Skaven

So, I’ve got a pretty steady stream of STR 4 teams from game 2 through game 8 (yes, out of 20 teams in the starter league, I drew all 3 Orcs and both Chaos + the Rotters). I’m not sure of the various skill levels of the coaches – I’m new to the league.

Purchase Plan is: Apoth, Witch, Reroll, Witch, Assassin (may get the Assassin before the 2nd Witch if I can get him for game 9).

Here are my thoughts. Tackle – not a priority until late in the season. At most 1 Blitzer should pick it up (the human team has no catchers to start, but will probably have one by game 4). Strip Ball will be effective against all the Chaos, and sometimes vs. Orcs. It’s probably worth building a leap/strip ball cage breaking Blitzer early, or maybe wait until Witch #1 is in the picture and build her into it.

Here’s the main question though - Dauntless seems worth picking up on 1-2 of my blitzers early to help even things up vs all the STR 4 lines I’ll be facing. Thoughts on this? The league has plenty of bashy in it overall, so I doubt it’d be a wasted skill, but is getting it before dodge on 1-2 of my blitzers a good idea?

Also – I’m contemplating going Dodge instead of Block for my first skills on my Line Elves (after I have a Kicker anyway). There’s no Dwarves to face, and dodging away from all the scary STR 4 guys seems like a solid plan vs working extra hard to get a 1-2 D Block or two. Good idea?

Wanchor · Post by **Wanchor** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:44 am

Yeah, loading up on Dodge would be wiser than Block. A little Wrestle here and there, though, might go a long way. I agree with your assessment of the Tackle skill's usefulness in this league, but I'm not entirely sure about waiting until the Witch Elf is in play to start developing the leaping ball-stripper. I'd want a player like that as quickly as possible, but Witch Elves are for blitzing...I say wait for the Witch Elf and work on other defensive strategies in the meantime. A player or two with Diving Tackle can change your life.

Keep us posted about your progress, if you don't mind. I'm considering switching to Dark Elves next season myself and would relish the opportunity to coach your team vicariously, hah.

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:54 pm

The Rotters and Chaos are susceptible to Strip Ball, but the Humans and Orcs will laugh at it. I wouldn't take it in this league.

Definitely get two Dauntless Blitzers as Job One, and get lots of Dodge. Don't bother with an Assassin, don't bother with Tackle (maybe a Frenzy guy and some Wrestle linemen if you can get them inside 3 games). Try to score twice with the same Lino in game 1 so you have a Kicker when it matters.

Jural · Post by **Jural** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 10:54 pm

Personally- don't worry about Dauntless until a blitzer is sitting on a second skill. Load up on Dodge early, and make the mobile assists. Kick early is paramount, you need to be putting pressure on him behind his line.

Dauntless is really nice, but it fails fairly often, and you will need to be making dodges and the odd one die block too often for your 2 re-rolls to allow (but this is the curse of starting Dark Elves!)

Khail · Post by **Khail** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 5:16 pm

Thanks for the advice folks. Games 1 and 2 are down - won the first one, tied the second.

Didn't really control either game (aside from stunting most of my opponents attempts to score), so while I was able to put a few SPPs where I wanted them, I wasn't able to build like I was hoping to.

Here's the team now: Vermillion Dread.

Only 2 skills, but should get a few more next game, including my Kicker.

Already one Guard, which came in immensely handy vs. the Orcs in game 2.

Blitzers #2 & 4 will likely just get Dodge assuming normal skill rolls. My first lineman skillup will be Kick, and the rest will start getting Dodge.

2 weeks until next game day - where I play Nurgle then Humans.

Smeborg · Post by **Smeborg** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:27 am

Khail - I play Nurgle, and every time I have played against Dark Elves in tournaments, I have beaten them (although some of the games have been close).

Remember to run the ball against Nurgle, don't be fancy and try passing plays. Since Dump Off can be largely negated by Disturbing Presence, give the ball to the player with the best chance of keeping it (obviously the Blodge Blitzer).

Don't be intimidated by the Beast. You can push him away by using a 2 dice/defender chooses block by a player with Block. If 2 or 3 of your players are tied up by the Beast, keep dodging them away every turn - they will get clear soon enough.

Hope this helps.

Khail · Post by **Khail** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:49 am

Thanks Smeborg - I faced 2 Nurgle teams last Spike, though I was playing rats at the time. Luckily the team I'm up against is only 2 games in as well (not a good 2 at that - 2 dead Rotters so far), so I don't think my chances are too bad. He's only got 3 Warriors and no Beast.

Khail · Post by **Khail** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 12:24 am

Games 3 & 4 are down - 2 more wins! Game 3 I managed to control the Nurgle team quite handily - score was 2-0 and I got to put my SPPs exactly where I wanted them. 4 advances off that game alone, getting skills for my 2 unskilled blitzers (dodge & +1MA) and skillups on 2 linemen (one of which got kick, the other dodge). I also made enough money to pick up my first Witch Elf.

Game 4 was a nailbiter against a very good coach with a solid human team. The dice broke very badly for him at the beginning of the 2nd half which probably cost him the game - he burned a lot of rerolls early. At the end of the game it was 3-2 Vermillion Dread. I did manage to score 2 TDs with the Witch Elf, so she picked up Block (my only skillup that game).

I've been incredibly lucky on the injury front - worst I've suffered is a single MNG early in the season. Here's how the team looks now: Vermillion Dread.

Now I start the grind. My next four games are Chaos/Orc/Chaos/Orc. I'm wishing I'd picked up Dauntless on a blitzer or two, but I'm pretty happy with where the team is at regardless. 3 wins and a tie is better than I figured I'd be at joining a 20 coach division of people I'd never played before.

Setomidor · Post by **Setomidor** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:25 am

Played any games since last update? I really like your team, although I think I would have opted for Wrestle on the Witch instead of Block. Even though wrestle exposes her to fouling, she has Jump Up and AG4 which combos nicely with Wrestle.

Khail · Post by **Khail** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:40 pm

No more games yet - next game day is the 10th. Thunderbowl meets once a month for games, and we do 2 games each game day, so I've got a bit of a break between updates.

I thought about Wrestle on the Witch, and decided to wait for my 2nd Witch to (probably) do that with. Reason being there are plenty of players that will foul her until she's off the pitch in the league, and I don't want to be without the sideline control a Witch provides. Also - this early in the season against other undeveloped teams, most of her targets won't have block yet.

Subhedgehog · Post by **Subhedgehog** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 7:32 am

Well, well, well, what have we here? The Cult of Cthulhu's week 7 opponent trawling the internet for advice... It's not going to work. All your precious plans will be in ruins.

Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!

Gorbad · Post by **Gorbad** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 9:08 am

Subhedgehog wrote:Well, well, well, what have we here? The Cult of Cthulhu's week 7 opponent trawling the internet for advice... It's not going to work. All your precious plans will be in ruins.

Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!

I feel so nicely unoriginal that I also have a Nurgle team with Lovecraft theme

"The Dunwich Horrors"

Khail · Post by **Khail** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:43 pm

Subhedgehog wrote:Well, well, well, what have we here? The Cult of Cthulhu's week 7 opponent trawling the internet for advice... It's not going to work. All your precious plans will be in ruins.

Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!

I see tentacles flapping and teeth gnashing - but all I hear is "warblegarblewarble!!!"

Funksultan · Post by **Funksultan** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 6:26 pm

It's been said indirectly here, but i'll still stick a knife into the beast.

Dodge good, guard/dauntless bad, and even block is of more limited use than normal.

Looking at your schedule, there are really 2 teams you're going to have a shot at putting the hurt on, and 8 that are going to have you at a disadvantage if you decide to go the bashy route. Granted, all this assumes the coaches are at your skill level.

I'd focus on a play style that more closely resembles high elves, human or skaven. Pass, run, score, stay alive. One of the most common mistakes I see coaches making is taking a team that isn't inherently bashy, and trying to make them a fighting force to be reckoned with. Sure, you can give skaven all block and some lucky guards, but you're still gonna get cleaned by the true crusher teams.

You'll still want a blitzer or two that can dish out some hurt, but for the most part, stick to the speed game. Trying to gear your guys for fighting just makes them really expensive human linemen, and you don't want that.

Rock on, and let's have some stories about the amazing plays!

Khail · Post by **Khail** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 7:34 pm

Absolutely agree on the Dodge - Guard I want a few mainly to protect the cage against even die blocks from WD or other leapers.

Dauntless I thought about, but I'm glad I shied away from. It's probably good to have on one blitzer just for emergencies, but my playstyle far more resembles humans than a bashy team.

I'll definitely keep updating the thread as the season progresses. I'm currently #2 in the division (barely!), so things should stay interesting as playoffs approach.