TV 105 Norse with one skill... which build?

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:02 pm

TV1.05M. I get to take one player from the preseason team, which played one game. This is a Djinn (Ulf) with Block for 130k (proud of myself: engineered 2 passing TDs with an Ulf in one game; also got myself a not-appearing Tackler that I can hire for 100k). 3 TRRs and 10 guys leaves me 240k for upgraded players if you want to think that way, or if you prefer I know I want at least 5 linos to keep a skill rotation going, so I have 5-6 guys to buy on 490k.

So what do I take? Here's what I'm leaning toward one of the following:

A: Snow Troll, Ulf with Block, Ulf, Runner, 7 Linemen, Apothecary

B: Snow Troll, Ulf with Block, 2 (Runners or Berserkers), Thrower, 6 Linemen, Apothecary

C: Ulf with Block, Ulf, 2 Runners, 2 Berserkers, Thrower, 4 Linemen

D: Snow Troll, Ulf with Block, Ulf, 2 (Runners or Berserkers), 6 Linemen, 10k banked

I'm thinking of taking Runners over 'Zerks, and then getting the Berserkers later, but I'm worried that will set me behind the curve as the Runners are kind of hoggy. It's not a terrible thing, as you want them to give you some A skills, but still....

What do y'all think?

Joemanji · Post by **Joemanji** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:30 pm

11 players seems a bit short. Gotta be 12 or 11 + apo.

You could have: Ulf w/ Block, Ulf, 2 Beserkers, 1 Runner, 7 Lineman, 3 RRs, 10K banked. Nice 12 man roster with the option to swap a lineman for the apo.

Mad Banker · Post by **Mad Banker** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:39 pm

Joemanji wrote:11 players seems a bit short. Gotta be 12 or 11 + apo.

You could have: Ulf w/ Block, Ulf, 2 Beserkers, 1 Runner, 7 Lineman, 3 RRs, 10K banked. Nice 12 man roster with the option to swap a lineman for the apo.

+1

at least 12 players or 11 with apoth.
Like Joemanji, I would also favor the berzerkers over the runners.

Carnis · Post by **Carnis** » Sun Oct 18, 2009 10:35 am

Still find the runners mostly useless in the norse team. So go zerks. I did once have a ma8/dodge/strip runner who was great, but very shortlived!

Funksultan · Post by **Funksultan** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:20 pm

Mad Banker wrote:
Joemanji wrote:11 players seems a bit short. Gotta be 12 or 11 + apo.

You could have: Ulf w/ Block, Ulf, 2 Beserkers, 1 Runner, 7 Lineman, 3 RRs, 10K banked. Nice 12 man roster with the option to swap a lineman for the apo.
+1

at least 12 players or 11 with apoth.
Like Joemanji, I would also favor the berzerkers over the runners.

I'll up the bid to 13, 12 with apoth. Lotsa positionals are nice, but a couple KOs or injuries and you're gonna be a semi-bashy team wearing paper armor and outnumbered. Scary stuff.

D

Ironjaw · Post by **Ironjaw** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 3:37 pm

Runners are one of the best ball carriers in the game!!

MV 7
Block
Dodge first skill, sure hands second
Dauntless (meaning they can blitz their way out in a pickle)

The only problem with norse is protecting them...but as far as a ball carrier goes, there aren't too many better on the bashy teams...

Post by **voyagers_uk** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:08 pm

I'm with Ironjaw... love the runners. I would rather start 2 runners than 2 Block-less Ulf's

of the options I would go Option B

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 4:41 pm

I was actually thinking if I go with B to get SH on the Thrower, and to follow Dodge on one Runner with Side Step, and on the other with Catch, so I'd have a comp target. I'm really starting to lean to B, which brings up the question: Apoth or reserve? Note that I have a ST, which is why my gut says Apoth. But a reservist is more likely to see use, no? And they're the same price, too.

sunnyside · Post by **sunnyside** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 3:41 pm

I'm a bit of a new player, though I seem to be doing well and have been trying to read up, but I thought I'd make sure you knew that.

Anyway I'd strongly advise against a runner with catch, especially if you're playing under one of the rulesets where diving catch gives +1 to catch accurate passes.

But even without the buffed diving catch, one reciever is easy to cover, and unlike some teams all norse can potentially be a target, and we can have a fair number of re-rolls.

But mostly there are simply better skills for a runner to take.

As for initial setup, while an apo is great for our lightly armored players, and a bench makes Norse much more dangerous in the first game or in a one-off game, I'm not so sure it's needed in a league where everyone is starting off at low value.

I'd say Norse are better than most if not all other teams on game one. Even as a brand new player against more experienced coaches I managed to win the first games with my Norse teams in league. The hard times are down the road as other teams start getting block and blodgers and some casualties leave you behind the curve for cash and SPPs.

Therefore I'd suggest looking at the long run. Meaning instead of a 12th player go for the 4th re-roll. I've yet to have a re-roll die.

And if you can, maybe thin out your positionals even more and do 11 players, 4 RR, and APO (who you would only use on a positional, never a lineman).

Plus, our Journeymen are pretty solid. Block really helps mitigate loner, and we could use some guys we don't care about to stand in front of a troll.

Of course if you don't start with one, you'll want an APO fast, and getting a bench is critical when things start getting harder.

mattgslater · Post by **mattgslater** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:21 pm

Played two games, have yet to get a good sample. First one was totally unloseable, 3-1 against an Undead team with maxxed positionals, and I cleared all 4 Ghouls off the board on the first 3 turns (well, 2 cleared themselves off: injuring yourself on 3+ skilled dodges seems to be a theme in this league). Got Dodge on a Runner and Tackle on a lino, as I knew I was to go up against some speed teams.

The second game was totally unwinnable, 1-3 against a Skaven team with an MA10 GR that got 3 TDs off a Blitz and two Quick Snaps (still held him otherwise scoreless, so I can continue to claim never to have given up 4TD in one game). For some reason, the kickoff table seems to hate me this season: my other team (the New Albion Expatriates) has been winning games walking away, but even so, their kickoff table luck has been astoundingly bad. That's ok... there's not much to be done about those sorts of luck-streaks, and they all end eventually.

To make it worse, my Blodge runner died on a failed dodge (after getting a "nothing" on the attempt to blitz him free, the turn after using the Apo to save my ST from a niggle) while trying to score. So I have one Runner only now, but I've bought the second Ulf. I also have a Tackle Lineman and probably a Babe going up against their next opponent (TBD, probably Wood Elves or yet another Undead team... this one with two ST6 Mummies).

So now I have
6 Linemen (one w/Tackle and 6 SPP, one w/5SPP)
Thrower (4SPP)
Runner
2 Ulfs (one w/Block and 10 SPP)
1 Snow Troll (5 SPP)
3 TRR
Apothecary
FF1
TV 1.1M
Treasury 20k
Record: 1-1
TDs: 4-4
Cas: 3-4