New to Skaven - First Skills on Storm Vermin

[kingmabus666]

Hi all.

Ok, im an experienced BB player but have never taken a Skaven Team before. Im pretty certain what i want from my gutter runners, but just a bit unsure how I want to skill up my Blitzers. Having looked through many threads on here, there are some who swear by MB/Claw, some all for Guard, and some for Tackle/Strip ball.

The current league im in has 4 elf teams, 2 dwarf teams (1 is a CD team), a nurgle team and a necromantic team, so its pretty balanced.

As its pretty standard practice to make a nice hole to run lots of people through, I want my blitzers to be instrumental in this plan.

So do

A) I go for claw and MB to cause some pain and take down harder team players and skill up quciker due to casualties caused

B) Take Guard to help with assists when making that LOS hole

C) Take Tackle + Wrestle to deal with pesky Elf ball carriers


Any help would be great.

Mike.

[Joemanji]

There are lots of great skills available to Skaven Blitzers that really help the team. I'd tend to look to develop one killer and one tactial blitzer.

Killer gets > Mighty Blow > Tackle / Piling On > Frenzy
on doubles > Claw

Tactical gets > Guard > Grab > Tackle
on doubles > Dodge

Guard is a must somewhere, and just one gives you the opportunity to blitz a hole in any line. Use the Guard for the assist and a Wrestle linerat for the hit.

Grab is brilliant for setting up OTS.

Killing skills are vital. Skaven are fragile, but they can also dish it out. If you can keep even numbers, or even go men up, you should be in a good position.

[dr. evil]

There are lots of great skills available to Skaven Blitzers that really help the team. I'd tend to look to develop one killer and one tactial blitzer.

Killer gets > Mighty Blow > Tackle / Piling On > Frenzy
on doubles > Claw

Tactical gets > Guard > Grab > Tackle
on doubles > Dodge

Guard is a must somewhere, and just one gives you the opportunity to blitz a hole in any line. Use the Guard for the assist and a Wrestle linerat for the hit.

Grab is brilliant for setting up OTS.

Killing skills are vital. Skaven are fragile, but they can also dish it out. If you can keep even numbers, or even go men up, you should be in a good position.

I like these two builds although I would would go with stand firm on the tactical blitzer instead of grab.

[Joemanji]

I like these two builds although I would would go with stand firm on the tactical blitzer instead of grab.

I generally find Stand Firm of more use on bashy teams. Generally there isn't much advantage in letting your players get hit on a Skaven team.

Grab is marginal on a drive by drive basis, but it is almost a free TD when setting up a OTS. All you need is a push on the first block and you can set up 3D blocks on the rest and be away. Even if you don't get the push you can still use your blitz for a second bite of the cherry.

[Warpstone]

Take Guard.

Your blitzers are the only tools you have to open holes at the line of scrimmage. Save killing for when you and your team are more seasoned. Right now, what you need is guard to help pop open a gap on either flank for your gutter runners to stream through.

In fact, take Guard on both blitzers and any linerat who rolls an early doubles. You will get down on players early and often and the leverage offered by guard will help you get in those one or two critical blocks needed to spring open your offence and break down a cage.

[mattgslater]

Guard 1st, except on doubles. Then Dodge or Claw. Dodge or Claw guys don't get Guard until after Stand Firm and Mighty Blow, but otherwise I'm 100% with Warpstone.

[zakspeed]

Hi Joe,

I heard your advice to Mike allowed you to beat him last night
nicely done!

I'd recommend Guard as they are the only strength access on the team currently (no rat ogre)

Zak

[mattgslater]

Maybe this helps. This is not always true for any given player: on blocker-types Block is better than Dodge, some teams don't care about Leader or Wrestle, some teams in some leagues really need a particular toolbox skill like Kick or Tackle, Dodge isn't so good in leagues with lots of Dwarfs, plus a multitude of combos and schematic picks and blah blah blah, but on the whole, with a truckload of caveats, it's more or less like this.

The best skill in the game is Dodge. After that, Block. Then come Wrestle, Guard, Leader and Side Step, in one order or another. Then the debate begins. Whenever debating a skill selection, test it against this list and you can't make a bad selection. Maybe not always the best or the only selection, but if you come to regret not taking whatever, you'll at the bare minimum have a nice consolation prize.

So a Stormvermin on a normal roll already has Block, can't take Dodge or Side Step, doesn't want Wrestle... but Guard is ripe for the plucking. So you can't go wrong with Guard on a Stormvermin.

[Funksultan]

Guard is my usual start, although depending on the league, I've seen real value in tackle. In pass/catch/ag heavy leagues, when that blodging runner is in the open field and you've just got one chance to pop the ball loose, it's nice knowing tackle is on your side. Against stunties (goblins/skinks/flings) it's just extra assurance you'll be putting them down for the count.

D

[Porkus_Maximus]

I am currently playing a skaven team in a perpetual league, using Cyanide's BB and It's a matchmaking team so choosing my opponent is not an option.

I planned on picking guard as first skill on both SV, but ended up picking +AG first on one of them. Still not sure if that was the right choice. I don't think you can go wrong with guard and mighty blow on the SV, you might not get many opportunities to block down opponents but when you do, you should make sure it hurts them. That being said, if you're against a lot of dodge or blodgers than tackle might be a better pick; no point having mighty blow if you can't knock them down in the first place.

Grab is one of those skills that I've never used, nor have I ever seen any one use except on Treemen. The idea of making 1TTDs easier to pull off intrigues me, I have a SV with guard/mb who is 3spp away from leveling so I may give it to him.

[Carnis]

That being said, if you're against a lot of dodge or blodgers than tackle might be a better pick; no point having mighty blow if you can't knock them down in the first place.

Just no. MB is for dmg, tackle is for tactical situations where you down a ballcarrier. Tackle hence is a lineman skill (G-access!!), and a 4th or 5th skill on a SV.

MB ~= +100% dmg, you may not be able to profitably blitz the wardancer.. But hey did you really think a tackling-non MB blitz/armor check would bring him down anyway (6,9% chance of CAS)? You can still blitz the liners, who should either be lacking block (55% chance), dodge (55% chance), neither (~30% chance) or both (75% chance).

If they really have fixed piling on in the cyanide game you should be tooling for MB/PO/Guard/Tackle, with claw on the first doubles for both your SVs. Guard can be skill #1 as well.. This will slow down your development but probably improve your overall team performance.