Last thread from me: Allies

[Fat_Emrys]

I must admit I've always thought Animosity was on the wrong players (so on a Pact team, for example, the Marauders should be loathe to pass to the goblin, elf or skaven) so maybe the ally gets Loner while everyone else gets Animosity?

That said, if the ally's a Loner, costs 30K more than usual and increase in value disproportionally I very much doubt I'd ever take one as it's just not worthwhile.

[plasmoid]

Updated 13/1 2010

Hi all,
I've seen several failed attempts at creating balanced allies rules in the past. This is my shot at a balanced mechanism. IMO, the fun about allies is that they inject a bit of variety in teams of the same race. All teams won't be maxed out and identical, because with allies som will use them, some won't, and those that do can choose between different ally options.

As for the balance part: The mere option of taking allies can be said to make teams more powerful. But since all teams get them, they can still be balanced - just slightly more powerful. I've actually used these rules to try to narrow the gap between the tiers. As always, I'd better state up front that I'm not trying to create total equilibrium, nor am I trying to change the fact that some teams are strong against certain opponents and weak against others. My idea is simple: I've sorted teams into 4 power tiers, with the 1st one getting very little from the ally rules, and the bottom one getting quite a lot. I've based these tiers off my collected LRB6 data.

Finally, I've tried to make the options fit the fluff - with balance trumping the fluff.

Anyway - here is how it works:
1. The head coach is allowed to employ one ally at any one time, and the ally can be purchased just like any other player.
2. To purchase and own an ally the team must have (at least) one non-lineman (edit:)non-loner player position unfilled. This position must be _more_ expensive than the ally bought.
3. The ally himself can be any player from one of the two allied team lists - except a loner. The ally gains the Loner skill.

Edited based on feedback and the above tweak.
TIER 0: Pretty useless allies.
*Dwarf: Bretonnian/½ling
Any positional for Yeoman (AG3) or halfling (cheap)
*Wood Elf: Human/½ling
Thrower/Catcher for halfling (cheap) or Lineman/Thrower (AV8)
Undead: Khemri/Vamps
Wight for ThroRa (P-skills, Pass). Mymmy for Vamp or TG (not very likely)

TIER 1: Allies to consider
*Amazon: Human/High Elf
Thrower/Catcher for lineman (AV8). Blitzer for Human catcher (MA8) Elf Lineman (AG4).
*Chaos: Ogre/CD
CW for snotling (very cheap), or Chaos Dwarf (block/tackle, AV9)
*Chaos Dwarf: Orc/Chaos
CD for beastman (AG3 horns), Gobbo (mobility).
*Dark Elf: Pact/Necro
Assassin for marauder (cheap, P, M, S) or zombie (cheap). Blitzer for wight (block w. S)
*Elf: Human/HighE
Thrower for human lineman (AV8), Catcher for human blitzer (S-skills)
*High Elf: Bretonnian/½ling
Thrower for halfling (cheap) or yeoman (S-skills)
*Lizardmen: Slann/Amazon
Saurus for Amazon Thrower or slann lineman (both ST3, AG3)
*Necro: Undead/Khemri
Golem for Tomb Guardian (ST5) or Wight (AG3, S-skills). Wight for ThroRa?
*Norse: Human/Dwarf
Thrower for Lineman (AV8), Runner/Blitzer for catcher (MA9). Runner for Longbeard (AV9)
*Orcs: Ogre/Creeps
Thrower for snotling (super cheap) or warpgobbo or warpskaven lineman. Blitzer/BoB for Skaven thrower.
*Pact: Chaos/Orcs
Dark Elf for Beastman, orc lineman (AV9). Skaven/Dark elf for extra gobbo.
*Skaven: Nurgle/Creeps
Thrower for Rotter (cheap AV8) or Mutating gobbo/lineman. GR for mutating thrower.

TIER 2: Useful allies
*Creepers: Orc/Gobbo
Thrower for orc lineman (AV9), Blitzer for BoB (ST4) or Orc Blitzer (AV9), pogo or B&C. Skaven Lineman for SW.
*Human: Chaos/Elf
Human thrower/catcher for Beastman (S,M) or Elf lineman (AG4)
*Khemri: Vampire/Lizards
ThroRa for Skink (MA8, AG3) or Thrall (ST3, AG3). TG or BlitzRa for Saurus (ST4)
*Nurgle: Chaos/Creeps
Nurgle Warrior for CW (AG3, ST4) or Skaven blitzer (MA7). Pestigor for thrower (MA7, P) Gobbo (cheap, mobile).
*Slann: Amazon/Lizards
Catcher for Skink (MA8) or amazon non-blitzer. Blitzer for Amazon blitzer (blodge) or Saurus (ST4)

TIER 3: Powerful allies
*Goblins: Creepers/Chaos
Pogo or B&C for beastman, skaven mutating lineman or mutating gobbo.
*Halflings: Elf/Dwarfs
Treeman for Slayer or Elf Blitzer.
*Ogre: Orc/CDs
6th Ogre for Orc Thrower, Orc Blitzer or Bull Centaur.
*Vampire : Human/Khemri
6th (unused) vampire for: Human thrower, catcher, blitzer or TG.

Comments?

[plasmoid]

Updated original (and above) post, to change the allies for a handful of teams, and to show the options most likely to be of interest to coaches.

[Oxynot]

Updated 13/1 2010
2. To purchase and own an ally the team must have (at least) one non-lineman (edit:)non-loner player position unfilled. This position must be _more_ expensive than the ally bought.


*Goblins: Skaven/Chaos
Troll for CW (ST4, AG3) or GR (MA9, AG4). Pogo or B&C for beastman or skaven lineman (ST3, AG3).

Seems to be a contradiction left in there, since goblins' trolls have Loner.

[plasmoid]

Right. Good catch, thanks.
I'll go looking for a list that adds something very useful for 60K or less...

[Patchwork]

Looking good, spotted one minor typo;

*Norse: Human/Dwarf
Thrower for Lineman (AV8), Runner/Blitzer for catcher (MA9). Runner for Longbeard (AV9)

the catcher should be MA8, not MA9.

[Patchwork]

I'll go looking for a list that adds something very useful for 60K or less...

An orc lineman might be nice to have, an extra bit of strength and AV... no idea how useful he'd be though.

[plasmoid]

I've gone Chaos/Creepers.
That gives them the bestman, the mutating skaven lineman and the mutating gobbo.
I think they're all useful choices. And giving up the B&C for one is cheap (IMO). Sure, the B&C is nice, but you can take another SW instead which you wouldn't have taken otherwize, because you can't afford too have many SWs (sent off).

Cheers
Martin