Nurgle for a tournament team value 1500k

[Big A]

My local league ACTBBL has organised a tournament to be held this weekend and I was looking for advice on team builds for Nurgle.

The rules are;

- 6 games, swiss style resurrection tournament
- 1,500,000 team value.
- Latest GW rules set will be used (Competitive rules or whatever its called now)
- Two players can have a double skill increase*
- Each player can have a normal skill increase*
- No player can have more than one skill increase
- No special play cards are to be used but star players etc are ok
- No stat increases

From looking through the forums I think the 2 double skill choices will be leader on a warrior and Block on the Beast.

What would you recommend as a build for the team? Any advice is appreciated as there is nothing worse than sitting down for 6 games and realising you should have done something different half way through the 1st game.

I've never played Nurgle before.

As a side question what sort of team do you think these rules will favour?

Thanks in advance.

A

[mattgslater]

Tournaments in general don't favor unskilly teams, but this one might be an exception for Nurgle. You'll suffer a bit because you need #2 skills on Pests to develop optimal counters to many teams' #1 skill development (specifically, I'm referring to Blodge). If second normal skills were allowed at the expense of doubles, Nurgle would be killer, because you'd be able to get Tackle or Frenzy.

At 1.5M? Don't bother spending a precious skill slot (of the 11 you have on the field) to save yourself 40k with Leader. You don't need the value as much as you need the firepower.

1x BON, 4x NW, 4x Pest, 4x Rotter
Subtotal: 1060k
3x TRR: 210k
Subtotal: 1270k
Remainder: 230k = 1x double, 10x normal
Double: BON w/Block.
NW: Block x 3, and either Block or Guard on the other.
Pest: Block, Wrestle, Guard, Sure Hands.
Rotter: Wrestle x2, with two rookies.

You need to have a fair amount of Wrestle, because you can't afford any Tackle or Frenzy. My guess is this format will favor expensive teams that have either lots of starting Block or easy access to A skills. Dark Elves spring to mind, but Wood Elves, Chaos Dwarfs, Dwarfs, Orcs ... the usual suspects. This format might be friendly to Necromantic and Lizardmen, too. Amazons can't really maximize 1.5M on the roster, but that just means they can induce Bertha or Willow. I don't think the format really hurts Norse or Skaven, but they may not get as much out of it as teams that live-and-die by #1 improvements. I'd say the same about Underworld, Goblins and Ogres, but given that those are fairly marginal teams anyway, I'd call it a hosing. Halflings can actually make good use of the inducement cash, and might be less of a loser team in this format. Likewise, Chaos may be a tad more competitive, as they can max out a roster and have a wide variety of skills to use. Still, it's one of those teams that lives by combos, and you can't really do good combo action in this format, compared to, say, a 1.5M league team.

[Big A]

Thanks for the comments Matt.

Is there any room for Star players in this roster?

I had arrived at something similar dropping the 4th Pestigor (the one with Block) and replacing with Maxspleenripper putting leader on a warrior. And adding (for fun) dirty player to one of the unskilled rotters.

[mattgslater]

The Nurgle list is just so pricey, and has no Block to start. I can't see it. Some teams....

Orcs
4x BOB w/skill
4x Blitzer w/skill
1x Thrower w/skill
1x Troll w/Block
1x Ripper
3x TRR
20k left, or 10k and somebody gets doubles.
For the BOBs, I'd take Guard, Block and 2x Stand Firm. The Thrower would take Block, the Blitzers would take SF, SS, Guard and Frenzy. The lack of Tackle is a tad annoying, but this team will get so many chains and 3d hits that I'm not too concerned. Ripper is great, because against most teams he can hit 3d off the edge and engineer a chain-push to get a BOB or Troll into the secondary for a fifth block, and he's good for dealing with pesky Blodgers. Best of all, every single defensive strongpoint is manned by either SS, SF/Guard, ST4/SF/Guard, ST5/Block, or ST6/Wrestle. The wide zones are vulnerable to skilly bash teams that can afford Jugs or Grab, but that's okay; just pull them in a bit against cagers and force 'em to pick a wing. If you want to be really bashy, trade the Thrower for either a pair of rookie linos or a pair of Goblins with 1x Diving Tackle or 1x Sneaky Git. Or drop the Thrower and the SS Blitzer for another SF guy (or a Tackle guy and use the Block BOB on the wing), and get a lino with Dirty Player and a rookie Goblin. Or a rookie Thrower and a rookie Goblin.

Slann would be pretty grotesque in this format, too.

[Grumbledook]

1500TV seems like way too much imo.

Nurgle you can have Beast, 4x Warriors, 4x Pestigors, 3x Rotters for 12 players and then 4 rerolls. That totals 1300 so you still have another 200k to play with.

Could drop a reroll and a Rotter to take Lord Borak, 5539 with Block, Dirty Player and Mighty Blow. Frightening ball carrier if the other team doesn't have strip ball. Or just generally a great player if you choose not to use him to carry the ball.

Max is 130k, though will obviously get sent off, unless you go one less rotter and take a bribe as well. 5438 with a Chainsaw could cause some damage though.

Stand Firm Beast
2x Block 2x Guard Warriors
Sure Hands Pest?
2x Wrestle Pest
Block/Guard Pest?
Block the Rotters

Not sure where i'd use the doubles, if you dropped a reroll (which would make sure hands more worthwhile) then you could go for leader. There are so many good normal skills to take though over a double. Dodge perhaps but there will be so many players with Block and you will probably see tackle. Side Step the other consideration maybe but you won't have block etc.

Can see this tournament being really star player centric though, not sure its one i'd choose to go too.

[Smeborg]

I would suggest:

Beast with Block
4 Warriors with Block
1 Pestigor with Sure Hands
3 Pestigors with Wrestle
2 Rotters with Block
2 rookie Rotters
3 Re-rolls

That comes to 1.5m exactly. 13 players, 11 with skills, nice cheap bench. 2nd double not required, I suggest.

[Grumbledook]

I make that 1.31m not 1.5

[Smeborg]

I have costed in the skills - without them it would be 1.27m, I think.

[Big A]

Thanks again. for the comments

Whilst I've only played in about 5 tournaments I think that I find the team value of 1.5mill a nice change from the 1.25-1million I have played in before.

It will make some teams (hopefully Nurgle) more competitive and I imagine I will see more elf teams as they can afford deeper benches.

In my limited experience I am thinking an Orc team would stand the best chance of winning but we will see. I'm in it for the fun and and my goal is to win 2 games+.

[Grumbledook]

1.5 will make the tournament more star player dependant, all teams will have plenty of "surplus" cash

1.1 is the most common over here, I've played a couple of 115 and only one 120 tournies

120 is fine for chaos, nurgle etc, its the skills system that is the deal breaker

they need all the skills up front cause they don't have any, also they could do with a greater allocation of skills than the more commonly strong tourny races

either way, hope you enjoy it and good luck ;]

[mattgslater]

I think the format would be good if you let teams take a few second skills. Just a few. Perhaps in lieu of doubles, or possibly 0-1 of each and 0-1 of either? That would make all the various Chaos teams competitive.

[Smeborg]

I am guessing that the 1.5m/1 skill per player format may favour the cheaper teams able to hire good star players.

While it is difficult for Nurgle to hire stars (because of the high cost of the team's "positional" players), Lewdgrip Whiparm may be worth looking at. I have not played with him, but he brings the team a passing option, and is quite durable (AV9). Loner is a problem on a ball carrier, however (for example if he needs to dodge).

I have played a few times (in league matches) with Brick'farth/Grotty. Quite good, but I suspect too expensive to be viable even in this format.

[Big A]

In the end I went with

Beast with Block
3 Warriors with Block
1 Warrior with Leader
1 Pestigor with Sure Hands
1 Pestigor with Wrestle
1 Pestigor with Guard
2 Rotters with Block
1 rookie Rotter
1 Dirty Player Rotter
2 Re-rolls
and Max Spleenripper.

I didn't regret my choices and had a lot of fun.

Out of 20 coaches I came 4th
3 Wins 2 Draws and a loss. which I was happy with

The loss was to the overall victor.
2 wins vs Humans 1 vs Wood elves; draws vs Wood elves and Dwarves and a loss to Chaos Dwarves.

I also managed the most kills (6).

Thanks for your advice.

[Grumbledook]

well done and thanks for the feedback

[mattgslater]

Coolness!