Mutation Skills for Human Catcher and Lineman

[Gimli]

Yes, you read the topic correctly. I need some help with choosing Mutation skills for two players on my Human team.

My team won one of our league championships on the weekend, and was awarded the Chaos Cup rewards described at p. 32. In particular two randomly chosen players get to choose a Mutation skill, or any of Regen, Stab or Hypnotic Gaze. The skills count as doubles skills for TV purposes.

Fittingly, one of the randomly chosen players was my Blodge SS Catcher with 27 SPP who scored the winning TD in the final game. The other was a rookie Lineman with 5 SPP.

Given the life expectency of skilled Human Catchers, I am tempted to give him Regen, but that seems like planning for defeat. Right now I am leaning to Extra Arms, which would give him +1 on all catches, pickups and interceptions. Note that catch include receiving hand offs and recovering bouncing balls, and that with Catch skill he gets two cracks at all catches and interceptions, thus doubling the potential effectiveness of this skill.

The Lineman is a bit more of a mystery. Regen would seem wasted on him. Stab seems like a gimic. Whenever I've tried an Assassin I've always been disappointed, but it would give me a risk free chance to break armour on every kickoff. Really, what he needs is SPP, and to that end the only choices would seem to be Claw or Horns.

Horns are nice as he can get 2 dice hits on his own blitzing without having to manouver an assist into place. On the other hand, it effectively gives me a Beastman (6 3 3 8 with Horns) at a cost of 80 in TV. Claw is also attractive, and he could become a can opener if if he rolled doubles and I could give him MB. Further, Claw should make him more of a surprise, and can be used on all Blocks, not just Blitzes.

This is only the second time this prize has been awarded. The last winner (Dark Elves) took Hypnotic Gaze on a DE Blitzer and Claws on a ST4 Lineman, the latter of whom was promptly killed in the first game of the next season. HG doesn't make sense with AG3 Humans, although it would have a significant surprise factor.

Any and all suggestions gratefully received.

[Khail]

For some reason I'm really tempted by Stab on the Catcher. He's mobile enough to get to the low AV meat in the back... give him Diving Tackle and Shadowing as his next skills and he's the most irritating marker ever.

I think the Lineman takes claw and prays he survives long enough to become a can-opener. Throw a pass with him next game and get him block to protect him some.

That's likely what I'd do, but Extra Arms is very cool on the catcher as well. You could also go Horns on the catcher and turn him into a pretty effective SPD 8 blitzer...

[Magictobe]

On first thought I am thinking two heads or extra arms on catcher and indeed claw on the linemen.

[Greyhound]

I'd take

Catcher: 2 heads (you can improve his catching chance with Diving Catch), it means you have an elf to dodge around which is handy. Hypno Gaze is a bit of a gamble on AG3

Lineman: none of the mutation really help at holding the line so I'd look seriously at Stab (risk free block regardless of the amount of assist), which is handy for a guy I usually use as a remote assist.

[Khail]

Upon review, I really can't see taking anything other than Claw on the Lino. One SPP and he's sitting in the same place as anyone's dream can-opener Stormvermin - one that rolls doubles for Claw as his first skill. For cheaper (though slower) too!

(Note that I'm not saying Claw is the best first skill for a Skaven Blitzer, but if you roll doubles you damn well know what you're taking).

[Gimli]

I'd take

Catcher: 2 heads (you can improve his catching chance with Diving Catch), it means you have an elf to dodge around which is handy. Hypno Gaze is a bit of a gamble on AG3
.

I take your point about better dodging. It certainly makes him more mobile. But Diving Catch (even the improved version of it) is a poor substitue for Extra Arms. DC only applies to Accurate Passes. It does not apply to handoffs, inaccurate passes, bounces or interceptions, whereas Extra Arms would apply to all of them. Even more importanly, it doesn't help with Pickups.

In that I basically won my final game due to a heroic ball pickup in 2 TZ by the Catcher, I am quite inclined to do what I can to improve his pickup chances. It also would combine well if I ever decided to give him SH.

I like the synergies that would be realized with Extra Arms and DC - he would then become a ball vacuum.

No one seems to think much of the Regen idea for the Catcher?

[Gimli]

For some reason I'm really tempted by Stab on the Catcher. He's mobile enough to get to the low AV meat in the back... give him Diving Tackle and Shadowing as his next skills and he's the most irritating marker ever.

...

... , but Extra Arms is very cool on the catcher as well. You could also go Horns on the catcher and turn him into a pretty effective SPD 8 blitzer...

As always Andy, very thought provoking. The Lino is settled - Claw.

But the Catcher .... Horns - could get almost the same as Dauntless, and I am not of the school that sees the Catchers as ball retrievers. Rather, I want to do what I can to improve their offensive capability.

The Stab, DT, Shadowing combo, perhaps with Tackle thrown, would indeed make him a very irritating marker, and thus even more in need of Regen! I know he is Blodge, but a ST2 AV7 marker just seems to be tempting fate. I usually want him away from folks, not right beside them. To that end, and I realize this is little off topic, I was thinking Fend might be a nice third skill to combine with the Blodge SS. Protects him from Frenzy and Piling On as well.

[Khail]

I don't like Regen at all. Regen is rolled after you've used your apoth, so it's not like you're going to not blow your apoth on him if he dies/becomes a disabled geriatric. So, you blow the apoth, and if it's STILL terrible, then Regen is a 50/50 to save him. It's also a 50/50 that you completely wasted your potentially awesome and unique mutation, and chose something that didn't do anything at all for that player in all of the games between now and when he bites it.

You have the chance to take a unique mutation that you'll likely use every game, and can rub your opponent's noses in (it's fun, trust me - nothing riles Blammaham like pointing out that Vashir is still alive despite his best efforts).

I can see your points about my Stab/marker idea. If you want him to be an offensive tool, definitely go for Extra Arms. Diving Catch next will make him crazy, and he's only 4 SPP away from it.

Fend would possibly extend his lifespan, but I think you'd regret not taking something more active. I know I constantly wonder if I made the right decision when I gave it to Vashir. It hasn't really come into play in a meaningful manner all through last season.

[Gimli]

You know, I hadn't really meant to build a passing game (I am still inclined to the view that the Humans are more of a running team), but the synergies of Catch, Diving Catch and Extra Arms are formidible! Perhaps Sure Hands for a fourth skill? I have an Block Accurate Thrower who is a few points from his third skill - Strong Arm? (KOR if it's Normal).

Straying off topic a bit here, but what doubles skill would you give the Catcher? I am very old school, and have found Guard on the Catchers to be quite effective. Nothing like a Blodge SS Guard combo. It also lets you ensure that whenever the Cavalry arrives to blitz off a tagger there is a handy assist waiting for him.

[Khail]

There really isn't much to give him on doubles besides Guard and Nerves of Steel. If he's already got Extra Arms, I think Diving Catch does more for him than NOS (unless he's in 2+ TZs). So either Guard or skip it would be my call. 4th skill you're a ways away from but Sure Hands isn't a bad choice. See how you end up playing him on the way there. Sure Feet or Sprint are also solid choices.

That's what I'd do on the thrower as well - KOR or Strong Arm on doubles.

[Smeborg]

Stab for the Blodge, S-Step Catcher.

Claw for the Lino.

The Catcher is perfect for Stab. There is no better combo with Stab than Block/Dodge/S-Step. Next skills could be Shadowing and Jump-Up, for a near-perfect Assassin.

Claw is surely the best match with Stab. The one skill damages low AV players, the other damages high AV players. Both are complementary damage causing skills. Both players will help you a lot by being distracting targets for your opponent.

All the best and let us know what you decide!

[nazgob]

I like the stab safety, and the extra arms catcher (I have a Nerves fo Steel/Diving Catch catcher who's worth his weight in gold).

But for a thought way out of left field - ball retrieval. Go for Big Hand, then take Sure Hands as next skill.

With all that movement (and dodge) he should be able to grab any loose balls.

[Pakulkan]

I suggest you 2 heads on Catcher and Stab to the Lineman.

Regenerate seems to me a poor survival improvement for the catcher, compared with the extra mobility of 2 heads that will mark the difference in many matches (i.e. last turn, wall of zones between humans and TD, you can try to dodge with your two headed catcher).

Stab for the catcher looks horrible to me. A human catcher, placed into enemy zones, waiting to survive for an extra stab. If the stabbing action fails, here you have, your human catcher dead.

Otherwise, human lineman is a very cheap player. You can forget about extra skills to make a combo (with claws, you need Block for sure, Mighty Blowe to really improve it). Claws is a skill for a human blitzer, with block and accession to Streght skills.

Human lineman with stab can simply play against oponents with AV7 and comfortably lay into the reserves box against Dwarves and Orcs without not much inducement handicap for you (i.e. 80.000 Gold coins that you're not getting profit, just 30.000 more than the usual 12th lineman).

If he get the skill, then you can improve his survelliance with block, using him to block or stab depending on situation or the oponent.

[mattgslater]

I'm in the Stab camp on the Catcher. You don't need any more ball skills, so Extra Arms is sort of unnecessary on this guy.

For the lineman, Claw isn't a bad choice. Horns would be another option. Humans never have enough +ST blitz, and this guy is close to Wrestle.

Don't bother with Regen. If you go out of your way to take it, it will fail you.

[Carnis]

Catcher: Hypnotic Gaze, its not as reliably as AG4 but great nonetheless. MA8 & blodge/SS stacks nicely with this.

Liner: Horns (Continue with Wrestle/Tackle). Claw without Block/MB is a lot less awesome than what a skaven blitzer can get.