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Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Mon May 22, 2017 3:29 am
by swilhelm73
I just finished a pretty bad match with my Chaos team. Of the 13 players I went in with I'll have...9 for my next match. On the plus side though, 3 of those injuries were just MNG - and 4th was a niggle on rookie beastman.

I managed to level up an ineteresting player though:

Beastman: +AG, Block, MB, Tackle

My next opponent is also Chaos (with 4 Claw...ouchie)., then Chaos...again then Orcs, Dwarves, Lizards, and Dark Elves.

Claw would help a lot the next few matches obviously, since only my Mino has it right now (and he KO'd himself on turn 1 of my last match and stayed out the whole game). It doesn't exactly work with +AG though. The other question is whether I should buy any more beastman (I have 130k in the bank) or just take the loaners. I could buy up to two...but I tend to think it isn't worth it considering I'll get 4 back after this match.

My team:

Mino: Block, Pro, Claw, Tents
CW: Block, Dodge, Guard
CW: Block, Guard, SF
CW: Block, Guard
CW: Rookie
BM: +AG, Block, Dodge, SH
BM: +AG, Block, MB, Tackle, REGULAR SKILL
BM: Wrestle
BM: Block

If I don't buy anything I'll have about 200 in inducements...likely a wizard and a babe.

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 10:27 pm
by Aliboon
I'd keep with the journeybeastmen and stick them on the LOS to take the hits from the claw guys. No point in buying a couple just to lose loner when all they'll be is punchbags anyway.

I'd also take claw for your AG4 guy - I think the +AG works ok with claw as it means he is a more mobile blitzer, your other AG+ guy is the ball carrier afterall.

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Sat Jun 17, 2017 3:41 am
by swilhelm73
So....the

BM: +AG, Block, MB, Tackle, Claw

takes an agility break. I need the guy for his MB, tackle, Claw, so I will keep him at least for the rest of the season and just eat the bloat...my remaining regular season opponents are lizards and dark elves.

on a more positive note one of my rookie beastmen rolled 1-1...so my choices are:

Dodge: to use the doubles
Wrestle: Boring but useful
Dirty Player: I don't have one yet

Since I have three developed beastmen already, if I take dodge this player will have to go on the D line or bench on defense.

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 3:25 am
by swilhelm73
A couple of additional interesting skill ups. After a couple of ties and a win I'm probably in the playoffs with one game to go (DE).

I'm leaning towards MB on the Chaos Warrior and Tackle on the Beastman

My Team now:

Mino: Block, Pro, Claw, Tents
CW: Block, Dodge, Guard
CW: Block, Guard, SF, Regular Skill
CW: Block, Guard
CW: Block
BM: +AG, Block, Dodge, SH, Regular Skill
BM: +AG, Block, MB, Tackle, Claw, -AG
BM: Block, Tackle, MB, Jump Up
BM: Wrestle
BM: Block
BM: Dirty Player
BM: Rookie x2

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:30 am
by mawph
No care for two heads, or extra arms for the beastman? Realise he's already at AG4, but there could be interesting additional stuff to be done with effective AG5 on either dodging, or ball retrieval.

If your strategy on defence is quite passive however (or just based around attempting to kill a man a turn), I can see how these won't be of interest though.

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 2:39 pm
by swilhelm73
I guess you'd call my defensive style "passive". Looking at statistics I'm relatively low in "sacks" but only one off of the lead in defense (5 TDs given up in 8 games). I generally force my opponent's offense to stall and then force him to take increasing risks.

My team has gotten slightly more killy as the season has gone on to try and match some of my opponents - one of whom has a player with 22 CAS in 9 games!!!

I'm not really interested in EA or 2H on the +AG guy because AG5 has a much more limited use then ag4, even more since EA/2H aren't as good as +AG overall. The other guy who has +AG and now -AG was the guy I did cool defensive tricks with. I do use the remaining +AG as a safety on defense, but obviously I'd rather hit with the other guy when possible due to his damage skills. Still...I'm very low in tackle and I've at times had to use the wrestle beast because I can't get to a ball carrier with one of the two tackle pieces.

On the Warrior I was hoping for doubles for dodge - ST4, blodge, SF, guard is NICE...but maybe my other warrior will live long enough to get another skill. :)

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2017 10:28 pm
by CyberedElf
In general I'm not a fan of MB, especially with more directed MVP I find it even less useful. I have found it more effective to get more hits and throw more block dice than the +1 to hurting them. To this end I would take tentacles on the SF warrior. I know he is only ST4, but it reduces how much your opponent can control the pitch. The more you control where your opponent is, the more hits you get.

For some of the same reasons above, I would put Frenzy on a beast. It is more hits and block dice. It is slightly less optimal on your ball carrier especially if facing side-step, but not so detrimental due to horns. Frenzy is almost as good as Tackle against Dodge and much better than Tackle if the opponent doesn't have Dodge. Plus, a single frenzy can affect how your opponent plays near the side lines.
Other considerations for the ball carrier are guard and stand firm. On defense, mobile guard is a lifesaver. I have heard others liking it on offense for helping get out of a collapsed cage. Stand Firm is good for a ball carrier. It makes sideline cages safer and doesn't let your opponent control your position when they do get a hit on the blodger. Stand Firm blodger is also useful on defense.

As you can tell from my reasoning, I think of pitch control as a key strategy. Since you mention stalling your opponents to force greater risk, maybe the suggestions for greater control will appeal to you.

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Sat Jun 24, 2017 11:17 pm
by swilhelm73
I play the Cyanide client so we don't use the new rules (fortunately) - though I generally like the MVP change. I think my proposal was better though*.

Anyway, I do like to have 4 MB on the team, at high level, so you get MB on all your offensive hits. I currently have...3.

I can't imagine taking Frenzy at the ball carrier. Yes, there are scenarios where it is useful but usually it is a problem.

SF isn't a terrible idea, but I am short on tackle as well.

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 3:48 am
by swilhelm73
I made the playoffs and it is an interesting bracket. Overall eight teams made it - Chaos (me), DE, 3 Orcs, and 3 Lizards. I draw the DE first. The DE are a pretty standard team. MB witch elf, +AG blitzer and lineman, one dirty player, and 7 blodgers (I have 3 tackle).

They will get 160k in inducements as of right now. I have 170k and they have 190k in the bank. Which means they will get a wizard (ugh). If I waste my extra 20k I can force them to spend 10k on a wizard but I see them doing that anyway...unless he is saving up for Eldril (hypnogaze...ugh).

I have 13 players to his 12 so I probably don't want to buy any players...but I could buy a bribe (I have a dirty player) or a wizard myself...though the wizard would get me down to 20k in the bank. Thoughts?

I also have an interesting skill up in that my Beastman with Block, MB, Tackle, Jump Up rolled a normal skill. I could take Piling On (we don't use the newest rules for PO so it is a reroll on armor or injury in return for going prone) or I could take claw.

My mino has mighty blow/claw and I have another beastman with block, mightly blow, tackle, claw.

PO is better against elves and...skinks. Claw would be better against Sauruses and Orcs.

Which would you choose?

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 3:41 pm
by Genghis
As you're using the old PO rule, I'd take PO.

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 2:33 am
by swilhelm73
I ended up taking PO and massacred the Elves, getting three skill ups. My next match will either be a lizard team with a ton of movement (two MV8, Break Tackle Saruses) or an Orc team with a ton of guard (10 Guard, including 6 Stand Firm guard)

My team

Mino: Block, Pro, Claw, Tents
CW: Block, Dodge, Guard
CW: Block, Guard, SF, MB
CW: Block, Guard, Regular Skill
CW: Block
BM: +AG, Block, Dodge, SH, Tackle
BM: +AG, Block, MB, Tackle, Claw, -AG
BM: Block, Tackle, MB, Jump Up, PO
BM: Wrestle
BM: Block
BM: Dirty Player, 6+6
BM: Regular Skill
BM: Rookie

I'm torn between SF and MB on the warrior - I'll almost certainly take SF on the Dodge Warrior when he levels. On the rookie beast leveling I'll probably take DP. On the current DP I'm torn between taking the strength (and thereby wasting the DP pick) or ignoring it and taking kick (and thereby wasting the roll). What do you think?

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:39 am
by mawph
ST. DP will be unfortunate, but I'd not pass up on a +ST skill pick.

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Sat Jul 15, 2017 12:30 am
by swilhelm73
I ended up drawing the orc team, which is very TV efficient

BOB: Block, Guard, SF, MB, -MV
BOB: Block, Guard, SF
BOB: Block, Guard, SF, Dodge, -AG
BOB: Block, Guard, SF, MB
BZ: Block, MB, Tackle, PO, Guard
BZ: Block, MB, Tackle, PO, Guard
BZ: Block, +AG, SH, Guard
BZ: +ST, Block, MB, Tackle, Frenzy
LN: Block, SF, Guard, Dauntless
LN: Rookie
LN: Rookie
Troll: Block, Guard, SF, Grab
TV: 2140

If I ignore the +ST I'll be at +30 TV. He's got 20k in cash so he could take a babe but I don't know that he would. If I take +ST instead I'd be at +60 and he would get a babe for free.

Overall this much SF(6) and Guard(10)....and 2 piling on players....will make things tough. if he wants to mark my players aggressively I'll find myself unable to disengage and unless claw works well I likely won't be able to make him pay for it. OTOH, he only has 12 players. If I come into the match two two DPs and two MB/claw players I might be able to put a hurting on him....

Thoughts?

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 8:48 am
by mawph
So, if you wanted to change your style to a more aggressive defence, then chose Kick on the rookie and go for the far corners. Even if you aren't wanting to be aggressive, it will still need him to string the offense out a bit more and give you an opportunity to get down the sides and counterattack.

Now looking at the opponent, I can't think of a better choice for the 6+6 BM than +ST. His lack of Block as first skill might be annoying, but you'll need his ST 4/5 given the vast amount of ST4+ SF players he has if you're looking give yourself options of creating room.

The ork team isn't how I'd build it, but the way it's developed, it looks a challenging prospect.

Re: Chaos Corundum...

Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 5:25 pm
by swilhelm73
I ended up taking SF on the Warrior, Kick on the 6+6/DP beastman, and DP on the rookie beastman.

I did up winning the match against the Orcs though it was surprising. He ended up out injuring me 7-3, including two deaths on my side. I did buy an extra apo which helped a bit. In the first half I spread the pitch and was able to throw a long pass to score on T8 as he didn't adjust to playing the ball/receivers. In the second half he let me get through to sack his ball carrier and run away.

And now I go to the finals which should be a good match. This is the 20th season of this league, and this will be the third time my opponent and I have met in the finals in which I'm 2-0 so far though this opponent was the only one to beat me in the regular season. Also, my team did get a bit beaten up after the last match - note I am missing a warrior:

MN: Block, Pro, Claw, Tents, Guard
CW: Block, Guard, SF, MB
CW: Block, Guard, Dodge
CW: Block, Guard, SF
BM: +AG, Block, Dodge, Tackle, SH
BM: Block, Tackle, MB, PO, JU
BM: Block, Tackle, MB, Claw, +AG, -AG (yeah that was annoying)
BM: DP, Kick
BM: Block
BM: Wrestle
BM: Rookie
Bank = 10K
11 players
TV=1980

My opponent is lizards
KX: +ST, Block, Guard, SF, BT
SA: +ST, Guard, Dodge
SA: Block, MB, Tackle, Frenzy, PO, -MV
SA: Block, Dodge, BT, Guard
SA: Block, Guard, -AV
SA: Block
SA: Rookie
SK: +AG, DT, SS, +MA, Block, -AV
SK: SS, DT
SK: Rookiex2
Bank=120k
11 players
TV=1910

So, because I am missing a warrior and he has two strength ups, I will be a bit strength deficient. Right now neither of us has any reserves, so winning the kick might be critical. He does have the money to buy up to two more skinks though. I have a lot more damage skills, so hopefully I can win the war of attrition...but if he gets reserves that is much less likely. In the one match we played, he won the attrition war our of the gate 4 CAS/7KOs vs 3 CAS (and my CAS came later) and it really wasn't much of a match.

Thoughts?