Best 1000TV team for a short league

[dreamscreator]

Which do you think is the best 1000TV team for a short league?

My guess is Undead, Dark Elf, Wood Elf, Amazon, Skaven or maybe Chaos Dwarf.

All of them have a lack of something but are quite flexible to cover different areas.

[straume]

Undead are awesome for leage play out of the box, and probably the best team. Whilst most team will miss something early Undead really has it all: You have speed (7 with dodge), power (ST5, MB), core skills (Block), rerolls and cheap linefodder!

The other you mention are also good, Dark Elves are perhaps a bit lacking at 1.0 gold and need some games to hit their sweet spot.

You should also add Dwarves and Norse to your list. Strong hitters out of the box.

Of course: The best team would be the team you are most comfortable playing, and several play styles/races are more than viable at 1.0 gold.

[mattgslater]

I didn't vote because I don't have enough information, and i don't think you can provide sufficient information and still maintain a broadly-applicable question with a single answer. I think you're looking at a good-sized cluster of really solid teams in that environment, 'cuz that's the environment the game was built to account for the most readily, given that at almost every point in almost any coach's development, he has at least a little experience playing young teams in a short format.

So, here's what I'm seeing.

Amazons: Spam Dodge with 4 Blodgers, an Apoth, and a bench at 1M gold. Amazons are actually a hard game at high TV, but at rookie, they're lacking only in Sure Hands and anyone with above-average ST. A good coach can beat low-TV Amazons, even in good hands, with no or little development, another top race, and a little luck, but if you play in a greener league or pick for coaching in FUMBBL Ranked or something, they're pretty dominant.

Dark Elves: Dark Elves are a very popular team with experienced coaches, but a horrible trap for noobs. Blanket AG4/AV8 and plenty of Block make for a really good surgical running team at low values, and by the time you start getting seriously out-Guarded, you also start building into crazy gimmicks, like +AG players and hired Witch Elves and stuff, and maybe a little Guard or Mighty Blow of your own. But you can't pull it off if you can't make do with 2 re-rolls and no ST4+.

Dwarfs: Okay, okay, everyone will hate you. Also, they're a bad team for noobs in an experienced format, despite their ready Block skill and above-average AV, as low mobility will hurt you against the faster squads, and blanket ST3 will hurt you against the big boys. Slayers can help, but AG2/AV8 Frenzy on your Dauntless guy can be a serious drawback, as being forced to follow can leave you in tackle-zones and force unfavorable follow-up blocks. Still, all that Block/Tackle, man.

Humans: Like Dark Elves, Humans really favor an experienced coach, especially in team development. The conventional wisdom, that Humans can "do it all, but not as well," is not true. Humans are a high-speed bash team, relying on coaching savvy over ST or AG, and making up for AV8 with low player cost, which also works nicely as a weapon in running divisional leagues, as it means you can foul. Ogres are good against strong opponents (ST is your bugaboo) but awful bloat against some others: in shorter formats, which favor teams with lower ST overall (except Orcs and Undead), it's usually more handy to go without an Ogre and just try to farm up doubles on linemen for Guard, stuff like that. This is my fave.

Norse: Another not-for-noobs team, Norse are an awful glass cannon prone to random meltdowns. At the same time, they can totally take over not just a game, but a league, when the conditions are right. They're really optimal for a coach who's a lot better than the format he plays in. We have derogatory terms for the personalities (and their teams) that gravitate to this situation on FUMBBL, where quality coaches can easily be found, but in a tabletop environment, it may be unavoidable.

Orc: Orcs might be the best starting team for a new coach who thinks he has a sense of the rules and wants to compete right away. As you get into more developed environments, the going gets harder, but if you build for control, causticity, and redundancy, play conservatively, and maintain tight formations, even in the most radical formats you can likely keep your core intact. At low value, I mean, there's some skill in making sure the right guys are in the right places at the right time, and proper development is huge, but it's still easy street.

Skaven: The fastest team in the game, you know? And they're cheap like Humans. I favor a squad built around durability, sacrificing peripheral positionals (Throwers, Rat Ogre, Gutter Runner #4) in the early going, in favor of a small bench and an Apothecary. In a short league, the "spread the wealth" impetus isn't as strong as it is in a longer or perpetual format, so you can just do your thing and not sweat the outcome. Your guys are squishy, yes, but the only real concern is that your losses will outpace your cash, 'cuz only your Blitzers need skills to pull their weight.

Wood Elves: The second fastest team in the game, with blanket AG4 to get out of tight spots. Against quality opponents, maintaining proper double-screens is critical, or your men will get surrounded and digested. But, man, Wardancers... need I say anything else? They're just amazing in the early going, especially on tabletop or in other noob-heavy environments, or in Week 1, where your opponents won't have the materials necessary to thwart them in position as needed. Just watch out for that unfortunate merger of blanket AV7, two RR, and no money to start with an Apothecary. Still, awesome.