Wood Elf Advancement Plan

[everyman]

Below is my advancement plan for my Wood Elf team. I play in a league using the LRB as the ruleset. My offensive game tends to be pretty solid, however I putz around a bit on defense. I'd like to develop my team in a manner more condusive to forcing turnovers for the opposition, as that tends to be my weakpoint. To this end I'd definately like to develop a few turnover specialists, although I go around and around as to what exactly that elf might best look like (some combination of DT/Shadowing/Side Step/Tackle methinks).

Thoughts?

-- Eric


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Wardancers (x2)
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Normal: Strip Ball, Side Step, Pro or Tackle
Doubles: Dauntless
+MA: Shadowing, Tackle
+AG: Strip Ball
+ST: Strip Ball

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Catchers (x2) [O]
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Normal: Block, Side Step, Leap
Doubles: NoS
+MA: Sprint, Sure Feet
+AG: Leap
+ST: Block

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Catchers (x2) [D]
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Normal: Block, Pass Block, Shadowing or Side Step or Diving Tackle
Doubles: NoS
+MA: =>O
+AG: Pass Block
+ST: Block

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Passers (x1) [O]
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Normal: Sure Hands, Accurate, Safe Throw
Doubles: Strong Arm
+MA: Sure Hands
+AG: Sure Hands
+ST: take Strong Arm instead?

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Passers (x1) [D]
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Normal: Sure Hands, Dodge, Block
Doubles: NoS
+MA: Sure Hands
+AG: Sure Hands
+ST: take NoS instead?

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Line elves (x8)
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Normal: Kick (x1), Dirty Player (x1), Dodge, Block, Side Step
Doubles: Guard
+MA: Shadowing
+AG: Pass Block
+ST: Block

[lyannou]

And which setting do you use for your team? Because i would like to play WE in my new season league and i don't know how to setup my team.

But we use the 3rd edition rules

Yann

[Ddraig Coch]

Hi Everyman, and welcome to TBB

I think you've got your Wardancers right, your catchers right (although what did you mean on your defense catchers with the +MA ?), your passers look right (you have put a heavy weighting on Sure Hands though, I probably wouldn't pick that skill right away) and your line elves look good also.

You don't have much tackle though on the squad - maybe one or two line elves should pick it up instead of side step ?

Any plans for a Treeman in your squad ?

On defense setup, I tend to go with a 3, 7, 1

Dave

[ljm]

(although what did you mean on your defense catchers with the +MA ?)

See development for offensive catchers?

ljm

[everyman]

=>O:

Exactly ljm, I use "=>O" as notation for "this player becomes an offensive player". *Any* catcher who rolls +1MA I immediately proceed to upgrade as a one-turn scoring threat (and only field her when necessary). The various positions use [O] and [D] to denote offense or defense, although in practice when I'm short on players that's not too strict.

Treeman:

I'm torn on whether or not to take a Treeman. Style-wise I like the look of a treeman, but in practice he doesn't always make it for the first half, eats up some team rating, and is harder to advance than an elf. I did read somewhere on these forums about playing a Treeman on offense strictly to punch a whole in the opposing LoS; this is appealing to me but I haven't actually bought a Treeman so I don't have an experiencally grounded opinion. If I do buy one I think he'd be the 16th spot. Should I be taking one earlier or at all?

Tackle:

My principal grievance with tackle is that it isn't always useful. Side step on a blodging elf feels more universally useful versus all teams on both offense and defense. The Wardancers take tackle mostly so they can knock down targets with Dodge. I'd like Tackle on the Pass Blocking catchers, only I might take Shadowing or Diving Tackle first (opinion?). If I put Tackle on some line elves does this mean I should be leaving my elves adjacent to the opposing players? My team may be a bit young right now, but I tend to be quite adverse to leaving *any* of my players in opposing players TZs.

-- Eric

[DoubleSkulls]

Never, ever, give up +ST. Even on throwers. Basically it makes the sack far more difficult, and secondly it means he is really useful without the ball.

Ian

[Nermal]

i agree totally with keeping the STR+

speaking as a person more used to playing against elves, it is difficult to get a player into a position ready to blitz a thrower if you had to get an assist too it would be much tougher. take the strength and play him as normal, but with the ability to throw a good block also.

[Balrog]

Try Jump Up on Wardancers, its invaluable.

-Balrog

[DoubleSkulls]

Tackle:

My principal grievance with tackle is that it isn't always useful. Side step on a blodging elf feels more universally useful versus all teams on both offense and defense. The Wardancers take tackle mostly so they can knock down targets with Dodge. I'd like Tackle on the Pass Blocking catchers, only I might take Shadowing or Diving Tackle first (opinion?). If I put Tackle on some line elves does this mean I should be leaving my elves adjacent to the opposing players? My team may be a bit young right now, but I tend to be quite adverse to leaving *any* of my players in opposing players TZs.

Tackle is for blocking players with dodge, and especially Block/Dodge.

Chances of putting them down assuming you have block & 2 die block

vs neither 75%
vs dodge 55.5%
vs block 55.5%
vs block/dodge 30.5%

So you can immediately see what a big difference a couple of players with tackle will make against all players with dodge.

How many teams do you play against without any dodgers?

The side effect of tackle is negating dodge for dodging isn't as important, but its useful if you go for lots of tacklers and end up playing against average AG dodgers (e.g. Amazons). In the end this may help either tie down enemy players or burn TRR's - but its still useful.

[Marcus]

That sounds like a sensible development plan to me. Plays to your strengths nicely.

I would recommend dodge/passblock on a couple of linemen before block/dodge. Play them short in the widezones and then kick short to the weak side with your kicker on kickoff. You can use your passblocker to interfere if they try to pass the ball back to safety.

Other than that it's just nice to have 2 passblockers around the LoS.

Marcus

[voyagers_uk]

I will echo Marcus,

definitely get some PBer's in and around the LOS to force the opponent to play to a different system than they normally might.

agree to never turn down ST increases. too useful by far

[Ddraig Coch]

Try Jump Up on Wardancers, its invaluable.
-Balrog

Sorry Balrog - I disagree, I think that Jump Up in it's current incarnation is pretty crap. All it actually does is allows a player to stand up for no MA penalty.

Dave

[wesleytj]

Yep, not worth a doubles roll at all really... (Jump Up I mean)

Dauntless and MightyBlow are much better options for a wardancer if you get doubles.

Also I noticed you were going to not take strength upgrades on your throwers....you'd be surprised how much difference that can make. Especially on your defensive thrower, who occasionally has to get into the mix to get the ball or whatever. Being ST4 really makes that easier.

[Marcus]

Yeah, a +ST thrower means that a quarterback keeper play is viable if your passing lanes get shut down.

Marcus

[Ddraig Coch]

Dauntless and MightyBlow are much better options for a wardancer if you get doubles

Wes, I totally agree with you