Smeborg wrote:I regard Block as a good skill, but not necessarily as a skill of choice.
By way of practical example, I am currently running a Nurgle team in a longish league. After 19 games, they have 1 player with Block (a Rotter) and 2 players with Wrestle (Pestigors).
Now if my team development goes according to plan, then after 5-10 more games I will have maybe 5 or 6 players with Block. But that's still only half of the team (and one third of the squad). And the team is performing well (13 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses, and the last 8 games have been wins).
Hope this helps.
It's funny, because I’m also playing Nurgle nowadays. I’m only 5 matches.
Block is my first skill on Nurgle Warriors. (albeit I'm actually considering Horns as first skill on one of them, to gleefully Blitz other teams Big guys or ST4 players, or blitz into regrouped players).
I agree with you that Block is not the first skill choice on Pestigors, but I would never give them Wrestle, they're too precious to be laid under my opponents boots !
Personnaly, I put Sure Hands on 2 of them (to do something with the ball and even try PASSES) and Tackle to hunt blodgers. The fourth will have Block.
As for suggestion, I find it great (I already had thought about the attacker choosing to be Pushed Back instead of the Defender, but personnaly I would also consider to put it on Fend, giving it the extra edge it needs).
Alas, it's IMO too complicated to be widely spread.
I think I've found a simple nerfing that would do the trick :
"On a Skull/Pow, the player can choose instead that he stays up and his opponent goes Prone (with no Armour Roll). If the opponent has Block also, he doesn't go Prone. In this case, nothing happens, both players are left standing. If the Attacker chooses not to use his Block skill, the Defender can choose to use his."
A sentence a bit complicated, but on the pitch it works quite the same way as before, except there's no Armour Roll.
As already said, modifying Block implies modifying Dodge and Tackle.
Simple way too :
1. Dodge don't work on Block rolls anymore. It can now be used any number of times during a turn.
2. When a "Defender Stumbles" (!Pow) result is chosen, proceed as usual EXCEPT the maximum injury the Defender can suffer is Stunned.
3. Tackle works like prehensive tail. Only one Tackle skill applied on any Dodge rolls.
4. Prehensive tail : any player without the Dodge skill successfully dodging out of one square of the prehensive tailed player roll a dice : on a 1, he lands Prone on his back. No turnover, unless the dodging player had the ball.
(Essentially, a second and easier Dodge, with much less impact on failure. A bit weak perhaps. If somebody has a better idea. Perhaps something on the tail giving extra balance? Like part of the old 3rd ed "Stand Firm" Skill ? : "If the player misses his Dodge Roll, his turn is finished but he is left standing ? Or falls Prone on his back with no Turn-Over ?)
)
