Talk Fantasy Football

As a goblin coach I really hate it when I have to put on my carefully hoarded secret weapon guys on for a single turn at the end of the half.

Now, I know that this is not just bad luck, but also tactics on the part of my opponent. However, as mentioned in the halfling thread, it's not (just ) the fact they lose, but the way my gobbos lose that makes me not so keen on playing with them - so I have a suggestion to modify the SW description:

Secret Weapon (Extraordinary)
Some players are armed with special pieces of equipment that are called
‘secret weapons’. Although the Blood Bowl rules specifically ban the use
of any weapons, the game has a long history of teams trying to get
weapons of some sort onto the pitch. Nonetheless, the use of secret
weapons is simply not legal, and referees have a nasty habit of sending
off players that use them. Once a drive ends that this player has played
in at any point, the referee orders the player to be sent off to the
dungeon to join players that have been caught committing fouls during
the match regardless of whether the player is still on the pitch or not.
A coach may choose when to field a player with this skill, however,
and if he can field at least three other players to fill the Line of Scrimmage
may keep the SW player off the pitch and save them for a subsequent drive.

What do people think? I can see this being more for the stunty teams so that dark elf assassins don't benefit. Let's face it, stunties (particularly goblins) are sneaky so it's just a little bit of cheating. I also thought that there is a built in penalty in that you'll be an extra player down.

My other thought was an Inducement for maybe 20k:

Disguise
The coach has managed to buy an enchanted mask, or maybe just a really convincing wig that allows him to keep a player off the pitch for a drive even if it brings if it brings the fielded side below eleven players. The three player minimum still applies. The Disguise can be used for only a single player ONCE during the match.

For goblins, I like it. For deathrollers not so much. Assassins don't have the secret weapon skill by the way.

Those assassins blooming well should!

Perhaps the Disguise would be so small that it would only conceal Stunty players?

No inducements should cost less than 50K (a la cards and experimental Bribe cost).

That said, a stunty-only Disguse inducement (at 50K) wouldn't be overpowered in my view.

Hi,

How about the concept of a sin bin - Secret Weapons are sent off for the drive following the one they play in, but may come back the drive after that? Maybe on a 2+ or 4+ if just coming back is too good...

Compares to the 10 minute sin-binning used in Rugby.

BFN

Paul

I'd endorse Rab's idea wholeheartedly.

Darkson wrote:No inducements should cost less than 50K (a la cards and experimental Bribe cost).

Yes, I thought that might be brought up, but I deliberately had it priced cheaper because otherwise (if the cheaper bribe thing goes through) it is fairly pointless next to the bribe, even if the bribe has a limited chance of failure. That being said, if the cheaper bribe doesn't happen, then 50k would be reasonable as a cheaper alternative to the bribe.

A Mercenarie Goblin to bring the team up to 16 players only costs 70 Kgp, so Disguise at 50 kgp seems to much since it deprives you of a player.

At 50 I wold rather take Bloodweiser Babes for a better chance of getting my KO'ed goblins back on their feet and ready to play the one turn drive.

Ogre Marauder wrote:Hi,

How about the concept of a sin bin - Secret Weapons are sent off for the drive following the one they play in, but may come back the drive after that? Maybe on a 2+ or 4+ if just coming back is too good...

Compares to the 10 minute sin-binning used in Rugby.

BFN

Paul

No way is that &*^%#GFHQWE**%#$ing Deathroller EVER coming back on the pitch!

I'd rather have a 50K disguise that allows me to avoid putting those SW players on the pitch for one turn, than a 70K merc goblin.

And 50K for a disguise that will always work sounds a fair price against a 50k bribe that will fail 1 in 6 times.

Re-writing the secret weapon skill- bad idea.

New inducement for halflings/goblins- Good idea

I think the strategy of forcing someone to field secret weapons in a half, or scoring fast to minimize their impact, is a good one against deathrollers and normal teams inducing chainsaws. But this strategy doesn't need to be as effective as it is against the gobbos, especially when one considers just how unlikely it is that a Fanatic or chainsaw player would even be ABLE to play 2 drives!

Jural wrote:Re-writing the secret weapon skill- bad idea.

New inducement for halflings/goblins- Good idea

That's my preference, too, but I thought rewriting SW skill might make more people bite!

Hi Rab,
>As a goblin coach I really hate it when I have to put on my carefully
>hoarded secret weapon guys on for a single turn at the end of the half.

Perhaps you shouldn't carefully hoard them?
Use some on your defense, and save some for your offense.
That way, it isn't as obvious a choice for your opponent to slowplay and bash, and then have your SWs sent off at halftime.
Putting some power in the pitch should motivate him to score - giving you more time to score on your own drive, while hitting back with SW(s).

I don't like the SW rewrite.
The inducement is kind of cute, but I'd rather just go with 50K bribes (fingers crossed for the rules review in late november).

Cheers
Martin

Jural wrote:Re-writing the secret weapon skill- bad idea.

New inducement for halflings/goblins- Good idea

I think the strategy of forcing someone to field secret weapons in a half, or scoring fast to minimize their impact, is a good one against deathrollers and normal teams inducing chainsaws. But this strategy doesn't need to be as effective as it is against the gobbos, especially when one considers just how unlikely it is that a Fanatic or chainsaw player would even be ABLE to play 2 drives!

How about just folding the exception into the Sneaky Git skill? So that stars can't benefit, but Goblins can?

Secret Weapons is ejected on a:

Pogostick 5+
Bombardier 4+
Chainsaw 3+
Ball & Chain 3+
Deathroller 2+

That would make pogostick more effective for the gobbos and could be a scoring threat all the game.