Nippon Team

[Snap Wilson]

Separated from the rest of the Old World, the men of Nippon developed an unorthodox style of playing Blood Bowl as a way of furthering practice in the martial arts. While superbly athletic and skilled, the warriors of Nippon eschew conventional Blood Bowl, often to their detriment.

0-16 Linemen -- 50,000 -- 6/3/3/7 Wrestle -- A/GSP
0-2 Throwers -- 70,000 6/3/3/7 Dump-Off, Nerves of Steel AP/GS
0-2 Catchers -- 80,000 -- 7/3/3/7 Catch, Fend -- AP/GS
0-2 Sumos -- 90,000 -- 4/4/2/8 Stand Firm -- S/GAP
0-2 Blitzers -- 100,000 -- 7/3/3/7 Wrestle, Jump Up, Leap -- AS/GP
0-1 Oni (Japanese Demon) -- 140,000 -- 5/5/2/8 Loner, Bone-Head, Disturbing Presence, Grab, Juggernaut, Regeneration -- S/GAPM

RR: 70k
Star Players: Bertha Bigfist, Helmut Wulf, Mighty Zug, Morg 'n' Thorg, Puggy Baconbreath, Zara the Slayer

I thought it would be interesting to have a (non-Stunty) team where Block would be an absolute scarcity, and the team would have to find ways around using it. The more I thought about it, the more interesting it seemed to me that a team without normal access to General Skills would be quite a challenge to play. The Thrower and Catcher skills are representative of the pitch-and-catch style that the Nippon play. I wanted them to have to skill up to get Dodge.

Biggest strength would be the opportunity for many Wrodgy players on the pitch, which might make them too strong, I'm not sure (Amazons can basically have the same thing with one skill-up, but starting with Dodge is different). Wrestle, Fend and easy access to Dodge provide them with protective skills to make up for the low armor, but they would be really prone to fouling. For the Oni, I wanted the Big Guy to be somewhat representative of the team, avoiding the usual Big Guy damage skills in favor of skills that help with positioning.

Anyway, I'd be curious to see how this team plays.

[the.tok]

Well, it can be interesting, but I think this needs a little tweaking:

I understand the point of making a non-stunty block-lacking team.
In this context, the players with wrestle will become even more important

But your linemen have wrestle! and will get dodge on first skill : won't they become quickly among your most reliable players?
I mean, I'll be tempted to take them instead of positionals for sure...

You can be OK with it, but fluffwise, I don't really like it. wouldn't it be better on sumo?


Another point : no G access means no block... but also no tackle, no surehands, no kick, no kick-off return. It will be hard for sure!
Why no give surehands to the thrower instead of Dump-off? He'll get it soon anyway, and strip ballers won't totally destroy you

For the blizer... I really fear the day he gets +AG, he can become pretty powerful! fortunately, he cannot get strip ball except on a double

And then, the 70k RR doesn't seem right : they are quite disciplined after all. 50k?

[garion]

here is my version of nippon

NIPPON TEAMS
0-16 Kabuki Dolls 40,000 6 2 3 7 Foul Appearance, Disturbing Presence G
0-4 Sumo Warrior 90,000 4 4 1 8 Grab G S
0-2 Ninja 90,000 7 2 4 7 Dodge, Leap G A
0-1 Oni 150,000 5 5 2 8 Loner, Wild Animal, Horns, Thick Skull Mighty Blow S M

Re-roll counter: 70,000 gold pieces each.
Star Players: Same as Human except drop Puggy Bacon Breath and include Hoshi Komi, check my CRP2 document for details
Oni can mutate on doubles

This is based on the unofficial nippon warhammer army book. I know it breaks a rule but I dont suspect this would perform between 3rd and 2nd tier (well that is the intention anyway)

[Corvidius]

I prefer the original posters version tbh.

[garion]

for me the original has too many skills on all their rookie players, also it should definately have ninjas, they are what Nippon are all about and ninjas have a history in the game players like Hoshi Komi for example. I like the Sumos, though personally prefer grab on sumos over stand firm as it fits more for me but either works really.

Also no G access on the three base players doesn't makes sense fluff wise really.

I like the Oni.

Its interesting that the sumos stat line and onis are the same though

[Snap Wilson]

Well, it can be interesting, but I think this needs a little tweaking:

I understand the point of making a non-stunty block-lacking team.
In this context, the players with wrestle will become even more important

But your linemen have wrestle! and will get dodge on first skill : won't they become quickly among your most reliable players?
I mean, I'll be tempted to take them instead of positionals for sure...

That really is my only concern with the team is that too many Wrodgy players would make them too difficult for a new race. But linemen need access to either Block or Wrestle or honestly they're worthless. Since I removed General access, they needed to start out with Wrestle. And as you say, no general access makes everything else a challenge.

You can be OK with it, but fluffwise, I don't really like it. wouldn't it be better on sumo?

Sumo don't wrestle people to the ground, they basically try to use their mass to shove opponents out of the circle, so fluff-wise, we're okay.

Another point : no G access means no block... but also no tackle, no surehands, no kick, no kick-off return. It will be hard for sure!
Why no give surehands to the thrower instead of Dump-off? He'll get it soon anyway, and strip ballers won't totally destroy you

They can only get Sure Hands on a double, remember? I didn't take Pass or Sure Hands for the same reason I didn't take Block. I wanted the team to be different across the board. Yep, Strip Ball will be a definite weakness--if the thrower hangs on to the ball. Personally, I think Dump-Off is a crap skill, but with NoS it's a bit more useful and its fluffly as it indicates how the game might have developed removed from the rest of civilization.

For the blizer... I really fear the day he gets +AG, he can become pretty powerful! fortunately, he cannot get strip ball except on a double

Yep, all part of the design.

And then, the 70k RR doesn't seem right : they are quite disciplined after all. 50k?

My reading of RR costs is that they are set for balance, not necessarily the discipline of the team. I went with expensive rerolls because the positionals are generally cheap. In any case, that's the most variable cost of all.

You could replace the Thrower with the Ninja idea, but I would go 8/2/4/7 Dodge, Leap, Stab and charge something like 120k for them. But honestly, I think that makes the team a little too tough. More important than fluff is how they'll play on the pitch, and I agree with Tom that new concept teams should be weaker than established Tier 1 races.

[the.tok]

Sumo don't wrestle people to the ground

Well I have to disagree, they surely do that too!

If you're a SF player, does Half-circle back +P tell you something? Honda has wrestle+piling on

But giving both would be too much, so grab is OK

My reading of RR costs is that they are set for balance, not necessarily the discipline of the team

That's why dwarves RR are 40k?
But you're right, RR cost can be the last thing ajusted so not a great concern

[Darkson]

I like this one: http://www.midgardbb.com/MBBLTeams/Nipponese.html
(note - it would need some tweaking to be CRP compliant)

[dode74]

That team would be superb, Darkson. They would be exactly what I was after - up to 6 S access killers (I'd skill the Sumo and two of the Samurai for ball defence - guard, block) and the other two Samurai as direct killers - MB/PO), a couple of A access AG4 players who are also S3 (excellent ballhunters and scorers), and cheap linemen. I suspect they would be a high Tier 1 team.

[Darkson]

Hence the "(note - it would need some tweaking to be CRP compliant)" - they're from the MBBL2 league, which was based of a house-ruled LRB4 ruleset, and probably had a higher bash-ratio than even the one the Claw-haters moan about now!

I just prefer the feel of the team, not the statline.