Cage busting with Chaos Dwarves

[mzukerman]

So I've played Wood Elves for the last two seasons and I've gotten way to used to leaping in with war dancers and either stripping the ball or wrestling someone down to bust that cage. But the LIBBL will be very bash heavy this season and in my division is six other bashy teams.

In another thread I've explained that I'm developing my bull centaurs as pure blitzers with block/frenzy/might blow or block/frenzy/juggernaut. I'll have a minotaur and chaos dwarves that I plan on guarding across the board.

But I'm concerned that I'm not going to be able to bash that cage. It's been so long that I've played a bash team (Nurgle 3 years ago) that I'm worried that I push and push, but unless the dice go my way, I'm going to have difficulty getting to the ball carrier through a proper cage. Frenzy will help I believe. I don't want to put wrestle on a bull centaur because they'll get fouled. And the dwarves don't move enough to be more effective than just support with the guard.

Any suggestions?

[Elyoukey]

Welcome in the "play with balls" part of the game...

[JaM]

http://www.plasmoids.dk/bbowl/Bloodbowl.htm

This might help.

Also, this is something you have to learn. But really, you have AV9, block AND tackle right there. Add some guard and you are set. Maybe get a mino in there, I love them in tournament play.

Good luck (you dont really net a lot, just some decent planning though, with CDs).

[Smeborg]

Once a Bull Centaur has B-Tackle, he is a good candidate for cage-breaking. At the very least he threatens to do it, forcing the opponent to react accordingly. If the BC also has Block and Tackle, so much the better, but not strictly required. A team re-roll in hand is usually more important. With Dodge, naturally much better.

Sometimes a Bull Centaur with B-Tackle can make an option play, even if marked. He takes a blitz action, and dodges away from his marker. On a 4+ he does not need B-Tackle and can use it to attack the caged ball carrier. If he rolls a 2 or 3 for the first dodge, then he attacks a cage corner instead.

So my recommendation, mzukerman, is that you review your development policy for the Bulls. B-Tackle is the first normal skills that I give to Bulls, whether in leagues or tourneys. I find them rather lacking in dynamism without it, sort of glorified Black Orcs. I suggest you will do better against the bash teams if you have this skill (as well as being better at threatening the ball, the Bulls do not have to stay in contact).

The other option is to give B-Tackle to the Minotard, although he is far less reliable because of Wild Animal and Loner.

Hope that helps.

[Steam Ball]

the Minotard, although he is far less reliable because of Wild Animal and Loner.

I can't imagine what he would be called if Really Stupid instead of WA.

[neverworking]

Be patient and use stand firm to stall the advance before worrying about breaking the cage. If you stall them enough they will begin to stretch their position farther to secure the necessary advance and then it will be easier to crack the cage.

[mzukerman]

That's a very interesting strategy and I also saw this on Plazmoids. I was planning on Guarding and then mighty blow on the dwarves, but stand firm isn't a bad idea. The issue I have is once I commit the bull centaurs to attack, it'll be fairly easy to do an end around on my dwarves because they can't keep up. I'm planning on giving the hobgoblins sure hands and one of them will get kick - the other will need a defensive skill like wrestle so he can play safety.

Patience can be helpful. I'm not used to playing for the 1-0 stall fest, my last team was Wood Elves.