Why's everyone so down on fouling?

[vorner23]

It is true that after a gobbo player fouls the expensive dark elf player he is in for a whole bag o fouls back. But it is an equaliser actually. The gobbo team is going to have 16 players, it is unlikely that an expensive team like dwarves of DE is going to have a full roster.

The player that does foul after foul is going to have his whole squad sent off. And what for? Probably a load of stuns a few knockouts and maybe one or two cas.

The foul is one of the most basic concepts of BB and I think this incarnation of the rules has got it most fairly worked out.

The only exception to this rule is I think the dirty player skill. Lets face it a coach worth his salt is only going to foul if he can ensure he's going to get through that armour roll for definate. That means surrounding the player. But the +2 to injury is in my opinion a little harsh. +1 would be more even.

Its just a little too easy with +2.... especially if taken out on weak teams.

[Dragoonkin]

I don't like Fouling because it usually ends up happening when the other team is standing next to the end zone with no-one to stop them, and they just eat up the second-half clock by knocking my team down and fouling the life out of them...that's not a game. And in a league you can't even concede if your opponent starts being an ass like that.

[Zombie]

Some of you guys have been watching too much soccer lately. In all north american sports (football, hockey, basketball, baseball), when a player gets sent off for the game, he's replaced by another player, and it's better that way. The only exception is hockey where the team plays undermaned for a couple of minutes (5 for the most brutal foul), but that's just like the blood bowl player missing the rest of the drive until you get a kick off to replace him.

[Mestari]

I don't like Fouling because it usually ends up happening when the other team is standing next to the end zone with no-one to stop them, and they just eat up the second-half clock by knocking my team down and fouling the life out of them...that's not a game. And in a league you can't even concede if your opponent starts being an ass like that.

Personally, I'd go for extra Touchdowns if I already have removed most of the opposing team. But as noted in an another thread, should you be able to clear the pitch, playing the clock is a perfectly acceptable tactic.

[Dragoonkin]

It's not playing the clock, Mestari. The guy just likes to kill players and ruin teams, that's his big goal.

His whole team is built to hit and foul (Dwarves, BTW) and beat the crap out of players on the ground.

It's really not fun to play him, even if you win it's usually at the cost of a few SIs...

[Mestari]

Well, if he insists playing that way, why don't you do something to counter that:

His players are MA4, most of them.

Score fast when you have the ball.
When he has the ball, dodge and keep far away from them - don't care about the ball. If he spreads up to catch you, gang up on one of them, blitz and foul. If he keeps his players together, avoid him.

This is not a winning tactic, I realise that. If he insists on just trying to hurt you, then annoy him by concentrating on avoiding that instead of trying to play normal BB. And remember to try to hurt him every time you get the chance.
If you manage to hurt him more than he does you, he should be rather unhappy.

Start using the Glory-rule in your league if you got lots of problematic coaches like him. I don't like the G-rule, but I don't like coaches who have no sportsmanship either.

[Marcus]

I just wouldn't play him. Life's too short to waste time playing against murder coaches. Point him in the direction of WFB or something else that rewards killing.

Bloodbowl is won on touchdowns, not casualties. I can't remember the last time I lost to a player like that. They always lose, but they butcher your team in the process. As far as I'm concerned if they haven't come to the table to win there's no point competing against them.

[Styrofoam King]

One of the greatest ways to limit Fouling I've had in my games was to limit fouling to players that started the turn prone. With guys flipping over every turn, this leaves only a few people open to harm:

1) Players who were stunned in the last turn

2) Players who attacked YOU in the last turn and rolled skulls (their fault, really. KARMA!)

[Dragoonkin]

Glory-rule?

[sean newboy]

Glory rule in a nutshell, if u can score (within reason), then u have to do it no stalling.

[Dragoonkin]

Ahhh...interesting.

[Mestari]

One of the greatest ways to limit Fouling I've had in my games was to limit fouling to players that started the turn prone. With guys flipping over every turn, this leaves only a few people open to harm:

1) Players who were stunned in the last turn

2) Players who attacked YOU in the last turn and rolled skulls (their fault, really. KARMA!)

And most importantly,

3) Players who used Piling on on their last turn to hurt you...

Not a bad idea at all if fouling is too excessive in your league.

[Zombie]

It's not playing the clock, Mestari. The guy just likes to kill players and ruin teams, that's his big goal.

His whole team is built to hit and foul (Dwarves, BTW) and beat the crap out of players on the ground.

It's really not fun to play him, even if you win it's usually at the cost of a few SIs...

That's a perfectly good strategy. If he removes your entire team from the pitch, he's not only pretty certain to win, but he also increases his chance to win against you in future games.

That's an inherent part of the game. If you can't handle the hurt, don't play the game. I once played a skaven team in a league where all other coaches played that way, and i had no problem with it. It made it easier for me to score.

Oh, and the glory rule is for pansies and limits a perfectly valid aspect of the game. There's a good reason why the vast majority of leagues don't use it.

[Tamper Magnitude]

It's Blood Bowl for Gawd's sake, it's supposed to be violent and dangerous. It IS a perfectly valid tactic to try and put as many opponents out of the game as possible, it gives you a better chance of winning. To say that coaches that play this style aren't playing the game properly is a bit one eyed if you ask me. It's like saying Elf teams shouldnt use long passing plays because it's unfair on the teams that can't pass as well.

Anyone who says that the game should be clean and nice and casulaty free should go and play chess or draughts or something.

[Marcus]

That's an inherent part of the game. If you can't handle the hurt, don't play the game. I once played a skaven team in a league where all other coaches played that way, and i had no problem with it. It made it easier for me to score.

That's kind of my point. I have no problem with Coaches who play to win and use heavy casualties to do it. The coach at the top of our league is one such coach - our games are always exciting matches.

The kind that bother me is the rather large minority of players who have no idea how to play the game and derive no other purpose other than to maim their opponent. I've met dozens upon dozens of them over the years. They are almost exclusively players with no talent, who never win, and who extract their only pride from rolling 10+ on injury dice.

Those coaches are never worth playing. Why? Because they're not playing Bloodbowl. They're playing their own perverse version of Whack-A-Mole. Casualties are part of the game, yes, but they are not all of the game. They only help in as far as they help you score more touchdowns. If your opponent won't or can't score touchdowns, then what's the point sitting down at the table with them? You're not going to get a game out of them.