Blood Bowl: general tactics

I won my local Blood Bowl league (SEMBBL at http://www.stuntyleeg.com/) last night with my Undead team Tut's Nuts. I finished with a 6-1-0 record. After getting some pretty cold dice in the casualties caused by blocking category they turned hot in my last two games against some crunchy av7 Skaven and Norse teams. Luck has more then it's share in Blood Bowl but a lot has to do with positioning your players and mitigating risk so I've come up with a very general set of tips really quick that I use when playing but YMMV. My own 9 step program as it were:

1. The Basics. Stand up guys and do all moves first that need to be done. Do the most important blocks or blitz first (unless of course a move or blitz depends on the outcome of another block.) Avoid single dice blocks, but sometimes they aren't all that bad if for example your player has Block and the guy he hits doesn't... Basically anything that only has a 50% chance of success probably shouldn't be attempted (like dodging with AG2) unless failure wouldn't matter or if you are desperate. Save fouls for last.

2. The Coin Toss. In the hundreds of games I've played I can't recall the last time I have ever wanted to not receive the kickoff. You get to dictate the pace of the game and you get the first chance at gaining a numerical superiority on the pitch by placing the first blocks and fouls.

3. Pace. Unless you are a quick scoring team (elves, skaven, etc.) or are getting pummeled after a few turns then what's the rush in trying to score? Stalling (which is the art of NOT scoring even if you can) because you have a numbers advantage or to give your opponent less than 2 turns to score is a key tactic to master. Of course it's fun to engage in an elf-bowl style shoot-out from time to time, but personally I like more blood in my Blood Bowl. More blocks for me = more blood!

4. Fouling. Get as many assists as you can and foul as much as you can (worrying about doubles getting you ejected is for sissies!) Don't waste a good foul on some skilless player though, target the best prone player. Fouling is to be done by YOUR skilless player... unless he has Dirty Player or Sneaky Git then he is a skilled fouler, haha. Fouling on the last turn of the game is considered poor sportsmanship unless the player being fouled is an abomination (like a one-turn scorer, or any elf or dwarf.)

5. Protect the Ball. Position players anticipating you will fail a pickup. Learn to form a proper cage. For high speed and AG teams spread out and put multiple players threatening to score in your opponents half of the field while keeping the ball carrier out of blitz range, etc. Basic stuff.

6. Protect your best players. Leaping the AG5 War Dancer into the middle of a cage or orcs may seem cool, but it's a good way to get dead. Protect key players (usually the skilled guys that score or maybe that guy with the chainsaw...), don't follow up on a block if it will put you at a disadvantage.

7. Defense... and more Defense. There is rarely any reason to put more then 3 players on the line unless you like having your players hit or maybe have a LARGE numerical advantage against an agility team. Anyway, make sure it's your WORST 3 players. Group them together, they will take less hits that way... in other words if the end guy gets pushed then your opponent can't push him somewhere to hit him again unless he wants to blitz or maybe got a Quick Snap but I digress...

To stop someone from advancing place your guys like so from the sideline: empty square (don't put anyone by the sideline!), guy, empty square, empty square, guy, empty square, empty square, guy. Then put guys immediately behind those guys in the same pattern... it's easy to blitz one guy out of the way and move past... it's impossible if another guy is right behind him without making multiple dodges to get past.

8. Hit and Run. If you can't stop an opponent from scoring or are getting pummelled then run away, isolate an opposing player or two, and gang foul them. Do this especially if they are stalling... hell you should probably just do it anyway.

9. Skillz. Basically Block is the most useful skill to have but if the player is AG4 take Dodge 1st then Block. Block + Dodge together (Blodge) is useful on anyone and greatly increases that players survivablility, so if a double is rolled on someone that normally can't have Agility skills then Dodge is never a bad choice. Always take +STR, and almost always take +AG (depends on the player) if rolled. If bashy then load up on Guard and Mighty Blow (there are exceptions such as Break Tackle for Lizardmen but this is general advice). If not then Side Step and Fend are good. It always pays to have atleast one guy with Kick and/or Dirty Player and a few with Tackle.

Hope these help, if someone wants me to elaborate on specific team builds or other tactics then let me know I've got several hundreds of games worth of experience to pull from :-)

Forgeworld Runtbot

Who wants to go to England and get me one?



More pics here: http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/runt.htm

This Week in Gaming

This last Tuesday I was able to play two of the new Battle Missions with my Space Marines against Nick's Necrons. The first was the Space Marine scenario All-round Defence. There is a central objective and whoever holds it wins the game. Players alternate deploying or placing units in reserve (with certain restrictions) with the Marines deploying around the objective. Alternating unit deployment was interesting and once the game started I was able to surround the objective pretty well limiting where the Necron Monoliths could Deep Strike in. My dice were pretty hot and I actually wrecked a Monolith with a lucky melta glance and was able to take the Necrons apart piece by piece as their reserves filtered in.

The second game we played a Necron mission: Implacable Advance. I haven't read all the missions yet in the new supplement but it looks like Necrons have some pretty interesting ones. Implacable Advance has you playing length wise with three objectives located in the center of each third of the table. Both armies are stubborn and the ability to out-flank is not allowed. A big boost to the Necrons. This game was much more fun then the first and it really felt like something different. I was able to assassinate the Nightbringer on turn 1 with my Drop Podding Sternguard's Hellfire rounds and Immobilize both Monoliths early stalling the Necron... ahem... Impacable Advance.

I was also able to get in two Blood Bowl games. One was my weekly SEMBBL league game with my Undead team Tut's Nuts taking on some Dark Elfs. The Dark Elfs had a chance to score but failed a pickup, one of many. I killed a Journey Elf adding another zombie to my growing roster. I also stomped on the neck of the most skilled Dark Elf player... only putting the foul boot to a dorf is more satisfying then kicking an elf when they are down :) I ended up pretty much crippling the poor Dark Elf team and won 2-0.

The second game was part of an open league and I broke out my orc team, Murda Skwad to take on Bud's Necromantic team. We stomped on each other good as a constant stream of players were sent to the hurty box. I ended up winning that one 2-0 as well but have two MNG for the trouble including a -AV blitzer (argh! me skull!). I forgot how fun Blood Bowl actually is. Building a Blood Bowl team is one of the greatest joys of gaming.

I also assembled and primed one of the new Ork Deff Dreads and 3 Killa Kanz and started painting the Mega-Dread... more on this in the future...

1250pt tournament report

I ended up taking the Orks to the 1250pt Tournament at a LGS. I went with a Warboss, a 6 ork Nobz mob in a Trukk, Trukk Boyz, 3 x 20 ork boy mobz and a Deff-Rolla Battlewagon.

The list restrictions in place were a max of 1 HQ, 5 Troops, 2 Elite, 2 Fast Attack, and 2 Heavy Support. None of the Elite, Fast Attack or Heavy Support choices could be duplicate units. A Win was worth 2 points, a draw 1, and a loss 0. Victory Points would be the tie breaker.

There were 14 players with 3 Ork, 2 Imperial Guard, 1 Space Wolf, 1 Necron, 1 Tau, 2 or 3 Tyranid, 1 or 2 Space Marine, and 1 or 2 Eldar players. I was surprised there was not any form of Chaos army.

First game: Imperial Guard w/ CCS, 2 Vet Squads, all with meltas in Chimeras. 2 Vet Squads on foot with meltas. 3 Sentinals, Hellhound, 2 Hydras, and Marbo.

The mission was Annihilation with Spearhead deployment and 3 bonus objectives which were worth 1 Kill Point and 50 victory points.

We pretty much annihilated each other over the first 4 turns. My opponent played very aggressive and actually charged me with his Guard multiple times! I had only 2 ork units both below 50% left at the end of the game while my opponent had the 2 Hydras, 2 Sentinals and one Vet Squad remaining.

My last two units hunkered down in cover on two objectives for the last 3 turns (yes it went the full 7 game turns) and weathered the remaining Hydra and Sentinal shooting. I ended up winning 11 (including the +2 objectives) to 8 (including +1 objective) even though I lost by 180 victory points.

Second game: Tyranids w/ Hive Tyrant: Venom Cannon, Old Adversary. 2 Zoanthropes, 3 Hive Guard, 2 Tervigons as Troops with all the upgrades, 2 small Termagant squads, 1 large Hormagaunt squad with Toxin. 2 Biovores.

The mission was Capture and Control with Pitched Battle deployment.

This Tyranid list is very tough to beat at 1250 points. The 5 point Termagant buffed by Furious Charge, Poisoned attacks, Feel No Pain, Counter Attack, and a Fearless Leadership 10 definately trumps my 6 point ork boy. I tried to kill the Zoanthropes first as they were the only real threat to my Battlewagon but my dice ran cold and I couldn't make any rolls to hit, wound, save, or my Nobz Feel No Pain rolls the entire game it seemed. My opponent played very defensively protecting his Tervigons with a sea of Gants... which is perfect for that army and I was nearly counter-attacked off the table!

I ended up killing the Zoats, the Hive Tyrant, and a few squads of Gants. I had 9 orks left. But guess what? I still got a draw! Each of us holding our respective objective. The game only went 4 turns before time was called so I was saved by the bell. I lost by close to 800 Victory Points but didn't lose, LOL!


Third game: I was in the top 4 having not lost yet and faced the other Imperial Guard army which was 2-0 at that point. He had a Psyker Lord, full Psyker Battle Squad in Chimera, Vets with Flamers in a Valkyrie, Infantry Platoon with Mortar Command squad, 2 Infantry squads, 2 Heavy Weapon Squads with lascannons, Ratlings, 10 Rough Riders w/ Mogul Kamir, and a Leman Russ. It was all Death Korps models save for the Psykers and Ratlings which was cool.

The mission was Seize Ground with 4 objectives and Dawn of War deployment.

My opponent had some of the worst dice I have ever seen. He failed about 6 psychic tests with his Lord and Battle Squad before my Deff-Rolla squished them all, and generally just failed miserably at shooting any and everything. I ended up steam-rolling through his army in combat, the game ending on turn 6 leaving him with a Valkyrie, Leman Russ, and Ratlings to my mostly intact army holding 3 objectives to none.

As it turned out I finished second in the tournament behind the Tyranid player I played in game two (who not surprisingly had more total Victory Points then I did.) Third place went to the Imperial Guard player from my first game. So based on the final standings I probably played the toughest schedule and with some luck ended up second. Nice work boyz!

Blood Bowl League!

I was once addicted to this game more then any other. I've played hundreds of online matches with FUMBBL and more recently the PC version by Cyanide. Several hundred games played. So I was excited to find out that there is a South East Michigan Blood Bowl League (SEMBBL) and it kicked off this last Tuesday!

Up from the depths of Pandemonium's used bin came the Undead legion of Tut's Nuts... bought and somewhat assembled literally minutes before the start of the league! And victory was mine in my first table top Blood Bowl game in over 5 years. A 2-0 pummeling of some orc boyz. I plan to have this team painted up this weekend.