Rookie Season

[BDThrall89]

Hello everybody, I was just wondering if anyone could help a rookie coach with his first season of Blood Bowl. Now I'll admit it's my first time with this and I can't decided wether or not to go with a average Human team, or if I wanna go with a Dark Elf team.

Is it possible someone could give me some help or pointers on how to run this first season team. Thanks in advanced.

[ArtificiallyEnhanced]

Both have big advantages, the humans are cheap, skillful but not great at anything, the DE are quickish, very agile and best play a running game reliant on speed more than power.

Personally I'd go for DE. Block is a must for linemen, dodge is not so much of an issue as they have a high AG. Runners are your main movers and shakers, they should be your main scoring threats so you'll want 2, and possibly a blitzer too as he can be useful on the line, stopping catchers coming through or at a pinch, as a throwing option downfield. The rest of them should be linemen, as they're good enough that they'll be able to advance well enough by themselves. This also frees up the much needed GPs for some re-rolls.

However, the human team would be much more flexible and forgiving as a starting team. You can have a passing game or running game and play them equally well. 2 blitzers, 2 catchers and a thrower are the starting advanced players you'll want, 2 throwers and they won't advance as quickly if you want them to be even. Set up with the catcher back and a blitzer/catcher in each WZ, as the blitzer can easily blast a hole for the catcher.

Once you get advanced, ogres are always fun too!

Anyway, best of luck with the season, let us know how you go and post your roster on here for us to look over.

[BDThrall89]

Well fortunatly the league hasn't began yet, while my choice of a roster is fairly simple. I'm gonna stick with a typical set up of:

One Thrower
Two Catchers
Two Blitzers
with the rest of my gold going to linemen and probably three re-rolls. Other than that I'll wait until the cash starts rolling in my favor to begin add anything else into the lineup.

[ArtificiallyEnhanced]

Thats fir enough, a good solid team for a rookie. Remember to get those linemen trained up good. If you can get an apothecary, the sooner the better. Then once you have 13 players save for the ogre!

Don't forget to "train" those linemen.

[BDThrall89]

Well working with the good ol' 1,000,000 start. I've come up with a potential starting season team. Hopefully I can get some ever useful advice.

Verolina Black Cats:
2 Throwers (one 'reserve')- 140,000
2 Catchers- 180,000
2 Blitzers- 180,000
8 Linemen (two 'reserve')- 400,000

With 2 team re-rolls: 100,000

And that makes up the rookie Season of the Verolina Black-Cats.

[kb10r]

Hey BDThrall89,

As a rookie you need to get several things clear about the season before you can build a team.
What rule book are you using? I assume LRB5, which is current. But there are "experimental" lists that are available that some commissioners pull out than can change the dynamics of the season.
What is the inducement structure for games? When Team Rating is compared before the game, the team with the lower TR usually gains an "inducement" to play. You need to know what the commish is making available. Read P24+ closely.
Is the commish enforcing the turn time limit?

Also, there are four things that LRB5 changed that alter BB play.
1) Your treasury does not count against your TR. So it isn't bad to keep some money ( if you can ) in reserve.
2) TR is increased only when a skill is gained. So having Star Player Points on a player isn't bad anymore.
3) A player that can not play do to injury does not count towards TR for that game.
3) Journeymen. The biggest change, IMHO. Read this section in the LRB closely. If after a game, you can't field 11 players for the next game, you get a "free" SPP0 Lineman who has the skill "Loner". He can be bought at the end of that game if he unfortunately gained any SPP. This really takes away some of the "ouch" when a player dies or is seriously injured in the first game. Because of this ( and, yes, styles vary ) I only buy 11 players to start. Too many players and your MVP points, which are critical for skilling up generic Linemen, don't concentrate enough to make a difference and you will feel like you are 1-2 games behind everyone else.

You didn't buy any Fan Factor, so does everyone get free FF?

As a rookie, remember that your turn ends when you fail your first action. So every action has a risk/reward ratio. Do your SAFE actions ( a move without a dodge ) FIRST. Your important actions second, and your risky actions third.

Get used to the block/assist dynamic. You need to be really comfortable with who can and who can't assist a block.

For me, a TR100 Human team that gets free FF is this:
4 Blitzers.
1 Ogre
2 Throwers
1 Catcher
3 Linemen
2 Rerolls

[stayscrunchyinmilk]

There's been some very good advice, Here's mine (Which differs a bit)

Firstly, I would pick Humans above Dark Elves for a starting player.

I just finished a league in first place, that'd been going three months. 2 of the 3 Dark elf players dropped out after a few games, due to casualties making them unplayable. (I used orcs)
Out of the top 5 teams, two were human.

Firstly: Humans survive longer - They have better AV.

Secondly: Humans are cheaper - Not just for beginning team costs, but for replacements - I really do reccomend squeezing every penny out of your starting team, or you have to start them at least 70k under everyone else's for the cheapest extra. (a merc lineman + the 20k fee.) - are you planning on losing before the first game?

Thirdly - Dark Elves are a much more advanced team to master, They have a fast throwing game, and heavily rely on dodge and manuvering to work. I'd work up a bit of experience first.

My Advice:

1) If you don't have free fan factor you must buy alot - I cannot stress how important it is. winning FAME (the roll off adding your fan factor) is vital - Not only do you get more money in winnings at the end (Win or lose the game. Winning is better though, and allows you to re-roll on the winnings.)
And it will give you extra re-rolls occasionally (on the 6/8 results on the kick off chart - you roll D3, and add your cheerleaders/asistant coaches and FAME bonus.)
- Many players do not realise the significance of this. when you add dice together the probability of results changes greatly - there is a 1 in 36 chance of the result being 2(with double one's), but a 1 in 6 chance of it being 7, and a weather roll The next most common result is joint 6 and 8, with the results being 5 out of 36 for each, or 27.7% every time you roll off.
- It's not just a re-roll, it's a re-roll you are denying your opponent.
If purchasing Fan Factor, I reccomend a minimum of 5 (Is there a cap on fan factor?)

2) Skills. Skills are what will set apart a good team from a bad team - This is decided by you. We were using the scheme for most valuable player where you nominate 3 players, and your opponent picks one to get MVP. In my book, if the MVP wouldn't gain them a skill, i didn't put them forwards.
I also placed my team thinking about my skill points. If I was to put a blitzer on a wing (to play for a touchdown), I'd pick the one who needed 3 points for their next skill.
Note - do not start messing about with passes etc to get the ball to someone, instead of scoring. This will always go wrong. Score if you can, don't roll more dice. The man you want to score should have it already, because of your deployment.
think about who you want to get the points if it is a option. (I had two successfull intercepts in eleven games. Both by my black orc blitzers - It's still a six, and they gain skill points very slowly, so deperately need them)

I would go for humans. I would also insist on having at least twelve people on your starting team, free journeymen or not. having a eleven man team and taking a casualty is devastating - you opponent has one more man to block, add a tackle zone / assist, or hold the ball unmolested. Avoid this (having less players than your opponent) at all costs.

P.S. if you do go dark elves, witch elves are better than assassains IMO. They've AG4, dodge, Frenzy, and a awsome move - they run through my lines, hit the ball man (and don't stop with pushback), pick it up and run off. I hate them.
If you use a assain, kill the low av guys with it. you'll bounce against those AV9 rat ogres / trolls etc, and get hammered back. Stab the lineman who goes off, and he stops asisting for the entire game.

P.P.S. If your league uses the team "refreshes" rules - one skill, no team casualties, Dark elves are more viable.