[Team Blog] Bintz and his dark elves

[bintz]

As there is already a lot of team blogs around (including a bunch of dark elves), I wasn't thinking to start my own but well, sounds like fun so I thought I'd do it anyways.

Before going further, forgive my english as I'm not a native speaker, I hope what I'll write will be at least readable

This "blog" will be about my current dark elves teams:
* Har Ganethornication in CCV is themed after the TV show Californication and grunge/rock bands, leaded by Hank Moody
* Les sales gosses in FrancoBowl (could be translated as Annoying brats or something like that) is themed after kids in comics/cartoons, leaded by Calvin and Hobbes

So far, both teams played (and won) 2 matchs each but are starting to evolve quite differently. Both started with the classic 3 blitzers + 1 witch build. I went with dark elves cause it's the team I'm most familiar with even if it changed a lot since my old TT days. I especially appreciate its agi/bash mix which makes it a very solid team.

Har Ganethornication:
I've been luckily able to feed 2 TD to my witch in the first match, giving her block and making life much easier (and safer). I played my first match against 18Rabbit's Chaos and it was a tense and close match due to mistakes on both parts. I eventually robbed the win on the last turn after a few of dodges/gfi.

Next, I faced Barn's goblins. I was really concerned his chainsaw would slaughter my witch so I kept her back as a safety. A couple lucky KOs later, I was up 3 players and the match went on, ending 4-0 with 3 of my guys leveling up.

Level up so far:
witch: block
blitzer: +1 AGI
blitzer: tackle (since Im facing halflings next and pro elves later)
lineman: kick

Apo was bought after first game.

Kurt Cobain, lineman, got killed in my first match. In the next match, the loner who replaced him got killed so Im with 10 players without permanent injuries. Im saving towards the 4th blitzer then I'll aim for the 3rd RR (or the contrary, Im not set yet)


Les sales gosses:
This team is currently in the rookie division of FrancoBowl which works like a manual MM based on your record instead of your TV. So you don't know who you'll face next when you end your match.

First game was against high elves. They won the toss and kicked. I failed an early pick up, which didnt look bad but a blitz and a pickup in 2 TZ later, the ball was in their thrower hands. I managed to get it off the pitch but it went back near to his guys and a pass later, I was down 0-1. I still had a couple turns to equalize which I proceeded to do before half time.

Second half saw me struggle again but with both bliters and both catchers out, he couldn't avoid me to get the ball back and grind it back for a last turn TD.

A blitzer level up (got dodge) with 2 TD and another got the MVP. The witch only got 2xp, leaving her as an easy target for my next matches. I also bought the apo.

I then went against a nurgle team (2 NW, beast, 3 RR and a rotter with block). He won the toss and received. I played very sloppy but a lucky blitz on turn 6 prevented him to score in his drive.

In the second half, I kept my blodger with the ball into my half, waiting to open a hole somewhere. When I finally moved up, a nice play on his side allowed him to mark my carrier with the beast. I luckily passed the tentacle roll and went back middle, only to make an horrible mistake handling the ball to the witch who was more than exposed (still not sure why I did that... I will never take a nap before a game I guess). The ball changed hands a couple times but I finally got it out and scored on my last turn. My blodge blitzer got the MVP.

No injuries so far but xp repartition is not good. My blodge blitzer is on 11, other 2 blitzers are on 5, witch on 2 and I believe a lineman or 2 got a couple xp... I hope I can at least get a couple completion in the next game to level the blitzers.

[Netsmurf]

Originally Posted by bintz

Har Ganethornication:
I've been luckily able to feed 2 TD to my witch in the first match, giving her block and making life much easier (and safer).

I would have gone with wrestle, gives her a better ball sacking potential and works wonders with Jump Up, why did you choose block?

[bintz]

Im always concerned about witches getting on the ground and stomped so I never like the idea of them getting down willingly. It also makes her a better ball carrier in my opinion since block will help her stay on her feet more than wrestle and when starting the team I often use them as ball carrier/receiver.

I'll probably go wrestle on the second one though, if I ever get the chance to buy her before the end of the season (or if we go on with same teams next season).

But you're right, wrestle is a very valid pick too, it just comes to personnal preference I think.

[danton]

I normally like one with Wrestle and one with Block for a bit of variation, but I think both are as good as each other. In some situations it is better to have Block and in others it is better to have Wrestle.

Jump-up does have a nice synergy with Wrestle all the same and sometimes after a second Frenzy block it is better to be lying down than to be left standing next to a killer player with MB+Tackle!

[bintz]

Har Ganethornication: CCV / day 3

Just played my game versus Raven and his Blueberry Bombers. I admit that I was a bit scared since his 15 guys rosters meant a lot of stomping and even if I thought my chance of winning were nice, I had doubt about how my players would end up.

In the end, it turned out I was right, the game was pretty violent and I ended up with 6 guys on the pitch. Luckily, only a lineman is MNG and my tackle blitzer, Lew Ashby, suffered a serious concussion that luckily was instantly healed by the apothicary.

I won the toss and decided to receive, planning to cause as much casualties a possible. I was quite confident with my 3 blitzers including 1 with tackle + my blodge witch. The plan didn't go as planned and in spite of opening the score on turn 3 or 4, I already had a couple KOs, one went back. No biggy even if my kicker was the one laying down. The first couple turns saw an awful amount of skulls on both parts including some terrible 3D block from the trees.

The second kickoff saw a pitch invasion which was quite brutal since half the flings were down, including the 3 who were kept in the backfield to pick up the ball. I sent a blitzer which promptly rolled snake eye on a GFI to blitz the fling away from the ball. I was able to recover the ball the next turn to score though. In the process, I suffered a couple more KO and I think a casualty or 2.

Half time and the flings are receiving. Even if Im a couple players down I hope I'll be able to sneak at least one more TD, if possible on the witch to level her up. But Raven play it really nice and I get swamped. I decide to mark the trees every turns with rookie linemen, maybe it was a mistake since the casualties continued and soon I was left on the pitch with only 6 guys against 9 flings/trees (1 KO, 1 BH).

Raven tossed his fling and stalled a couple turns while I struggled to get my guys back into position which I didnt bother to do since I wouldnt think he would stall. He scored on turn 16 though, giving me 2 turns to try for the 3rd TD.

I managed to get my witch and a blitzer into scoring range. I decided to take the risk of a pass with my 5xp blitzer because I thought it was more important to take him to level 2 than get the witch to level 3. It succeeded and it left me with some almost-hero ball to score. I pushed a first fling, got a second down, handled the ball to the witch, dodge on 3+, then 2+ then 1st GFI and of course the second GFI failed, ending the game.

It seems the witch got the MVP anyways so she'll be leveling up! One of the blitzer will be too, leaving me with all 3 blitzers on level 2 before next game, which I believe to be against orcs.

If I don't suffer any winnings bug (I didn't reroll so I hope it won't bug), I should win 80k which will be sufficient to buy the 4th blitzer or maybe the 3rd RR?

Baring any special rolls I think I'll take:
* witch (block): side step
* blitzer: dodge

[Mico Selva]

Nice result, and some well placed SPPs there. Your team is shaping up nicely.

I'd go with buying the re-roll myself. Two are not enough in my opinion.

[bintz]

The thing is that a blitzer is good out of the box and I only have 10 players + 1 MNG so if I don't buy anyone I'll start next game with 2 loners.

On one hand, getting the RR avoids increasing my TV too much and as I face orcs next, I could put the 2 loners on the LOS to mark black orcs.

On the other hand, I like the idea of having a 5th block player and to start giving him spp. Not sure about what to do...

[bintz]

Har Ganethornication: CCV

I rolled normal for both the witch and blitzer so I think I'll go as I said earlier (say SS on the witch and dodge on the blitzer). I'll then have to make up my mind about that 3rd RR vs 4th blitzer...

Any thoughts?

Les sales gosses: FrancoBowl / day 3

Schedule for day 3 are up and I'm paired with dwarves. 11 guys rosters with all runners/slayers/blitzers/3 RR. Only skillup is block on a runner.

Beside targeting his rookie runner to handicap his ball handling and stall how much as I can, any advice?

[Barninho]

I reckon having some loners as line-fodder isn't such a bad thing, and I might be inclined to go for the re-roll. Last comp I had three blitzers for a lot of the competition due to injuries and such and it wasn't such a bad thing.

I might be tempted by Strip Ball or Tackle for the witch, even though Side Step is an awesome skill. I like it better on Blitzers.

With Dwarfs you want to try and spread them out, and often attacking down one flank as a 'fake' will make an inexperienced Dwarf coach commit numbers to one side and leave a fairly easy switch for a score down the other. Always a tough matchup though...

[Netsmurf]

I would go for the fourth blitzer, with five blockers on the pitch you should not need many rerolls - Nuffle permitting of course