Depressing Nufflings

[Gallows Bait]

Hey all,

I seem to be back in a downward spiral of losses and injuries that I don't seem to be able to do anything about, even though I'm not playing badly nothing is working in my games this last week as I'm averaging 6 players on the pitch by half time.

I've had some stunning results against me - my most developed High Elf team took 5 Cas & 3 KOs against a Skaven team that I only managed to cause 1 KO to - net result a 3-0 loss and a 250 TV drop.

I've suffered deaths and multiple casualties against an equally armoured human team and didn't even manage more than a stunned result against them.

I've tried switching to dwarves to see if it helped but my first dwarf team suffered a dead blitzer caused by a goblin and my latest team suffered 5 Cas to lizardmen (no mighty blow except on krox). Stunningly the game did end in a 0-0 draw but mostly due to bad dice involving the ball for either side. My dwarf runner failed to pick up the ball 4 times and 4 re-rolls to cause 4 turn overs just in the 2nd half.

In either case my last 8-9 games are seeing me average 4 Cas per game + KOs and its hugely frustrating as I'm barely causing any in return.

I've only won two games in 9 - the first simply because the other player was mucking about (Pro Elves fouling my High Elves every turn resulting in 5 sent off and an easy win for me) and a game where my opponant suspiciously crashed out when his sole gutter runner tripped and killed himself.

Does anyone have any tips for banishing either nuffle or at least my frustration?

[Creamster]

Cannot speak for Dwarves (or Orcs) as Av9 is very forgiving of mistakes and blocks but for Elves the key is not to leave your players in contact with his guys (unless S2). Always look to dodge your players away, or to a different tackle side to help assist with 2 Dice blocks for you. If you do need to mark then blodgers are very difficult to knock down without tackle. By having a team mixture of dodge + block/wrestle helps your team survive.

Mind you there isn't much you can do vs a MB, Tackle, Claw, Pile-on fiend apart from hit him back! But with key placment and movement you will force the opponent to use blitz's on other players...

[Gallows Bait]

I've done well enough with dodging and limiting blocks in the past, and these games haven't had spectacularly bad luck, but a fair number of double 1s have prevented my dodges and I just seem to be suffering badly at kick off and on blitzes with my players dropping at the slightest blow.

Its really frustrating knowing I'm playing them the right way, but its not working lately and I can't seem to buck the trend of bad dice.

[Coach]

Just sounds like you are suffering from some bad variance, if indeed you aren't playing badly as you said then it should come around, just have to play through it and it never hurts to analyse your own play afterwards.

[Gallows Bait]

Yeah, playing through it seems to be my only real choice.

I do use BB Manager to help me in figuring out if its dice or my play, to a degree, in that it will show me if there's luck involved in the number of armour breaks. I may not be overly convinced by the methodolgy of its scoring of luck, but it does allow at least for me to determine how I fair compared to the ordinary % chance of a given roll on average.

I've uploaded around 130 of my matches to BB Manager now, I just wish there was a tool that would allow me to look at my play in total rather than only a single game, as I would wonder if I am statistically consistantly getting hit above average or whether its just perception.

Unfortunately there's no way to download anything in bulk from the database it holds.

My statistics from Blood Bowl itself also aren't much of an indicator, although it does show I average causing 1.4 Cas per game but receive 1.95, it doesn't take into account my extended experiments with humans, elves and such like, so I don't know how that compares to any given average.

Looking back at my stored games though, I'm winning around 55% of matches (excluding draws) whereas my overall statistic is about 46%, showing my first 100 games or so as roughly 39% wins. So I suppose that is an improvement, albeit not a great one.

My stats are very skewed though, as only 5 of those matches have been outside of public leagues and with the exception of a dozen or so CTA games all have been TV Matchmaking set ups, so my prediliction for Elves is probably hampering my statistics.

[Coach]

Stats and numbers aren't any good, you need to watch replays and discuss turns to see if you are placing players in the best spots, doing things in the best order, attempting the best gameplan for that turn etc.

Seeing if your armour got broken above average amounts will just prove that your armour got broken above average. It won't show you that you haven't been placing your players in the "best" places which could avoid some of the blocks that caused said armour rolls.

Sure some turns could fail on the first thing you roll, but could you have moved anyone to better cover that eventuality? A lot of times there will be a 50 50 as to if you should move someone to cover that failure, but in doing so means that was a vital player later in the turn if it succeeded. Did you make the right or wrong choice in those situations? That is the kind of thing you need to examine from replays, stats are never going to show things like that.

[bobman]

I think these are exactly the sort of problems I'm having with my Elves. Although I do admit it is probably my game play at fault.

I don't see blood bowl without blocking even with an agile team. Everyone says that with elves make the dodges to give 2d blocks but I find that leaves holes in my line. Whereas if I just move away it leaves the other team unhurt to start putting the pain on my fragile little elves.

Which is better? Make the 2d blocks by which you leave your players close together, or dodge away to make a good defensive line/screen for ball carrier. I can't figure it out.

It is rarely that simple is it? As with all things there needs to be balance I guess.

[Netsmurf]

That balance should come with time, it takes a lot of experience to place your players at the very best. But playing against good coaches and notice how they move the players is a good way of learning - allthough it will no doubt cost some defeats

[Avatar111x]

You should try playing me Gallows Bait. I'm on a bit of a downer Cyanide wise at the moment.

Last night it reached new heights when my Rookie Dark Elves played Rookie Woodies and I broke armour once. I took 6 CAS as Wood Elf hit squads mobbed each downed player in turn and stomped his face in. Everytime it was either a KO or Badly Hurt and he only had 1 player sent off all game!!!!!!!

I broke armour once all match and in an attempt to try and rescue a dropped ball, my Lineman killed himself on a GFI (push for it ... run ... run ... run - eek heart attack THUD!).

On second thoughts, perhaps it might not be a good idea to play. If two massive amounts of bad luck come together, it may cause the universe to explode or something ...

[Viajero]

Originally Posted by Coach

Seeing if your armour got broken above average amounts will just prove that your armour got broken above average. It won't show you that you haven't been placing your players in the "best" places which could avoid some of the blocks that caused said armour rolls.

Yeah,

Give us some meat Gallows. Upload or link to a replay you would like commented and we can discuss. We may not be the best, but you may get some value out of comments.