[Skaven] Skaven Team for 1.15m Tournament

[Seamus]

CRP rules will be in effect (ones from GW site)
3 games
1.15 million gold to spend on your team.
3 normal skills and 1 doubles skill all chosen before game 1.
No player me be allocated more than one of these additional skills.
Only 2 copies of any one skill are allowed
Any team can hire star players
BBRC approved Chaos pact, Underworld creepers and Slann teams allowed.
Illegal procedure will not be used
10 points for a win
5 points for a draw
1 bonus point for each cas (max =3)
1 bonus point for each TD (max = 3)
Teams which are not fully painted will be docked 5 points

This is the team I'm considering:

2 Blitzers
4 Gutter Runners
1 Thrower
1 Rat Ogre
4 Linemen
3 Re-rolls
Apothecary

I was unsure of the value of the apothecary given the fact that I have a sub but keeping a player on the pitch late in the game could be very useful. I could also consider stars and inducements. Not entirely sure of skills. Block for the Rat Ogre seems hard to resist. Maybe a block and a wrestle gutter runner? Guard on a blitzer would be another fine choice but perhaps I'm missing a tastier option.

Cheers,

Seamus

[Netsmurf]

You could also go for claws on your ogre and set up nice 3 dice blocks to get players of the field.

The apoth should be very usefull for skavens. In the first half I would use it on the first BH to happen, not SI or Death as they can fail. Should you still have the Apoth for second half then use it on the first would be KO or BH.

[John McGuirk]

I like both those ideas.

The best alternative I could think of was Horns SV, Guard SV, Juggernaut Ogre (for blitzing into cages), Block GR - which isn't great.

[Seamus]

Although claw is certainly nasty my feeling is that setting up three dice blocks to keep the Ogre will tend to distract from my objective of winning games. Whilst gaining a numerical advantage would be fantastic I don't think doing so should take the attention of three of my players a turn. Obviously this is relatively easy on the first turn but but from then onwards it's going to start requiring specific player commitment. I also feel that one of the benefits of the Ogre is that he is a single player that can block or blitz almost any opposing player without support. Diluting this benefit by setting out to engineer three dice blocks seems to be wasteful. That's not to say I won't be keeping an eye out for the opportunity for them during games but without block I'd basically be requiring them to feel comfortable using him at all. Any issues with that reasoning?

I'd consider losing block on the rat ogre in favour of a double on another player but I'm unsure as to what. Horns on a gutter runner seems rather useless without supporting skills and its role can be filled by dauntless if required.

That was my thinking with the apothecary although I was planning on saving it for a player other than a lineman. Perhaps a lineman would be saved in the second half when another drive was unlikely or his position was crucial but otherwise wouldn't I be better saving it for a key piece. At least one is sure to be lost a game. They are skaven after all.

[Seamus]

A horns Blitzer isn't a terrible idea. Not entirely convinced it's a better pick than block on the Ogre. Thoughts?

[Netsmurf]

Go for block on the ogre instead. Regards to the apoth, I always use it on the first BH in first half, sometimes even a KO, just to avoid being outnumbered my self. As then the rats would go of in doves.

I think that horns as a lone skill on a gutter is no good, then dauntless is better as that also works on a normal block

[Coach]

I would take an Apothecary for Skaven every time over another Lineman.

You also want to take a Strip Ball Gutter Runner.

[Seamus]

So:

Block on the Rat Ogre
Strip Ball on a Runner
Block on a Runner

I'd like a wrestle Runner too but with the strip ball chap already there perhaps guard on a Blitzer might be of more use.

[Seamus]

Just had a moment of clarity. Kick (probably on the thrower) would really help on the defence. I'm tempted to think more than guard might. Thoughts?

[Coach]

Some games one would have been better it is hard to know. I think Guard is probably going to be useful more times during a match though.