[Underworld] Starting roster and development discussion

[Stryke]

Given a gobbo with horns is only one skill away I really don't think you need a leap cage breaker, better to pick up wrestle or strip ball on that gobbo on a double and that'd be far more reliable.

[Gerard]

Finally got my TT Underworld team up and running. Two games in and two wins. Plus no serious injuries! Don't think that will last!

Went for the 12 man, apoth, 3 reroll build. Induced Glart Smashrip Jr. for the first match and he was a beast! Two casualties in the first two turns! Reliable ST4 blitzing is awesome! Already got 2 more goblins on the roster, so there is nothing left to by except maybe a Cheerleader.

Troll has Claw already too! Next up Guard and Tentacles

Going to give the SV Guard as a first skill, followed by MB and Claw

One Thrower has Block, thinking of going Block, Leader; and Block, Kick

Linerats to both go Wrestle, Horns/Tackle?

Gobbos to alternate between Two Heads, Horns, Side-Step

Doubles will be Block for the Troll, Dodge for all the Skaven, and Wrestle for all the Gobbos.

[Stryke]

As Underworld are so fragile you want to leg it on the offense I think so one thrower with accurate and then maybe the other thrower and a linerat with extra arms could be very useful.

[Gerard]

I would have thought defence is where they need a leg up, no?

I'm not really planning for a throwing game with them I don't think, so not looking to build receivers or throwers early on. Skills that help you stay alive first and then those that help you get the ball loose would be my priority I think.

So protection skills like Block, Dodge, Wrestle, Guard. Also Two Heads counts as it keeps the Gobbos free of Blocks. Side-Step too counts as a protection skill stopping chain blocks, plus it's great for the wings and protective screens. Horns, Wrestle, Tackle, mixed with Two Heads and maybe one Big Hand Gobbo cover retrieval. Strip Ball could be a solid choice if there isn't too much SH next season.

Don't get me wrong XA is a good pick, but I can live with 8/9 for the minute with SH. Hopefully I pick up an AG boost at some point. Covers both XA, Accurate and Two Heads!

What I'm interested in seeing is how much value I can get out of Kick and Leader on the Throwers. I think any team with 70k Rerolls and access to Passing skills on a normal roll is crazy not to pick Leader. Half a reroll is 35k so as long as your Leader guy isn't taken out in the first 2 turns or so every game, your cost/reward ratio is right. Teams like Underworld where you're wanting to keep TV down to utilise their awesome inducements, or teams like Chaos Pact so you don't give away inducements it makes sense (to me at any rate). The 50k you save could give you a babe! A brilliant inducement for a Stunty team. Or prevent your opponent getting a Wizard if playing with Pact.

I've read Underworld can favour an aggressive defence, so Kick seems a solid team skill. Giving these skills to the Throwers rather than the Linerats because I'm less likely to risk exposing them. Although I might be better having one utility Thrower, with Block, Leader, Kick and the other with Block, Horns, Two Heads to free himself up when the cage corners are blitzed.

However two skills per player, max, is the best I think to hope for before the season is over. I think I'll take every stat boost going except on the Troll, movement before armour, never use the apoth on a goblin except maybe turn 16!

Edit: didn't read your reply right. Thought you wrote leg up instead of leg it! Offence hasn't been a problem those last two games. Plus I don't mind taking my time to score on my offence. Less time for a reply. Plus on offence you have the blocking initiative which you should be able to maintain for the first couple of turns. All four of my TDs (2 offensive, 2 defensive) so far have been run in with no hand offs or passes, using gobbo outer screens with an inside core of Skaven. Although my two opponents so far have been very aggressive in defence allowing me to use the greater speed and mobility to slip through. Haven't had to attempt breaking through a one-square-away, stall defence yet. I imagine sending the gobbos through as decoy receivers might split the defence to allow the Skaven to break their way past.

[Stryke]

I think it may be partially the environment I'm playing the Underworld in which is the Black Box on FUMBBL which is very, very bashy and alas 6 st3 guys, a really stupid troll and a lot of AV7 makes it hard for me at least to stay on top of the bash even for a few turns with the initiative. Hence me building towards tossing the ball and fleeing as fast as feasibly possible as an option.

Defence though to me with Underworld seems quite straight forward as soon as the first goblin levels and you can give him horns, then it's just a case of squeezing though the opposing line with some other goblins for assists and knocking the ball loose. Once you have more goblins with two heads it's just going to get easier from there.

Really like your idea though for a Block, Leader, Kick Thrower as I'd been wracking my brain on where to squeeze in Kick. Normally it'd go on a line rat but you've only got two of them and they really need skills to keep them alive and it'd be a real waste taking it on a goblin double.

[Gerard]

Fair play taking Underworld into Black Box! That is probably painful. Our TT league isn't so Bash orientated and I'm one of the better players, so as a Tier 1.5/2 team, Underworld should give me a challenge without being too much of a push over.