Skaven Lineman Overview:
Skaven Linemen get a bit of a raw deal during games. They are cheap, though due to their speed, the low price means that they have low armour and average agility isn’t great for lots of dodging. As you don’t want the rest of your team getting beaten up, these guys take the brunt of it from opposing teams. You certainly could do with a few to make sure you have enough fodder to put on the line of scrimmage, as Skaven score a lot, the other team gets a lot of hits on these guys when you kick the ball back to them after a touchdown.
Clearly someone needs to do that job on this team so it is a good idea to skill them to do this job as well as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t last very long though, lots of blocks and low armour can be hazardous to players. There aren’t really many other jobs for the Skaven Lineman, apart from the standard Kick player that every team should aim to get. The only exceptions may be any that get a stat increase, in which case you may want to single them out for special treatment.
The last job for them is as a fouler, they are cheap so a good trade for fouling better players off the field. Their high movement means you can get to the target easier as well. If they are sent off you don’t really miss them much from a tactical point of view. The low cost of Skaven teams also means you can usually have a fair few reserves which are expendable.
Kicker:
The first Linerat you skill up with a normal skill should be taking Kick, it is a vital skill for Skaven teams and the sooner you get it the better. If you can score twice with one first game then great, otherwise as soon as one gets a MVP get them a completion if they didn’t already have one. After Kick you want to keep him alive, so Block or Dodge, then Fend if you don’t have or can’t take the second of Block or Dodge. Two heads could be a useful second double as well meaning you can dodge him away from other teams that bit easier and makes him a bit more mobile to use as an assist. ST increase helps with keeping him alive and adds some needed muscle to the side, AG will be similar to Two Heads as well as giving you another ball handling option, AV will protect him more or MV lets him scurry away further, the latter two you may skip to keep TV down.
Fodder:
The bread and butter build for Skaven Linemen, Wrestle is great for slowing the other team down and you are fast enough to stand up and still move afterwards. Fend will prevent Piling On, Frenzy, slow down the opposing team and leave you in the open so needing to make less dodges away. Tackle is a useful third skill if you need to defend against dodging players. The rest the same applies as explained for your kicker, or Guard on doubles (though don’t set him up on the LOS) which can help if you need to get an assist in somewhere and could also make blocking a bit harder for the opposition.
Fouler:
This is the last option I’d consider for a Linesman though can be really useful for removing opponents. I’d still go the kicker first but after that it is a toss up how you build your Linemen. There is possibilities to mix up the fouling type and the fodder type, with skills that help both ways. I’d go Block over Wrestle for a fouler, they both keep you alive the same amount, but as Block leaves you on your feet, it is easier to move to the foul target. If you go all out one way or the other though, you may consider a fouler more useful and just use unskilled Linemen for your fodder. They will probably get injured at a higher rate, though hopefully your fouls will counter that somewhat to the other team as well. If your foulers get stat increases it is a bit of a shame as they are probably more useful to you on the field than kicking their heels after getting sent off, especially for +ST or +AG players.
Skaven Lineman Summary:
You need your Linemen to do all the dirty work of getting hit, so make sure you have enough to be doing that. There will be times that you need to mark up dangerous opposition players as well, but better your Linesman dies than your better players or losing the game. If using them to foul weigh up if you need them for the line of scrimmage and if you do, is the foul target worth the risk of removal vs losing your player.
Thanks for the guide ! But will a guide for gutter runners be coming soon ? I though about taking Block then Dauntless on one of them.
Yes, when I pull my finger out! There are a lot of options though, you might want to read my Wrestle guide as that will probably combine better with Dauntless for Gutter Runners. Check back in the next 36 hours and I’ll see if I can get it done.
Coach,
Is there any reason you prefer block on the kicker instead of wrestle, like the other linemen? I’m figuring since he’s on the pitch when you’re kicking off, he’s not going to be carrying the ball, and you only need him on his feet for the opening kick off.
It is due to the fact I prefer having a mix on the players. The guys on the scrimmage are far more likely to be hit by blockers who I would like to wrestle down. Any of my players with kicker I tend to try and keep out of big rucks if possible, as they then are usually not tied down in a tackle zone, they are free to go and blitz. Having a player with Block around is obviously great should the target not have Block themselves. Given that Blitzers have the higher armour and usually guard, they will often be tied up. If the taget has Block then I should be able to get a Wrestle player free to take them on. Also given how useful Kick is to Skaven teams, your Kick player will be a foul target, so Block keeps him off the floor compared to Wrestle, which could also be negated by Juggernaut as well.
I’d go wrestle on the fouler, if he gets blocked and a both down is rolled, then there is a player already down in front of him so he can get up and stick the boot in…
I wonder how you all feel about giving sure hands (at some point) to a couple Skaven Linemen in combination with a Thrower with Hail Mary Pass. Sure, regular throws could go to Gutterrunners, but they usually scream ‘hit me’ to any opponent.
I feel it would be a waste. Throwers already come with it and Gutter Runners can handle the ball easier.
Also you need players to do marking and take some hits. Those players are going to die a lot (as any Skaven coach soon finds out) so it makes sense for your cheapest players to do that. Giving them Sure Hands doesn’t help compared to having Block and perhaps Fend. For the rare occasions I’m going to have to use a Linerat to pick the ball up I’ll hopefully have a reroll saved.
Unless you’ve got mixed up and meant Diving Catch, but I wouldn’t waste a double on that when you will get far more use out of something like Guard. Especially as a Gutter Runner could also get it on a non double and then have an easier catch as well.
Thanks a lot for all the work you’ve put into this site. I find myself referring to it a couple times a week.
What do you think about a kicker with Disturbing Presence? I probably should have went with Dodge, oh well.
It’s one of those skills that gets better the more you have of it, though generally Blood Bowl matches tend to feature more of a running play style than a passing one as it’s much safer.