TV1000 Elf Starting Roster

This article was written for a previous version of the Blood Bowl rules and has some outdated information in it. You might still find it contains some useful information.

There is now an an updated Blood Bowl 2020 Second Season Elven Union Starting Rosters article.

Elf Starting Roster Overview:

Elf teams have the cheapest Linesmen of all the AG4 teams, though they have expensive team mates as is usual for Elven sides. Their Catchers are the hardest player to stop scoring in the game while the Blitzers start with a very useful combination of Block and Side Step. Your choices are really down to how many of the expensive players you start which will typically limit the amount of rerolls you can initially afford.

Well Rounded Elf Starting Roster:

QuantityPlayer / ItemCost
6Linemen360k
1Thrower70k
2Catchers200k
2Blitzers220k
3Rerolls150k
Total1Mil

This roster is probably the most common way to start the team out in a league. As usual with Elven sides you are likely only to start with eleven players and three rerolls. The money left over will dictate which position players you can upgrade to from Linemen. I advise starting with both Blitzers as Block can be invaluable on a starting team and Side Step is a really useful skill to have. The Catchers are great and it is tempting to try and start with as many as possible but if there is a single player in the game who will tend to be a SPP hog, an Elf Catcher is probably it. Unfortunately they don’t start with Dodge, but the Catch and Nerves of Steel combo will mean you can usually easily get them the ball. With two Catchers that leaves just enough to fit in a Thrower if you also wanted to have the Pass skill at the start. It is useful to have, especially on those short turn drives where you need to score quickly, otherwise you could save the difference towards an Apothecary. They can also be a quick route to getting an extra reroll through Leader while you save for the Apothecary and remaining two Catchers.

Apothecary Elf Starting Roster:

QuantityPlayer / ItemCost
6Linemen360k
1Thrower70k
2Catchers200k
2Blitzers220k
2Rerolls100k
1Apothecary50k
Total1Mil

This option is very similar to the previous one, though you trade a reroll for an Apothecary. This gives you some safety over getting one of your 4 really expensive players injured which can really hurt a starting team. However dropping a reroll can hurt a lot as you have no players who start with Dodge. The Pass and Catch skill rerolls can be useful but they aren’t skills you will depend on every turn. This makes getting Leader on the Thrower a priority, though unless you score with them this is easier said than done. It will also mean you can start saving for extra Catchers straight away as you already have the Apothecary from the get go.

All Catchers Elf Starting Roster:

QuantityPlayer / ItemCost
6Linemen360k
1Thrower70k
4Catchers400k
3Rerolls150k
Total980k

This roster swaps out both Blitzers in exchange for starting all four of the unstoppable Catchers and also saves up 20k towards an Apothecary. This will make the team near to impossible to stop on offence however it delivers a big blow on the defence. The Blitzers are just far too useful in my opinion not to start with them, both Block and Side Step are going to be far more problematic for opponents than two extra scoring threats will be. Especially when you can consider a standard AG4 Lineman as a scoring threat too…

More Elf Starting Rosters on Page 2…

11 thoughts on “TV1000 Elf Starting Roster”

  1. Another option is 8 Linemen, 2 Blitzers and 2 Catchers and 2 rerolls. The bonus of this line-up is that you start with a12th man, although no Thrower.

    Reply
  2. I recently went with an Elf team in a league starting with all positionals and one reroll

    my thinking was the catchers and blitzers are so expensive, they take time to afford (assuming you arent replacing players)

    it doesn’t make the team any weaker, but does make them alot faster, I was actually surprised with their speed.

    If any positionals are missing a game you get a journeyman anyways (which is what you would have with any other build)

    after starting, apothecary, 12th player and rerolls were the priority. The positional heavy focus has helped win games which has helped the cashflow

    i believe this is the only elf team where you can afford

    Reply
    • I would go like this for a TD scoring team
      4 Catchers
      2 throwers
      6 linemen
      2 RR
      It also gives you an extra elf because there is usually going to be someone KO’d or Casualtied, Although you could consider switching the extra elf for an apothecary

      Reply
      • I certainly would always take an Apothecary over a Lineman if the money works out. It can save a more expensive player or turn a KO into a stun to keep an extra player on the pitch. That substitute may not even get a chance to come on in some games if the injury happens on the final drive.

        Reply
  3. Personal fav is 3 catchers 1 thrower 2 blitzers 5 linemen an 2 rrs alotta mobility an most of ur positionals an when u lose a line man u have another catcher plus 10k towarss apoth

    Reply
  4. 1 Thrower
    2 Catchers
    8 Lineman
    4 Rerolls
    1 Apothecary

    This is a risky roster, only for experienced players. The offense is still powerful, and the lack of block and dodge is compensated with 4 rerolls. You start with an apothecary to save only the positionals. Your first purchases should be blitzers first, and then more catchers. Use journeyman for lineman casualties, and consider only to buy them if they win some SPP, like the MVP.

    Reply
  5. What about this roster?

    2 Blitzers
    1 Thrower
    8 Line Elves
    3 Re-rolls/4 Re-rolls
    1 Apothecary/ 0 Apothecary
    30k Cash

    With 4 rerolls this allows you to purchase the apothecary almost guaranteed after game 1, but you could argue starting with the apo.

    With no catchers, this forces the SPP to be put on your blitzers or linemen if you have to throw. I do understand that they are the best catchers in the game, but they are also spp hogs, so sharing the wealth makes it a little better when you start the score spree with them.

    I wouldn’t do this in a small league but in a larger or open league, getting the catchers and the last thrower later seems like a good idea. especially since you’re going to be replacing those line elves eventually anyway.

    Reply
    • I’d start with the extra reroll over the Apothecary. While the Catchers would be useful to have when facing more developed teams, if you are only going to be facing teams around the same value then I see no reason why you couldn’t make this work.

      Reply
      • I have to disagree with you there coach, starting without apoth is just silly with 4 expensive positionals (2 catchers 2 blitzers) it could be devastating to suffer a perm injury or a death in the first game and not just from blocks but from fouls too or rocks been thrown,possible surfing you just never know. At least with av8 you might feel a little safer but it’s the catchers I’d be most worried about. They are red hot targets and you can’t always protect them despite the MA so taking the apoth is the smarter thing to do.

        Reply

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