Elf Blitzers Overview:
Elf Blitzers are one of the best rookie Blitzers in the game starting with the great addition of Side Step along with the typical Block. They are fast and agile along with average strength and armour, their real main let down is that they are expensive.
Starting with Side Step gives them a big edge early on over the effectiveness of most other players. You have a player who is instantly capable of marking opposing players in a really effective manner and you can increase this ability with their first skill increase. I suggest you read the Side Step article to understand all the dimensions that it brings.
Despite being called Blitzers then, it isn’t unusual for them to move away from that role and take on one in a more disruptive and passive use. Some coaches will start without any Catchers on the team, at this point the Blitzers will do most of the legwork. Both the blitzing roll and the scoring roll (though you shouldn’t neglect your Linemen). As the team develops though the blitzing roll may shift more to the Catchers and your Blitzer takes on the job of marking or assisting.
Traditionally on most teams Blitzers will have access to strength skills, though being an Elf means that natural access to those skills isn’t there. It is having normal access to strength skills that usually dictates that those Blitzers tend to keep the role of blitzing. The marking role usually fits best with those who have agility access. Coupled with the introduction of Wrestle as the de-facto skill for going after ball carriers, it is all those factors that combine to create this shift in on pitch roles, despite the given positions of the players.
Marking Support Elf Blitzer:
- Normal: Dodge, Diving Tackle / Tackle, Dauntless / Pro / Jump Up / Fend
- Doubles: Guard, Mighty Blow
- Stat Increase: +ST +AG +MV / +AV
This route of development is how I look to develop both Blitzers, it makes them good at marking, great for supporting players and they can act as pivots to move the play around. Dodge is the obvious first skill to complete the Block and Dodge combo and with Side Step as well makes then very annoying for opponents. After that I would get Diving Tackle and Tackle, the former first in a bash heavy league, or Tackle first in an agility heavy league.
By this point your team will likely have all four possible Catchers so the rate of SPP your Blitzers are getting will probably be down to a trickle. I wouldn’t expect many more skills from this point but most the choices from this point on are in my opinion rather marginal anyway. Dauntless can be useful if facing stronger opponents a lot, Pro can help you out in sticky spots on occasion. Jump Up can let you hit back opponents who knocked you over, or Fend could be great for protection, especially if you face a lot of Piling On or Frenzy.
Doubles I would get Guard, Elves need it when they can get it and it fits really well with Block, Dodge and Side Step. If you get another then take Mighty Blow, they will often be in a position to block with their skill set. A strength increase makes it even harder to shift them and easier to get blocks. An agility increase would perhaps be better for a Catcher though you can’t argue with AG5. If you get that then consider getting Sure Hands and use them to pick up loose balls in traffic. On the roll of a ten you have options, you could take the movement and then consider Shadowing as well. You could take the armour increase, going from eight to nine, they may be taking a fair few hits when doing the marking role.
Elf Blitzer Summary:
I think you really need to look past the positions the players have and instead fit the players into roles on the team based on their abilities. Blitzers start off as the best markers in Blood Bowl and can very easily excel in the role. They are your best player for this job with their starting skills and as it is a job that means they can get hit a lot, their extra armour comes into play too. Learn to use the right tool for the right job for maximum effect, sometimes that means thinking outside the box.
Good article, like the rest of the site !
About the elf blitzer, the marking build is probably the most efficient. But I like to have at least one frenzy player in a team and he is quite good at it (cause he already has sidestep and is quite fast)
with maybe dauntless, jump up and juggernaught if you are lucky, he can become a considerable threat on the side.
That is all true, though you can easily do that with a Lineman (or any other Elf) as Block, Frenzy and Side Step are all normal skill access for every Elf in Blood Bowl. The Blitzers are the only ones on the team with AV8, so I prefer to get them into the marking role, nothing stopping you putting Frenzy on one of them though, no reason they can’t perform both jobs.
I totally agree with using Elf Blitzers in a marking role.
I would have thought that shadowing would have been mentioned in the mix of useful skills. With MA 7, he has a decent chance of using it against almost anyone and combined with Tackle and Diving Tackle can really lock down a player.
With an MA of 7 Shadowing is IMO a really good option for a late skill in a marking role, having played a lot with assasins I find shadowing a serious threat to anyone up to 1 MA faster than you (15 in 36 successes with LRB6 shadowing), with an MA of 7 and the WE catcher nerf that really is everyone except Skaven Gutter runners, it partners brilliantly with tackle & diving tackle, plus blodge & sidestep to make a really unshakable marker and I think it’s a great choice for a 4th skill up on a marker elf. With the LRB6 changes to shadowing Pro no longer combines well with shadowing so the last skill slot is still wide open. Personally I like Pass Block as it does a great job of shutting down passing plays, get the tackle zone onto the receiver and he has to get away from possibly the most obnoxious man marker in the game, with agi 4 and dodge it’s even very possible to dodge away from one receiver to mark another after the pass is declared.
PE Catchers tend to pick up pass block (well, certain type of defensive catchers). So while putting together a really painful passing defense man-marker with a blitzer is really enticing, remember, it’s the running game that’s going to give you the most problems.
Which is why, at the point you’re describing, I’d be more likely to go with fend. Just because it’s even more annoying for those people trying to move cages.
Still, if you ever end up in a elf bowl. Yeah, that would suck.
Like has been said if you are going to get Pass Block I would get it on a Catcher as they have a better threat of intercepting the ball compared to a Blitzer. For that same reason and the fact they have more movement, I prefer to get Shadowing on them, though I did mention it in the article if you get a movement increase then I would strongly consider getting Shadowing.
Good stuff though guys, they certainly aren’t bad options, just not my preference. Also there isn’t a great deal of passing usually in games which makes Pass Block less useful than perhaps alternative selections.
I find with the catchers low armour and less marking specific build shadowing is risky and less effective (it’s amazing with block, dodge, sidestep, tackle & diving tackle for inescapable marking), I tend to build my catchers for blitzing, catching and stalling so they get skills like fend, wrestle and frenzy and almost never end a turn in an opponents tz. Pass block as a 5th and final skill is going to be a long time coming, at this point I think most serious throwers will have safe throw and going for the interception won’t stop passing plays anywhere near as much as putting an obstinate tackler on their catcher will.
As for alternative selections, Jump up isn’t “that” useful on a fast, blodge, man marker, if he can stand up he can still move 4 before GFI, Pro is ok but if it’s going to cause a TO I’d rather use a RR so I wouldn’t expect to get that much out of it on a marker (sure for a catcher/blitzer with frenzy and dauntless it’s amazing though), fend is ok but similarly, stacked with blodge and side step it’s a occasionally useful defensive layer at best and dauntless is more of a skill for my catcher/blitzers usually IMO. Personally I would defiantly go for shadowing and hope the list of unexciting final choices to have been pushed out by a stat increase or the incredibly useful guard on a double.
I’m surprised no one has mentionned the wardancer style cage-busting build, taking leap first, and then strip ball/tackle. With sidestep and AV 8 it can often survive going into a cage, whereas if I build a catcher or linelf for this, it never lasts long. Taking down cages without suffering horrendous CAS is one of the things I find Elves struggle with.
I normally build one blitzer like this, and one as coach suggests.
Well the fact that they have Block to start with and you can only get two of them is why I don’t recommend it. Also a lot of good Wood Elf Coaches don’t automatically just Leap in with their Wardancers anyway. Wrestle is preferred to Block when going to hit a ball carrier as well as they usually have Block. You can easily spare a Lineman or a Catcher to do that job, whilst the Blitzers with their higher armour and starting skills are better suited (imo) as being developed in a marking build. If a “Wardancer” build works for you though then by all means do it, though personally if you wanted a Wardancer then play Wood Elves!
I like the idea of Jump up for these guys. It’s not about the loss of movement, it’s about jumping up for a free block after you’ve gone prone from diving tackle. It’s an AG test to jump up and block, so decent chances.
I find often these guys will be in the thick of it, usually next to the ball carrier, but badly outnumbered. Ideally you want to keep them on their feet next to the ball carrier, which is where sidestep is great, but I often find they are taking 3 hits a round by the cage corners trying to dislodge them. You should always go down next to the ball carrier, and if he can’t move the carrier away, jump up might give you a free hit against him, saving your blitz action.
Hi,
I have a query regarding the future development of my prized star elf blitzer.
At the momwent he has:
MA+1
St+1
AG+1
Dodge
Tackle
what last two skills should i consider to round him off?
(praying of course that he doesnt die or get horribly injured)
Sidestep for defense and annoyance, Leap to go with AG 5.
Hi jasper
sorry should have included the skills he started with
hes got
St+1
MA+1
AG+1
Block
Dodge
Sidestep
Tackle
Hes gottwo skills left to go but dont know what sort of skills to finish of on. At the moment i use him as a, well, a blitzing role really.
Harrier the ball carrier just after kick off
Rather than all these articles getting bogged down by people asking for specific players, could you please use the forum for specific team and player development please. Posting on the forum will also be seen by more users and you will get more responses as well, so it is win win!
Coach is absolutely on the mark with these blitzers, it’s all about the defense. Pro elves have a natural offensive ability so there’s absolutely no reason to keep adding more skills assist with that when it’s quite obvious that the focus should be on defense and the blitzers are designed for exactly that.
However, I am not a fan of diving tackle for a blitzer, he needs to be standing up at all times not laying on the ground at risk of being fouled. The replacement skill for Diving Tackle is quite simple. It’s Shadowing..This puts enormous pressure on the opponent who tries to escape. Chasing down their every moment and you can choose to what extent your shadowing goes to if the rolls hold up but in reality it’s your opponent that’s taking the big risks vs Shadowing. Your only risk is being out of position after a string of successful rolls from your opponent.
Diving tackle and Wrestle are skills I’d much prefer to put on linemen. There’s just no way I’d floor a positional willingly.
I find it odd how many keep their players on the team after a -1 MV, but fire them after a -1 AV and at the same time always take +1 MV over +1 AV. If rolling 10, I would always pick +1 AV on these guys. They can mitigate much damage to your team by taking over the marking job and if you can keep your elves on the field, then you have a very powerful team.
Also, I found a minor spelling glitch in the marking support section: “… makes theM very annoying…”. The meaning is obvious, but I for one would prefer it if people pointed it out to me.
Not sure why catchers are being discussed on the blitzer page but whatever, in my 9 years of pro elf coaching I have to admit they are some of the best defending players in the game.
Normal Rolls: Dodge/Tackle/Fend/Dauntless/Shadowing
Double Rolls: Mighty blow/Guard
Stats: +str / +agi / +ma
If you can conjure up such a blitzer you’re on the right path, that being said, I know there are not many of us pro elf coaches left but if you’re reading, may nuffle bless your rolls good sir!