Underworld Blitzers

Underworld Blitzers Overview:

Like all the Skaven players on an Underworld team they have the Animosity skill and mutation access on normal skill rolls. Otherwise they are identical to the standard Skaven Blitzers and provide the same roles and benefits to an Underworld team. They won’t really be doing much of the ball handling which makes Animosity not much of a concern (though you should still be aware of it should the situation arise). Apart from the Troll they are the only players with standard strength skill access and an armour value above seven.

As is common for most players with access to strength and mutation skills the most usual build is as a killer role. Underworld teams aren’t going to stand up against many opponents in a toe to toe fight but if you can use a dedicated killer player to remove opponents, the extra space on the pitch can be advantageous. The alternative option would be as a support role building them around getting a Guard assist where it is most needed.

Killer Underworld Blitzer:

• Normal: Mighty Blow, Claw / Tackle /  Horns, Piling On, Two Heads / Juggernaut / Frenzy
• Doubles: Jump Up / Dodge
• Stat Increase: +ST +AG +MV

Thankfully Underworld Blitzers start with Block so you can start specialising them from the first skill and for a killer build the obvious choice is Mighty Blow. Not only will it help remove players from the pitch but should speed up SPP generation as well. Beyond that is it down to personal taste and your common opposition. Claw gains an edge if facing lots of high armour teams, Tackle if facing lots of Dodge players and Horns will help you get favourable blitzes in more situations. Going further Piling On will let you make the most damage and some coaches may prefer to take it even earlier. Be careful you don’t leave them prone for an easy foul for the other team though. You can also give some thought to taking Two Heads so that they can dodge to their target easier, but if you need to dodge you may just be able to hit the marking player… Juggernaut is another option, especially if you face a lot of Wrestle opponents (who will also frequently be lower armoured).  Frenzy can also be a nice choice, a second hit can get more knock downs and opens up more crowd pushing opportunities. Making space with it can also be an advantage, though your Goblin players can usually sneak through defences, your Skaven ball carrier may appreciate it though. It is another skill you may consider earlier and also combines well with Juggernaut.

For doubles Dodge can help keep them alive and also get to targets easier or give Jump Up some thought for more blocking opportunities and it also combines well with Piling On if you take it. A strength increase doesn’t need a second thought and may convince you to skip Horns if you don’t already have it. Agility is also useful to have on the team, though apart from dodging to blitz a specific target it isn’t vital to this role. I would still take it as it makes them a more flexible player and alter skill choices accordingly. I’m not convinced movement increases is really worth it, they are already fairly fast players and another skill adds less team value, the same thought can apply to an armour increase as well.

Support Underworld Blitzer:

• Normal: Guard, Tackle / Two Heads / Horns / Mighty Blow / Stand Firm / Frenzy / Juggernaut
• Doubles: Dodge, Side Step
• Stat Increase: +ST +AG

Guard can be at a premium on a team that only has three players with normal access to strength skills, as a skill every team can benefit from I’d make it my first pick. Tackle as usual will help if facing lots of Dodge players, especially if no one else on the team has it yet. Two Heads keeps them more mobile, Horns will help if you use them to blitz a lot. Guard players can often be in base contact with opponents, so Mighty Blow gives you an edge if they see a lot of blocks (and again if you utilise them for blitzing). Stand Firm can help control parts of the pitch and combines well with Guard. Frenzy and Juggernaut for the same reasons as before and if you have Stand Firm it makes crowd pushing a bit safer.

Doubles as always you should consider Dodge and I’d be hard pressed not to take it. Side Step is also great to have with Guard, though if you’ve already got Stand Firm I’d consider another option. Strength and agility increases are easy choices to take and follow the same previous logic.

Underworld Blitzers Summary:

As you can see there are quite a few useful skills on normal skill rolls for an Underworld Blitzer. These two are the most obvious roles for them to develop into, if you build both in the same way or one of each is down to personal preference and what you feel your team will benefit the most from. You can also build in a hybrid role between the two which gives you some cover to do either role should the other Blitzer get injured.