Can you declare a Block Action without having to block?

Kafre es Ispurio · Post by **Kafre es Ispurio** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:53 am

Hello fellow coaches,

In the spanish forum we have been discussing for a while the blocking action as it's stated - "A player may make a single block against a player in an adjacent square". This means that after declaring the Block Action you MAY block or not, doesn't it? As long as you have an adjacent (standing and opposite) player, you can declare a Block and then doing nothing. Obviously this can be extended to the rest of Actions.

I'm pretty sure that this wasn't the spirit of the rule and we all know that the Mediterranean coaches - me included - are keen to twist the rules in order to gain some benefit. (Wild Animal comes to my mind). So just in case, I wanted to discuss this here.

FYI, the "standing and opposite player" part of the Block action can be found in the Block section of the rulebook (page 9).

Glowworm · Post by **Glowworm** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:26 pm

I believe you dont have to block, you can declare a blitz then not block at the end of the move (good for wild animals) but you do lose the action.

I know you can declare a pass action or a hand-off and then not pass or hand-off

Hope this helps...

spubbbba · Post by **spubbbba** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:03 pm

What advantage would you gain from that? He still can’t move.

The only benefit I could think of would be to regain tackle zones in he’d been hypno’d. But I can’t remember how that interacts with WA if failing that roll means he stays gazed.

Don__Vito · Post by **Don__Vito** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:25 pm

spubbbba wrote:What advantage would you gain from that? He still can’t move.

The only benefit I could think of would be to regain tackle zones in he’d been hypno’d. But I can’t remember how that interacts with WA if failing that roll means he stays gazed.

I assume it's a situation exactly like this. The advantage is that if you just wanted to get your tackle zone back you'd have to declare a move action and stay still (4+ with Wild Animal). If you happen to be standing next to Deeproot you may want to declare a Block on him (2+), not block and get your tackle zone back.

Or (A better possibility perhaps?)the Minotaur/Rat Ogre has Guard and you need it for a different block, but the Mino/Rat Ogre is hypno'ed.

Very situational either way, but I'd say it's fair.

MattDakka · Post by **MattDakka** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 2:56 pm

You don't have to block, just like you don't have to move when you declare a Movement action (the rules say you can move 0 squares after declaring a Movement action, if you want), so, following the same logic, you can declare a Block action without throwing the block.

dode74 · Post by **dode74** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 5:47 pm

CRP page 7 wrote:Block: The player may make a single block against a player in an adjacent square. Players that are Prone may not perform this Action.

My emphasis on "may", which is an expression of possibility and choice. As opposed to "must" (as seen under the Frenzy skill description), which indicates a lack of choice. It is therefore your choice whether or not to make that block once the Block Action is declared.

Steam Ball · Post by **Steam Ball** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:45 pm

These discussions are always about declaring a block-action without anybody near to perform the block-attack that the block-action gives you. Or a pass-action and not passing, say because the ball is clearly too far away, etc.

In my mind, you can declare any action with any player (up to the limit allowed per turn, of course, only one Blitz, etc). And then you can do (or not do, by not wanting to really do it or by conditions not meet) whatever the action says it is about.

dentt · Post by **dentt** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 12:50 am

dode74 wrote:
CRP page 7 wrote:Block: The player may make a single block against a player in an adjacent square. Players that are Prone may not perform this Action.
My emphasis on "may", which is an expression of possibility and choice. As opposed to "must" (as seen under the Frenzy skill description), which indicates a lack of choice. It is therefore your choice whether or not to make that block once the Block Action is declared.

Dosen't that speak to the fact that he may perform a block action, it says nothing about whether he has to perform a block once declared.

Post by **GalakStarscraper** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 1:09 am

I'm really struggling with this one ... why would you ever want to declare a Block action on some that a Move Action without moving would accomplish?

Even with a Wild Animal it would make no actual difference at the end ... a Move Action with no movement would end a Hypno Gaze effect just fine and the dice roll for Wild Animal is meaningless if you are not doing anything.

IE ... I think its a Moot point.

Oventa · Post by **Oventa** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:24 am

Hmn ok I also without reread of the skills thought it differently.
So you are saying wild animal fail roll means the action is wasted, but it is nevertheless an action and thus relieves hypnotic gaze.
In that case there is really no scenario where declaring a block and not doing the block is meaningful.

after a reread of the skills it does sound also so.

Daht · Post by **Daht** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:06 pm

This would be relevant in a format where when you declare an action you can't take it back.. say you decide to make a block but didn't realize he had a guard assist. In most cases if you haven't rolled dice you can just take it back, but if for whatever reason the other coach is playing hardball and forcing you to commit to the action, hardball back means you can just not roll the dice and make that the player's action.

Kafre es Ispurio · Post by **Kafre es Ispurio** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:29 pm

What about using Dauntless and if failed not having to roll the block dice?

Post by **lunchmoney** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 12:48 pm

Kafre es Ispurio wrote:What about using Dauntless and if failed not having to roll the block dice?

Taken from the Dauntless skill on Page 64

...the total is equal to or lower than the
opponent"s Strength, the player must block using his normal Strength...

So you must carry on with the block.

daloonieshaman · Post by **daloonieshaman** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:01 pm

Daht wrote:This would be relevant in a format where when you declare an action you can't take it back.. say you decide to make a block but didn't realize he had a guard assist. In most cases if you haven't rolled dice you can just take it back, but if for whatever reason the other coach is playing hardball and forcing you to commit to the action, hardball back means you can just not roll the dice and make that the player's action.

We play once you count the str you must Block it is the defender's choice to allow you to bring in a short assist

Gremdel · Post by **Gremdel** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:00 pm

Another situation where it might come up: time's running out and you've got one guy left so you quickly declare "Block!" After taking a better look at it (with time expired), you decide that you'd rather not. Usually when I'm running out of time I'll call either "Block" if he's in a tackle zone or "Foul" if he's not, even if it's very unlikely that he'll be blocking or fouling just in case.

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