Choosing the team... That's so hard!

[Khitan]

Hi everybody^^

A couple of weeks ago I decided (or I was forced by nostalgia^^) to go back to my old gamer/modelist days and, since I don't have the money/time to go into one of the big scale franchises, I decided to go specialist! Yes, I'm obviously talking about BB (or else I wouldn't be here xD).

I read the book, I studied the teams, I watched a bunch of games online (yep, talking about cyanide's BB) and played some myself (cyanide again). In the videogame I can keep changing teams but since I want to go back to the basics of the game, the miniatures, I'm really struggling in finding the right team for me. That's why I'm asking you.

I basically like a kind of bashing game (punching and kicking is always fun!) but I don't want to completely forget about the ball. I don't need the best ballhandlers of the game but I would really like to be able to make the occasional pass and pick up while still bashing with some heart in it.
I also like playing "for fun" and with some narrative in it (for example I couldn't play high elves because I really really loathe them, being a really old dark elves warhammer player^^).
Now, going to the teams: I really like (as concepts) norses, amazons, dark elves, goblins, skavens and underworld.
I couldn't (and wouldn't) play high elves, undead, khemri, nurgle, dwarfs, necro, slann and chaos dwarfs.
As far as the other teams I'm quite curious about lizardmen (big sauri to bash and little skinks to ball handle... Seems like what I'm looking for right? Problem is I keep reading they're a difficult team to play and I AM a begginer after all. And I don't really love the lizards in warhammer...), and ogres (they're big and stupid! i love big and stupid^^ but I don't think they're what I'm looking for after all...).
I don't have particular feeling about humans and orcs (but since they're the "basic" teams, from what I heard, I'm kind of bored by them...).

All that said (sorry, I'm not very good at cutting to the chase and I ramble a lot^^) what would you suggest?

[Regash]

For a beginner who likes bashing but still wants to handle the ball:
ORCS!

They are very good at bashing, they're orcs after all.
But with agility 3 their not worse than humans when it comes to ball handling.

[rolo]

Orcs have everything on your checklist and are pretty beginner-friendly.

Also at least consider Dark Elves, they're a really fun team and it sounds like you're an old Dark Elf player anyway. They take some getting used to but there's a lot of help out there.

[MattDakka]

Either Orcs or Undead.
Dark Elves are versatile but they need a bit of practice, I don't suggest to start with an AG 4 team because relying on 1 die actions most of time can be tricky, unlike 2d blocking of a bash team.

[Electric Wizard]

Take Dark Elves. They're awesome. They are pretty sturdy and the best bashers when it comes to elves. You'll most likely start with "only" two Re-Rolls, but AG4 will often help you out in that regard (Especially when it comes to those dodges beginners are so fond of ).

And if you really can't decide, then just go with the team you think looks the coolest or has the greatest background. I went with Chaos when I started out with Blood Bowl, won like only 3 of 12 matches in my first season but still had a great time with it (Because BLOOD FOR THE BLOODGOD! ).

[adhansa]

Dark elfs are a nice choice with loads of potensial. What they lack in raw strength they can make up in by manouvering to outbash the opponent or at least keep up. And then to win the matches 6 players with real star-potensial. 4 you get right of, the other 2 will join soon.

With all-around dodge Amazons are really forvinning and quite bashy right of the bat and shines as soon as you start getting 1-2 skills here and there. Have more limited potential and the better the opponents team becomes the more they start to loose out. Unless you go up against developed teams i would recommend them.

[Bakunin]

Undead is the most min/max bash team..

But Dark elfs or Necro is a good choice, if you want to win games.

dont take dwarfs

[Khitan]

Thanks everybody^^

Necro and undead are a definite no for me. I really don't like the undeads (I kind of like vampire counts in warhammer but the BB version is a lot less misterious and intriguing).
About the orcs, since a lot of you suggested them, I still find them boring. There's not a good reason for it... I've seen some games whit them and I know I could like their playstyle but, if I think about using them, I still get bored.
Finally dark elves: I love the druchii, they were my first love in warhammer, love their background, the minis... Everything^^ I'm just a little scared because I read really a lot of people saying that they really aren't a team for beginners. I have lots of experience with TT wargames, just not that much with BB. Do you think it would be really azardous to use them? Can they really bash?(I'm not talking about chaos level of bash, of course, but will I be able to block and blitz enough or are they more like "evade everything you can and hit something only when it's 4 against 1"?)

I was also seriously considering lizards... And norse.

[Digger Goreman]

I suggest steering away from the Timmy Teams as they will make you a lazy coach (all dwarves, all elves, Lizzies, zons, skaven, Norse, slann)....

[MattDakka]

Do you think it would be really azardous to use them? Can they really bash?(I'm not talking about chaos level of bash, of course, but will I be able to block and blitz enough or are they more like "evade everything you can and hit something only when it's 4 against 1"?)

Dark Elves are versatile and to be successful they generally do the opposite thing their opponents are good at.
For example, when Dark Elves face a bash team like Orcs or Chaos they will play a finesse running game (because they can't outbash the real bashers while they can outplay them thanks to Agility 4 and to surgical blitzes in the weak spots of the opponent's formation), while when they are playing vs agile AV 7 teams like Wood Elves and Elves they can afford to play a more physical game (thanks to their 4 Blitzers and AV 8 on almost all players, so they can withstand the blocks better than their cousins).
They are fun to play and not boring, they are very good at defending (the Blitzers get blodgers in little time and 2 Witch Elves make the sidelines a bad spot for the opponents).
Mind though, while Dark Elves are versatile, they are the slowest of the 4 Elven teams, and another last important thing, don't hire the Assassin, he absolutely is not good for his cost.

[Regash]

Orcs are boring, Dark Elves maybe to hard to play, Undeads not to your liking...
Okay, let me ask you a question then.

Do you want to play for winning or do you wanna play for fun?
If you wanna play for winning (or winning is the fun part for you) you should stick to the easy-to-play beginners teams like humans or orcs.
If you wanna play for fun, having a good time even when losing, grab any kind of team that you like the "flavor" of.
If you wanna play for fun only, grab halflings or goblins and get going.

Seriously, you have to have some love for the team you're playing. Otherwise you won't have any fun at all.
That is why I never ever touched any of the elf teams myself (Although I have the minis!)
If you love them, go grab some playbook or strategy guide for them and start playing.
Or let's make that better be start practicing.

That is what Blood Bowl is all about for me.
Go to the highs and lows with your team.
Every player in my team has a name, so I really stick to them and mourn the loss of a player dying on the pitch.
(That is why I do hate the aging in the new Blood Bowl computer game!)

Try to think about what you want first.
It'll be much easier to see what you need to play.
As we all don't know you, we're just stumbling around in the dark.

I suggest steering away from the Timmy Teams as they will make you a lazy coach

Well, Digger, the thing is that people tend to lose interest in a game when they always get punched in the face really hard every time they play.
So, for a beginner, those teams are quite easy to play and see some success.
(I saw once someone play Khemri as first team and AG2 is extremely frustrating!)

If he wants some challenge later, when he knows how to play, well, there is enough time to save up some dough and buy a second, more challenging team then.
At least, that is my opinion, having started with orcs myself. (And still having golden memories about my AG4, Accurate, Strong Arm orc thrower... )

[Khitan]

You know what regash? You convinced me^^ I like winning (and I play to win xD) but I'm really caught up with the narratives and the backgrounds of the players and I'm not a sore looser (I lost many many times back in the days so I'm used to it xD). I'll go with my heart and it always resided with the dark elves.

They're my first love after all...

So thanks everybody for the advices!

[rolo]

Go with Dark Elves. It's a great way to learn the game.

When people say that Dark Elves are versatile, what they mean is that the Dark Elves need vastly different game plans depending on their opponent. As opposed to a team like Orcs, who go into every game with the same plan (hit 'em, then hit 'em again) and that either works or doesn't.

Against a real bashy team, Dark Elves need to use their mobility to stay out of trouble, spread the field, and try to get a numbers advantage hopefully where the ball is. Against other ST3 teams, they need to use their Block and Dodge advantage to get more blocks in. Sometimes they're better off playing a fast, high-flying offense, sometimes they're better off playing for possession. What makes Dark Elves hard for a new player is that you're essentially learning every play style at once, and at first, you'll lack the experience to figure out when to play it safe and when to go all in.

The other danger is that Dark Elves have some of the most expensive players in the game, and if you make a few mistakes early, or just get unlucky, it's very easy to get into a death spiral where you keep losing skilled players and can't afford to replace them.

But if you go in prepared to lose some games and some players, you won't be disappointed. And it's a great way to learn the whole game, not just one play style. The good news is that you'll just about always be better than your opponent at something. Figure out what that is and how to exploit it, and you'll have learned how to play Dark Elves.

[Dr. Von Richten]

I suggest steering away from the Timmy Teams as they will make you a lazy coach (all dwarves, all elves, Lizzies, zons, skaven, Norse, slann)....

I suggest not listening to Digger ... ever, when it comes to choices of what teams are 'appropriate' to play, as he is obsessed with the idea that half the teams or more are 'overpowered' and is appparently incapable of understanding that the power of those teams is a feature, not a bug.

Also his criteria for what constitutes 'overpowered' are ridiculous; Slann being overpowered because what, they have AG4 players?, Undead apparently not being overpowered despite 2 S5 MB players with no Negatraits, nor Orcs with 4 S4 + 1S5 and 10+ AV9 on the field .

Basically, he really likes one particular team (Necro*) which happens to be one of the harder (not 'weaker') teams to play, and has decided that every team that's more straightforward to play than his favourite team must be 'overpowered'.

In other words, ignore him.

*Ironically, I really like this team too, but I'm not whining about how those nasty Elves are too good for me, instead I kick their ass and win!

[Pluisje]

I played dark elves in my first league, also in part because I was an old DE player. I didn't find them that difficult to play, but.... Losing players was a common occurence, so be prepared for that.