Running Game?

martynq · Post by **martynq** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 12:27 pm

Can anyone point me in the direction of a guide to Playing the Running Game?

Basically, I'm trying to come up with some tactics that will help my dark elves score more often and the passing game I usually use doesn't seem to be working.

Cheers,
Martyn

wesleytj · Post by **wesleytj** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 3:23 pm

Well that of course depends on a LOT of things. What sort of teams you play against, what sort of line up you have going (players, skills, etc), what the setup of the defense you play against, and so on.

But in general terms, I do quite well with Dark Elves in the running game. You use a witch elf to blitz one of the guys on the wide zone you want to attack out of bounds if they are dumb enough to let you set that up. That both clears a running hole and leaves your opponent one guy short for the rest of the drive, at least

.

Always use the blitz for that even if you don't have to, otherwise your witch elf might get a taste of her own medicine. Then you send her as far downfield as her movement permits so that you have a deep pass option. Make your opponent play every angle. Then you short pass the ball from your backfield to your ballcarrier (usually a blitzer in my case, ymmv, basically whoever needs TD spp the most)

Then you use your agility and speed to create a vast numerical superiority at the point of attack. If they manage to cut off your main force, you can always try to pass out of it with the ballcarrier, they are all AG4 after all.

It's way too much to go into here, in much more detail, but I hope that gives you a starter. If anybody wants to add anything please feel free.
As I'm sure some of you already know, I could go on about this topic for several hours.

martynq · Post by **martynq** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 6:00 pm

I hope you don't mind me coming back on you here - but you did say you could talk about this topic for hours.

My team is here: http://www.blood-bowl.net/MBBL/Season1/ ... ation.html

So far I've lost to wood elves, dwarves, high elves, dwarves again, and I'm playing a practice PBEM match against amazons where I'm 2-0 down having received first.

The amazons have been using the following setup:

He's got blitzers (blodge) at the ends of the front line.

What has happened so far is that I've tried to knock over as many on the front line as possible and then one of the two at the end of the row just behind the front line. I've tried to get as many through to the back as possible, but usually I've used to many players to actually knock the amazons over that only one or two get through, and then I've got a player deep in my endzone that picks the ball up (usually with a player nearby to help him out if there's trouble next turn). So that's two players through and acting like catchers, one ball carrier and helper deep in my half, and the remaining seven pretty close to the LoS.

When I begin my second turn, all my players (except the ball carrier who was out of range at first) are in tackle-zones, and I usually fail one of my early dodges to attempt to create some space. In my opponent's next turn, he sacks the ball carrier and gets the ball.

Clearly I need to do something different. If I'm playing the running game, where do I want my players after I've completed my first turn of the drive? Do I want to have already formed a cage (loose or X-shaped) around the ball at this point? I guess I'm asking how it should roughly develop.

Cheers,
Martyn

wesleytj · Post by **wesleytj** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 6:16 pm

well hopefully you can hold off a bit...I have a 4 day weekend coming up, I'll write when I get back. Going to Cedar Point!

NightDragon · Post by **NightDragon** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 9:09 am

Sorry M, I will be of no use to you here since I have never tried the running game with DE. I just wanted to say that DE surely should never be used to run a ball. An AG 4 team needs to throw the ball. You say you didn't have much luck throwing, why? Maybe I could be of help here. Laters DD.

Dangerous Dave · Post by **Dangerous Dave** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 10:07 am

Well against Amazons, I would take my time. Take out the Linewoman with no skills (only Dodge) or any of the others with Dodge only (Throwers or Rookie Catchers) - use your players with Block for this purpose. Don't over extend yourself just take out whats offered. If you have any players with Tackle then use them on the blitzers.

Keep the ball safe and well protected and slowly march down the field. If the way is covered, use your extra speed to move sideways... this way you may be able to slowly get some of his players out of position. When moving sideways, move diagonallly as far as you can and put the faster players further out (this means that you can move further next time). If your way is covered, move back the other way. You should now be able to move your players further than his... unless he GFIs.... if he does he may well burn a reroll or fail. Once you have reduced his numbers and created a gap, then push for the TD. But.... don't take any risks - eg dodging through the line - Murphy's Law says that your ball carrier will fail to dodge or you won't get sufficient cover through (I've made this mistake before - its amazing how many times a double 1 appears or you fail a 1 in 9 dodge with non AG 4 teams. If you have rerolls and it will help to get round, gfi players further diagonally (however, I don't recommend gfiing twice with losts of players - this is doomed to fail). However, once you fail a gfi (and reroll it) stop the gfis unless there is a route to the ball carrier and reformat a loose cage around the carrier. If you need to make one more gfi, do it as the last player to move across (if this player fails, and there is a route to the ball carrier, you should still be able to get the ball back since you have lots of cover and TZs in the way). As an added option, you could have one of your fast guys further infield. This means that if the defender over extends to defend one side, you have a simple hand off and sprint option.

With the set up, I can see why you have struggled. It is a good one for stopping dodging elves. So don't try (unless you need to score in 2 turns). Take out the line and play like fast dwarves! The set up leaves all 3 linos with easy 2 dice blocks and an easy 2 dice blitz on another player. If you can, split out one line elf receiver away from your main group. This gives you a passing option... or may well move some Amazons away helping you with the running game. However, be careful that you are not putting this receiver where you are running to next - if you do, you are creating more coverage against the run (as your opponent moves his players to cover the receiver).

Hope this helps.

Dave

martynq · Post by **martynq** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 10:35 am

DeputyDawg wrote:You say you didn't have much luck throwing, why?

I don't seem to be able to get enough potential receivers through and spread out enough. Comparing with the High Elf team I have, the fact that I now have three MV8 Lion Warriors means that once I've opened enough of a gap for them to run through, they can easily spread out so that it is difficult for my opponent to put two markers on all of them. Usually, one at least has only a single marker, whom I can blitz away with another player, and then my Phoenix Warrior can pass easily.

With the dark elves, it's a different matter. I've not got a thrower yet, so I'm stuck with relying on line-elves. I've been trying to do the move-pass-move-handoff-move routine in the past, but this means I need either the ball handler around the LoS to not be in a tackle zone, or the potential scorer not to be in a tackle zone at the beginning of the turn. Usually, I only manage to get one or two potential scorers in place, one of whom usually gets knocked over and the other gets two tackle zones on him, while all the other guys in the middle of the pitch get a single tackle zone.

All in all, having so few players with Dodge and Block, and none with Catch or Pass is causing lots of burnt re-rolls and lots of prematurely ended turns. It also seems that dark elf movement is not that great.

Cheers,
Martyn

P.S. Thanks for the tips, Dave, I'll see how they turn out.

NightDragon · Post by **NightDragon** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 1:05 pm

They can be frustrating and they are a poor starting team. Perseverance is the key and as always luck. My most successful team is DE and I firmly believe its because;
1. I always give my linemen Block & Dodge to start with
2. AG 4 enables you to take risks. Why not hand off to a player in coverage, 50% chance of success at worst in most scenarios?
3. I have been lucky. Plenty of stat increases over the years.

Don't give up on them. I don't need to talk tactics with you because it sounds to me like you know what's best, but in my experience they are one of the best teams and they mature well with age. Laters DD.