Orcs on the back-foot

[Dzerards]

I tried the 4 BOB, 4 Blitzers, 3 Goblins, 4 Rerolls build once. I enjoyed the Goblins so much I didn't fire them!

[J_Bone]

Just a quick update on this one... I've now managed to turn this team into a Cinderella story! I got on a four win streak beating (among others) the dreaded and until then undefeated Wood Elves and drawing in my last match to take me into second place in the league. Now it's down to the final match against the Wood Elves to see who finishes first!

I worked on my tactics quite a bit and developed the majority of my blitzers with Mighty Blow including my 32 SPP star player blitzer who is nigh on unstoppable with Block, Dodge, Mighty Blow and Catch. Most of my winning plays have been quite long passing reversals with him either running into the end zone, catching in the end zone or smashing a hole in the line to allow the play to go ahead.

Other than my blitzers I have added Guard to a blocker who got enough casualties to skill up and my thrower got Leader. He has one last skill to go and I am considering either Accurate or Nerves Of Steel. I also have 80k in the bank so I am thinking about picking up a second thrower to use as a ball retriever. I like the idea of picking up the ball, handing it off to the thrower (even in tight spots if I give him Nerves Of Steel) and then lasering it down the pitch to my catcher / blitzer. One problem I still have trouble with is the lack of movement on orcs. I think this extra range would keep the Wood Elves guessing.

What do you guys think?

[Aliboon]

Well done on winning when passing with your orcs.

I'd personally not rely on it playing woodies as they are so much better at it than you and when you drop the ball, he'll have the speed and agility to nab it and score. It's a good tactic when you need to score quick and to keep them guessing as to what you'll do, but it will fail (quite often) given your AG3.

I'd go Accurate on the thrower over NoS if he is gonna throw, it is as good as NoS when you are in 1TZ and infinitely better when you are not in a TZ and to be honest throwing when in TZs should only ever be a desperation move really - the only real use I think you'd get out of it is to mark up players (who aren't ball side so can't intercept) when you do throw the ball, but do you really want to be putting your most fragile orc next to a player so he can be blocked?

Most players use the throwers to pick up the ball and run with it in the cage, he already has sure hands so will be protected from strip ball (which at least one wardancer "should" have) if you get block too, that will further protect him from leaping wardancers.

Good luck!

[J_Bone]

I actually came up with an idea today to get a pair of goblins instead of a second thrower and to spend the first half going all out attrition... Plough into the squishy elves with my blockers or blitzers and then running the expendable goblins in to just foul the crap out of them! I don't have to worry about the war dancers if they're all that's on the field! Haha! It's risky but will probably be infinitely less risky and more fun than trying to either grind it out or play them at their own game.

[mattgslater]

I have quite a lot of experience with Orc passing games, but I have yet to take Catch on an Orc.* I can see why you want it if he's your primary baller (esp if you're Dumping Off), but it's very much in the face of conventional wisdom. More power to you, I say!

Goblins are fun if you like them. No reason not to field a pair of them on the opening drive, then foul away until they get hurt or ejected. There's not just one right way to build Orcs. If your Goblins skill up give them Side Step and Diving Tackle on normal rolls (take Block and stats if you get them). I recommend SS first, because DT alone will get them killed. (SS and DT will also get them killed but will be hilarious along the way.)

Second Throwers don't usually add enough dimension to make up for the loss in stats, but I really like doubles and stats on my Throwers, so sometimes in an open environment I'll run two and cut one when the other gets a stat.

Accurate usually beats Nerves of Steel, unless you have AG4+ and Dump Off, or Blodge and Guard, or Big Hand, or something like that. Accurate includes a poor-man's Nerves anyway.

* I've taken Catch on Goblins. I'd take Diving Catch instead in the new rules, on the theory that if I get two I can build a Hail Mary game. But I've never done that and would only do it on a lark, it's not a serious strategy.

[J_Bone]

Thanks for the input... I found Catch to be useful as I was passing to the Blodging Blitzer so often that it stopped me from burning re-rolls and actually made my attrition game more effective as a result (it might sound weird but that's how I've found it due to my play style). I can see how other builds might conventionally work better on a Blitzer though.

I have set up a team on the Cyanide Blood Bowl game to test out adding a couple of Goblins to the team and it is turning out to be both fun and utterly deadly. More often than not I am pitch clearing the opposition. Lots of 2-1 wins where one of my orcs sits on the verge of a touchdown, watching the carnage unfold! Haha! I had completely underestimated how awesome it is to have a couple of players on the team that I know to be completely expendable! They are also far more survivable that I expected them to be, weirdly enough...