Advice on play style for starting Vampires

[J_Bone]

Hi everybody... I have taken Vampires for my second season of our local league and wondered what kind of tactics people normally use for offense and defense with early Vampires. My build is as follows:

Vampire 1 - +1ST, Block
Vampire 2 - +1AG
Vampires 3 & 4 - Unskilled
8 Thralls - Unskilled

4 RR
Apothecary

I have been quite lucky with my skill rolls in my first couple of games and Vampires 3 & 4 are right on the cusp of getting their first skills so I'm happy with how the team build is looking so far. I'm just having trouble actually finishing drives with a score. I tend to be able to hold onto the ball and advance it up the field but I do not have a solid game plan and tend to either lose the ball or get bogged down before scoring.

I am thinking that I should be playing more of a running game with this build as I normally tend to get scored on only when I make a big mistake such as running a ball carrying Vampire out to try to score quicker than I should or trying a pass that I probably shouldn't (I tend to think taking a risk will be fun and then end up massively regretting it). Is this how you would play this kind of build? I'm interested to hear what sort of plays people would utilise with this kind of a team. I don't think I'm doing badly but I could do with some advice I think. Should I use the ST5 Vampire as a blitzer to take out threats or a ball carrier (using the block as a defensive rather than offensive skill)?

Also, my game tomorrow night is against Halflings who will have a chef (there's a 130k TV difference). I wouldn't normally be that fussed about playing 'flings but I am TERRIFIED of losing those re-rolls. The other coach has 2 treemen and 13 'flings (2 have catch) and seems to rely mainly on throwing 'flings more than anything (and normally gets his wish it seems!) but I'm unsure as to how to combat that... Throwing my Thralls at the trees to force a fumble seems like a good way to get them all knoked out but leaving them open doesn't seem too good an option either. Maybe screening them somehow is the way forward?

Any help would be appreciated! Cheers...

[feeder]

Here is what I learned from coaching my Vampire team from total rookie to the first round of the plaoffs (13 games). Thralls are there to interfere with opponents and be mobile blood banks. Master Bloodlust, and always have a plan for it. If you always have a plan for your vamp failing a Bloodlust then you don't have to waste precious RR on it. Biting Thralls is not that big of a deal. Failing the 2+ pickup or QP is. And if you treat your Thralls like they don't matter then you can sometimes surprise your opponent with a desperate T8 play that hinges on them. (another reason not to burn RR on Bloodlust)

Hyper jealous of your S5 Vamp. That thing is a beast.

[Pedda]

I'm not a vampire player, but I do play 'flings.

If the 'fling player is throwing his 'flings as his only tactic, he'll fail, eventually.
Knock one tree down with your ST5 vamp (with two assists) and base the other one. Make sure that the trees are always based.
He'll then have trouble gettig a 'fling into the air if the trees are based. Yes, you might lose a thrall or two, but you'll ground the 'flings and he might have to use a reroll on the block.

Also, base the rest of the 'flings and force him to dodge. If he doesn't, hit the 'flings.

Pressure his ball carrier. He'll probably have to dodge the BC away, because blitzing the marker away will probably be more difficult.

Good luck!

[J_Bone]

Thanks for that, Pedda... That's very useful. That was pretty much what I was thinking of going with but with how unpredictable playing against 'flings can be I wasn't 100%.

And yes, I've found that making my Thralls available allows me to do pretty much whatever move I like with the Vampires (especially after using a hypnogaze or two). I still get ground down a bit on the longer drives but I am getting quite adept at making my Thralls open in case a Vampire needs to rehydrate.

[20phoenix]

My advice is avoid long drives entirely. Vamps are not a good team to stall with as that one turn where you decide to score is the turn the thralls get tied down and you roll a 1 for lust. Score whenever you can unless you can guarantee keeping both the ball and a thrall free for the following turn. Early vamp success tends to hinge on getting enough of a lead before you run out of snacks. ST5/block should be great for 3 dicing flings and the AG5 vamp is there to open the door. Where possible try to avoid gazing trees - AV8 will break eventually.

[J_Bone]

Game went very well! Despite having ATROCIOUS luck up until about turn 7 I managed a convincing 2-0 victory! It should have been about 3 or 4 TD to me really but I rolled a ludicrous amount of ones...

I focused on crowding the trees and constantly pressuring the ball carrier and before long the ball was loose and picked up by a Vampire.

Got some MNG on my Thralls including a movement bust which I think may well get cut sooner or later. I got another normal skill on my +1AG Vampire (which I think should be dodge) and my two unskilled Vampires got a normal and a double. I'm considering Pass or Nerves Of Steel for the double... I can see both being useful.

[Heff]

How often are you going to pass anyway, and If you do quicks are on a 2. I would ignore it for the bread and butter ones, blodge em then get clever. I would only delay blodge for a stat.

[Pedda]

Game went very well! Despite having ATROCIOUS luck up until about turn 7 I managed a convincing 2-0 victory! It should have been about 3 or 4 TD to me really but I rolled a ludicrous amount of ones...

I focused on crowding the trees and constantly pressuring the ball carrier and before long the ball was loose and picked up by a Vampire.

Got some MNG on my Thralls including a movement bust which I think may well get cut sooner or later. I got another normal skill on my +1AG Vampire (which I think should be dodge) and my two unskilled Vampires got a normal and a double. I'm considering Pass or Nerves Of Steel for the double... I can see both being useful.

Congrats!

I'd keep the -MV thrall, for the LOS.
I'd give the +AG vamp dodge
I'd pass on the double and just go for block or dodge on both vamps

[J_Bone]

That does seem like the sensible thing to do but that double is just too tempting... I need to give it some thought. I could see NoS allowing him to get a few more TDs easier and then give him block or dodge on his next skill. Then again, really, he should take Dodge and then Block I think shouldn't he?

I am also seriously considering Strong Arm on my AG5 at some point... I think Dodge might be a better choice right now (if just to make him harder to knock down) but throwing a Long Bomb on a 3+ would be insane. I can also see Leap being good for him. Argh! So many options! None of them optimal.

[J_Bone]

How often are you going to pass anyway, and If you do quicks are on a 2. I would ignore it for the bread and butter ones, blodge em then get clever. I would only delay blodge for a stat.

Yes... Good point. I suppose if I'm doing much more than a quick or a short I'm probably doing something totally wrong!

[Jimmy Fantastic]

Doubles are pointless for Vamps - GAS access is unreal.

[Pedda]

Doubles are pointless for Vamps - GAS access is unreal.

I agree. Maybe you could give a vamp pass, but as a later skill.
You need at least blodge on all of them before getting creative. I also can't see how pass would be better than for example side step or guard.

Going for leader on a thrall though, that would make sense (reroll discount of 40k)

[J_Bone]

Doubles are pointless for Vamps - GAS access is unreal.

I agree. Maybe you could give a vamp pass, but as a later skill.
You need at least blodge on all of them before getting creative. I also can't see how pass would be better than for example side step or guard.

Going for leader on a thrall though, that would make sense (reroll discount of 40k)

Yes, you're totally talking sense... I am putting the cart before the horse as per usual! Haha!

[Heff]

I am given to understand that Jimmy Fantastic is ALWAYS right. Especially when he agrees with me

[20phoenix]

So many awesome normals for vamps that doubles are unnecessary. Doubles are for thralls