any advice for my Chaos Dwarves??

[voyagers_uk]

Hi Hedgehog, snotlings eh? do you Pbem???? or is it all tabletop.

Welcome.

[Hedgehog]

Do you need a program to PBEM?

[SBG]

Hi Scrollmaster!

Here's what I do with My Chaos Dwrves, but to no avail I think of Myself as an expert!

I started my team like this : 6CD's, 8 Hobboes, 4RR and 8FF with no money left. I wanted a lot of guys on the bench, since I expected my hobboes to be in a fair numbers of casualties, which, luckilly for me, did'nt happened.

The FF gave me a lot of money, then I got a couple of skills for many of my players. Everybody on my team, except one hobbo, now has Block.

Every first skill earned by my CD's (except doubles) was Guard.

I use my CD's to do the dirty work, and the Hobboes to pass and score.

In our league, we play with Star Players for mpore than a game, so it doesn't help you that I now have Hthark. But if I wouldn't have him, I would have picked a DBC, trying to make him my running back, helped by a couple of guys with guard and/or Block around him.

I'm leading my league ! Good luck !

Fred

[scrollmaster]

sounds like a good starting plan ,but I have already made and commited by team so I cannot change it.

I see your point with many hobgobs to start with, maybe I will buy more of those if money is tight but i am hoping to buy up my last two CD

I might be playing Dwarfs next week if all goes well

[TiMuN]

Scrollmaster ... wish you luck!

I have just finished participating in an online tourney, using NetBowl software ... My starting Cockerel was (under straight 3ed rules + no stars)
6 CDs
6 Hobbos
4 RR
9 FF
Apoth

After 4 matches (it is a short tourney to give some SPP and experience to everyone using the software, and to introduce the secong online league)

1CD with Mighty Blow & Dauntless
1CD with Defense
1Hobbo with Block
1Hobbo with +1AG & Dirty Player
1Hobbo with +1AG & Sure Hands (needed!)
and 1CD & 2Hobbos at 5SPP .. (plus others, and not a single dead suffered)
13 players, 11FF, 5RR .... 139 TR & 140.000$

I'm now sure i would have chosen another Defense for the MBlow CD, since i can now count on at least one Bull Centaur for the next league (under BB2k1 rules) .. but it adds more flavour to that particular CD.

Just my .. damn! i'm a copycat!

regards

[Hedgehog]

As further proof that bull centaurs can be good ball handlers with the right skills, here's mine after 8 games (I played another 2 league matcxhes today):

22 SPP

5 Touchdowns
5 Casualties

Catch & Break Tackle


He's the most successful player on the team with more TDs than any hobgoblin! I'm wondering whether to make my other bull centaur a ball-handler as well when he gets an advance, seeing how successful the first has been!

So the lesson is that even an AG2 player can handle the ball with the right advances

[Acerak]

Catch, eh? I think Dodge would have been a better choice on doubles. Maybe for your second BC?

Even three simple rolls - Block, Break Tackle, and Pro - will make these creatures very terrifying for your opponents.

Good luck!

-Chet

[scrollmaster]

I would have given him catch as well because he already has Break Tackle.

Anyway I've put up a page with tactics for Hashut headhunters on my site but they are based on only one game so it might change in the future.... change a lot.

[Hedgehog]

I gave him catch first, because I rolled the double first.


There's one big problem with bull centaurs: there are far too many good skills they can have, depending on what you want them for!

Block, break tackle, dodge, nerves of steel, catch, sure hands, frenzy, mighty blow, tackle... any of these are good choices!

[TiMuN]

.. well, i just can't think of one without Block .. so that would make it the first skill for a Bull Centaur ... then, the Break Tackle makes it a nice blitzing machine, and the Frenzy would add some flavor (just look at their faces!!) Mighty Blow would come after that .. or if you plan on having a second BC, try one to be on the hitting/blitzing game, and another one as ball carrier (I still haven't tried this .. but based on my current experience, i won't try to pass him the ball .. )

Can't wait to buy one on my team when the NetBowl Tourneystarts over again!

[McDeth]

Ok i play Chaos Dwarves a Lot. In fact they are now my favourite team, and i would always start with 2 Bulls, 4 Dwarves, 6 Hobgoblins, 1 Apothecary and FF7 plus 2 re-rolls. Make no mistake this is a powerfull lineup.

The Dwarves and Bulls make for a perfect defence if your not receiving, and the Bulls potential 9 squares of MA make them fantastic players for blitzing the Ball Carrier, while the Dwarfs can hold the line against almost anything. The hobgoblins also with their ST 3 must not be dismissed and can tie up other more accomplished players, ie an ORC Blitzer by just standing in his tackle zone.

Where the team comes into its own in my opinion is with the ball, With 9 MA The BC's can score from only just inside the Oppo's half. The main weakness is not to get to over-reliant on the Bull as your main Ball Carrier.
At some point he is going to get injured, and is a focal point for opposition fouling when down. First Skill must be Block, then either Break Tackle or Stand Firm on the Double. For Dwarves its pretty standard, Guard and Mighty Blow are a must.

Its the Hobgoblins though where the team can be refined. One simple double roll as your first skill can turn a Hobgoblin into an efficient ball carrier / thrower. Take Pass with your double, then 2nd Skill Sure hands. then you have a back up to your Bull Centaurs. One particular favourite is to threaten the pass to a downfield receiving hobgoblin who then attracts the attention of a couple of defenders, then make a simple hand off to the Bull Centaur. This can make any Chaos Dwarf team into a 2 turn scoring machine.

First buys must be to replace any off the fallen but asap get the full roster of Chaos Dwarfs in. They don't catch and they don't move to far, but they can grind the oppo into submission.

Of course the main problem is getting the ball to the Bulls successfully, and i almost unreservedly save my re-rolls for this, as there is only a 50/50 chance of picking it up/catching the ball. nevertheless with a cage of Chaos Dwarfs around him, who is going to nip in and pick the ball up if it is dropped. An AG4 leaping Elf???. Try it for death awaits when you fail that dodge roll, or fail to pick up the ball with multiple tz's on it.

[scrollmaster]

That was anice bunch of advice thanks McDeth. My line up looks a lot like yours.

however, I still think Break Tackle has to be the first skill for Bull Centaurs otherwise they are too easily pinned down as I experienced in the first game playing Chaos Dwarves.

After second game (played it yesterday) my Bull Centaur who recieved Break Tackle after the first game now has 12 SPP, so one or two games more should give him Block. Not a bad start on the league.

Although the game ended 0-0 I am stil convinced that this Bull Centaur is going to be my ball carrier, at least untill the other one get's Break Tackle as well. After that he might be my Rapid response unit instead.

After yesterday I think most my HobGoblins are aiming for Guard since their ability as mobile assists is good support for the Dwarves Block skills.

[SBG]

I know that Guard is great, but you need doubles to give it to your hobboes. With Block, they're almost as efficient as your CD's against anybody.

Fred

[scrollmaster]

right.

That explains why I didn't consider giving them guard when I was sitting with the rulebook at home

[McDeth]

Well, i'd say break tackle is a must as a second skill, but i still would prefer to go with block as my First choice, If you're having trouble getting pinned down, then make sure you've get a good front line of Chaos dwarfs around you to free him up. otherwise you'll have to use the Blitz action on your Bull to get him free, with strength 4 it should be too much of a problem. Even if the Blitz only realistically lets him move a couple of squares as long as the Chaos Dwarfs can follow up, and even a Hobgoblin or two if neccesary, every square you gain in the oppositions territory is a deathblow for them waiting fore the inevitable charge through to score.

Remember with this team you are not going out to win 3-0. That only happens on the rare occassion when your opposition only ends up with about 4 or 5 players on the field. The Chaos Dwarfs are made for winning 1-0, or 2-1. Against high agility/ fast moving teams if they start with the ball, then let them score while you bludgeon their front line. remembering to put pressure on his ball carrier to force him to score rather than hold the ball. Hopefully if you can get him to score in his first 2-3 turns then you have a whole 5,6 maybe even 7 to equalize. the trick here being to make steady headway and hoipefully making a risk free score at the bottom of turn 8, to go into half time 1-1. in the second half you've got the ball, so this time you've got 8 turn s to bludgeon the opposition and score at the top of the eighth leaving the oppo no chance to equalize, and if he has got any 1 turn scorers, then by now you should have either fouled the crap out of them, and caused them a serious injury.

If you start the first half with the ball then just do the opposite.

I always prefer to receive and hopefully when the 2nd half starts my intention is that the opposition is already players down and therefore causing minimal threat.

This is of course an ideal scenario. If it was this easy, then it wouldn't be fun. Every team has its strength and weaknesses, if you can find your strengths and the oppos weakness and he hasn't found yours , then guess what the advantage is yours, but what are you going to do with it.

Especially when that damned double skull rears it ugly head