Impulse Movement for Blood Bowl

[ombwiri]

So I've been toying with the idea of introducing impulse movement as a Blood Bowl variant but I'm stuck on a couple of points and thought I'd come to you wise people for advice.

Rather than having IGO UGO for whole turns impulse movement would break each turn into 6 phases. On the whole the rules would stay the same; if you block you can't move that turn etc. What really changes is the way movement is done. Rather than a player moving his full allowance of MV in one go his MV is split up amongst the phases. So a MV 6 line man would be able to move once each phase. A movement 9 player could move 1 square on phases 1, 3 and 5 and 2 squares on phase 2, 4 and 6. A MV 3 piece would be able to move on the 2nd 4th and 6th phase and so on. If you don't use your movement on a given phase then it is lost. GFIs can be used in any phase but no player can move more than 3 sqaures in a phase. Players can block on any phase so long as they haven't moved that turn.

Coaches would take it in turns to play their phases. So recieving coach would play phase 1, kicking coach phase 1, RC phase 2, KC phase 2 and so on, resetting after phase 6 to start a new turn. A touchdown ends the turn as normal so play would resume at the beginning of a new turn.

Blitz, pass etc stays the same so you have to declare it before that player acts in any way in a turn. You can pass etc. on any phase even if you aren't entitled to move.

My main sticking point is what to do with turnovers. My first though is that if a play suffers a turnover they lose the rest of their phases and the other coach just runs through theirs phases till they turnover or the turn ends. Does anyone have any better ideas?

What issues have I missed? What do people think of the idea in general?

I believe it would add a new positional aspect to the game. Making it possible to play more reactively and opening up new tactical avenues.

The only skill that I think is changed utterly is Shadowing, which would be nearly pointless to take.

Edit: this has probably been suggested before hasn't it? And almost certainly in a better way. Can you point me in the right direction if it has been.

[Kort]

That sounds interesting but the whole game would then need to be completely rebalanced.

For instance, MA6 Elf players would have a hard time dodging away from Beastmen or Saurii. The Dodge skill would lose a lot of its appeal.

[ombwiri]

That's true but it would also be harder for those beastmen or saurii to get the elf lineman into their TZ. Every time the B or S moved a square closer to the E the Elf can move a square away.

I can see GFI being used more often as a sprint put distance between a marker and his target rather than how it is used now.

I think there will be less rebalancing and more using skills in different ways.

[GreedySmurf]

That sounds really interesting and I think it would turn BB into a more tactical and far more dynamic game. Although the game time would be massive I would think, and it would be a bit more complicated to track who's done what and moved when.

Unless I'm misunderstanding the system, (which is possible) I would have thought Dodge would be even more vaulable wouldn't it? I mean presume two MV 6 liney's one dodges out (say he's an elf) to try and move away, the other moves back into contact. 2 phases latter the same things happens again. More chance of a failed dodge and turnover would seem to me to place an even higher premium on having Dodge?

I'm curious though as to why do you suppose Shadowing would be useless? If you can place a TZ on an opposition player you are still making them roll additional dodge rolls each phase they move?

As far as turnovers go, in a system with phases, do you even need/want a turnover mechanic? If someone fumbles the ball maybe end that players current phase, but why not just keep the phases and turns rolling.

To me, having no turnover, is more leaning towards a more dynamic version of the game that this rule structure seems to be providing.

[ombwiri]

The more I think about this the keener I am to try it. It would really change the tactical dimensions of the game (I'm not sure if it would neccessaraly be for the better, but you'd certainly have to play differently).

I can't think of any skills that wouldn't work if you played like this. Some might become better, some may suffer but all could be used. Passing would become harder as it would be easier for the opposition to close off passing lanes. Conversely I think it may be harder to cage up the ball.

Ok, thinking about it some more. I think you'd have to scrap the requirement to declare blitzes. Otherwise it'd be too easy to avoid the blitzer.

And yes to having no turnovers. Normally you can do most of your moving before risking a turnover.