So, I've taken the ideas of others into account and I've made changes to everything. The Empire of Cathay is far to the east (but not across any seas, we don't want to confuse it Nippon, so no Sumo or Ninjas). Like other nations of this world, the Empire is involved in Blood Bowl, but unlike other nations, the sport is tightly controlled by the Dynasty and so Blood Bowl is only played by those that pass rigorous physical and mental tests, as well as they loyalty to the Empire and the Emperor. At times, the lure of Blood Bowl is so strong that even students and young monks from distant monasteries are drawn in to play for sponsored teams. With a level of professionalism not seen in many other teams, (and cash) these teams play hard, with each team member playing a part in getting victory. Many of the positional have Pass Access, so any player could develop into a throw, and with many positionals starting with Nerves of Steel, picking up the ball when surrounded by opponents is an option, as is throwing that ball out of the same situation.
0-16 Linesman 60k 6 / 3 / 3 / 8 Nerves of Steel, GP/AS
0-2 Runner 80k 7 / 3 / 3 / 7 Dump-Off, Nerves of Steel, GAP/S
0-4 Blitzer 90k 6 / 3 / 3 / 9 Block, Nerves of Steel, GSP/A
0-2 Monk 100k 6 / 3 / 4 / 7 Dauntless, Jump Up, Thick Skull, GA/SP
Rerolls - 50k
Starting Team Examples
4 Linesmen
1 Runner
4 Blitzers
2 Monks
2 Rerolls
Total Cost 980k, with 20k in the bank for future purchases.
Previous
Far in the East, over the hills and mountains (but not past the sea, because that is too far) lies a large mighty kingdom. And like all other great peoples of the world, it realizes the great importance that is Blood Bowl.
I present the Cathay Blood Bowl Team.
0-16 Linesman - 50k - 5 / 3 / 3 / 8 - Nerves of Steel, G/ASP
0-2 Thrower - 70k - 6 / 3 / 3 / 8 - Nerves of Steel, Pass, GP/AS
0-2 Catcher - 80k - 7 / 3 / 3 / 7 - Dodge, Nerves of Steel, GA/SP
0-2 Blitzer - 80k - 5 / 3 / 3 / 9 - Block, Nerves of Steel, GS/AP
0-2 Monk - 110k - 6 / 3 / 4 / 8 - Dauntless, Leap, Mighty Blow, GA/SP
Rerolls - 50k
The Cathay are a team with Mass Nerves of Steel (Notes, although I follow Tom's Rules http://forum.bloodbowl-game.com/viewtop ... =457#p3824, I did discount the cost of Nerves of Steel, from 20k to 10k, everything else should be according to the rules). This allows them to pass into and out of scrums, which might let your at risk thrower or catcher give the ball to a passing blitzer or Monk. On top of that, if the ball pops free, your Cathay team has a better chance of grabbing the ball because of the lack of penalty. On the downside, the team has a lower average speed, with both blitzers and linesmen having only a top movement of 5, and even the monk has only got a movement of 6.
The Players:
Linesmen - You basic player. Not that different from your human linesmen, but with lower movement and Nerves of Steel. The end result is a higher chance of intercepting the ball, or catching a ball in a scrum. The only other benefit is that the linesman is better able to get rid of the ball if he is surrounded.
Throwers - For 20k, you get Pass, Pass Skill Access and +1 Movement. A pretty good bargain. With Nerves of Steel, they get the option of running it further into the opposing team before throwing it. This could mean shorter passes that have a better chance of succeeding. Finally, with all the other players also having NoS, the options for who to pass to is also a lot larger.
Catchers - The only player on the team with 7 armor, making him a little fragile. On the other hand, he has both Dodge and NoS. For a catcher, this might mean the difference between a long pass or a short one, since now, the marked catcher has the same chance of getting the ball as an unmarked catcher. He can get the ball, and then move away, instead of moving away first (and make the throw harder to catch). Dodge is one of the essential skills in the game, and he has it.
Blitzers - One of the few Blitzer types that isn't faster than the linesmen, it might be more accurate to call him a blocker. Still at 80k, he is pretty cheap, and has the all important Strength access and Block Skill. NoS doesn't help a ton, but if that ball pops free, and comes to him, even in a scrum, he'll have a good chance of catching it.
Monk - The only player with out NoS, the Monk starts the game with 4 agility, and Agility Access. He could be the ball handle, but with Leap, Mighty Blow and Dauntless, you know he is all about getting into the cage, and breaking it up. Coming from the Monasteries, the Monk doesn't have the same training as other Cathay Blood Bowl Players (that is to say, a lack of NoS), but instead has mastered the art of taking down opponents much bigger than him (Dauntless) with a single powerful blow (Mighty Blow) and being able to leap around almost at will. He still needs some pointers, such as dodging and blocking, but he has a great start.
The Team.
It is a slower team (not dwarf slow, but Orc Slow), but with Mass NoS, it can be a short passing team. Still, neither the catchers, nor the throwers have Ag. 4, so it is something of a risk. 50k Rerolls should make the start of the season a bit easier, till you get the skills you need to deal with bigger foes (guard, stand firm, Catch, Accurate and the like). I fore see this team being tier 2, and as soon as I figure out how, I'm going to try it out on BB:LE against the AI (and win).
Otherwise, all comments ideas and points of view are welcome (even the harsh ones).
. These players are fearless, and devoted to their emperor, and the nation, believing themselves better than all other nations (Nerves of Steel) and train hard to move that ball forward (everyone gets Pass Access).