Underworld at 1150k

[ClayInfinity]

Am playing at the Eucalyptus Bowl in Sydney in July and due to reasons that I myself dont understand, I am playing Underworld!

Rules are 1150k, you can buy any normal skills with a limit of one skill per player and you can buy Stars and Inducements (except cards).

I would like to take Skitter, but his cost in this format seems prohibitive...

Here is my idea for a roster, based around the Underworld discussion that Smeborg gave on the ThreeDieBlock podcast in which the Blitzers play the role of the heavier armoured lineman and the linerat becomes your blitzer / defender.

1 x Troll with Claw (130k)
2 x Skaven Blitzer with Guard (220k)
2 x Skaven Linerats with Wrestle (140k)
2 x Skaven Throwers, one with Block, one with Leader (180k)
6 x Goblins, two with Two Heads (180k)
1 x Apoth (50k)
2 x Rerolls (140k)
1 x FF (10k)

TOTAL - 1,150k.

My doubts - a) Should one linerat take Tackle? b) Apoth? should I just get another Two Headed Gobbo (and lose the 1 FF) c) Cant fit Skitter in at 190k.

Any one have any other ideas??

Clay

[Shortarse]

I actually found guard on my troll more useful than claw. Could then free up a blitzer for tackle

[ClayInfinity]

I actually found guard on my troll more useful than claw. Could then free up a blitzer for tackle

Yeah, I believe though the format lends itself to more Dwarf / Chaos Dwarf types and along with the obligatory Orc hordes, I think there is a case for Claw...

[Smeborg]

Clay - I am contemplating Underworld for EucBowl, and my thinking is exactly the same as yours. The main question I ask myself is whether one of the Linerats should have Kick (possibly not, but it is incredibly useful on Underworld teams in a league).

I like Claw - it redresses the balance against the AV9 teams who will often have a short roster (11 or 12 players). It gives a psychological advantage, too.

All the best.

[ClayInfinity]

Clay - I am contemplating Underworld for EucBowl, and my thinking is exactly the same as yours. The main question I ask myself is whether one of the Linerats should have Kick (possibly not, but it is incredibly useful on Underworld teams in a league).

I like Claw - it redresses the balance against the AV9 teams who will often have a short roster (11 or 12 players). It gives a psychological advantage, too.

All the best.

Thanks Paul, your comments on 3DB made me rethink how this team plays. I see alot of Skaven Blitzer ClawPOMB'ers on fumbbl but I like the "line rat is the blitzer" comments.

Any views on the apoth vs the 13th player (2 headed gobbo)?

[Smeborg]

Clay - I think the Apoth is better than an extra Gobbo, especially in this format, because it is likely to bring back a skilled ST3 Skaven player (worth 7-11 points of TV) instead of a rookie Gobbo (worth 4). The Gobbos are much less valuable than they would have been in a TV125 environment where several of them would have had 2-Heads.

I favour 14 players plus Apoth, which is feasible in this format:

Troll
6 Skaven
7 Gobbos
2 RR
Apoth
7 skills
= TV114

The third RR will be sorely missed (all "disappearing" teams really need 3 RR + Leader IMO), but I don't see much choice but to manage with 2 RR + Leader. The consolation is that other teams will face the same problem. One thing I dislike about formats where you pay for skills (and only normal skills are available) is that it favours teams with access to Passing skills (about half of teams). They can take Leader and gain (in effect) 3-5 points of TV on teams without Passing skills. Mad not to, really.

All the best.

[Smeborg]

I'm having second thoughts on this roster, as I think Underworld only come into their own if they have Gobbos with 2-Heads on the park (minimum 2, ideally 4). As the Underworld have the advantage of cheapness in any format, I'm thinking of:

Troll
6 Skaven
7 Gobbos
2 RR

Which leaves room for 10 skills, i.e. 3 Gobbos with 2-Heads. And you still have 14 players, just no Apoth, and of course only 2 RR, but this becomes 3 with Leader on one of the Throwers.

2-Heads on the Gobbos is the main point of difference of Underworld as a team (the second is mutations on the Troll). 2-Heads protects the Gobbos a lot, since they can dodge out of contact. It makes the team more mobile, gives you "free" assists, and enables so many sneaky plays which are difficult to protect against. It substantially improves the odds of a one-turn-score as well.

Seems a better way to exploit the cheapness of the Underworld in this format. I may even play them myself.

[Hitonagashi]

Am playing at the Eucalyptus Bowl in Sydney in July and due to reasons that I myself dont understand, I am playing Underworld!

Rules are 1150k, you can buy any normal skills with a limit of one skill per player and you can buy Stars and Inducements (except cards).

I would like to take Skitter, but his cost in this format seems prohibitive...

Here is my idea for a roster, based around the Underworld discussion that Smeborg gave on the ThreeDieBlock podcast in which the Blitzers play the role of the heavier armoured lineman and the linerat becomes your blitzer / defender.

1 x Troll with Claw (130k)
2 x Skaven Blitzer with Guard (220k)
2 x Skaven Linerats with Wrestle (140k)
2 x Skaven Throwers, one with Block, one with Leader (180k)
6 x Goblins, two with Two Heads (180k)
1 x Apoth (50k)
2 x Rerolls (140k)
1 x FF (10k)

TOTAL - 1,150k.

My doubts - a) Should one linerat take Tackle? b) Apoth? should I just get another Two Headed Gobbo (and lose the 1 FF) c) Cant fit Skitter in at 190k.

Any one have any other ideas??

Clay

This is pretty crazy but:

1 x Skitter (160k)
1 x Skaven Blitzer with Tackle (110k)
1 x Skaven Blitzer with Mighty Blow(110k) (claw I was torn by, but..MB is better against anything that isn't AV 9)
1 x Skaven Linerat with Wrestle (70k)
1 X Skaven Linerat
1 x Skaven Thrower with Block (90k)
1 x Skaven Thrower with Leader (90k)
6 x Goblins, two with Two Heads (200k)
1 x Apoth (50k)
2 x Rerolls (140k)

TOTAL - 1,150k.

I'm playing a variant on this in the Blackbox on FUMBBL at the moment, and UW can be quite competitive without their troll. Chaos Dwarves give them an extremely bad day, but you basically have to play a fluid and mobile game. I might try it at some tournament. Alternative which I'd consider is dropping 2 wrestle off the linerats for 2 more 2 heads on goblins (as that really makes an UW team).

The idea here is you play them like an elf team. Ignore the fact that skitter has stab etc (except on defense), he'll make an excellent ball carrier, fast and mobile.

Don't know how effective it would be, but would certainly be interesting.

[ClayInfinity]

This is pretty crazy but:

1 x Skitter (160k)
1 x Skaven Blitzer with Tackle (110k)
1 x Skaven Blitzer with Mighty Blow(110k) (claw I was torn by, but..MB is better against anything that isn't AV 9)
1 x Skaven Linerat with Wrestle (70k)
1 X Skaven Linerat
1 x Skaven Thrower with Block (90k)
1 x Skaven Thrower with Leader (90k)
6 x Goblins, two with Two Heads (200k)
1 x Apoth (50k)
2 x Rerolls (140k)

TOTAL - 1,150k.

I'm playing a variant on this in the Blackbox on FUMBBL at the moment, and UW can be quite competitive without their troll. Chaos Dwarves give them an extremely bad day, but you basically have to play a fluid and mobile game. I might try it at some tournament. Alternative which I'd consider is dropping 2 wrestle off the linerats for 2 more 2 heads on goblins (as that really makes an UW team).

The idea here is you play them like an elf team. Ignore the fact that skitter has stab etc (except on defense), he'll make an excellent ball carrier, fast and mobile.

Don't know how effective it would be, but would certainly be interesting.

Thats pretty game... it means putting fragile rats / gobbos on the LoS and you'll be minced by any self respecting bash coach will cream you.

The Troll also, from a fluff perspective, very crucial and fun if he has MB & Claw...

Don't think I will play your roster, but it is interesting!