Blogging the Golden Calves: Chaos, preseason + fixed season

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mattgslater
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Blogging the Golden Calves: Chaos, preseason + fixed season

Post by mattgslater »

OK, so my league melted down a few years ago, and I've been slowly piecing it back together with a hodgepodge of coaches from way back when and newbies. Because we have few coaches, a desire to expand, and coaches of several different skill levels, we decided to run an open "preseason" before our fixed-schedule season (that's the way our vets like it), so the newbies could learn without consequences and so we could develop some players for a "returning veterans" scheme we ran a long time ago.

Each coach may play up to three games each with as many teams as he likes, with some caveats. Since part of the objective is for the newbies to figure out what team they want to play, there's no prohibition on proxies so long as your opponent agrees they're appropriate, and models don't have to be painted (in the reg season, models must be accurate, and in the postseason they must be painted).

After the preseason, all improved players go to the "waiver wire". Each coach picks a team and gets 7 "franchise" points to bring players back before they hit the waiver wire (or to bring back players without improvements) (2 points), keep them off the waiver wire without being able to take them (1 point), start with players waived by others or other teams with common players (2 points), or "franchise" players to cap their price at TV add +50k (3 points). Then each coach builds a regular season 1.1M team, including the total value of any returning players. Players not protected may be hired later, but the team must pay a premium to do so.

Not expecting to face worthy opposition this season, I've decided my objective is to be part stalking-horse and part stocking-stuffer, playing teams other experienced coaches aren't likely to play as well as my own, and building teams for improvement over winning. I'm not sure if I'd play Chaos, High Elves or both in the regular season, I set out to build Chaos, High Elves, Dwarfs, Orcs, Humans, and Pro Elves (the Pro Elf coach has suffered terribly). I figured I'd protect guys with stat increases, and let the skilled guys hit the market.

I started with Dwarfs and Orcs, and quickly put myself in an odd spot. The Dwarfs look good at 1-1 (I lost to a newbie, which gives me warm fuzzies, as I taught him everything he knows), with one game to go and four key skills (Guard Blocker, MB Slayer, SF Blitzer, Guard Blitzer). I think I'm going to stop them there. The Orcs (3-0) are out-of-control, and I need to use 2 of my 7 franchise points just to keep the +ST and +AG players safe for a later season: there are still a lot of skilled Orcs out there for a new player to pick from. With 5 franchise points, I can't take 3 players on my new team (each costs 2 points). I would have an extra point, so I can put one more player off limits, or "franchise" a player and cap his starting cost (though not TV add) at base + 50,000 GC.

I played two games with the High Elves (New Albion Expatriates), using no Catchers so I could improve linos faster. Neither game was very much fun (combined score 9-1 in my favor), but I'm loaded with options; a +ST Blitzer, a Side Step Blitzer, a Leader Thrower and Linos with Block, Dodge, Wrestle, Kick and Side Step. I didn't think I was going to get in another game, but now there's a TV 900k Dwarf team (more on that) licking its chops at the idea of 380k inducements, so I think it may be on. If I'm not going to play them in the regular season, I'm protecting the +ST guy.

OK. So now you have the backdrop to my Chaos blog. A few things to keep in mind:
1) I'm going to be going into the regular season with at most two skilled players, while everyone else has three. I may decide not to take any at all, but if so I'll get guys with SPP.
2) I still expect to win nearly all my games. In the preseason I'm 7-1, with two games won in OT, one on the last turn, four blowouts and a last-turn loss. All of the close games were to rookies (including the loss, though I must say I coached him quite a lot). So if you're following this, feel free to root for the other guy.
3) At the time of this writing, Nuffle seems to be giving me the green light to chuck at will. In 7 preseason games, including only 2 games (14 comps) with a passing team, I've thrown the ball 29 times, and got 27 completions (one of the other 2 scattered back to the Thrower, who caught it). I don't think I threw the ball 29 times in my first 70 BB games! I can't believe it's happening. I've even made some crazy last-turn what-the-heck throws from tackle zones.

So here's where we start. My initial plan is to build a Block CW and a Beastman with Extra Arms, and then just to build more Block players and leave them for someone else who wants to play Chaos at some point (or pay the premium to hire them as replacements for losses during the season). In fact, I might just grab a couple guys with 3-5 SPP and leave it at that.

I introduce to you: the Baalifornia Golden Calves!
4x Chaos Warrior
7x Beastman
3x TRR
Team colors: Blue, Gold.
Team deity: Tzeentch.
Team still under construction: will post photos eventually.
Names are for the regular season, or rewards for improvements.

Reason: ''
What is Nuffle's view? Through a window, two-by-three. He peers through snake eyes.
What is Nuffle's lawn? Inches, squares, and tackle zones: Reddened blades of grass.
What is Nuffle's tree? Risk its trunk, space the branches. Touchdowns are its fruit.
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mattgslater
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Post by mattgslater »

Preseason Game 1: The Roughneck Ruffians
Dwarfs, out-of-box
Newish coach, 4-6 against 5 different coaches, 1-3 against me.
2 Slayers
2 Blitzers
2 Runners
6 Longbeards
2 TRRs

This guy's still new, but he's climbing the curve rapidly. I helped him a little, but he's going to be good by the time the postseason comes. He still forgets to move his turn marker and takes about 7 or 8 minutes per turn, and sometimes he makes boneheaded tactical moves (too gutsy), but he lines up good blocks and is getting better at risk management. He'll probably play Necromantic or Undead in the regular season. He's a good competitor, adjusts to circumstances, and loses with panache, so I have a feeling he'll be a good building block. I noticed his blocking skills were better than the last time I saw him play.

I won the coin toss and elected to kick. I set up a symmetrical line, using the CWs as ends and inside backers, figuring I'd draw his Slayers in. I left him the sideline square, but he didn't bite (smart). He did a very good job planning his blocks; I was quite impressed as he knocked down my line with authority and actions to spare, shunting my guys all to the weakside and KOing a Beastman. It took him 4 blocks, but it didn't matter as he set up very well. He protected the ball, busted open a hole (though his slayer failed to knockdown my CW on the blitz), made a cage, and failed to pick up. Unfortunately, his guys marked up on a lot of my guys, and he paid dearly on the following turn.

I ran two guys onto the ball and proceeded to thrash the guys who followed up on their blocks, breaking the clavicle of a Troll Slayer (-ST). He responded by clearing the coverage off the ball, caging up, and... handing off to the front of the cage, a move which left me scratching my head as I clobbered the new carrier and took control of the game (I warned him, but he didn't listen). The CW who took out the Slayer scooped up the ball and chucked it to a BM who ran it out of range. He made a play on the ball, but his AG3 players were all tied down. He tried to pressure me with a foul, KO'ed a CW and got a Blocker ejected. I ran my CW with the Cas and Comp up and threw to him (2-for-2 in the first half!) for a TD in Turn 6. My KO guys all recovered, as I had hoped. Watching a down-men Dwarf team try to pull a 3-turner was cute: I wasn't able to score off of it, but I got the ball away for a rather improbable 3rd comp as the final action of the half (2 with one guy, one with the CW). Score 1-0.

In the second half, I got the ball and tried to run a hurry-up score to put the game out of reach. Unfortunately, I made a silly mistake (one too many die rolls...) and lost control of the ball. A gnarly fight ensued, and though I could have stopped a Turn-8 TD I decided that it was the preseason and I was better off going to overtime. So I told him how I wasn't blitzing, moved a TZ onto the ball carrier, blitzed somewhere else and killed a Blitzer. He blitzed my CW off his carrier and scored to bring the game into OT at 1-1.

I had him outnumbered 10-9 and won the OT coin toss, so I received. He rolled a Blitz, BH'ed a BM, and got a Blitzer on the ball. He didn't catch it, but I skulled out trying to knock him off. He got his guys around the ball, tried a gratuitous QP and fumbled it. I chided him for attempting an AG3 QP without a TRR, knocked his guys off the ball, and promptly had a BM QP to another (the one with two comps) who ran downfield. He tried to pressure it, but I tied him down and used 2-comp guy to QP to his guardian and vice-versa to run the now-3SPP player into the endzone for the win and a skill.

Both MVPs went to 0SPP guys: a Blocker and a CW. He won 20k and I won 60k. He got no skills and is out a Slayer and a Blitzer, but gets a JM, so his TV is 900k. Now he wants to play my 1.28M High Elf team! I rolled +AG on the BM with 3 Comps and a TD, and Block on the CW with a Comp, Cas and TD. Again, Nuffle kept telling me to pass, and again, my dice didn't let me down. I used 3 TRRs on passes, but I was 6-for-7 on pass attempts and got two skills off of it. Even the words "I was 6-for-7 passing with rookie Chaos last night" sound completely nonsensical in my head. I'm averaging 4.125 completions on 4.5 attempts in 8 preseason games, which is just bizarre. I probably wouldn't have passed half as much if it weren't working, so it's not so much an issue of my personal strategy (though I'm a little more west-coasty than most other veteran coaches).

I'm also changing my mind on the relative value of Beastmen. I used to think "Horns x 7 for 10k each? What a waste!" But now, it's more like "+SM access worth +4k easy; Horns x 7 for 6k each = 42k = extra action every turn 'cause you don't have to run up an assist = priceless." And then I think about it for a moment, and say "extra action every other turn = half-priceless. Still worth 42k."

I'm tempted to take Grab over Block on the CW. I'm not building him for the long haul, and frankly I think I can beat anybody I'm likely to face with 20k tied behind my back, so a frivolous skill purchase isn't a big deal. It doesn't help anyone who comes after me....

Reason: ''
What is Nuffle's view? Through a window, two-by-three. He peers through snake eyes.
What is Nuffle's lawn? Inches, squares, and tackle zones: Reddened blades of grass.
What is Nuffle's tree? Risk its trunk, space the branches. Touchdowns are its fruit.
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mattgslater
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Post by mattgslater »

OK, so it's time to pick player names for the regular season.

As a San Diegan who grew up in the days of Air Coryell, there's no way I can have a Cal-themed team without a guy named Chuck the Truck (as Chuck Muncie was known). Probably a CW. Not this guy, as I'm going to give the first one Grab.

My +AG guy is Airin' Rodgers.

Need names for 3 more CWs, 1 Mino and 8 more BMs. Theme is puns on Cal players of the past. A few superstars of old should be included (Muncie, Moen, Muller, Rivera, White, White) but mostly they should be current pros. Funny puns, especially if intimidating or bloody, are best. Asterisks are guys I really want to use, mostly because my coaches will get AFCW puns.

BMs: Kevin Moen, Tony Gonzalez*, Ron Rivera*, Nnamdi Asomugha*, Kyle Boller, Ryan Longwell orNick Harris (got a kicker model), Deltha O'Neal, Marshawn Lynch.

CWs: Brick Muller*, Ed White, Sherman White, Alex Mack, Jeremy Newberry*, Langston Walker.

Again, puns. You don't need to know anything about the players themselves. If any of you follow Cal, let me know: I just went to Wikipedia and read their all-time and current NFL lists scanning for guys I'd heard of and you might know more. I'm not much for college football (go Aztecs!... but only out of support for the alma mater... Berkeley? Yeah, nice town).

I think I've decided not to take any Block in the preseason, and maybe even to try to develop the team with either a "no Block/Wrestle/Dodge" rule overall, to see how I do.

Reason: ''
What is Nuffle's view? Through a window, two-by-three. He peers through snake eyes.
What is Nuffle's lawn? Inches, squares, and tackle zones: Reddened blades of grass.
What is Nuffle's tree? Risk its trunk, space the branches. Touchdowns are its fruit.
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mattgslater
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Posts: 7758
Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:18 pm
Location: Far to the west, across the great desert, in the fabled Land of Comedy

Post by mattgslater »

Preseason Game 2: Brackston's Bruisers
Orcs, TV 1M
Same coach as the Dwarf team looking for revenge
4 BOBs
4 Blitzers
Troll
Thrower
Goblin
2 TRRs
Extra Training

My buddy couldn't leave it alone. He was complaining the only reason his Dwarfs lost was a lack of ST. So he went up against me with rookie Orcs. I think watching me pull a couple improbable two-turners got in his head, 'cause he was talking chainsaw, but showed up with Extra Training instead.

Early weather was a blizzard. I got FAME and won the coin toss. I elected to receive, figuring I'd get an early lead and make him play a hurry-up game (in retrospect this was a mistake, but I'd made up my mind to receive if he had a SW star, and he kind of threw me off when he didn't take one). The kick-off event was Weather, and the blizzard cleared up to a 10, which I figure is merely dark and ominous clouds, with some scattered snowfall.

I had some awkward die rolls (lots of early skulls), and found myself playing without TRRs a lot. My pass-happy ways kind of caught up with me in the first half, as I found myself frequently picking up after a failed pass attempt. Still, I managed to pile two more comps on the AG4 guy and rushed in a Turn 7 TD with the Warrior who got the MVP last time, leaving him 2 turns to attempt a score. It was quite difficult, as he caught my ball-carrier in the backfield on a rather improbable dodge/blitz, and forced me to attempt an awkward chain of blocks and an unskilled AG3 short pass with no TRRs and a dodge attempt to make it happen (fortunately, I got lucky when it counted; I'm not in the habit of taking 2/9 shots, though really I had more like 5/9 to get the ball where I wanted to go -- 1/9 to scatter and 2/9 to drop would probably have been good news for me; heck, really only a failed dodge would have been bad). He KO'ed my AG4 guy, who spent most of the rest of the match (until after Turn 14) sleeping it off, and made me burn my Apothecary by BH'ing a guy I was trying to skill. He set up to blitz a hole and run a set of Blitzer routes through, and put his Gobbo behind the Troll for a TTM attempt. I rolled a Perfect Defense, though, and the ball scattered beautifully, so his attempt to break through was doomed. What's worse, he ended his turn and his scoring hopes on a blown GFI.

In the second half, my AG4 guy still didn't come back. Again, I rolled a Perfect D, and again I hosed him on the line. When he failed to knockdown on his blitz, he got a bit panicky and handed off to the Goblin, then ran the Goblin up to a safe place next to the Troll. I chain-pushed the Goblin off the Troll, then blitzed him to no avail; I watched him clear a TZ off, then waltz out of another one to get chucked downfield into a waiting cage. My deep safety got lucky on a 2d blitz (his cage made me attempt a dodge/GFI and give up an assist, but Horns and all...), and I knocked him down, took away the ball and chucked it upfield, where the receiver bobbled it and it ended up in no-man's land. After some nasty hand-to-hand, the ball scattered my way and I ran it in on Turn 14, but not before he had dealt me another casualty and two more knockouts. All my KOs recovered, and I rolled Weather, getting a 6, so I guess the Sun finally came out. He fumbled the ball, I got to it and fumbled it too, and he figured to throw the Goblin downfield and get the ball to him, but the Goblin landed wrong-side up. I tried one more time to get the ball, but skulled out trying to knock a TZ away, and that was the game.

This game was a lot closer than the 2-0 score indicates. I didn't once take one of his guys off the field, and he did a great job protecting the Goblin. He was a little bit pass-happy, but he's cured himself of desperation blocks, and has gotten a bit better at doing the risky stuff at the end of the turn (he ended one turn on an unnecessary GFI, but that's all). It could easily have gone to overtime, as neither one of those scores was easy, and either could have gone the other way (I could have failed to knockdown the Goblin in the second half, or my improbable first half pass could have been ended on a fumble or a failed dodge). I only improved one guy, but I have a lot of guys ready to go up. He got an MVP on a BOB with a Casualty. He took Block. He has many other options if he carries this team into the regular season, but I think he'll play the Necros. He got cold feet at the thought of actually challenging my High Elves (New Albion Expatriates) with his Dwarfs, and is now planning to pick on the Skaven coach (also a rookie). I doubt that the Expats will get in their third preseason game, but c'est la vie.

I got a CW with 6+4: what should I take? +MA? There's "Truck Muncie" for ya! There's one game in the preseason, then he goes to the Waiver Wire, so it's not that important. Also have a CW with Grab and a BM with AG4. If I follow the plan in the "Chaos: no Block/Dodge -- fun idea?" thread in tactics/league, then he gets Stand Firm.

I also need to start thinking about what I'm going to do in the regular season. I can protect 2 guys and rebuild at 1.1M including those guys, and I have four basic strategies ahead.

1) I can take my +AG guy and a skilled guy back, with 3 TRRs, 4 CWs, 7 BMs and 40k in the bank (or +30k if I take the +MA CW).

2) I can take my +AG guy only, and then pick up a guy with 5 SPP so I know I'll skill him. Then I get 4 TRRs and no bank.

3) I can take two guys at 5 SPP (got them now, confident I can maintain two), on a roster with a Mino, 6 BMs, 4 CWs, 3 TRRs and 10k in the bank.

4) I can take 6 BMs, 4 CWs, a Mino, 2 TRRs, and still afford +AG on a BM and +MA or a skill (Grab?) on a CW, or 30k in the bank. I really don't like 2 TRRs, as I'd have to abandon this new playstyle for awhile, except via the +AG guy.

Reason: ''
What is Nuffle's view? Through a window, two-by-three. He peers through snake eyes.
What is Nuffle's lawn? Inches, squares, and tackle zones: Reddened blades of grass.
What is Nuffle's tree? Risk its trunk, space the branches. Touchdowns are its fruit.
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Post by tenwit »

If you're not above a little crudeness, Nnamdi Asomugha just screams "Namby Ass Mugger" to me...

Reason: ''
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mattgslater
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Joined: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:18 pm
Location: Far to the west, across the great desert, in the fabled Land of Comedy

Post by mattgslater »

:D

Unfortunately, the Golden Calves are on hold for now, but fortunately, things look like they're actually getting off the ground! We lost the Amazon coach and picked up a couple new ones, so the New Albion Expatriates are going forward. High Elves. I'll bring back my +ST Blitzer I'm trying to decide which two skilled Linos to bring back: Kick, Wrestle, Dodge, Block or Side Step. My instinct says Kick and Side Step, which would be 90k of improvements off of 1.1M. I'm thinking 3 Catchers, 2 Blitzers, 1 Thrower, 5 Linemen and 2 TRRs. One Blitzer will be Uncle Slam (the +ST guy). The Kicker is named Grant Stume, and the Side Stepper is Homer the Brave.

We found an old-school gamer who used to be a BB'er, but I suspect his skills have atrophied. He'll be good competition next season, and I suspect his Undead will end up with a good record: if nothing else, they'll be taking a ST6 Mummy into the season (not to mention the Necromantic coach also played an Undead team, and will kick a Guard Mummy, a Ghoul with Block and Side Step, and a Wight with Mighty Blow to the Waiver Wire... each coach can take 3 guys).

We have 2 new Orc coaches too. One is a rookie and is currently at halftime in his second match, where he's up 2-0 against a very weary Dark Elf team (the same one that forced OT vs. the gnarly Necros and my Humans, no less). The other one played a season at Game Empire, and his lack of basic skills startled me. I mean, he caged up ok, but his blocking skills needed help. I could see him improving and adapting through the course of the game, holding me to one score in the second half, but never once crossing the halfway line with the ball. No matter, that's stuff that improves with a little knowledge. If the Game Empire league starts again, he's going to clean up after a season here.

The Dark Elves are starting to waver. The HC leapt with the team before he looked: I advised them that they were an advanced team, but his first game went pretty well, so he bought them. Now his enthusiasm is waning, which has me suspecting he'll get in for the 2nd season when he sees how much fun the crowd is having. That will also give him some practice time. No matter, that leaves us with 6. Maybe I should schedule a group painting day. Well, I guess I'd have to start with a cleaning/priming day knowing some of my coaches....

The Necro coach is playing Dark Elves for his final preseason games, and his buddy the Pro Elf coach is playing Wood Elves. The Woodies were chomping on the Dark Elves when I left the other day, and I suspect that the PE coach may be a WE coach instead after he's had a chance to see just how cool universal MA7 is.

So I'll post a new thread when the season starts, and I'll stop commenting here until I have some news on the Baalifornia Golden Calves!

Reason: ''
What is Nuffle's view? Through a window, two-by-three. He peers through snake eyes.
What is Nuffle's lawn? Inches, squares, and tackle zones: Reddened blades of grass.
What is Nuffle's tree? Risk its trunk, space the branches. Touchdowns are its fruit.
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