Conceding 1 Touchdown

plasmoid · Post by **plasmoid** » Wed Dec 04, 2002 9:00 pm

Hi all,
we've used this rule for a year and a half now, and it is very popular.

First let me point out that the rule may not seem particularly fair. The rule to some extent prevents bashing teams from shutting out other teams by "eating up the clock". And I know that "eating up the clock" is a perfectly legal tactic.
No doubt about it.

The thing is that this makes for some very un-exciting Blood Bowl.
Reducing your opponent to 4 players and then waiting for the half to end before scoring simply isn't very exciting. Effecient - yes, exciting - no!

This is probably why the rule has become popular in my league - even with the coaches of the bashing teams!! And no - it hasn't meant that the league has become dominated by scoring teams. Not by a long shot.

The rule: Conceding a touchdown:
--------------------------------
Whenever a team is outnumbered by at least 3 players on the pitch at the very beginning of the teams turn, then it's head coach is allowed to concede a TD. The team's turn ends immediately.
The outnumbering team gets to take its next turn as normal, but at the end of that turn its head coach must decide whether to "accept the TD" or to "delay the game".

*Accept the TD: The player with the ball automatically scores a TD. If the ball was on the ground (or in the hands of an opposing player), then a random player on the pitch from the outnumbering team scores the TD.

*Delay the Game: The outnumbering team immediately suffers the effects of a pitch invasion (d6 inury rolls). However, a TD is not scored, and play proceeds as normal.
(The conceding team may concede again if elligible, or may play on if they prefer)

Fun for everyone!

Martin

franck_le_grand · Post by **franck_le_grand** » Wed Dec 04, 2002 9:11 pm

I don't get:
The outnumbering team ie. the winning team can choose the pitch invasion and have their team smashed????

Who would do that and why and for what????

Please explain the rule so I get (I'm a little stupid you know!)

Mestari · Post by **Mestari** » Thu Dec 05, 2002 10:02 am

This is not a bad rule Plasmoid - on the contrary it seems like an interesting solution. Although I'd be inclined to use outnumbered by 4 instead of three.

Falc · Post by **Falc** » Thu Dec 05, 2002 3:37 pm

Sounds like a nice rule. When a bashing team has such an advantage, they get to choose between ending the drive, meaning the opponent can field Reserves or recovered KOs, or they continue their slaughter but stand quite a chance of getting thrashed themselves...

Nice

Starfish · Post by **Starfish** » Thu Dec 05, 2002 4:43 pm

Might have to try that one out, sounds like a really good rule. I've played the clock before but I always feel dirty doing it

There's even a viable 'fluff' explanation for it: the fans are getting impatient and wanna see a TD instead of that player with the ball hovering 1 square from the endzone while his mates clobber the opposition (though bloodbowl fans probably enjoy this even more!).

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 2:21 am

You know what's really boring? Elf bowl! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Your rule sucks. Try making a rule to stop elves from scoring in two turns everytime, that will make more sense.

Furelli · Post by **Furelli** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 8:15 am

Zombie wrote: Your rule sucks.

Thats what we like to see, constructive critisism.

Personally I think its a nice rule, a great way to resolve playing the clock. However I would say that playing the clock is not the problem, dead turns at the end of each half is the problem.

Furelli.

Relborn · Post by **Relborn** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 8:26 am

Good Idea for the new rule ...

But I really can imagine coaches letting their players pushed of the pitch to bring the rule into the play ;o) ... maybe they just hopping into the crowd by themselves ?

Von Evilstein · Post by **Von Evilstein** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 9:02 am

*delurking*

Well, I play in Martins league, and we have had several instances where coaches have "delayed the game", thus risking a hell of a beating from the fans. The great thing is that you CAN go for the complete detruction of your opponent, you just have to consider if it is worth the risk.

Oh - and most of the hard hitting teams are quite happy to recieve a free turn of mayhem and then a sure TD.

It is simply a great way of keeping the game fun for all.

Of all the house rules I have ever played with, this one is the best one, and I think leagues out there should try it.

Cheers,
Kasper

*relurking*

Mestari · Post by **Mestari** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 11:40 am

Von Evilstein wrote:Oh - and most of the hard hitting teams are quite happy to recieve a free turn of mayhem and then a sure TD.

IMO, this is the best part of the rule - the conceding team has to give the other team two turns in a row, which might actually cause them more havoc than without conceding as you don't get a chance to dodge out players standing next to an opponent...

However:
Plasmoid and Evilstein: you don't think that the pitch invasion is a bit too extreme price for continuing the game? 3,5 at least stunned players on average seems like a rough price, as IMO continuing the game should remain as a good option...

I'd perhaps add a d6 "Delay table" with
1-2 TAR -Throw a rock against the delaying team
3-4 PI - d3-pitch invastion against the delaying team
5-6 Full PI - d6 pitch invasion against the delaying team

After you decide that you keep playing instead of accepting the TD you have to roll on the table and face the consequences...

Starfish · Post by **Starfish** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 12:28 pm

Furelli wrote:However I would say that playing the clock is not the problem, dead turns at the end of each half is the problem.

Yeah, that sucks, once I was waiting with near the opponents end zone with my amazon team with my players doing a good job of dodging away and had a safe 'cage' around my player with the ball (he was undead...)

I had the choice of scoring immediately and giving my opponents a turn where he can bash 3 of my linewomen on the line of scrimmage and blitz another. He complained that I was running down the clock for a tactical TD but I'd have to be crazy to let his undead team get this turn in which they had no chance of scoring and all he would want to do is try and bash my team to weaken them for the 2nd half.

I can't see a solution for this though.

plasmoid · Post by **plasmoid** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 1:07 pm

Hi all,
thanks for the kind words (zombie excluded).

To Franck:
The reason that the outnumbering team is allowed to take a beating rather than a TD, is to allow them that one extra important turn off the clock.
For example, the elf coach concedes in order to have 2 turns left to score. The chaos coach sucks up the pitch invasion before (hopefully) scoring, reducing the elf team to just 1 turn (and no score).

To Mestari:
Actually, the PI isn't that bad.
Most times the dominating team can happily risk one, though suffering 2 will only be worth it/viable in extreme situations.

The reason that the PI isn't so bad is that on the turn prior to it, the conceding team didn't get to turn over stuns or stand up players. Usually, this will let the bashing team consolidate into a well defended position.

(Also, note that sometimes after the first PI, the bashing team isn't outnumbering by 3 anymore, so the conceding team can not call a second concede).

Martin

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 4:24 pm

The fact remains that the most exciting form of Blood Bowl is the 8-turn scoring cage. It's very tactical and hard to accomplish. The 2-turn scoring elf play, on the other hand, is the most boring thing i know of in the game (except of course 1-turn TDs). If anything needs to disappear, it's this.

I can't conceive how anyone would like to get rid of the most fun, strategic, tactical part of this game.

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » Fri Dec 06, 2002 4:29 pm

Although I see where you're going with this rule, and I will say it's a very interesting idea, I can't say I like it on balance.

Why? Because controlling the pace of the game is what the game is all about. You win by playing the game to a pace that suits you and not your opponent. With bashing teams this often means taking a long, slow drive and beating the snot out of your opponent. That's the way it is. The challenge with a finesse team is to prevent this from happening. With this in mind you build commando style turnover players to frustrate, blunt and destabilise the drive. The ability to do that is the mark of a good coach.

With my finesse teams, skaven particularly, I generally try to turn the opponent over 1 or 2 turns after the kickoff. On balance I manage this about 30% of the time. In the instances that I don't I would fall back deep then offer the concession. That will give me another shot at a touchdown and then another chance at a backfield turnover.

If they don't take the concession then they risk losing players. This is something a bashing team can _never_ do. A 9 player woodelf team vs a 9 player chaos team is no contest, there's too much room for the elves to run in.

Having said that however, I like the fact you've included a risk/reward ratio for the play. I would suggest that you dice off for the potential pitch invasion. If the team with the advantage chooses to play on then you should treat it like a PI kickoff result and dice for it. There should be a chance that the team offering the concession loses a turn and gets absolutely nothing for it.

Mestari · Post by **Mestari** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 11:05 am

plasmoid wrote:To Mestari:
Actually, the PI isn't that bad.
Most times the dominating team can happily risk one, though suffering 2 will only be worth it/viable in extreme situations.

I'd have to test it to say anything more, but I agree with Marcus in several points. I like your rule but it might effect the game balance in a way that I do not like. Otherwise it's an extremely sound rule.