Zombie count

[swilhelm73]

I'm taking my Necro team against an undefeated WE team today.

I'm at about 2200TV with 14 players, he's at a minimum of 1720 - he's got 10 players at 1650 TV and 120K in cash.

Since I'll be facing a WE with few subs, I do plan on fouling when possible. He's got a tree and two MB WDs.

So how many zombies should I bring? Presuming he hires a lineman or takes a journeyman I'll be giving up 480TV. So right now he could go Morg+babe, or Jordell+wiz+babe, or chef+wiz.

Normally I'd go with 13 players against WE and drop a rookie zombie...but between fouling and 3 MB opposing players, perhaps it does make more sense to bring 14?

[Smurf]

From my experience the TV inducements help to level the playing field but it never really does.

Lump it.

If you have tackle smack his dodgers repeatedly. Target his thrower and try and cream the LOS totally.

Getting the WE down to 7 players really puts the pressure on.

And go for really good gang fouls only... ie if you can get 3+ assists to break the armour.

Remember to target special players first, even with following.

Yup you have to be brutal if you are going to win. WEs have the habit of coming out of no where.

Oh and leave the tree alone. If you have to knock it down on the LOS then do so.

[TalonBay]

I agree with the above, one thing to add is to make sure there's some pressure on the ball carrier sat deep when he receives. Otherwise it's too easy for him to eat up turns.

[swilhelm73]

Oh and leave the tree alone. If you have to knock it down on the LOS then do so.

Yeah, that's generally my expectation. I do have an ST5 FG and a few guard players, however, if I get say a T8 shot at him with my MB/Claw/Dauntless or MB/Claw/PO wolf...

[burgun824]

Screw pressuring the ball. Just start gang fouling those pointy eared bastages and let them have a TD. He won't stall for long when he has the ball, especially once you start throwing your boots to a few of his precious elves. Then when you've got the ball you can horde it and wait for him to come to you and slow grind him for a 2-1 win.

[Ullis]

Screw pressuring the ball. Just start gang fouling those pointy eared bastages and let them have a TD. He won't stall for long when he has the ball, especially once you start throwing your boots to a few of his precious elves. Then when you've got the ball you can horde it and wait for him to come to you and slow grind him for a 2-1 win.

I've never ever seen anyone stop stalling just because his players are getting fouled. Hurting players is obviously a way to stop someone stalling if he runs out of options due to few players, but you should never stop pressuring the ball.

[Ullis]

Three subs could well be overkill against wood elves. Even if they pack three MB's. On the other hand, he's already getting lots of inducements and zombies are cheap and with 14 players you're pretty much guaranteed 11 players even with excessive fouling.

[the.tok]

Keep the 14.
40k won't matter that much anyway whereas it will allow you to foul more WD

[Smurf]

You'll need your 3 bench for fouling.

Remember if he does not get his players up then move up to score.

If I was getting screwed I'd try to move away and or leave the guys on the floor there is no point in getting hit again.

If you win the toss let him go first. But give him a nice deep 8 (10 is good too) spread across the pitch with 3 zeds on the line spaced out. FGs on the out wings to prevent push backs and allowing 1 die only (he could get 2 but that absorbs 4 players). If you cannot 3 die a WD or get multiple hits on one then just keep creaming the line.

The line is important for WE as it frees up the positions. Always, if you have a chance hit the thrower and foul it. Remove the thrower! It changes the WE game and it may make him unconfortable with it.

[swilhelm73]

I ended up going with 14 players. He took 2 mercs, 2 extra apoths, a bribe and a babe.

His most developed players, but far, were his WDs, so I spent all game hitting them with my MB/Tackle players and then fouling with my DP Zombie, and then focused on his 1 turn threat (+MV, SS, Sprint).

I was able to CAS all of them and end up with a classic 2-1 grind win.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Interestingly do to the way our schedule is setup I will play him again next week - but he will be missing one of those developed WDs (N, MNG) - I'll have to see if he replaces the player or not.

[Smurf]

If he's smart he won't because you are going to mash the crap out of him again.

BTW what was his playing style like?

[Aliboon]

If he was smart, he wouldn't have picked 2 mercs, 2 extra apoths, a bribe and a babe. Awful, awful inducements, ok for surviving possibly, but certainly not for winning.

Assuming that was 550k then why not Edril, Wizard, then probably Willow and a babe (or even an APO and 2 babes)?

Edril and the wizard would have stopped the grinding, the other things to help survive.

Only possibly reason I can see for those inducements is if you're playing WYSIWYG and he only had a couple of linos spare.

[swilhelm73]

If he's smart he won't because you are going to mash the crap out of him again.

BTW what was his playing style like?

He aggressively targeted my Ghouls and Wolves with his MB wardancers. In fact, our strategies were somewhat similar, since I was hunting his WDs. Overall I felt that favored me since the matchup was:

WD: Strip, Frenzy, +MA, MB
WD: Tackle, JU, MB, +AG

vs

WW: Block, Dodge, MB, PO, SS
WW: Block, Dodge, MB, Dauntless, Tackle
WI: MB, Guard, +AG, Tackle, SF
Z: DP

The Wolves got 3 CAS, including a WD, and I fouled out the other WD and a one turn catcher.

Though I suppose the three apoths changes the math on that a bit.

He generally put token defense in front of my cage, but that wasn't a terrible choice since I was in no hurry to score. IIRC, I think he only leaped into the cage once, but I generally managed to keep quards in position make it a -2D and his one leap was when I did not.