Should Golems Stay... or Should They Go Now?

[mattgslater]

Oh, now we're getting into Python territory. "I'm thuh-ee-sevain. I'm nut aould."

Okay, I'm just shy of 36... but you get my point.

[MKL]

He's fifty. Hardly "venerable" as you suggest.

When I started playing Necros, maybe two years ago, I scoured TFF (TBB?) for Necro Tactics... and in every thread there was Digger!

So, to me, Digger is a bit of a grandfather figure: maybe he's old, quirky and ill-tempered, but he was always here and deserve respect... think like Nagash

[Digger Goreman]

You're fine, Matt... remember:

Old age is just a state of Florida!

Eh?, so, young sensei, would you still stick it out with the Fleshies?

MKL:

Ill-tempered?

Me?!

Well, I am confident and stern in my righteousness.... < (total BS alert)

Now, my ex... she was ill-tempered....

Nagash would run and hide from her....

[JaM]

I've played Necros without ghouls, and I found I lacked movement.
Take/keep at least one.

Firing the golems isnt a good idea, most of the time they are just annoying roadblocks, like they should.

So I'd trim the team down to 12-13 players, including 1 ghoul.

Hope it helps.

[Digger Goreman]

I've played Necros without ghouls, and I found I lacked movement.
Take/keep at least one.

Firing the golems isnt a good idea, most of the time they are just annoying roadblocks, like they should.

So I'd trim the team down to 12-13 players, including 1 ghoul.

Hope it helps.

That seems to be the plan then....

I'll report back as things progress.....

[MKL]

Digger, since we are talking about it, what's your use of the F-Golems?

In defense they are formidable roadblocks, sure, but what about the attack drive?
I'm asking 'cause you seem to favor a fast play, and maybe the golems play a secondary role here.
I favor a slower play, and use the Golems to spearpoint the attack, disrupt the defense and create opportunities* for the WW.

* “opportunities”: 1-easy, isolated targets; 2-gaps in the line.

[Digger Goreman]

Digger, since we are talking about it, what's your use of the F-Golems?

In defense they are formidable roadblocks, sure, but what about the attack drive?
I'm asking 'cause you seem to favor a fast play, and maybe the golems play a secondary role here.
I favor a slower play, and use the Golems to spearpoint the attack, disrupt the defense and create opportunities* for the WW.

* “opportunities”: 1-easy, isolated targets; 2-gaps in the line.

I like to run the golems downfield through the wide zone for the assist and blitz with the werewolves.... If the defense is well set up I may blitz with the golems (always risky with their lack of block).... Most coaches will give me a free-ish sideline to avoid surfing from the wolves, and the Golems are nice for providing immobile "posts" to block/funnel pursuers against unfavorable dodges to get to my ball carrier.... I may be forced into slower play by a deep(er) kick.... Quite often my defense becomes an offense as I aggressively pursue the ball through Blitz kickoffs, or penetration of wolves, ghouls and wights.... In this case the Golems are usually either a square from the sidelines, or about 3 squares back of the LOS and next to the wide zones....

[MKL]

I like to run the golems downfield through the wide zone for the assist and blitz with the werewolves....

Sometimes I run the sideline for a quick 2-turns td, but if I linger any longer I are usually overrun*. Can you maintain such corridor more turns?

*A sort of “Operation Market-Garden” situation, with the poor devils in Arnhem cut off from reinforcement... oh well, always the history buff

[Digger Goreman]

I like to run the golems downfield through the wide zone for the assist and blitz with the werewolves....

Sometimes I run the sideline for a quick 2-turns td, but if I linger any longer I are usually overrun*. Can you maintain such corridor more turns?

It's incredibly situational.... I always make my opponent think I'm going to 2-turn him (and often I do)... only to reverse field if I don't think it'll work or he commits well to that side.... Upon reversing field, I'll either go to the opposite sideline, or find even the thinnest of "seams" in the middle of the field and hit the diagonal going opposite the pursuit.... I've even double-reversed when the initial side was blocked up... the reverse side got blocked (but the opponent over-pursued) and I could (relatively) easily end-around the other side and win the foot race to the goal line....

As far as maintaining the corridor... sometimes.... In the past I've skilled up the first Wight with initial Stand Firm and had some success with presenting three Stand Firms against any pursuit and with Wolves/Ghouls providing blitz protection/defense....

Summing up: I use the threat of a 2TTD backed by the ability to reverse and/or find a seam and/or reverse again, with the added threat of pinning/channeling you through 2 or more Stand Firm players.... Nothing's perfect in BB given those damnable plastic cubes... but it works for me....

[mattgslater]

How do you maintain midfield control with just a few zeds? Once you get action going downfield, you've got half a dozen MA4 guys, only two of whom are true blockers (plus any zeds you've got to 16 SPP).

I've seen this with the Necro coach in my league. His quick scores are generally pretty good, and his D isn't terrible. But he can't grind, nor can he redirect: if Plan A doesn't work, then it's about hope. He gets a lot of TDs but it doesn't translate to wins: when he does win, it's usually because he forced something on D, or because he failed on offense, but managed to recover (as if on D) and score at the last minute. His team develops well and looks good on paper, but a mechanism for stalling is a necessity if you want consistent success.

But I've played some MUCH better Necro coaches on FUMBBL, and they're all cage-and-stall types. They cage up around midfield and play one-square, perhaps threatening deep with a couple of the faster guys. They can use the speed of the Weres and Ghouls to build downfield control formations that must be addressed, but the best power of this speed is that you don't need to get all that deep. You can cage up one behind the line, one-square your way forward three squares per four turns, and then score when the situation suggests (4 turns if you Nuffled 'em and think you can repeat, or if you're suffering a lot of KOs or Regens, or if you're getting cracked, longer if you want to prevent a TD; 8 turns to force 1TTD, 5-6 turns against slow teams if you have Zeds to spare and have done some damage to them).

[Digger Goreman]

Their caging is pretty much what I'm doing with reversing field.... You don't necessarily have to tag all the people when playing offense, but just the ones in the way... or place your players one square away to force dodges....

Perfect... no... effective... more times than not....

And, yes, I DO play for the turnover.... I don't know how the best Necro coaches play, but a good one will turn the opposition at least once a game... and that's often enough....

Punching through the seam is often a matter of a single down/double push (or push then down) by a blitzing werewolf.... Sometimes it doesn't go quite right and you have to rely on dodging ghouls... nevertheless, it's often a "found checkmate" on offense or defense (where you discover a blitz path to the ball carrier).... On defense, of course, the seam has to be opened by a block unless you're content to make contact and take the ball out of a scrum in a following turn.... Often quite difficult....

[Jimmy Fantastic]

no golems