Thoughts on +AG Elf lino?

[Smeborg]

We have a pro-Elf team in our TT league with 5 stat boosts (3x +ST, 2x +AG), all on positionals IIRC. The coach complains about the lack of normal skills, but the results speak otherwise: 1 loss against Pact (!) due to 3 intercepts in the match, 1 draw against well-coached DEs, and 5 or 6 wins.

I guess TV "bloat" will be a problem for this team as it progresses. A practical issue is whether to run any reserves, and if so, how many. But these are nice problems to have.

All the best.

[mattgslater]

Wowz, 3 interceptions in one game? That's crazy! In over 500 FUMBBL games (probably a thousand passes, 576 comps), 10% of them with the PE's armored non-NoS cousins (even without a Thrower, using AG5 linos for passing), I've thrown 5 picks. That's low, maybe; but still, I watch Pro Elf teams throw pick after pick, and I can't help but think there must be a better way.

Nerves of Steel works both ways: when it comes to ints, any AG3 or less player gets it for free! I guess there's probably also a support issue: HE can usually get the manpower to own some section of the pitch, and to do more QP-handoffs.

[Winged_Human]

Nerves of Steel works both ways: when it comes to ints, any AG3 or less player gets it for free!

Can you explain how this works, as I thought that NoS only works on the person who has it? everyone else still suffers the negatives of being in a TZ.

[Shteve0]

Because they need a six no matter what, and a six always succeeds, modifiers don't affect it. He's been humourous

I guess it's akin to saying that AG1 players get stunty for free when dodging (without the amended injury table, of course).

[Smeborg]

Wowz, 3 interceptions in one game? That's crazy!

Yeah, the pro-Elves were certainly unbeloved of Nuffle in this game. All 3 interceptions required a natural 6. The pro-Elf coach did however admit that he might have been able to play differently to avoid intercepts. But he was well down on players for most of the game, so much of the passing was more or less forced.

Against the same opponent (the interceptor), I also suffered an interception to convert a probable win into a draw. However, with 20/20 hindsight, I could have played to avoid the intercept (with worse chance of scoring, but less chance of disaster). This guy has had 5 interceptions in 8 games, he's the official intercept king of the league.

When I played my only long season with pro-Elves (24 games, won the league), I remember making many hand-offs instead of passes, I think this is a correct way to play the team, the Throwers are relatively unimportant and uncharismatic players (one is very handy as a Leader-caddy). In the triple-intercept game, the pro-Elves had an AG5 Thrower, their coach may have got a bit carried away by the passing game.

[Axtklinge]

Three interceptions in the same game... outch!
They're not that common in the TT league I play mainly because we've all learned they DO happen, and usually at the worst possible times (for the throwing team at least).

That just remembered me of a story from the last season:
I've had this close game playing Pact against Skaven, where at some point near the end of the game, and after some loose balls on both parts, I was pressuring very deep into skaven half (aka as "a big scrum in one place, and a few scattered players all around", which clearly was not good "tactically" for me).
At some point, and after some blocks and pushes, my opponent manages to grab the ball in the middle of the scrum, and could either:
a) Try a 3+ pass (with Pass), to a GR (that would then run too far for me to keep him from scoring the following turn), but giving me the opportunity to try to intercept with my Minotaur (in the thrower TZ) OR,
b) Try a 3+ dodge out (without rerolls), to make an 2+ Hand-Off (to a 2nd GR), that would then Pass (2+) to the before mentioned GR (2+ Catch).
Since he was out of rerolls, he went with the Pass, because it would mean less dice for him.
All good, except that the Mino rolled a 6 for the interception! (...)
The following turn, I've declared a Blitz with Mino, actually made a CAS on the Thrower, and with the open path even scored the TD with the Mino!
And that was about all he did in the entire season...