Strategy to get good matches in open format

[mattgslater]

One thing I'm learning is that not being picky gets me a combination of friends, really good coaches, and noobs, with only a few others. I have enough friends to make sure there's enough action at my level, but it almost feels like a league, 'cause a third of my matches or so are against the same seven or eight guys. I guess that's just the way it is.

Edit: not so sure. Tracked my last 50 non-tournament [R] games, broke them into 2 categories: one with CR>150 and win%>45, one with less on either category, and found 27 games against 21 coaches who met both criteria and 23 games against 21 coaches who missed either (a couple with CRs in the 150s but W% in the 30s or low 40s, or with CR in the high 140s and a win% in the high 40s or 50s). 3 games against halfadimecn, 2 each against footballolb16, Rat_Salat, strikereternal, Tempestfunk, and the aptly-named GuestNubo, 1 each against a lot of coaches at a lot of levels. Only three on this list are over 170, but the bulk of the coaches in the "good" category are over 160. Some genuine noobs in there, but mostly just low-tier coaches, and funny enough my record really isn't that different, about .700 vs .550. The difference is in TD ratio (3:1 as opposed to about 9:8) and interenstingly, I take and deal 50% more damage against high-ranked coaches: about 3 - 1.8 count vs 2 - 1.3. The proportion remains the same, I do about 50% more damage than I take. But I take more and deal more against better coaches, and not by just a little.

[mattgslater]

Ugh, I hate conceders. Two in a row. Can't blame them, retired both. I'd say this is a sign that Welcome to Ranked! were too good for what they're supposed to be, but I don't think so: I think it was distribution, as I got a brand-new cherry coach and some jerk off Cyanide, and both coaches seemed inclined to retire their teams on account of early kills (noobish, yes).

Anyway, I'm really concerned about the competitive level of WtR: it's been very hard to keep them from getting too good as they rise, though this will start changing now that I've got a big fat treasury.

Here's how I see building to stay competitive (and not overwhelming) against younger teams.

1) Basic build: 11 men, no Goblin, Apoth, 2 TRR: 740k
2) Non-negotiable skills: 4 Block, 1 Guard, 1 Leader: 120k
Subtotal: 860k
Budget: 140k+FF

Current Options:
+3 Block
+1 Tackle
+1 Guard
Elf with Dodge

Changes Planned:
I'm thinking that the next Block player to skill will get Kick, the Guard guys will get Block or further Block guys get Guard and just cut Block or Guard guys on a 1:1 basis. When the Leader skills again, he'll get Kick and my kicker will get cut. When the elf skills again he'll get cut and replaced with a Marauder.

So, soon, it will be:
Elf with Blodge
5 Marauders with Block and (Guard x2, Leader, Kick, Tackle)
5 rookie Marauders

And soon after that:
7 Marauders with Block and (Guard x2, Leader, Kick, Tackle, Sure Hands)
4 rookie Marauders

The goal is always to be on par with a team coming fresh off a first big win, though maybe not identical (better skills, lesser stats, FF). I think I'm just a touch ahead of that right now.

Hmmm... maybe I should not replace the Tackle guy when he skills out (except the Leader, I cut 3-skill players). Then I can have another fun toolbox skill. The Elf's name is "B is for Blodgestep": maybe I should keep him and cut Tackle guy when he skills? I had a "G is for Guard Is the Best Skill in the Game" and I gave him Guard, ofc. He didn't last long.

Alternately, if all this is too much I can give up on the idea of an actual carrier and take a Troll instead. Then, with Guard, Kick, and Leader Marauders, that leaves me six skill slots (elf takes 3, plus Block for the 3 skill guys, I guess, or without the elf I can have three rookie Block guys, or one and a Sure Hands).

[Jimmy Fantastic]

That team is way op unless u just want to prey on noobs, in which case it's great!

[mattgslater]

Hmmm... in agreement, and not surprised: I was figuring I would probably misgauge a couple times, and if I err on the op side at least I don't spend 16 turns looking like a chump. How far down should I tone it? I can drop 3 skills (or the elf and his 2 skills) and maintain a Troll, or pick up another TRR. I was thinking I probably should run just one Guard too, or maybe drop the Tackle.

It's very hard to retain rough rookie equivalency. I guess I more or less want to be better than a rookie team to the tune of a 100k inducement, less the value of FAME 1.5. Worse, trying and failing, I end up a little below the level of a naturally-developing young team. I think this experiment, I'm not ready to say it has failed, but it still needs salt.

Here we go
1) Dump the elf once I get another 2-skill lino. I don't need him.
2) Basic roster: 10 Marauders and a Troll, Apo, 2 RR: 800k
3) 5 rookies, 5 Block guys, Guard on the Troll: 120k
4) Block guys have Leader, Kick, and Guard players: 60k
Subtotal: 980k

Is this better?

It's okay, I think, if a zero-game rookie team is a little outmatched by these guys: way op is a problem, marginally op is probably unavoidable. I want them to be perpetually on the level of a young team that's had a couple good matches, so I can take on 1100s opponents as well as 1000s. Matchups don't have to be perfectly fair, it's okay to expect to probably win this one and lose that one, but they shouldn't be one-sided.

I could probably stop negotiating at retail and pad the team up a bit, by going to four Block guys, no elf, no Leader, 3 TRRs, only one Guard, plus one toolbox skill.

[spubbbba]

I don’t think there is a way to make a competitive long term team that stays at low TV without risking being accused of min-maxing. Especially if you are taking Pact as they are most associated with that tactic.

The only solution I could think of would be to make teams and build them deliberately slowly, making new ones when they get too high. Once you get to a certain level most teams will fluctuate naturally.

[mattgslater]

Man, I hate retiring teams. I picked Pact because I can play with their quality pretty readily, swapping out positional types and RR:TV.

Maybe I should take a Goblin and go all Punish the Monkey... the first one can be named "Thanks, Kryten!" in honor of the stolen idea, and every time he dies/retires, the new one is "Welcome, [coach]!"

So, maybe I want to target these guys to be 7FF and two skills ahead of a 1M rookie Human team. The way I see it, a Human team at 1M is something like this:

1x Ogre
4x +MA/Block
1x SH/Pass
Could have another SH/Pass, or a Catcher, or save 20k
3RR, Apo

If I take a Troll instead of an Ogre, and just Block instead of +MA, that leaves me down +MA on the Block guys (which translate to a couple good skills on the pitch), and a good skill and boutique skill on the other guy, plus some quality on the big guy. This sounds like 5 good skills to me, but I'm learning that this is only correct on paper. Perhaps this Goblin idea will help.

Hmmm
Troll, Goblin, 9 Marauders, 2 RR, Apo, AC, CL
4x Block, 1x Guard, 1x Kick, 1x Tackle, 1x Leader
970k plus FF

The last thing I want is a team that's a lot too good. They can be a major handful for an out-of-the-box opponent (they have to be, if they want to handle game 3 teams), but shouldn't be a walking massacre.

Or, I could quite literally play with a hand behind my back....
Troll, Goblin, 10 Marauders, 2 RR, Apo
Skill sets: Block/Leader/Kick; Block/Guard; Block; Block; Guard.
1M plus FF

Against rookie opponents, Guard lino rides pine, against experienced ones, the Goblin sits out.

In either case, it'll be a Block/Tackle, a Block/Guard, and a Block/Kick/Leader. Every time a rookie skills, I cut someone, so I have to be pretty careful to stack SPP guys who have just skilled until the time comes. Sort of anti-pre-CRP team management.

Or I can let this team float up into the 1100-1250 bracket, where they can be competitive without being overwhelming, and I don't have to fret about taking two Guards or whatnot.

That means after the next match I'm cutting about three players and hiring about four. K.

[mattgslater]

Done. Right now, 1.1M with Troll, Goblin, Skaven, 9 Marauders, 2 RR, 8 FF
Marauder Skills: B/G, B/L, B/T, B, B.

Goblin on pitch to handle rookie teams.
Guard on pitch to handle veterans.
Obviously, the other one comes on if someone gets hurt. But I'm giving up a WApo to a rookie squad, so whatevz.

[Jimmy Fantastic]

Last one seems ok

[Hitonagashi]

Yeah, I'd play the last one with a rookie team.

[mattgslater]

Cool. That makes me feel good, as it's very easy to maintain. I'm one Block too many right now, but that's not a big deal: one more postmatch and I'll be pretty much where I want to be going forward.

Does doing SH over Kick (to seem more rook) change the equation in either of your minds?

[mattgslater]

Team bio updated

Welcome to Ranked!

We're the good kind of rook-hunters, a team that stays under 1.1M and that Ranked coaches will actually want to play with their young teams. The rules are simple: play a team that knowledgeable coaches with rookie or young (up to, say, 3-4 games) teams will be able to play a fair game against! I trim the best players, and keep not only a low TV, but also not too many skills, with no genuine skill combo stacking, Block and Wrestle skills excepted.

My roster, as close as possible, stays at:
Troll, Goblin, Skaven, 9 Marauders, 2 RR, Apoth
4 Block, 1 Guard, 1 Kick or Tackle, 1 Block or Guard, 1 Leader
TV 1M + FF
It may not always be perfect: I might be up or down a skill once in awhile, for like one game. Eventually, the Leader will get Sure Hands and I'll fire one player (not the Goblin or Troll). After all, probably the most awesome legend ever is a Marauder with Leader, Block, Sure Hands, Kick, Kickoff Return, and Tackle, right?

See that Goblin? Yeah, Kryten gave me this idea. The Goblin comes in when I'm playing a totally unimproved team worth no more than 1M+FF. Otherwise, he's my reserve.

Welcome to Ranked! is designed to handle rookie teams or teams with a couple skills. If you challenge me with your 3-0-0, 1.21M Orcs, expect me to find a more suitable matchup to counter with. But if they're 1-0-1 at 1.12M with 12 men and 3 improvements, okay. Likewise, feel free to make a 1M team and hunt me down around 0400 - 0900 BB time, even play a game or two first if you want.

Please don't concede. The nature of this team is that it plays a lot of noobz. Noobz are great: more noobz makes FUMBBL better as they get better and less noobish and the game improves from a larger body of coaches. It doesn't matter what happens in game. The Journeyman rule and the perpetual nature of Ranked mean that if you just stay at it, your team can recover from anything except bad skill picks.

I'm going to kick your teeth in, not with cheese, but because I always kick everybody's teeth in. If you want cheese, play Box. I only got moldy boot, but it's an all-you can eat buffet. Here, have a heapin' helpin' of Jackass hospitality!

Oh, and...

Welcome to Ranked!