Underworld advice

[dr. evil]

I'm going to start an underworld team in my local league and was looking for some insight on starting builds, skill ups and play style for offence and defence.

The starting build I'm leaning towards is:
-2 storm vermin
-2 linemen
-1 thrower
-WS troll
-5 gobbos
-apothy
-4 RR

Short players for a team that's likely to take injures, but I'll probably never have to buy a RR as 4 should be enough.

For skills I'll probably go with:
#1 storm vermin- MB, Claw, PO (jump up)
#2 strom vermin- guard, SF, tackle (dodge)
both linemen- wrestle, horns, tackle (guard)
WS troll- claw, guard, SF (block)
#1 thrower- block, KOR, extra arms (guard)
#2 thower- kick, block, extra arms (guard)
gobbos- 2 heads, SS (if they don't get doubles by 3rd skill cut/rebuy)

I was planning to play a stand off game on defence and wait for an opening. On offence I was going to play a short passing game and score in 2 turns (with a skaven if possible).

All advice is welcome.

[Dr. Von Richten]

I think you really need all your S3 players, and at least 3 rerolls. So that means:

1 Troll: 110
2 Blitzers: 180
2 Throwers: 140
2 Lineman: 100
4 Goblins: 160
3 Rerolls: 210

Total: 900

with the remaining 100, you can get:

- 1 reroll and 30k towards an Apo
- 2 Goblins and 20k towards an Apo
- 2 Goblin, 1 Apo and 10k

Considering that you can get 2 Goblins and an Apo for the price of 1 reroll after team creation, and considering further that you really need those rerolls, I would go for the first option.

Your skill choices seem pretty sound, though I would favour 'passive' skills on the Troll, starting with Tentacles, then Stand Firm and Guard, so he doesn't need to do something (and possibly go stupid) to be effective.

Also, I would want at least one Goblin with Two Heads & Horns, and one with Two Heads and Big Hand. Also 1-2 with Side Step, Diving Tackle and Prehensile Tail, and 1-2 with Side Step and Foul Appearance (for LOS Duty).

[plasmoid]

http://www.plasmoids.dk/bbowl/LRB6Playbooks.htm

[Bert]

1 Troll: 110
2 Blitzers: 180
1 Throwers: 70
2 Lineman: 100
7 Goblins: 280
3 Rerolls: 210
1 Apo: 50


Ive liked this roster to start alot. You have 13 players, this team gets hurt more bodys are needed. Get a couple of injurys early and you will have the numbers advantage possibly for the game. Never found that I needed more than 3 rerolls, would end halfs with one left. You have alot of starter skills that save your rerolls. Goblins at ST2/dodge are almost as durable as a ST3/AV7 player, only dwarfs change this.

[nick_nameless]

For all the complaining you will hear about it, I think on the Underworld team you almost have to think about going ClawPOMB with both blitzers. They have the easiest access to it in the game, and the team is not very good overall. Take what advantage you can out of it.

[Joemanji]

Clawpomb.

[Hitonagashi]

For all the complaining you will hear about it, I think on the Underworld team you almost have to think about going ClawPOMB with both blitzers. They have the easiest access to it in the game, and the team is not very good overall. Take what advantage you can out of it.

I usually go clawmbpo and mbtackleclaw then po...need something to fight zons with .

[nick_nameless]

For all the complaining you will hear about it, I think on the Underworld team you almost have to think about going ClawPOMB with both blitzers. They have the easiest access to it in the game, and the team is not very good overall. Take what advantage you can out of it.

I usually go clawmbpo and mbtackleclaw then po...need something to fight zons with .

Sure....I agree with that tactic. I just meant that both really should be running on that development path in general

[Nikolai II]

I'm going to start an underworld team in my local league and was looking for some insight on starting builds, skill ups and play style for offence and defence.

The starting build I'm leaning towards is:
-2 storm vermin
-2 linemen
-1 thrower
-WS troll
-5 gobbos
-apothy
-4 RR

Short players for a team that's likely to take injures, but I'll probably never have to buy a RR as 4 should be enough.

I don't see anything wrong with that setup. Goblins are a lot cheaper to add than rerolls once the game is on, and the apo increases the chances that skavens or troll survive also the first match.

Skills look good as well. I might start with a kick thrower instead of the block thrower though. That one then takes big hand, nerves of steel and extra arms in that order - he's on defense to steal loose balls and pass them away without dodging.

The other one (on offense) gets block, then probably one of KOR / extra arms / accurate [dodge] (Given his speed and that underworld isn't much of a caging team I wouldn't rate KOR very high though)

[Smeborg]

I have tried ClawPOMB directly on the Storm Vermin, and another system, which worked much, much better:

W/Troll: Claw, Guard, S-Firm, Tentacles (Block, Tackle on doubles)

S/Vermin: Guard, M-Blow, Claw, Tackle

Thrower1: Block, KoRet, X-Arms, Accurate
Thrower2: Leader, Block, X-Arms, Tackle

Linerat 1: Wrestle, Horns, Tackle, 2-Heads
Linerat 2: Kick, Wrestle, Tackle, Horns

All Gobbos: 2-Heads, Horns, Sidestep (Wrestle on doubles)

Guard is very important on this team, it would appear. It makes their blocking game much more powerful and dynamic, as well as protecting them. Kick is very important too. Ditto KoRet. I have found 3 RR + Leader to be just right.

In a league, I start with all positionals, 5 Gobbos, 3RRs and the Apothecary. All you need to do after that is buy Gobbos (up to the full roster if your league is killy). As well as starting with the Apoth, I use him only on the 7 positional players - this keeps them in good health. You have to learn to lose Gobbos with skills. Because they die fast, I go for a single build on the Gobbos. I do not go for fouling skills or a fouling strategy, as this is generally counter-productive (you need to keep players in the game).

Dodge is the obvious doubles choice on the Skaven players, Wrestle on the Gobbos. +MA is outstanding on the Throwers and Linerats. I would consider +AV on the S/Vermin and Gobbos if I were to roll a 6+4.

I play an aggressive counter-attacking game on defense, this suits the team well. They will often go into the lead, but to be fair, they cannot always protect that lead due to loss of players. They are an entertaining do or die team, and I would suggest are somewhat better in performance than they are cracked up to be.

That is the outline of what, for me, has been a quite successful system. Hope it helps.

[Hitonagashi]

Mostly agree Sme...the only thing I'd say is that I usually use Horns instead of Guard. Two guard isn't great, especially if you roll pushes, and have your killers tied down by the thing you were trying to put on the ground (especially if it's a mummy). Since I prefer dodge on doubles for the skaven and block on doubles for the gobbos, then horns is as good as a solitary guard, especially when you've got 2 of them and can cover both sides of the pitch.

[Smeborg]

Hitogonashi - it's not 2 Guard, it's 3 (I take it as second skill on the Troll, which usually comes fast). It means you can have a rapid guarded cage on offense, giving the nice triple threat (run, hand-off, pass), which is hard to defend against. On defense, it protects the team well, in my experience.

All the best.

[nick_nameless]

Hitogonashi - it's not 2 Guard, it's 3 (I take it as second skill on the Troll, which usually comes fast). It means you can have a rapid guarded cage on offense, giving the nice triple threat (run, hand-off, pass), which is hard to defend against. On defense, it protects the team well, in my experience.

All the best.

That must have been you on the 3DB podcast by the looks of your post versus what was discussed.

Interesting strategy. One question I had: Why would you not think about developing at least one goblin with 2 heads, big hand for retrieving the ball from tight spots?

[dr. evil]

Smeborg- I like the idea of guard on the s/vermin but I'm afraid that's where there development would end. I've found on other teams that the guard pieces never end up hitting and just end up moving around for the assist. How do you use them?

[dr. evil]

Nick- I had thought about a gobbo with 2 heads, big hand and extra arms but I'm not sure how much use I'd get out of him. If the ball comes loose and bounces to a good spot you wouldn't need the gobbo to get it. If it bounces to a bad spot he might be able to get it but then what? He only has MA6 so chances are he'll be stuck on the wrong side of the line. With 2 heads and SS I may not be able to pick up the ball but I can make it very hard for my opponent to pick it up by getting TZ around the ball.