Skillz 4 Blitzer and Thrower

Mortalman · Post by **Mortalman** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 9:09 am

Hi,

Orc team:

Blitzer: +1S, Dodge
Blitzer: Tackle, Mighty Blow
Blitzer: Tackle, Pro, Strip Ball
Blitzer: +1m, *Skill*
BO: Block, Guard
BO: Block
BO: Block
BO: Block
Thrower: *TRAIT*
Thrower: Accurate, Block, Safe Throw
Goblin: Catch, Sure Feet
Goblin
Ogre: Block
Lineman: Tackle
Lineman: AV-1
Lineman

So I need a skill for a blitzer and a double for a thrower. I wondered about Pro, shadowing and sure hands for the blitzer, because I want to turn him into an offensive player - although I also need some heavy hitters so maybe mighty blow.
For the Thrower I thought dodge, but then again I figure my more experienced thrower might want to be my defensive thrower with his block and safe throw, so maybe I should go Strong Arm and get a long ball thrower as well.
Any thoughts?

Post by **DoubleSkulls** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 10:46 am

Throw ought to take Strong Arm. Anything that gives you a better passing game is useful.

I'd almost certainly take Tackle on the blitzer, but Guard may work well too.

Deathwing · Post by **Deathwing** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 10:54 am

Depends how often you throw the thing. A Blodge ball carrier could be useful, depends on the amount of Tackle in your League.

Mortalman · Post by **Mortalman** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 11:03 am

For the thrower I'm thinking on the one hand once I have strong arm he can take accurate, safe throw and maybe blcok and become my long ball man. On the other hand, these are mostly the skills my other thrower has and he's approaching 50 which will be his last advance for a while. If I wanted to make a more defensive "into the pack", running-back thrower I'd need several doubles to get things like dodge, NOS, maybe sure feet etc which the new boy is more likely to get.

For the blitzer the only reason I was thinking Pro is because I'm still attached to the idea of making him a catcher. If he rolls a double he could get dodge or catch and pro would fill in the gap. If I go tackle I'm starting to commit to a more defensive player.

Post by **Thadrin** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 11:08 am

I'd go with Sure Hands and probably strong arm myself.
you don't have a real ball carrier, and that Blitzer's extra move screams for him to be that orc. The thrower...I dunno...I only ever use one, but having a guy with Strong arm and pass can't be wrong.

Deathwing · Post by **Deathwing** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 11:47 am

Sure Hands on a Orc Blitzer?

There speaks a dwarf coach....

Fronko · Post by **Fronko** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 11:50 am

Strong arm on the thrower for sure. You develop him as long thrower, you have enough brawlers, take that little finesse you can get. And if you feel, both throwers look too much alike, you can still scrap the first one and redevelop him in another way, if you like. Perhaps, he will get a few doubles too...

Blitzer would be sure hands for an offensive runner, which seems to be the thing you want to have.

As for catchers: Goblins will do just fine, as long as you can protect them.

Mirascael · Post by **Mirascael** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 12:08 pm

Exactly, Fronco.

STRONG ARM!

Post by **DoubleSkulls** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 1:07 pm

Mortalman wrote:On the other hand, these are mostly the skills my other thrower has and he's approaching 50 which will be his last advance for a while.

He's unlikely to get a double. Plan your skills as if he gets a normal skill. What then? You don't have a long passing game.

Mortalman wrote:For the blitzer the only reason I was thinking Pro is because I'm still attached to the idea of making him a catcher.

He's an Orc blitzer not some pansy elf. Pro isn't a good skill - especially as you ought to be able afford TRR.

Post by **Thadrin** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 1:30 pm

Deathwing wrote:Sure Hands on a Orc Blitzer?
There speaks a dwarf coach....

Three Blitzers, four Black Orcs and 1 Ogre to hit things. Goblins for chucking about. Throwers for...well, god knows...they're too slow to be ball carriers (and THAT coming from a dwarf coach...). Fourth Blitzer? why not have one Orc who can actually do something with the Pigskin/squig/rock?('s the plan on my Orc team anyhoo...)

Deathwing · Post by **Deathwing** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 1:59 pm

Thadrin wrote:
Deathwing wrote:Sure Hands on a Orc Blitzer?
There speaks a dwarf coach....
Three Blitzers, four Black Orcs and 1 Ogre to hit things. Goblins for chucking about. Throwers for...well, god knows...they're too slow to be ball carriers (and THAT coming from a dwarf coach...). Fourth Blitzer? why not have one Orc who can actually do something with the Pigskin/squig/rock?('s the plan on my Orc team anyhoo...)

Just can't see the reasoning here. What are you going to do with the Blitzer? If you're intending to use him as a ball carrier for the entire drive then you're saving the odd TRR on pick ups and completely wasting MA7 as he's faster than his cage (up until he gets within range of the EZ anyway). On that point, Orc Throwers are plenty fast enough to keep up with their protection anyway. And as you said Orc Throwers for 'God knows'..you'd virtually make them redundant if you followed that course, and lose the natural passing threat of your ball carrier to boot.
The only other use of Sure Hands would be to negate Strip Ball, but if you come across opponents with SB then you have 2 perfectly good Throwers to carry the ball anyway.
As a scoring threat, you'd be far better to run him ahead of your ball carrying throwers (as a kind of lead blocker with an added 'out' option )and take Pro for the catches/hand-offs, not to mention the blocks he'd inevitably be throwing.

Good luck with your Orcs, I reckon you're gonna need it with that kind of strategy...

Jerhod · Post by **Jerhod** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 2:31 pm

I'd definitely vote for Strong Arm, but there seems to be reasonably good consensus on that already.

For an AG 4 thrower I would probably take Nerves of Steel, but with an AG 3 thrower I feel that I need Strong Arm and Accurate to have a good long distance thrower. A 4+ long bomb is still a bit risky for my taste, but it's much better than a 5+ long bomb.

I think that would have the Blitzer take Sure Hands. It will come in handy for picking up the ball in the event of a turnover, give you another ball carrier should a thrower get injured, and will give you a reliable runner

Deathwing · Post by **Deathwing** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 2:36 pm

He has a Tackle/Strip Ball/Pro Blitzer. I agree with the thinking though, in fact I went SB (second skill) with my MA7 Orc Blitzer in my REBBL team.

Edit: Hey, you changed from SB to SH while I was replying!
(Your first version made more sense!

)

Jerhod · Post by **Jerhod** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 3:11 pm

Deathwing wrote:He has a Tackle/Strip Ball/Pro Blitzer. I agree with the thinking though, in fact I went SB (second skill) with my MA7 Orc Blitzer in my REBBL team.

Edit: Hey, you changed from SB to SH while I was replying!
(Your first version made more sense! )

Heh...

I realized after I wrote my message that he already had a SB player and thought that I should edit my response appropriately.

I guess I don't understand why you are so anti-Sure Hands. I understand that with two throwers you already have two players with Sure Hands, but I think that having an offensive player with Sure Hands can come in very useful.

Mortalman · Post by **Mortalman** » Wed Jun 11, 2003 3:44 pm

Deathwing wrote: Good luck with your Orcs, I reckon you're gonna need it with that kind of strategy...

I don't think I've created a team that needs that much luck! I tend to score most on defence, so my offensive drives are standard cages as much to eat up the clock as to score TDs, and for that I reckon I've got all the right tools: 4 BOs with block, Ogre, S4 blodger, guard and block/sure hands carrier.
But nonetheless Orcs can have a thrower so why not give yourself the passing option I say? I tend to use it either when I'm facing a murder team and want to get back on defence (where he has to weaken his line protecting the ballcarrier) ASAP, or when I need a quick equaliser. The goblin in a natural receiver, but I wanted an Orc who could be a threat as well. M7 struck me as a good first step because I finally have a player that doesn't need to GFI to score in 2 turns, but then a normal skill kinda stumped me because nothing I can take will augment my plan.

Regarding the idea of making him a ball carrier, I'm more tempted to make the blitzer with S4 block/dodge my runner with the addition of SH to ward off strip ball or Stand Firm if I get a double. That's IF I don't think my two throwers can handle it - they're easily up to standing in the cage! The reason I have two incidentally is in case one gets injured and also because although my main thrower is a star he's gained SPPs so quick I'm worried about him aging so I brought in the other one to take the heat off when I'm not under too much pressure.