we've now had a halfling team play a few games in our playtest league, and everybody is shocked that they're that bad.
Don't get me wrong - we've had gobbos, underworld and ogres, and they've all lost a lot too, and we're fine with that!
It's not the losing, it's the way it happens.
In our analysis, the LRB5 halfling team is simply too bad.
Now - this is where I'll probably get told that "if you want to help a weak team, you're trying to create total balance, in which case you might as well play in an all-human league."
But that's not the same thing. Slightly boosting halflings is a long way from making them level with the rest of the teams.
In the MBBL, halfings have won 11 out of 58 games.
Surely there is room for improvement, without pulling them out of tier 3.
If we gave them a little something, they might perhaps improve to the level of gobbos.
. I hope nobody will claim that LRB5 goblins are tier 2 (or better).As far as we can tell, 3 factors have completely destroyed the LRB5 halflings:
1) New treeman negatives (take root combined with no assists for standing up)
2) New master chef.
3) New environment. (It's harsher. The gobbos got improved in LRB5, and they're still tier 3)
We're fine with the weakened master chef. It always seemed odd to us that a team should get that big of a boost from coaching staff.
But the take root is terrible - and I know for a fact that it was not designed to be weaker than the old take root. But that's how it plays out on a halfling team (not on a wood elf team). Take Root singlehandedly loses you the game.
In our experience, on the half where the halflings start with the ball, they have a decent shot at scoring. However, they can't control the clock (stall), because once the trees have taken root, the halflings are just running for their lives. If the halflings score, opposing teams are very likely to have time enough left to equalize. If on the other hands the halflings turn over the ball on their offense, most opponents will grab it, then stall out the half as soon as the treemen have taken root.
On the other half, opposing teams will wait for the treemen to take root (which they will do eventually) then play the rest of the half against 9 or fewer halflings, and score on turn 8.
IMO, take root is the harshest of the negaskills. One bad roll and you're dead in the water.
And don't tell me that new Multiple Block and Grab helps to compensate, because in my experience they aren't that good to begin with, and once you're rooted, all you'll be grabbing and multiblocking is your empty TZ.
(And before you've taken root MultiBlock isn't worth it either. If you take the 2 2dice blocks, instead of a single 3dice block - your turnover risk jumps from 3,7% to 21%!!)
Of all the teams in the game, the halfling team is the least viable to be able to play on in any meaningful way without their big guys!
Beating them is just too damn easy. Which to us translates to no fun for either side.
In the MBBL, halflings are at 11 wins in 58 games.
And as of now, there are no active halfling teams, because nobody can be bothered to play them!
Surely this is a sign that the legendary "coach who enjoys a challenge or loves the race" couldn't be bothered to touch halflings. Gobbos are challenge enough. And halflings are so much worse.
I have a few ideas about what to do (officially, or as house rules).
Suggestions/comments are welcome.
What we're considering is one of these:
1) a halfling bombardier - because it gives you a sneaky way to uproot rooted trees.
2) 0-2 fatfellows (ST3 halflings).
3) 0-2 dryads (a standard thrower - to set the team apart from the other stunty teams)
4) loner off the treemen. Will help them not take root.
5) Ogres replace treemen (I know BB isn't WFB. Doesn't mean it has to be MiddleEarth).
Cheers
Martin
however as i (along with Buggrit) are teaching him i cannot be to down.... 
