Deep Defense

Post by **DoubleSkulls** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:03 pm

This is a defensive theory that I have been formalising while playing with my High Elves. I think it may apply perfectly well to any fast team trying to beat a power team that runs a solid cage.

The objective is to sacrifice space for time. The ideal objective is to force a mistake from your opponent, or in the worst case delay him enough so he can't score.

Kick deep - this is to try and delay the cage formation to the second turn, force the cage to start deep in his own half or make him pass the ball. If the pass is pulled off you've lost a big advantage - space.

Form a line of defence a few squares in front of the cage. The distance depends on the average move of the cage - lets assume they have a move of 6. That means the line should be formed at least 2 squares in front of the cage. Now why 2 and not 1? If you are 1 square in front of the cage then the rearmost player has to move 4 squares to be level and 6 squares to get out of your TZ. So if you are 2 squares in front of the cage he has to make a GFI to get "safe". This means the whole cage (assuming equal movement) has to make GFI - if that's 4 players having to make a GFI then you've got a better than 50% chance of one of them failing - and causing a TRR to be burned.

Be careful because canny players will put slow players in the front and then overtake them with faster rear ones. Also watch out for other players joining the cage to make up for 1 or 2 slower ones.

B = ball carrier
O = oppenent
X = your player

Code: Select all

____|__O_O__|____
____|___B___|____
____|__O_O__|____
____|_______|____
____|_______|____
_X_X|_X_X_X_|X_X_
____|_______|____
____|_______|____ - safety

Now your opponent has a real dialemma - they can't blitz a single player out of your line and get the cage through to safety. So they either move forward 1 square and stop, leave themselves exposed to the cage being blocked, or make several risky GFIs. If they choose the 1st option then just move back a square and keep going. Otherwise try to exploit the situation to the full.

If you don't have enough players in range to form a solid enough line then don't try, your weakest point will be ruthlessly exposed. Form a weak front line and a secondary instead. The secondary is similar to the first but a couple of squares further back. This needs players place opposite the spaces in your first line.

B = ball carrier
O = oppenent
X = your player

Code: Select all

____|__O_O__|____
____|___B___|____
____|__O_O__|____
____|_______|____
____|_______|____
_X__|X__X__X|__X_
____|_______|____
____|_______|____
___X|__X__X_|_X__

Now they are in a similar dilemma as they can't blitz both lines and so are restricted to moving a shorter distance. Unlike the 1st option this allows much further movement by the cage but hopefully opens up some options next turn.

I hope some of you find this useful.

Munkey · Post by **Munkey** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:12 pm

I used to play a similar style defense with my Wood Elves but I think you've refined the tactic far more than I ever did.

Once I dust the team off for a few games I might give this a try, there's no shortage of running teams in our league to practise against.

Grumbledook · Post by **Grumbledook** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:18 pm

Hmm with my skaven i try to kick deep and then swarm them before a cage can be formed, or at least stop the ball carrier getting in there. Not quite sure how this stops a cage, he can use the spare players to pin yours down, hopefully getting a turnover should you fail to dodge away. Or blitz a hole with the other uncaged players and running them in to swarm the area to make a weak point.

Post by **DoubleSkulls** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:26 pm

Grumbledook wrote:Hmm with my skaven i try to kick deep and then swarm them before a cage can be formed, or at least stop the ball carrier getting in there.

Marcus plays that way too. The counter is forming the cage deep or at least keeping players back.

Grumbledook wrote:Not quite sure how this stops a cage, he can use the spare players to pin yours down, hopefully getting a turnover should you fail to dodge away. Or blitz a hole with the other uncaged players and running them in to swarm the area to make a weak point.

The objective is to either slow the cage to a snails pace, make the cage vulnerable in your next turn or force your opponent to roll lots of dice.

Grumbledook · Post by **Grumbledook** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:28 pm

Fair enough, then i mistook what you were trying to explain then ;]

Korhil · Post by **Korhil** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 1:38 pm

In my experience playing with the CAGE team against that sort of defensive strategy, you just move up and get TZ's on everyone you can, spread all your guards & ST players so they cant throw any good blocks against you. Either they dodge away and with all your Tackle they have chances of failing one, or they stand their and get hit and you CAGE over them with guards meaning they cant get a real block on the ball carrier the next turn. Your in no hurry to make real progress, you have 8 turns to get the TD in. Against such tactics often your get through a flank/side eventually and get the Ball with Guards up and in TD range, then its just a Blitz to score.

You can even split up and make 2 CAGEs pushing at 2 locations, eventually one will give and you almost Box them in while the Ball carrier goes arorund the openside, still with Guards covering him.

My style of playing Elves against CAGE teams is usually more active, I'll get in closer, players that block cant move, use that agaisnt them, keep any stragglers in TZ's so you lower the amount of players they can keep together, you want to split their team up, but split up so there is still only one real CAGE, if they get 2 seperate CAGES moving one will get through and get arround from the other side in support of the other.

---Korhil

Post by **DoubleSkulls** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 2:11 pm

I don't really understand what you mean by 2 cages - what is the point of protecting a player who doesn't have the ball?

As for the offense man marking - that is a very good way to counter the deep defence, when you've got 8 turns. If you haven't got 8 turns then the defence only needs to free 7 players - and only 6 can be marked - to reform the line. If the cage has moved off to one side you don't even need that. Also the defence will also have got a few blocks in while you'll have got 1 - so you better be much stronger than they are.

Korhil · Post by **Korhil** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 4:19 pm

2 Cages... simply 2 blocks of players in different places, only one needs to protect the ball, the one that doesnt have a ball carrier shapes out more like a line to get more guards assisting and keeps moving faster gaining ground.

---Korhil

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 5:25 pm

Interesting. I can think of several ways I'd attack this with a running team which I'll keep to myself until I've tried them against you.

Suffice to say I'm not sure this defence asks enough questions of the offence, I generally don't like giving the initiative away like you are doing with this setup.

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Tue Dec 03, 2002 11:04 pm

This is hardly anything new, but putting your line two squares away from the cage is not a good idea. By doing that, you're allowing the cage to move two squares per turn. That's all they need to score before the end of the match. Placing your line one square away is a much better idea.