Slann League Team

[nick_nameless]

I am feeling a little bit stymied in coming up with a winning strategy against my next opponent. He is playing High Elves and although I am the overdog I am feeling a bit outmatched.

after las game my team looks like:
David Brrrandt, Line Frog :: + AG, Block, Strip Ball, Pass Block :: 58 SPPs
Brrrandon Grrraham, Line Frog :: Rookie, Niggle :: 0 SPPs Missing the Game
Dan Dierrrdorrrf, Line Frog :: +STR, Block, Tackle :: 31 SPPs
Larrry Foote, Line Frog :: Wrestle :: 9 SPPs
Perrry Dorrrestein, Line Frog :: Rookie :: 0 SPPs
David Terrrell, Catcher :: +MV, Block, Dodge, Sidestep, Guard :: 82 SPPs
Desmond Howarrrd, Catcher :: Block, Dodge :: 21 SPPs
Tom Brrrady, Catcher :: Block, Pass, Sure Hands, Kick Off Return :: 57 SPPs
Crrrazy Legs Hirrrsch, Blitzer :: Wrestle, Tackle :: 21 SPPs
Charrrles Woodson, Blitzer :: Block :: 9 SPPs
Marrrlin Jackson, Blitzer :: Block :: 8 SPPs
Prrrescott Burrrgess, Blitzer :: Wrestle :: 11 SPPs

5 TRRs
10 FF
1 Assistant Coach
Apothecary
70K Gold
1890 TV

His High Elf team looks like:

Thrower: Pass, Safe Throw, Accurate, Leader
Blitzer: Block, Dodge, Side Step, Tackle
Blitzer: Block
Catcher: Catch, +1 Ma, +1 Ag, Skill TBD on 5+3
Catcher: Catch, Dodge, Block
Catcher: Catch, Wrestle, Strip Ball
Catcher: Catch, Dodge, Guard, +1 Ag
Lineman: Kick
Lineman: Block, Tackle, Skill TBD on 6+4
Lineman:

TRR: 2
FF: 9
Apoth

He'll also need to add a rookie lineman to his team or use a Journey Elf. It looks like I will be giving up circa $270 in inducements.

My general strategy of playing a positional game on defense while harrying the Ball Carrier is going to be tough to execute because he is faster and much more agile. On offense I am concerned that I will not be able to protect the Ball carrier. I expect him to field Eldril plus a babe or a 50K card for his inducements.

Any help? Should I add a player to get to 12 and give up the extra 60K in inducements?

[TalonBay]

Interesting, I look at that and I would rather be playing the Slann.

His ability to cage or play keep-away is reduced by your crazy linefrogs and guarding catcher so he's likely to stick with the standard elf tactic of two turn passing score, but your blitzers make that a far from sure thing. Defensively I think you cause him problems and you'll need to adjust to what he tries: if he sits back send a couple of players (esp the strip ball frog) after the thrower, mark the catchers with blitzers and knock at least one over. If he plays keep away he's just closer for you to reach and the players in the way aren't tieing up your linefrogs. If he tries to cage then I'm guessing you know how to deal with that based on your team.

How you play offensively shouldn't change a lot I'd have thought, a bit of protection for your passer might be required as your opponent is quick but he's going to struggle to stop the leap/dodge/score.

Eldril is good but so is a wizard, those are the two options I can see for the bulk of the inducements. As you say I'd probably expect Eldril, especially with only 11 players.

[nick_nameless]

Interesting, I look at that and I would rather be playing the Slann.

His ability to cage or play keep-away is reduced by your crazy linefrogs and guarding catcher so he's likely to stick with the standard elf tactic of two turn passing score, but your blitzers make that a far from sure thing. Defensively I think you cause him problems and you'll need to adjust to what he tries: if he sits back send a couple of players (esp the strip ball frog) after the thrower, mark the catchers with blitzers and knock at least one over. If he plays keep away he's just closer for you to reach and the players in the way aren't tieing up your linefrogs. If he tries to cage then I'm guessing you know how to deal with that based on your team.

How you play offensively shouldn't change a lot I'd have thought, a bit of protection for your passer might be required as your opponent is quick but he's going to struggle to stop the leap/dodge/score.

Eldril is good but so is a wizard, those are the two options I can see for the bulk of the inducements. As you say I'd probably expect Eldril, especially with only 11 players.

Honestly now that I think about it he could not buy the lineman, field Eldril and still have 11 players plus possibly enough left over in inducements for a wizard or maybe another star player like Dolfair.

Don't get me wrong...I am pretty confident in my ability with my team, but the AG4 and 5 all over the place takes away a lot of what I do best, which is screen and control movement.

[nick_nameless]

Things ended up working out pretty well for the Frrrogs in that game. He induced Eldril and a card. The card happened to give another player Hypnotic Gaze plus side step and bone-head. A blessing and a curse all in one.

Being a Slann player I have some experience with screens and how to work them to make them tough to penetrate. Protecting against two hypnogaze players was a bit worrisome, but it seems that I managed to get the other player off of his game somehow kind of early. I went into the first half up 2-1 thanks to a pitch invasion that stunned a couple of elves and made it too much for him to defend the 2 turner.

In the second half I made a pass block move into traffic on his turn one and managed the lucky six for the interception. On my turn one my Frrrogs were all foot loose and fancy free as he had mostly dodged off of me, so I was able to screen up and protect my ball carrier. I did not score until turn three as I made some effort to build a bit of a fortress in the corner so that I could hand the ball off to a blitzer for the SPPs.

After the next kickoff he made a mistake in advancing the ball most of the way up the field to a catcher deep in my zone but who was only protected by a thin screen. In leaped my strip ball player and the mayhem ensued. I managed to eek out a 4th score on turn 8 and handled the elves 4-1 with a bit of luck and some good positional play.

So the team now looks like:

David Brrrandt, Line Frog :: + AG, Block, Strip Ball, Pass Block :: 61 SPPs
Brrrandon Grrraham, Line Frog :: Rookie, Niggle :: 0 SPPs
Dan Dierrrdorrrf, Line Frog :: +STR, Block, Tackle :: 33 SPPs
Larrry Foote, Line Frog :: Wrestle :: 9 SPPs
Perrry Dorrrestein, Line Frog :: Rookie :: 0 SPPs
David Terrrell, Catcher :: +MV, Block, Dodge, Sidestep, Guard :: 95 SPPs
Desmond Howarrrd, Catcher :: Block, Dodge, Dirty Player :: 35 SPPs
Tom Brrrady, Catcher :: Block, Pass, Sure Hands, Kick Off Return :: 57 SPPs
Crrrazy Legs Hirrrsch, Blitzer :: Wrestle, Tackle :: 21 SPPs
Charrrles Woodson, Blitzer :: Block :: 9 SPPs
Marrrlin Jackson, Blitzer :: Block, Mighty Blow :: 18 SPPs
Prrrescott Burrrgess, Blitzer :: Wrestle :: 11 SPPs

5 TRRs
10 FF
1 Assistant Coach
Apothecary
90K Gold
1990 TV

Next up an undefeated Dark Elf team at 1940 TV. This team has not lost a game in 2 seasons except for the championship game which he lost to a wood elf player. Another game where I don't see a win, although the TVs will be pretty closely matched. He has one match left to play so it is possible he will suffer some aches and pains before we match up.

Also....I know some people are going to look sideways at the dirty player on the catcher. My next two opponents both have pile-on players, and I wanted them to feel some angst when they were making the decision to lay their really expensive 5 skill players prone. That catcher will probably get sneaky git next if he lives for another skill. That makes it much harder for my opponents to judge when it is safe to go prone because of my ability to leap into the spot where the boot needs to be administered